As Alfa Romeo continues to celebrate 110 years of making some of the most emotive automobiles the world has ever seen, it's also taking the opportunity to shine a light on some of the brand's lesser-known adventures in engineering.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/when-alfa-ruled-the-waves-with-its-sea-horses/ ... View more

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS  is the most luxurious, expensive, and, let's be honest, the most ostentatious Benz to emerge from the company's Alabama factory.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/american-made-maybach-gls-is-ready-to-roll/ ... View more

The first-ever production mid-engine Corvettes shipped out to buyers this year, followings delays related to strikes at GM and a production hiatus related COVID-19. Some owners have been exploiting pent-up demand by offering their cars for sale in the $100,000 range. Few C8s have come up for auction, so when this 5400-mile specimen popped up on Cars & Bids at no reserve, it caught our attention.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/auctions/is-a-5400-mile-c8-corvette-worth-full-retail-to-skip-the-wait-list/ ... View more

For generations, many of us have dreamed about having a licence to kill and the skill set to back it up. Before this description conjured MI6 agent 007 in the popular imagination, real-life agents learned the art and science of espionage during WWII at a top-secret spy school fifty kilometres east of Toronto.   Dubbed "Camp X" by locals, the paramilitary facility quickly became a hub for Allied communications and spy training in every field from assassination to intelligence. While serving in the British Naval Intelligence Division, Ian Fleming, the author of James Bond's character, visited Camp X on multiple occasions. Though Fleming's time in Canada certainly inspired elements of his series of British spy novels, the now-forgotten story of Camp X goes far deeper than movie trivia.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/the-elsinore-files/uncovering-canadas-forgotten-wwii-spy-school/ ... View more

Today's featured vehicle is a 1967 Ford Mustang. Ford used the same 108-inch wheelbase for this model year but gave its pony car a light makeover: The Mustang grew in length and in width, adopting a larger grille and a concave taillight panel. The 289-cubic-inch V-8 carried over, supplemented by the 271 K-code motor and a new-for-'67 320-hp, 390-cubic-inch engine. This was also the year in which the Camaro and Firebird joined the Mustang on the streets of America.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/hagerty-community/rides-from-the-readers-1967-ford-mustang/ ... View more

No one cares what I think of the styling on the new BMW M4, so I won’t tell you.   I will go out of my way, in fact, to avoid telling you: that the car in question resembles nothing so much as a gin-drunk and particularly angry rabbit with a hellacious overbite; that its comically large grille openings fail to cohere with the car’s various lines and forms; that the whole mess reminds me of that moment, several years ago, when I woke in the middle of the night and looked over the side of the bed to find my bean-brained but lovable spaniel, Elly, whimpering because she had accidentally jammed her jaws open around one of those rubber Kong chew-toy things that she loves so much.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/smithology-a-little-too-on-the-nose/ ... View more

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 is on the verge of becoming a classic; the pinnacle of front-engine Corvette performance has an instant following among Corvette collectors of all ages. If current online chatter turns into a trend, ZR1s with seven-speed manuals and that massive rear wing (RPO ZTK) are likely the most desirable of the bunch. While heavily based on the Z06, the one-year-only ZR1's functional styling upgrades play a part in its future prospects.   It's hard to make other C7s look mundane or even malnourished, but the muscular ZR1 makes it clear General Motors broke the mold with this design, which we must examine on the vellum.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/vellum-venom/vellum-venom-2019-chevrolet-corvette-zr1-c7/ ... View more

John Gillespie Magee, Jr., an American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force flying in a Spitfire squadron in Britain during the Second World War, wrote eloquently of having “[S]lipped the surly bonds of earth, and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; … wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence” and “flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.” Though he was tragically killed in a midair collision at the tender age of 19, Magee's poem “High Flight” remains a favorite of pilots the world over. What his moving prose fails to adequately describe is the stark brutality of aerial combat. It’s akin to a knife fight in a phone booth, only with the combatants’ knives worth multitudinous millions of dollars.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/a-fighter-pilot-tells-us-what-the-real-top-guns-drive-to-work/ ... View more

