In my just-released book The Archaeological Automobile, I write that all restoration is fictional. What I mean is that despite the most careful effort and the most meticulous research, the resultant job will be no more than an approximation of the automobile’s lost reality. “But surely not!” I hear hundreds […]

You have certainly heard the adage, “Come for the cars, but stay for the people.” Our hobby is full of personalities, which often make it enjoyable. But the transactional nature of car collecting means it is unique compared to other pastimes. Nothing is so revealing of a person’s traits — […]

“Buying and selling online has fundamentally changed the dynamics of the collector-car market. Presentation plays an essential role in this. Comprehensive photo galleries, videos that range from simple to truly inspirational, and the ease of being able to provide more photos and footage moments after a commenter’s request give buyers […]

“That’s a really valuable collector automobile.” Or, “This car will be a very important addition to a collection.” What do we really mean when we make such judgments? Whenever we go to shows, auctions, tours, and races, we hear these remarks. But have you ever wondered what goes into making […]

Luftgekühlt is a one-day car show — of sorts — only for air-cooled Porsches. From afar, it appears as an “in-crowd, secret-handshake” event meant only for the most socially well-connected Porsche owners. The 2021 edition was held nearby in Indianapolis, IN, in September. My son Max got the bug to […]

The 2021 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance played host to a special class of Porsche 917 race cars. That this gathering — 50 years after the 917’s overall win at Le Mans in 1971 — would occur there, rather than in the paddock of some storied racing circuit, is significant. We […]

I am obsessed with the Mille Miglia, so when I was pondering my next collector car, I set my sights on a ’50s-era Italian sports car. Immediately, I ran into a chicane: The top-tier cars were far north of my $150,000 budget. My search downshifted and I began chasing a […]

If you’re of the age when new 1960s sports cars were on your bedroom posters, you surely remember Mr. Peabody. A Saturday morning cartoon favorite, this polymath dog and his pet boy, Sherman, used a time-traveling machine called the WABAC to go on entertaining and educational adventures. Because I’m a […]

The collector-car world is experiencing a metamorphosis. Over the past six years, we have witnessed the maturation of the industry. The transition began in earnest when RM Auctions announced a strategic partnership with publicly traded Sotheby’s in 2015. Next, in 2020, media giant Hearst acquired Bring a Trailer for an […]

One of the more jaw-dropping automotive transactions to occur in 2021 has to be the sale of James Dean’s Porsche 550 transaxle for $387,000 (including buyer’s premium) on Bring a Trailer. While the James Dean Porsche 550 story is well known in automobile collecting circles, a bit of background may […]