vintage cars

#261, Vintage buses, pub crawls, one crafty Santa Cruz woman

The citizens of Santa Cruz and the surrounding oceanside towns and tree-lined hamlets may hold an unofficial record for their entrepreneurial ways. Creativity rules small businesses, from bespoke bicycle makers to artists to Annie Wolff Patsch. Wolff Patsch and her husband, Adam Patsch, combine their last names without a hyphen. The unique pronunciation and the former’s upbeat personality are the reasons she’s mostly known as Annie. It’s the only name on her business card as the founder of Brew Cruz. While co-host Bruce Aldrich was on vacation, I interviewed Annie for this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. I interviewed Annie as part of a media trip to the central coast city. Annie’s enterprise is a two-vehicle proprietorship, a

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#167, Honoring Steve Casagrande and the family’s Bel Air

A REMEMBRANCE Stephen Casagrande was my dentist for about 35 years. His office was in midtown Sacramento, a few blocks from my office and a restaurant we both often visited called Cornerstone. Like he was with many patients, Dr. Casagrande became a friend. He called me Jimmy. Several years ago, I noticed Steve and his son Michael, who is now my dentist, preparing to leave on a father-son trip. They were packing up a family car, a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Beauville, at Mike’s house. He lives with his wife and children across the street from a close friend in East Sacramento. We talked about the car some, and I remembered to ask Steve about it more on my next

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2022 LA Auto Show: A look back in images

The recently concluded 2022 LA Auto Show featured its annual array of new cars with new colors and plenty of innovation as the industry moves toward all-electric mandates. As always, there were automotive surprises — some good, others awful. A smaller show welcomed the media and the public for 10 days at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The absence of recent mainstays, Rivian and Tesla, as examples, was part of the show’s smaller stature. Manufacturers had more room to display their new editions. Subaru presented its usual lineup of utilitarian, all-wheel-drive sedans and SUVs. And the manufacturer, which markets its vehicles for owners who have dogs, again created a national park-type setting with a few dogs on site to attract

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#239, SF man operates tiny firetruck as his daily driver

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:53 — 23.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreTodd Lappin is a self-described Japan geek. He visits the country often and says he speaks the language badly. He has also spent several years combining his interest in cars with his fondness for the Orient. A former magazine editor who lives in San Francisco, Lappin has imported two vehicles from Japan, including his latest find, a 1990 Daihatsu HiJet Firetruck. It’s named “Kiri.” Lappin, who showcased his truck at the recent The Little Car Show in Pacific Grove during Monterey Auto Week, is my guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Lappin, who bought the truck two years ago, qualifies. While uncertain

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#230, Bruce Meyer, ’32 Fords and the Petersen Auto Museum

Bruce Meyer loves 1932 Fords. He owns 10. It may seem excessive unless you’re a founding member of the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles and it just unveiled an exhibition honoring the 90th anniversary of the vehicles and their iconic legacy as hot rods. Meyer, 90, founding chairman of the museum, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Meyer the country’s most well-known museum and its celebration of the cars often known by their moniker, “Deuce.” The exhibit began earlier in June with a celebration and honor given to Billy Gibbons, the lead guitarist and primary vocalist of the rock band ZZ Top. Gibbons is also a Deuce

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New cars are fine, but vintage wheels always better

Not too far into the future, 300 million cars will be registered in the United States. More than 30 current manufacturers have new cars currently available; plenty of other carmakers are defunct and either revered or best forgotten but with models still driven. The staggering number of vehicles on the road and hoarded in garages further dilutes an often-asked question” “If money were no object, what car would you buy?” There’s no right answer, but vintage simplicity is far more appealing than impress-the-neighbors bling. A 1954 Kaiser-Darrin, 1967 Mercedes Benz 250 SL Convertible or a 1991 Nissan Figaro? Yes. Any new Tesla, Hummer or tanked-sized family SUV? No. A $15,000 Chevy Spark and its 40 miles per gallon have plenty

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#225, Chris Bright talks Collector Part Exchange success

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:31 — 46.0MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChris Bright remains as enthusiastic and energized as the vintage car enthusiast and businessman was last July when his new company Collector Part Exchange debuted. Bruce Aldrich and I interviewed Bright last summer, just before Monterey Auto Week, for Episode #190 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Collector Part Exchange: Nearing One-Year Anniversary A few weeks later, we met him and his business partner and co-founder Aaron Laliberte at the annual show to talk all things vintage cars and online businesses. Bruce is on vacation this week traveling on another sojourn with his wife Alene in their new Recreational Vehicles So I interviewed Bright from

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Vintage cars are great fun, need care, quickly empty wallets

Vintage cars are often neither fuel-effective nor budget-friendly. But they look, feel great and drive beautifully. Sit or drive a classic vehicle and the experience can be a coolness and freeing feeling, not too dissimilar to what Sean Connery must have felt like when he driving an Aston Martin in a James Bond film. If you attend a classic event in your area, such as the Monterey Auto Week, it’s the perfect opportunity to get to know more about your favorite cars and how owners preserve them. Classic vehicles require a lot of care and repair to remain on the road — even if the vehicle is only sporadically driven. Vintage Cars Greatly Vary If driving a classic vehicle on

