Environmental issues aside (let’s face it we are on the Hagerty forum, none of us are earning our eco-savior badges anytime soon), whatever happened to trucks?  The vehicles that spent more time covered in filth than being clean because they were actually being used for utilitarian purposes. You  know, the things that you’d use to haul crap to the dump (or to the recycling station as the case may be), without fear of messing them up. The rigs that usually smelled more than  just a bit off inside the cab due to a bizarre blend of two-stroke premix, combined with  the slime from the soles of your wading boots, all covered with countless layers of dirt from any number of other adventures that you’d rather not subject your car to (you know, when people actually owned cars).   I remember when I was a kid, watching a neighbor clean his truck at a point that was long past the expiration date for the health of those riding in the thing. He proceeded to pull the drain plugs from the floor and spray the thing out with with a garden hose equipped with a power nozzle. Worked like a charm. Now that was a truck!   Regardless of how it is being marketed and sold, who it appeals to, or who it upsets, I haven’t a clue what the RAM TRX is. But I’m pretty sure that it’s not a truck.  ... View more

2005 Honda S2000 I've been a "Honda Guy" since I first started riding a Mini-Trail 50 (Honda Z50) when I was in grade school back in the early 1970's. My very first car was a Triumph Spitfire and I've been a fan of 2-seat roadsters ever since. These days I'm honoring both the Honda history and the 2-seat roadster history via this 2005 S2000 in Grand Prix White with a Black and Tan interior. For me there is nothing like top-down motoring. The S2000 definitely makes the top-down experience special.  ... View more

2013 Honda CB1100 2013 Honda CB1100   Here is my one and only motorcycle these days as seen earlier this year here in Portland, Oregon: my 2013 Honda CB1100. Before I began working from home a couple of years ago my CB1100 was my primary commuting vehicle year-round and it performed that task wonderfully. When riding for pleasure I prefer scenic local backroads over crowded highways. But this machine does it all with relative ease, living up to the "Universal Japanese Motorcycle" (UJM) moniker of the "standard" forebearers that it honors. This motorcycle truly fits my needs perfectly. The CB1100 was Honda's way of celebrating their heritage along with the significance that the CB line of motorcycles played in their history. Honda originally designed the CB1100 for the Japanese market with no intentions of bringing this motorcycle to North America. It was released in Japan (as well as Australia) in 2010 where it immediately became the top-seller in it class. Honda finally succumbed to the requests of American Honda dealers to bring this machine to the States in 2013, but the CB1100 would never enjoy the sort of enthusiasm over here that it was met with in Japan. It wasn't an inexpensive motorcycle to begin with (relatively speaking), even in Japan, nor was it intended to be. The mission of the CB1100 was to provide a true retro riding experience — not just to apply some retro-styling to a modern design. Yet that experience was to be combined with a few modern benefits such as fuel injection and powerful brakes. The mill found in the CB1100 represented Honda's first all-new air-cooled engine design in more than two decades. That engine was tuned for a wide, flat power band with ample amounts of torque from down low in the RPM range. The 18" wheels sporting fairly skinny tires (by today's standards) add to the effect, also helping to keep the bike nimble despite it's weight. Not that it's a large motorcycle as it's actually fairly compact for a liter bike. The bike was designed with a number of past CB models in mind rather than trying to replicate the looks of any one specific model. (I only wish that Honda had stuck with the 4-into-1 header design of the concept bike as it mimicked the awesome header design of the 1975-1977 CB400F.) Honda has made numerous changes to the CB1100 over the years since it's introduction and are still producing these bikes even though they are no longer selling them here in the States. I personally remain the most fond of the original examples like my 2013 model. The looks were a big part of the draw for me and Honda got it just right from the start given my preferences. I actually placed the deposit on my bike back in 2012 literally within just a few hours of Honda's announcement that they would be bringing the CB1100 to North America. Sorry @mlfreeman , I guess that wasn't exactly a short writeup. It likely won't come as a surprise that I was passionate enough about the CB1100 that I started a forum dedicated to the bike (cb1100forum.com) right after taking delivery of mine. It is such a pleasure to ride and to own that I'll surely own this motorcycle until my riding days are done and even then I imagine that I'll be reluctant to let it go. Thanks for letting me share. ... View more

My 1st new car was a 1987 Honda CRX Si. That car was such a blast.  I would love to have another CRX Si today (of any year model). It would make for a wonderful addition to the 2005 S2000 that I enjoy today. (Always a Honda fan!)  ... View more

Now these make for some interesting and varied choices. I really dig the inclusion of the 944S and the GTV-6. But as a I have a thing for roadsters and Japanese engineering both, so I'd likely go on the hunt for one of the Datsun Roadsters out of this lot. (That 944S is quite the looker though.) ... View more