The Gremlin was AMC's shortcut into the subcompact market. By chopping down the Hornet into a hatchback, AMC was able to offer a lighter, more affordable car while saving on the development of a unique platform or front sheetmetal. The resulting car wasn't as striking as the Javelin-based AMX-GT show car, but we have to admit that it is charming. The Gremlin's only become more appealing since.   This outrageously bold Gremlin, available on Bring a Trailer, reminds us that the tiny platform can still pack an abundance of style and even a V-8 engine.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/this-1973-gremlin-perfectly-captures-the-80s/ ... View more

Provided you deeply appreciate Ford's bubble-shaped '90s styling, now's your chance to snag a real-life concept car ... as long as rolling fiberglass sculpture with neither interior nor steering will suffice. The Blue Oval's 1994 Ghia Vivace concept, an early interpretation of a design language that would reach production with the '96 Taurus, is up for sale on Bring a Trailer.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/fords-1994-ghia-vivace-concept-can-be-your-personal-garage-art/ ... View more

If you didn't watch the Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay ballgame, you likely missed the latest unholy matrimony of corporate branding and retro remakes: John McClane of the Die Hard movie franchise is now hawking DieHard batteries for Advance Auto Parts. The extended version of the ad is below, and it reintroduces Bruce Willis' famous character, not to mention the villain Theo (played by Clarence Gilyard, Jr.) and the limo driver Argyle (played by De’voreaux White).   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/entertainment/marketing-with-a-vengeance-diehard-batteries-meet-die-hard/ ... View more

The Cadillac Escalade needs no introduction, a fact that is in and of itself worthy of introduction. Despite competing in a full-size luxury SUV segment teeming with new models, and despite coming from a brand that seems to grasp for new alphanumeric badges every six minutes, the Escalade has become a household name and a universally recognized vehicle. And oh, so successful—Cadillac says Escalade owners are its wealthiest customers, not to mention its youngest.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/new-car-reviews/review-2021-cadillac-escalade-2wd-premium/ ... View more

Wrenches are vital to almost any repair, but keeping them sorted in a regular tool bag is futile. While tool rolls are ideal in many cases, the roll itself makes a small pack of tools many times larger—which is where this week's Wrenchin' Wednesday steps in.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/wrenchin-wednesday-wrench-organization-for-the-road/ ... View more

Most entrepreneurs who dabble in the de-mummification of long-dead car brands abide by an unwritten law: Every company that returns to life must specialize in high-end luxury vehicles with multi-million-dollar price tags and electric powertrains. England-based Alvis is an exception to that rule.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/after-45-years-alvis-is-recreating-its-cars-using-original-blueprints/ ... View more

Today’s car enthusiasts adore BMW’s remarkable inline sixes (L-6s), but it’s worth recalling that these engines descended from one of the world’s most astute L-4 designs.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/magazine-features/bmws-most-significant-engine-didnt-have-six-cylinders/ ... View more

The 2021 Mach 1 is Ford’s replacement for the wonderfully understated Mustang Bullitt. While it doesn’t have the characteristic hood scoop we’ve come to expect, the Mach 1 pairs the Bullitt's 480-hp, 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 with the beefier Tremec 3160 six-speed manual previously used in the GT350. Today, Ford announced that the Handling Package—until now, available only on the six-speed Mach 1—can be ordered with the 10-speed automatic.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/2021-mustang-mach-1-handling-package-now-available-with-10-speed-auto/ ... View more

We Americans are deprived of a handful of fun enthusiasts cars which European drivers get to gleefully hoon about. The Alpine brand has caught our attention lately, since Renault CEO Luca de Meo told reporters last week, according to Automotive News, that he wants Alpine to produce a Ferrari competitor someday. We like the sound of that, even though this mythical car will likely never see roads on this side of the Atlantic. However, we've also got an alternative suggestion.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/what-if-alpine-went-maximum-kawasaki-instead-of-mini-ferrari/ ... View more

Not all engine designers get the credit they deserve, but occasionally their names carry as much weight as the storied badges on the trunk lid or hood. In no particular order, here’s our pick of legends behind some of the greatest engines of all time.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/people/9-of-the-worlds-greatest-engine-designers/ ... View more

