427 Cobra, fer sure. It is street legal (I assume) so that means I can enjoy it without reserving 2 hours at the local race track. The concept car is just too ug-lee. If I was a collector with the means to show off the cars, one of the GT350Rs would be my choice, but as a typical middle class retiree with limited storage space and income, the Cobra it is. ... View more

Hey! What about the MGC? (At least I think it was called that...) It was an MGB with an American V-8. Not sure of the lineage of the motor, but I think it was MOPAR. (A previous post mentioned the MGB GT. That was not powered by a V-8 but rather was an MG with a hard top fast-back, i.e. a GT by the purest definition of a GT). ... View more

This is one of the best articles from Hagerty I have seen.  What a wonderful combination of technical description of the part, and the back story of the people behind it.  At my age I have left the hot-rodding to the engineers at the big car companies and the younger generation (maybe my grandsons) but several of the items you described are fond memories in my past, especially the Hurst shifter.  Nothing, including my 2004 Z51 Corvette, shifted as nicely as the Hurst unit in my 66 Ford Galaxie hardtop.  Thank you for a great piece of journalism. ... View more

I attended the NCO Academy at Ft. Eustis in 1972.  They lumped us rotorheads (helicopter mechanics and crew) in with the "Sixty-Four Charlies," the truckers.  At the time, Eve was sitting outside at the Transportation Museum, which was not much more than a Quonset hut.  The truckers were disturbed by this and took their turn of academy classes caring for her, touching up paint, treating rust, digging out bird's nests.  There was an obvious and deep reverence for Eve displayed by these men, something that I always will remember.  Thanks for publishing this article.   ... View more

Being somewhat of a rotorhead back in the early 2000's I was of course aware of Racing Beat, but knew little of Mr. Merderer.  Thanks for publishing this.  It's a great story and an important part of rotary engine Facts & Folklore.  However, can someone at Hagerty please advise Mr. McAleer on the definition of "rod" when used in "hot-rodding?"  Thanks. ... View more

If you didn't include the Mondeo ST I would have been pissed.  Thanks.  I still lament the fact that Ford never brought ST trim (and manual transmission) to the Fusion here in the US.  When Ford announced the demise of all cars except the 'Stang, I promptly scored a new Focus ST from a local Ford dealer who specializes in trucks for less than $20K, $23.9K out the door.  I've been grinning ever since and the Corvette just sits idle, sipping on the Battery Tender. ... View more

My best tip:  Drive the futzer.  Often.  Not just around the block.  Give it a good workout.  Better yet, once or twice a week use it as your daily driver.  Rain won't hurt it and the exercise you get giving it a wash-and-wipe is good for you.  Granted, if you live in the snow belt and the local highways have more salt than Bonneville, keep it home.  Drive your 20 year old SUV instead.  But really, how many days a year is there actual snow and ice being melted by salt on your roads?   I've restored enough motorcycles and cars to know that "lo-mi" is no bargain.  Seals and bearings need frequent oiling and heat cycles.  A lo-mi car may LOOK good, but will invariably leave you stranded.  Drive/ride them, don't hide them. ... View more

Usually I love these articles and leave favorable comments.  Not this time.  No.  No way. Nope.  Noppity-nope.  Uh-uh.  Sorry, I just can't see any connection between the mentioned autos and bikes other than country of origin.  And you could have at least posted a photo of a VINTAGE Royal Enfield rather than a 2020 model.   I realize in these days of quarantine and social distancing it's difficult to come up with car stories, but this one was really reaching.  Just re-run some old stories if you get stuck.  90% of us read them with our first coffee in the AM anyway so we wouldn't remember we've seen them before.   ... View more

The Ford Motor Company in general, for abandoning cars.  Yeah yeah, Mustang.  Fine.  But what about people who want sedans, or basic transportation, or a hot hatch?  Honda, Toyota, Subaru, and the Korean powerhouse of Hyundai and Kia don't seem to be bothered about selling these kind of cars along with their SUVs.  It won't be long before Ford will use the same rationale (whatever it was) to add another set of doors, AWD and the body from the MACH-E to the Mustang.   ... View more

I dunno.  I would have picked the Porsche 924 to be matched with the Gen II RX-7, not the MOPAR product you show here.  I owned two of the RX-7s over the years and it was frequently compared to the Porsche, and several times mistakenly ID'd as the Porsche product.  (Having driven both, I would pick the RX-7, considering the cost of ownership.  If someone else was picking up the tab for maintenance, then the Porsche would be my pick) ... View more

The Chrysler 300 dome has to be the best ever.  When I saw the teaser mail message I thought to myself "I bet they didn't include the 300.  Nasty e-mail shall be written" but lo and behold, it was your leadoff.  Very cool.  My best bud in high school inherited his dad's 300 (and 6 mpg) and we had lots of cool memories in that car.  Thanks.   ... View more

Two tips:  (1) It's easier to maintain a clean engine bay than to wait until it's Grunge City.  Of course, if you are resurrecting a barn find, or worse, a back-of-the-garage find, you need to do the heavy duty stuff.  But keeping a new car clean, even after 15 years, is way easier and needs less invasive chemicals and procedures.  Generally, I clean the engine bays every other car wash.  Good old Lemon Pledge works fine.    (2)  Motorcyclists have been using S100 for decades.  It not only works on all levels of dirt, but it leaves a nice finish on metal, rubber and plastic surfaces.  You DO have to rinse with a hose, so take the necessary precautions.  However, I have found that if your car can keep running fine after driving through a puddle, you don't have to go crazy.  FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!   S100 can be found at any bike shop, but be careful as they make you walk past all the motorcycles to get to the parts department.   ... View more

Steve McQueen's 68 Mustang GT in Bullit.  James Taylor and Denny Wilson's Tri-Five gasser in Two Lane Blacktop.   ... View more

Wait.  You mean EVERYONE doesn't feel this way?  I guess that explains the Subaru Outback around the corner with the left rear window covered over with a garbage bag and blue masking tape. ... View more

It is generally accepted that the story of naming the Mustang after the WWII P-51 flighter is dubious.  Certainly it came up in the discussion, but in the end the symbol for the 'Stang was the horse, not the airplane.  That's like saying the Cougar was named after the Washington State football team. ... View more

Granted, "Mustang" is a breed, or maybe sub-breed, of horse, but I think any list of cars named after critters should include the 'Stang.  But, that would open the door to Bronco, Pinto, and Santa Maria.  Wait.....wrong list.  And, while not really a car, who can forget Greyhound? ... View more