That’s a good point regarding the images used. However, rest assured that confusion over unrealistic pricing isn’t restricted to buyers only. Fortunately at the end of the day, any given machine for sale is only worth that amount where what the buyer is willing to pay overlaps with what the seller is willing to let it go for. Should such an overlap not occur, then the value is no longer measured in dollars so much as it is desire. Only to be readjusted at a point in time further down the road. ... View more

Out of curiosity, what motorcycles that fit the criteria would you recommend from those countries respectively? Thanks! ... View more

This is actually a pretty nice list of motorcycles — I love the GPz550 pick. Unfortunately it appears that the Hurricane has once again kept the Hawk in the shadows. That’s a shame I definitely would have included the Honda Hawk GT (NT650) in this list. Having owned one as recently as just over two years ago I’m admittedly biased.. ... View more

My Dad's love for motorcycles combined with his excellent mechanical skills resulted in what was more or less a side job for him repairing and maintaining the motorcycles of most of his friends and their friends in the small town where I grew up in rural Illinois. I would guess that the bartering system was often used in place of currency because despite our modest lifestyle there were a plethora of dirt bikes for my brother and I that made their way through our household when I was a kid from the likes of Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda in particular (thanks to the XR75 and my Dad being a fan of the brand) and of course a Hodaka. I believe that particular Hodaka was a Dirt Squirt with a gleaming chrome tank and it passed in and out of the garage fairly quickly. My only vivid memory of it was when my Dad put my brother on board for a ride. What was notable about this incident was that my brother couldn't touch the ground and had never ridden a bike with a real clutch before. (One of the bikes that took up semi-permanent residence in our garage was a Honda Z50 K1 "Mini-Trail" that featured an centrifugal clutch and was what my brother was still riding at the time.) As soon as he let the clutch lever out without killing the engine and the bike began rolling my brother instantly forgot everything my Dad had told him. The site of my brother aboard the Hodaka riding along with my dad in tow on foot while the both of them were screaming was permanently etched into my brain that day. Luckily my brother couldn't shift into 2nd gear (or beyond) and eventually my Dad was able to talk, or shout as was the case, my brother through backing off of the throttle all while running after him. Fortunately my brother eventually slowed down and my Dad got him settled and stopped. Both decided that the one failed experiment was enough as far as my brother and the Dirt Squirt were concerned. Any memories of riding Dirt Squirt myself have long faded into nothing. But for me that lone memory of my brother aboard the Hodaka has been the gift that just keeps on giving over all the subsequent years. ... View more

Wow, I've got to hand it to you Kyle, that's simply one of the slickest looking 2nd generation Corvairs I have ever seen. (I've seen quite a few, starting from childhood as my Dad owned a couple of brand-new ones.) That particular wheel / tire setup compliments the beautiful lines of the car perfectly. Generally speaking, when it comes to cars that I feel a great deal of adulation for, I'm an "all-original" kind of guy at heart. That said, in this case you've well proven your point. By the way, the angle of this particular shot demonstrates quite well why I myself am most attracted to 2nd Gen Corvair in the hardtop configuration (even though I'm a ragtop kind of guy). ... View more

It’s almost not fair to include McQueen in this group. He was supporting himself with the income from his success at racing motorcycles at the beginning of his acting career. Perhaps most notable amongst his racing accomplishments was his being selected to participate as a member of Team USA in the 1964 ISDT event where any success he had achieved in acting would have carried no weight at all. We’re it not for McQueen’s stardom, he likely would instead be thought of as the racer turned actor. ... View more

My automotive dreams don’t grow overly elaborate or too exotic. Assuming that I can hang on to my current dream car - a 2005 Honda S2000 in Grand Prix White over a black & tan interior (I absolutely love this car), the following 3 would be my picks: First up some classic American Muscle in the form of a 1970 1/2 Camaro Z/28 (I’ve owned a ‘67 base convertible in the past so it would be nice to try moving on up one generation). Make mine a 4-speed manual in green (either Green Mist or Forest Green) with a black interior. Next up, I would stay in the Honda family (what can I say, I’m a big fan) – a 1960’s S800. While an early model with IRS and chain drive would be incredibly cool I would likely opt for a a later model S800M with LHD. I love rag-tops and would choose this configuration when it comes the S800. Make mine Ivory White (as red is to Italian sports cars and silver is to German sports cars, white is to Japanese sports cars — it just doesn’t get any better than that for me). As with the S2000, the S800 was only offered with a manual transmission (as it should be). Finally, while I could be easily be tempted by a 1st generation NA1 Acura NSX, and no doubt would love the driving AND the ownership experience, at the end of the day a supercar just isn’t my style (not even one where Ayrton Senna played a role in the chassis tuning). With that in mind my third choice would be an early Datsun Z car. I’m the kind of guy that likes to keep my cars all-original (or at least “all-stock”) so in this case I would likely choose an early 240Z— the so called cream of the crop Z cars and by far the best looking of the lot. Equip mine with a 4-speed manual and again, make mine white if possible. But I am also pretty fond of a few of those other 70’s colors that really popped. Great question, it was fun playing along. ... View more