RideLust

Blame a European economic situation that’s rapidly approaching critical mass, or blame Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne’s obsession with details. Whatever the case, Alfa Romeo has announced that the U.S. introduction of the Giulia midsize sedan and the Giulietta compact hatchback will be delayed another year, and won’t make their U.S. debut before 2014. That leaves Fiat dealers with nothing to sell except the Fiat 500 for the next two or three years. Read More…

Recently, I attended the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals show at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. Held every May, this show features a vast array of meticulously maintained classic British, European and Japanese cars, exemplary examples of their more modern kin, as well as a beautiful collection of kit cars.  As far as sheer variety in makes, models and years, hands down, this show can’t be beat.

This has become something of an annual treat for me as I can think of few better ways to spend a weekend than by gazing at a gleaming sea of jaw-droppingly stunning automobiles, many of which I guarantee you won’t find at other shows. Plus, participation is open to anyone with an import or a kit car – all you have to do is register, make your car pretty and show up. It’s a great opportunity to display your cherished ride and meet other aficionados of your favorite marques.

I used to come down to show my Saab and hang out with the Saab contingent that makes it out every year. But even though I have a Subaru now, it’s just so much fun that I continue to make the trip to Carlisle (my WRX was parked over by the lone DeLorean, if you happened to be there). Volvo, BMW and Audi clubs also traditionally have a large showing so the weekend is packed with the cars you love, cars you haven’t seen before, your friends from the forums, barbeques – it’s a good time for everyone.  So, if you’re not too far out from Pennsylvania, I definitely recommend heading out there next May to check out the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals. To tide you over, provided for your viewing pleasure are some of my favorite cars of the weekend. Enjoy!

 

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If you want to get a bid in on this car, I’d suggest you hurry since the eBay auction is set to expire on Sunday morning. Up for grabs (and spotted on Bring A Trailer) is a 1991 Alfa Romeo Spider that’s been Frankensteinized: gone is the original 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, replaced by a 5.0-liter V-8 from Ford. The owner doesn’t list horsepower, but given the engine’s 9.0:1 compression and stock cams, it can’t be too excessive. Of course it does rock a 4-bbl carb, Edelbrock intake, Edelbrock heads and a custom exhaust system, so let’s just call horsepower “more than adequate”. Ensuring that the rearend isn’t turned into a pile of metal shavings, the owner has thoughtfully replaced the stock rear with one from a Chevy S-10, and a Borg Warner T-5 five speed handles the gear changes. Read More…

A few months ago the sheer beauty of the Alfa Romeo TZ3 by Zagato put you in a coma. Well, prepare your hospital bed, because Zagato says they’re building it. The company plans to put the car into limited production, using Dodge Viper running gear.

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Winter totally blows – there I said it. So far this year in the Northeast we’ve received record snowfalls and temperatures so cold that it feels as though my nipples are going to pop off and roll away. For car enthusiasts weather like this leads us to do stupid things like scour the internet in search of cars and or parts that we simply don’t need. For example, I was searching eBay this morning when I came across this little diddy – a 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV. I love these little cars and from a styling perspective think that they are some of the most attractive machines that Alfa Romeo ever built. This one is located a mere 3,000 miles away in sunny Los Angeles, CA. It’s got dark eggplant paint, a refurbished interior and some minor suspension work. It would also be an absolute hoot to tool around NYC in. Read More…

Sometimes you develop this strange and unholy attraction to things that aren’t good for you. For some people that’s drugs, for others it’s livestock or midget transvestites. For me, it’s mid-80s Alfa Romeo GTV6s. I’m really not sure why; a neighbor in college owned one, and I remember thinking that it was a cool car. Still, they were overpriced, underpowered and not at all known for their reliability, so the GTV never made my “must own” list back then.

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The Alfa Romea TZ2 was a legendary GT racer, a tube-framed marvel with a screaming twin-plug, twin-cam four and gorgeous curves courtesy of design house Zagato. Only 100 or so were made, most of them to race. Two, however, were handed over to legendary design firms Pininfarina and Bertone. The resulting cars are perhaps the most beautiful automotive creations ever made.

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If you’re like me then one of your favorite pass times is chewing up miles on the road to nowhere. What I mean by that is, you love going out for a drive just because you enjoy the actual emotions that driving brings. For some it’s the action of rowing through the gears, for others it’s the feeling of the wind in their hair, and yet for others it’s simply a great departure from the rigors of everyday life. Owning a classic car is luxury that most people think is way out of their reach. Auctions such as Barrett-Jackson and Mecum have skewed the public’s perception that all classic cars are out of reach and that everything that was built before 1980 is worth in the triple digits. Well ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you that that is simply not so, in fact there are loads of hot little sports cars and roadsters that you can pick up in excellent condition right now for the price of a new Ford Fiesta. Sounds crazy right… well it’s not. Below is a list of 10 amazing automobiles that can be had for below 20K. So, with that being said go take a look at the list and clean out your garage, because I have a feeling there may be a new little fun mobile in your future.
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We’ve all seen pictures of celebrities and their high-end automobiles. We’ve seen Bentley’s, Aston Martin’s, Ferrari’s and Lamborghini’s as well as all manner of Range Rover and Cadillac Escalade carting them around. Their cars are treated to only the best mechanics and service that money can buy and are used as little more than props to further fuel their celebrity status. There are however, a very select few who, before fame and fortune, were true gear heads in the dirtiest sense of the word. These are celebs who are not afraid to get a little grease under their finger nails, to lie on their backs and wrench off an oil filter or flog the crap out of a high-end machine on the racecourse. These are the Top 10 Celebrity Gear Heads and we love em’ for bringing a little grit to the celebrity world.
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If you’re in the DC area and want to check out an exceptional collection of exotic and immaculate classic rides FOR FREE, I suggest you head over to Great Falls, VA to the Cars and Coffee event that takes place every Saturday.

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