Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Auctions
, Aviation
by Philip Powell on March 14, 2010
Somehow this one escaped my notice, which is unfortunate if you'd like to own the "oldest original Flying Car." Unless, of course, you live in the Atlanta area where the Red Baron's ...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Concours
, Fun Events
by Philip Powell on February 11, 2010
According to a recent book by Frommers, the travel publisher, there are "300 Unmissable Events & Festivals Around the World" to be seen in 2010. One of them, surprisingly, is the annual ...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Concours
, Romantic Notions
by Philip Powell on February 4, 2010
The Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance has a new home for 2010 and it is nothing short of spectacular. In fact I would rate this location as equal to, or better than, any concours location in the ...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, French Cars
, Rare Europeans
by Philip Powell on February 1, 2010
The average non-enthusiast onlooker, seeing the 1925 Brescia Bugatti that was rescued from the bottom of Italy's Lake Maggiore last summer, would probably describe it as a piece of junk. If they w...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Vintage Vans
, Volkswagen
by Philip Powell on January 28, 2010
I doubt there is a commercial vehicle anywhere in the world that's as much loved as the Volkswagen Transporter, or "Van" as most North Americans call it. Built on the Beetle platform and...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Auctions
, Auto Shows
, Fun Events
by philip on January 14, 2010
If this Barrett-Jackson poster doesn't get you on the next plane to Arizona I can't imagine what would. That aside, it's a lovely painting and a step up from the rather tacky graphics that...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Fun Events
, Historic Transportation
by philip on January 4, 2010
I've just found my perfect vintage passenger ride. It's an historic British steam bus in which, for a few quid, the owner takes tourists on nostalgic trips through the English seaside town of ...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Fun Events
, Vintage Trucks
by philip on December 18, 2009
What is it that attracts people to vintage fire engines? Is it the image of such vehicles dashing through the streets, sirens screaming, at speeds that for the rest of us would be illegal? Is it the m...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Auctions
, Fun Events
by philip on December 16, 2009
Ah, it's such fun when the class of the classics go head-to-head in Arizona's auction week. Hot on the heels of RM's announcement of an all-British sale the night before the big one comes ...
Filed in archive
Antique Autos
, As We See Things
, Information About
by philip on December 15, 2009
The greatest risk to the collector car community comes, not from rust or scarcity of parts, but from politicians. In an effort to reduce pollution caused by automobiles, lawmakers in a number of count...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, British Cars
, Photographs
by philip on December 8, 2009
With cars it's often the details that make one more attractive than another. The same could be said about the art of photographing vintage automobiles for some photographers prefer to focus on the det...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, British Cars
, Hot Rods
by philip on December 4, 2009
I have a difficult time accepting this as a hot rod because it looks, to me, like a very traditional English saloon car. (That's saloon as "sedan," in case you aren't hip to British automobile termino...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Design
, German Cars
, Mercedes
by Philip Powell on November 13, 2009
Is this 300SL the real thing or is it the product of some very skillful computer imaging? If someone did actually cut and section such a valuable car for the purpose of adding a back seat we have to a...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Chrysler
, Design
by Philip Powell on October 19, 2009
The other day I was looking through a back copy of Collectible Automobile magazine and came upon an article about the 1957 Chrysler cars. In his story author Jeffrey E. Godshall recalled "...a bold ne...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, German Cars
by Philip Powell on October 16, 2009
So far I've managed to avoid adding a "mystery car" category to this site, perhaps because of an earlier incident when I was Cars Guide for About.com. The lady who produced About's vintage car site in...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
by Philip Powell on October 12, 2009
It's been two weeks since I returned from Europe and yet I haven't recovered from my "post-Europe hangover." During the journey I flew on six aircraft, traveled in two German trains and four English t...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, British Cars
, Famous Drivers
, Fun Events
, Racers
, Vintage Racing
by Philip Powell on October 2, 2009
As mentioned in the previous blog a long-awaited visit to the Goodwood Revival turned into a major disappointment. My brother and I misjudged the time it would take to drive from the town of Bingen in...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Ferrari
, Racers
, Vintage Racing
by Philip Powell on September 30, 2009
To those of you waiting patiently for my report from the Goodwood Revival, apologies. A comedy of errors (though it wasn't funny at the time) resulted in your reporter missing the first day's ...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, General Motors
, Vintage Trucks
by Philip Powell on September 7, 2009
I confess that I've never taken much interest in trucks except to briefly admire one that's been nicely restored. It's just that trucks were never part of my so-called lifestyle. However I...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Fun Events
by Philip Powell on September 2, 2009
Forgive me if I offer a few words about, well... me. Three days ago, August 31, 2009 to be precise, I turned 80. Much as I've tried to prove the the birth certificate is a lie I'm finally forc...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automotive Art
, Chrysler
, Design
by Philip Powell on August 31, 2009
In the longest of my several careers I was an advertising copywriter and, later, creative director, working mostly on car accounts. At the time we depended on photography to show the cars, as is the c...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, French Cars
, Italian Cars
by Philip Powell on August 26, 2009
Why is it that some attempts to combine technology and design succeed and others don't? And why does it always seem to involve Maserati? The ill-fated Chrysler-Maserati is an unfortunate example, ...
Filed in archive
American Independents
, As We See Things
by Philip Powell on August 24, 2009
Old Cars Weekly has a lovely tale of an American Motors 1970 AMX in its weekly newsletter, which I highly recommend reading. But first some personal recollections. The AMX was an American Motors atte...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Auctions
by Philip Powell on August 17, 2009
What first began as an elegant concours d'elegance on the golf club lawns of Pebble Beach has recently become a bonanza for collector car auctioneers. One-by-one they've muscled into the show ...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, German Cars
, Porsche
by Philip Powell on July 31, 2009
Forgive me if I get carried away with enthusiasm for the Porsche 356B. This was the first Porsche I drove, the first owned, the first raced. The very icon of what a Porsche should be. Russo and Steele...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Japanese Oldies
by Philip Powell on July 27, 2009
It isn't often that we automobile journalists recognise Japanese makes when writing about vintage automobiles. Probably because most Japanese manufacturers grew from unspectacular beginnings. No g...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, British Cars
, Ford
, Fun Events
, Vintage Racing
by Philip Powell on July 22, 2009
If you live in an area of the US or Canada that happens to be far from the Pacific Northwest the name "Westwood" may not ring any bells. But for folks in BC, Washington, Idaho and Oregon, Va...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Canadian Cars
, Fun Events
, General Motors
, German Cars
, Porsche
by Philip Powell on July 20, 2009
This is a favorite photo from a long-time history as an automobile journalist. I'm including it here because many of my fellow old car enthusiasts share an appreciation of classic railway trains, ...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Great Drives
, Muscle Cars
by Philip Powell on July 15, 2009
Who could resist that invitation from the seductive lady seated on the hood? Certainly not me if I owned a muscle car! The spectacular Muscle Car 1000 is being organised by Russo and Steele, perhaps b...
Filed in archive
As We See Things
, Automotive Art
, Chevrolet
, Design
by Philip Powell on July 13, 2009
Why is it that we sometimes need visitors from other places to help us appreciate the beauty of our own domain? I'm especially guilty as I live in what is arguably the loveliest part of a spectacu...