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Monterey Auto Week returned to glory with cars galore

Monterey Auto Week has a problem, and it’s about as good as it gets. After a two-year hiatus because of COVID-19, the return edition ended Sunday, August 15 with the 70th anniversary of the Concours d’Elegance. It was the grand finale to a now 10-day occasion of about 30 events. And therein the issue for automotive enthusiasts gathering on the Monterey Peninsula: Where do we go and what do we all do first? How do we prioritize? Isn’t it great to have choices? Bruce Aldrich and I have represented The Weekly Driver website and podcast at Monterey Auto Week for several years. I’ve attended various auto shows, racing, auctions and related events on the peninsula since 1987 while contributing content

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#191, Monterey Auto Week tuned up, ready for restart

A few events have been amended,  few postponed for another year. But by any name, Monterey Auto Week to Classic Car Week, and with events from The Little Car Show to the Concours d’Elegance, it’s back. The all-encompassing showcase of automobiles and many related areas returns after a one-year COVID-19 hiatus. The festivities begin August 6 and continue through August 15 at multiple locations throughout the Monterey Peninsula. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James it all during this Episode #191 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. We’ll be on-site for four days beginning Aug. 9. Plans include a podcast from the Concours on the Avenue in Carmel (Aug. 10) and The Little Car Show (Aug. 11) in Pacific Grove. Aston Martin will

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#190, Collector Part Exchange: new global online swap meet

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:09 — 44.2MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreChris Bright is a vintage car enthusiast with an empathetic ear toward other automotive fanciers who can have difficulty finding parts for their unique vehicles. Or maybe they have a garage full of parts and don’t know what to do with the load. To help, Bright recently debuted CollectorPartExchange.com. It’s a modern-day swap meet. As the site is promoted it’s “Open 24/7/365 and spans the globe. Oh, and the weather is always perfect.” Bright, a competitive age-group cyclist who lives in Portland, Oregon, is our guest on Episode #190 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Bright the

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#188, Broadcaster John Kraman talks Mecum Auctions

John Kraman spends his work career immersed in automotive auctions. He’s the lead TV commentator and analyst for NBCSN during Mecum Auction broadcasts. He can barely curb his enthusiasm. There’s no doubt the broadcaster is ready for the return of the three-day Mecum Auction during Classic Car Week beginning Aug. 12. Kraman is my guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-host Bruce Aldrich is on vacation, so Kraman and I discuss the upcoming Mecum Auction during Monterey Auto Week. “This pandemic really hasn’t slowed us down,” said Kraman. “We have been on the go. Our foot has been on the gas pedal, making adjustments to scheduling and having some safety issues we’ve had to deal with at

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Car collector Scott Gunnari: A Man & His Edsels, #182

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:03 — 42.7MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | More Many cars have failed, but none quite like the Edsel. Scott Gunnari knows all the stories. But the vintage car collector enjoys the car named after Henry Ford’s his son as much as any collector of any brand. Gunnari, the lead inspector for Page One Automotive, the automotive fleet and event management service company in Brisbane, California, has had six of the much-maligned machines in his collection. He now owns three. Gunnari is our guest this week on Episode #182 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Gunnari about three his 1958 Edsels — a Corsair 4-door

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#169, Hagerty expert talks strong new 2021 auctions

Auto auctions are back! Live, that is. Online auctions have continued during the pandemic, but January sales are a key indicator for collector car sales. And what a January it was. Brian Rabold, Vice President of Valuation Services at Hagerty, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia talk with Rabold about the new year, the return of live auctions and some of the surprising prices paid for vehicles. According to Hagerty, January 2021 auto auctions generated $181.9 million. The impressive tally doesn’t include sales from the launch of the Barrett-Jackson campaign. It’s been postponed until March. “For us at Hagerty and others in the collector car market, January is a

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#168, Hershey’s world class auto museum reopens

Its official name is the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, but it’s almost always called the AACA Museum or the Hershey Auto Museum. By any name, the museum in Pennsylvania is among the country’s most active facilities honoring the history of automobiles — and it’s reopened. Jeffrey Bliemeister, the museum’s Executive Director, is our guest on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Bliemeister the status of auto museums around the country during the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, we talk about the AACA Museum and its approach to presenting the ever-fascinating world of vintage vehicles. The museum’s vast digital experiences — tours,  ride-alongs and collection chronicles — are all highlighted on

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Hey, Ford Mustang owners! What to do next

COLLABORATIVE CONTENT The Ford Mustang is an iconic American muscle car manufactured since 1964 and features six generations. If you’ve treated yourself to one of the current generation Mustangs built since 2015, here’s a guide to improving your vehicle’s performance and handling to better than when it rolled off the assembly line. Upgraded Security Mustangs are so popular, they’re ripe for theft. With that in mind, it’s worth upgrading the vehicle’s security systems. But did you know thieves can steal your car without the key fob? Using a laptop computer and a device held near your front door to scan for remote fob transmissions coming from inside your home, thieves can quickly steal a vehicle. They can clone the signal

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