This was Steve McQueen’s Nimbus Model C motorcycle – an unusual and quite advanced bike from Denmark characterized by its inline-4 cylinder engine with a single overhead cam and the distinction of being one of the first motorcycles to be fitted with telescopic front forks. The Nimbus Model C The Nimbus Model C is one of the…
The Volvo 1800E is the fastest version of what is possibly Sweden’s most beautiful car. It’s a car that was designed by a Swede and built with a global supply chain (and some subterfuge) to replace the famous failure that was the Volvo P1900. The Volvo P1800 – 1800S – 1800E – 1800ES The design…
The 90th Anniversary Schott Perfecto Jacket was developed to celebrate 90 years since Irving Schott designed America’s most iconic leather motorcycle jacket – this anniversary edition was created by the 3rd and 4th generations of the Schott family. The Perfecto The original Perfecto Jacket was named for Irving Schott’s favorite cigar type, the jacket was…
The Ruby Castel Shibuya Helmet has a new livery from the famed French helmet company, one of the first in the world to produce classically-styled full-face motorcycle helmets made with modern materials to modern helmet safety standards. The styling of the Ruby Castel has won the company fans from Paris to Perth due to their…
Pacto Racing Boots are hand-made by two artisans who sit side-by-side in a small workshop in Costa Rica – one of them cuts and stitches the leather, and the other cuts and mounts to the soles. The boots themselves were very carefully designed in the style of the original racing driver boots from the mid-20th…
Peter Maier At the age of 20, Maier was one of the youngest designers ever hired by General Motors Corporation. After seeing Maier’s work at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, renowned automotive designer and VP of GM, Bill Mitchell, offered Maier a position for their 3-month Summer Program. Halfway through the program Maier was offered…
In the world of coachbuilders there are few names that evoke more passion than Zagato, the list of iconic road and race cars built by the Italian carrozzeria is extensive but it rarely includes the car you see here – the unusual Zagato Zele. The Zagato Zele The Zagato Zele was a significant departure from the norm…
The Meyers Manx was the original fiberglass beach buggy, designed by Bruce Meyers in the early 1960s. This film tells the story of both Bruce Manx and his Meyers Manx, it’s a fascinating watch and it includes some great footage of Bruce as well as the early (and very successful) racing efforts in the Manx. The…
The 1965 Pontiac GTO Chief Camino is a one-off vehicle that should almost certainly have been built and offered for sale by Pontiac in the mid-1960s. It never was, but this is probably due to the fact that there’s no indication Pontiac even considered building it. The car you see here wasn’t built by them,…
The Austin-Healey 100 The Austin-Healey 100 is one of the most beautiful British cars of its time, in fact I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the most beautiful cars of its time regardless of origin. Amazingly the designer behind the low, sweeping roadster wasn’t actually a designer and he had…
The Dobbertin HydroCar is an amphibious vehicle that took 10 years to develop with over $1 million USD invested in research, development, and construction. The HydroCar can be driven on land for extended periods thanks to its articulated sponsons (side pontoons) that can be raised or lowered. In the raised position the four wheels are…
Ettore Bugatti was one of the early motoring world’s greatest characters, almost as famous for his gruff and oftentimes hilarious customer service as he was for his engineering genius. On dealing with a customer who was complaining about the lackluster braking performance on his new car Ettore yelled “I make my cars to go, not…
