You are looking at a long-ago photo of myself and ex-wife Maggie and our son Philip, aka "Pap, for Pappy." You can't see Pap because he's still in his mother's womb. When he finally escaped he rode home from the hospital in a Porsche; not a bad way to begin life. My reason for showing you this, however, was inspired by modern times. An article in Autoblog tells us about the launch in Britain of "a very cool custom weekend race camper" based on a Euro-market long-wheelbase, high-roofed VW Crafter panel van.

A new idea? Check the VW in the photo, affectionately known by all who rode in her as the Wheelspin Van, provided by Volkswagen as sponsor of the TV show of that name. I was the host of what I believe was North America's first weekly television program devoted entirely to motor racing. The vehicle's official identifier was "Office Van," an idea way ahead of its time. It included a table with facing seats, a closet, storage areas for papers and files, and best of all, a ladder leading up to a roof-top platform that was ideal for race viewing. Today I'd be at that desk, working with a laptop, communicating via wireless.