Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Beautiful cars, finished and unfinished, at Wagner's Classic Cars

It’s really just a matter of weeks, maybe days now when we’ll find ourselves right in the middle of car show season.  That means the time for visiting the local indoor car collections is upon us now.  And there is usually no better place to check out than Wagner’s Classic Cars in Bonner Springs, Kan.

This weekend was no exception.  The showroom wasn’t necessarily cram-packed with cars, but the ones that were there were very nice.  There were also some interesting projects parked around the body shop area that were worth some attention.

Monday, March 25, 2013

The KC Classic Auto Display has cars that are fun to look at and fun to own

I really do like looking around at the KC Classic Auto Display in Lenexa.  And when you get a weekend like the one we just had, there really aren’t any car shows around here.  That’s where a place like this really fits the bill.

This place typically doesn’t deal in blue chip collector cars, although sometimes a Shelby Mustang or GTO Judge does find its way into the dank warehouse.  More likely, you’ll see cars that you can have fun with; cars with character.  This isn’t Saturday night at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction.  This is Friday afternoon at the Adesa Kansas City Specialty Car Sale.  And in some ways, the cars are more interesting to look at because of this.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

You don't see many stories out there about the cars of 1973

1973 was a pretty big year for me.  I mean, it was the year I was born, so it doesn’t really get much bigger than that.  It also means that I turned 27 in 2013.

The cars, on the other hand, just had their 40th birthdays.  So to celebrate that milestone, I decided to look back at the automotive class of ’73.  It isn’t a year that gets much attention enthusiast-wise, but there was quite a bit happening during this time in history.  1973 marked major changes to automotive crashworthiness, emissions, and fuel consumption.  From a styling and performance standpoint, things would never be the same.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

C.A.R.B. Race-On Car Show and Snake Saturday Parade bring lots of great cars to North Kansas City


Since 1977, the Central Auto Racing Boosters (C.A.R.B.) has hosted a racecar show in conjunction with the Snake Saturday parade in North Kansas City, and as usual, there was a decent turnout in spite of the cold, cloudy weather.

C.A.R.B. is one of the most dedicated, hardest-working clubs you'll ever encounter.  They've been around for more than 60 years in the Kansas City area, and during that time they have done an outstanding job of promoting local drivers and tracks.  Currently, C.A.R.B. supports four area tracks, including Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., I-35 Speedway in Winston, Mo., and Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Mo.  C.A.R.B. members get free admission to these tracks on C.A.R.B. nights, a membership roster, and other perks, all for only $15.00/year.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Big virtual Oldsmobile car show - Includes Oldsmobile history

My dad’s first car was a ’50 Oldsmobile coupe.  So for as long as I can remember, he has gravitated toward any ‘50s-era Olds that we’ve ever seen at a car show.  Now that doesn’t really happen all that often, because for a company that produced some 35-million cars in more than 100 years, you don’t really see that many of them on display.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

The 2013 Kansas City International Auto Show was the place to shop for a new car or check out the classics

In nearly 30 years of living in Kansas City, I don’t think I have ever missed the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show.  It’s one of the biggest events that Bartle Hall has to offer, which is all right with me.  Anytime you can get big numbers of people interested in cars, I think that’s a good thing.  At least there’s still a spark of passion left.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Edsel designer Roy Brown, Jr., dead at 96. A look at the history of the infamous Edsel

I read an article this week that Roy Brown, Jr., the designer of the Edsel, died on February 24 at the age of 96. Of course, that got me thinking about the infamous car, which was produced with much fanfare between 1958 and 1960. Now, I wasn’t even alive when this car was new, so I have a hard time imagining what all the hubbub was about. Today, the Edsel doesn’t really look that much better or worse that many other offerings from the late 1950s. Still, the car had a rough history. Let’s take a look.