Audi has announced a run of just 40 special TTs to commemorate four decades of the quattro and each is almost as expensive as the flagship R8 supercar.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/audi-celebrates-40-years-of-quattro-with-a-tt-for-the-price-of-an-r8/ ... View more

For most of its existence, Pontiac wasn’t known for wild styling exercises and often seemed to live in Chevrolet's shadow. Yet in 1971, Pontiac went off the deep end and added some pasta to its meatball of a firebird by transplanting a Ferrari V-12 into a Firebird body. This unholy mashup occur requires an explanation, and a long one at that. So let’s dive right in.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/pontiac-pegasus-has-a-ferrari-heartbeat/ ... View more

The name Zimmer may not register with many car enthusiasts these days, but back in the 1980s, Zimmer was a big name in the neoclassic industry. Neoclassic, you ask? That moniker applies to a subset of vehicles built in the ’70s and ’80s which have a striking resemblance to the Mercedes-Benz SSK. Founded in 1978, Zimmer found success with its flagship Golden Spirit, which was based on a Ford Mustang chassis and drivetrain.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/zimmer-quicksilver-cool-neoclassic-or-expensive-fiero/ ... View more

British racing team Vanwall is back on the grid with a limited-run continuation car for historic racing. Exactly 62 years since Vanwall won the very first Formula 1 Constructors' Championship, the newly-formed Vanwall Group announced its plans for six recreations of its 1958 Grand Prix winner.   Read the first article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/vanwall-returns-with-a-reborn-grand-prix-legend/ ... View more

After more than 20 years of absence, Land Rover brought the Defender back to the U.S. late this year. When the previous (and, until recently, only) Defender left the U.S. market there were plenty of options for buyers looking for a rugged off-road SUV with a real four-wheel-drive system and a low-range transfer case. The list of offerings that have come and gone—or that have just gone—in that time is lengthy: Montero, Trooper, Blazer, Xterra, Cherokee, Commander ... Thankfully, Land Rover saw fit to bring this one back, but it’s not quite the same blocky, utilitarian workhorse it once was.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/new-car-reviews/review-2020-land-rover-defender-110-se/ ... View more

French aviation pioneer Gabriel Voisin’s career in aeronautics clearly had an influence on his creation of the 1935 Voisin Type C25 Aerodyne. If the car’s name doesn’t already give it away, seeing is believing.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/video/get-an-up-close-look-at-the-mullin-museums-1935-voisin-type-c25-aerodyne/ ... View more

Much like the teaser website we previously covered, the official trailer for the John Bronco "mockumentary" movie is loaded with retro imagery and vintage Bronco action that'll make any car enthusiast's heart rate quicken. See the trailer below, and if you like what you see, go stream the whole 37-minute enchilada on Hulu.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/entertainment/john-bronco-is-ready-for-your-viewing-pleasure/ ... View more

RIP to Acura's RLX sedan. The former flagship has gone to the big alphanumeric name soup in the sky, proving once again that buyers don't want to spend big money on a big sedan. Crossing over to fill the gap is the 2021 MDX, shown here under a loosely held definition of a prototype: Everything looks ready for production. The design is evolutionary, and rightly so; the MDX is a popular luxury CUV that Acura says has been "America's all-time best-selling three-row luxury SUV" from 1980 to 2020.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/meet-the-mdx-acuras-new-flagship-thats-definitely-not-a-sedan/ ... View more

Like plenty of other budget-minded cars of the era, the Duster has been dismissed by many collectors who demand only the meanest muscle cars. It may be time for Dusters to shine, as enthusiasts new to early-'70s cars are beginning to recognize their appeal.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/the-plymouth-duster-is-mopars-under-appreciated-mini-muscle-car/ ... View more

Volkswagen has announced two new go-faster Golfs based on the eighth generation of the popular hatch.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/vw-tees-up-hot-golf-duo/ ... View more

I like to think I’ve got my finger on the pulse of cool car culture and industry in my part of Canada. Heck, I competed in my first sanctioned race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (née Mosport) in the early '90s and have taught right seat and trackside for decades. Most of my friends are either in the business of cars or downright car-crazy.   Read the full article on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/opinion/the-elsinore-files/canadas-best-kept-automotive-secret-is-this-climactic-wind-tunnel/ ... View more