Jeff is a lifelong automobile enthusiast with a penchant for sports and racing cars. He has raced SCCA, local circle track, and stage rally as a co-driver. He makes his living as a freelance automotive journalist and is the author of six books on automotive topics. As a rule, he practices catch-and-release fishing when it comes to collectible automobiles, trying to leave each one in better condition than he found it. Enduring passions include his MGA and Austin Mini, and his 1969 Corvette. He recently purchased a 1920 Ford Model T Touring because “you just have to have one of these once in your life.”
When Honda brought the first Civic subcompact to America in the middle of 1972, the car was not very well received.
Honda’s previous cars had been far too small and idiosyncratic for the American buyer, and early Civics had a tendency to rust so badly that the U.S. government forced Honda to recall and repair them with new fenders.
For a short time it looked as though the Civic might not catch on, even though Datsun and Toyota were making Read More
If you want to put an all-wheel-drive sports car into your collection, but you don’t want to pay the ticket price for an exotic and you don’t want the boy-racer styling of a sport compact, there aren’t a lot of options. Fortunately, the obvious choice is also a good one. The Audi TT is a car you can drive every day, and it is likely to age well in your collection.
The TT badge recalls the Tourist Trophy races, where Read More
Chassis number: 5UMCN93462LK61096
The BMW M coupe was built to be a German masterpiece — to perform and handle better than most sports cars on the road. The purpose behind creating an M Coupe was to increase the rigidity of the much-loved Z3 Read More
“Underlig” is a Swedish word that means curious, odd, peculiar or strange. Any of those terms could fairly be applied to the venerable Saab 96 and its kindred. No matter how you look at it, these little cars are funky. They’re not as odd as the Messerschmitts and Isettas of the world, but they’re strange enough that Saabs have never really caught on as collector cars — even though they’re highly regarded among rally competitors for their sure-footed handling and Read More
The imported mini-truck surged in popularity in the wake of the first 1970s fuel crisis and rising gas prices. The 4-cylinder engines in the import trucks were more economical than the V8 and straight-6 engines that powered the bigger domestic models.
The little trucks from Toyota, Datsun/Nissan, and Mazda offered more responsive handling than their larger cousins. The Big Three got into the import truck market as well. Ford sold a Mazda pickup as the Courier, while Chrysler sourced its Read More
Going to a collector car auction is a lot like visiting an online dating site. You get to check out the prospects — and you have one quick chance to decide if you want to get involved. If you’re interested, you present your best offer and hope the competition doesn’t make a better one. It’s an unpredictable game of dashed hopes and dreams come true. And, sometimes, there’s buyer’s remorse the next morning.
With that in mind, here are six Read More
On any given Saturday morning you can find a Cars & Coffee event in most American cities. The phenomenon is less than 10 years old, and it’s delightful in its simplicity. There’s no entry fee, no class structure, no judges, and no trophy to take home. It’s just about driving your car and enjoying what everyone else brought. Call it a cruise-in for the Millennial Era.
The vehicles and the people you find at a Cars & Coffee tend to Read More
Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 2003, the Gallardo was intended to complement the 12-cylinder Murciélago in Lamborghini’s model line. Far from entry level, however, the Gallardo was a 10-cylinder, fire-breathing supercar that not only offers world-class performance, but all the refinement and technology that Audi ownership has afforded the sports car manufacturer from Sant’Agata Bolognese.
Two years after the introduction of the coupe, the Gallardo Spyder was released. This new model featured a folding soft top; the Spyder’s Read More
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