Thursday, March 26, 2015

Inside the Coker Tire/Honest Charley Museum

We recently went on a little Spring Break trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. There are lots of fun things to check out there, including restaurants, caves, trains, and scenic mountain views. But for me, one of the highlights was the Coker Tire Museum, which houses the private car collection of vintage tire mogul Corky Coker. This is a pretty serious collection of mostly rare and unusual vehicles on display in an old factory. Oh, and no off-ball tires purchased at the local farm implements store here—everything sits on the perfect-style tire. Former Hot Rod Magazine writer Steve Anderson gave us the grand tour.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Let's hook up at the International Towing and Recovery Museum and Hall of Fame

There are people who love every kind of vehicle. Take the tow truck. In theory, this is just a tool to clear wrecks and drag inoperable cars from one place to another. But there’s more to it than that. Tow trucks have a lot of character. Their operators form a bond—a passion—for their trucks and everything that has to do with the towing industry. For some, operating a tow truck is more than just a job. It’s a way of life. And so, it should come as no surprise that there is an International Towing and Recovery Museum and Hall of Fame. We checked it out during our visit to Chattanooga, Tenn., so I wanted to show you some of the interesting trucks that were on display inside.

Monday, March 23, 2015

Bailey Roddy Benefit Car Show packs 'em in at the Snow White Bar-B-Q

When I saw the announcement that there was going to be a car show at the Snow White Bar-B-Q Drive-In in Lebanon, Tenn., I was expecting ten guys sitting in cars eating lunch. When we got there, I was quite surprised to see an event so huge it required the police to be there to direct traffic. This was a benefit for Bailey Roddy, a 7th-grade girl who had brain surgery for arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a disease that affects the flow of blood from the heart to the brain. It’s nice to see such a big turnout of car people for such a worthy cause.

Friday, March 20, 2015

Highlights from the 39th-Annual Hunter's Custom Auto Show

The 39th-Annual Hunter’s Custom Auto Show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds marks the last big car show in the area before the calendar flips over to spring. 2015’s event featured four buildings worth of customs, muscle cars, and classics to suit the tastes of any car aficionado. And even though the festivities took place indoors, the weather was still nice outside. It was a great weekend for both participants and spectators alike. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Class of 1957

Not long ago, I put up an article about the cars of 1947. It wasn’t the most dazzling time in automotive history, as most of the cars featured were rehashes of cars that originally appeared on the market before World War II. I thought it would be interesting to jump ahead ten years and take a look at 1957. In just a decade, there was an immense change in the automotive landscape. Gone were the drab, muted designs of the ‘40s. Suddenly, things were brighter, more colorful, and more stylish. It was one of the most extroverted, optimistic periods in automotive history. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts.

Monday, March 9, 2015

400 Shades of Grey

Sometimes when I haven’t been to a lot of car events, it’s hard for a little brain like mine to come up with things to write about. All the movie links on my Facebook feed have had a lot of stuff about the Fifty Shades of Grey movie. I haven’t actually seen it, or read the books, but I do know something that comes in several shades of grey—cars! You might think everything you see at a car show is red, but I actually compiled a huge collection of grey and silver cars for my slideshow. Let’s take a look at a few.