And you thought American La France only made fire trucks

Here's an interesting story from our friends over at Hemmings Motor News. So you thought that American La France only built fire trucks? Think again. Between the years of 1907 and 1914 ALF actually did build speedsters for consumers to buy. These of course being speedsters on a grand scale, as they used the traditional frames and engines from their fire truck counter parts which were heavy duty to say the least. It's not clear how many were built, but they are definitely few and far between. We recently came across a 1914 model at a recent car show for the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix this past July. As you can see from the Porsche 356 parked next to it, there's nothing small about this speedster.

(link via Hemmings)

Barry Meguiar in serious condition.

There's hardly a car guy around who doesn't know who Barry Meguiar is. As CEO of Meguiars Car Care and host of the Car Crazy television program, Barry's energetic smile and passion for cars has beamed him into the minds of many. We are not exactly sure why, but Barry is currently in the intensive care unit of the Monterey Community Hospital in California in serious condition. We will post further details as they become available. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Meguiar family.

(via AutoWeek)

A limousine fit for Abe Lincoln at Hemmings Blog – Classic and collectible cars and parts

Talk about a rarity. Check out this 1966 Oldsmobile 98 limo at a recent show held by the folks at Hemmings Motor News. The red paint and UPS truck mirrors on the door are strange to say the least. But all that aside, it's still one really cool classic car that's going to stand out at the shows and cruises from the typical Cadillacs.

A limousine fit for Abe Lincoln at Hemmings Blog

(via Hemmings)

Eight killed in tragic off road racing accident

News in this morning that eight people were killed when a off road racing truck lost control and hit a group of spectators. The accident happened during the annual California 200 race through the Mojave Desert in California. Aside from the confirmed dead, at least 12 are being treated in area hospitals for serious injuries. More details will follow. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to those killed and injured.

That Came With a Manual Transmission? Feature – Car and Driver

That Came With a Manual Transmission? Feature – Car and Driver

Some interesting offerings were available with manual transmissions at one time or another. When's the last time you saw a Dodge Caravan with a stick? I've only heard stories of these rarities and seen a few pics, but never in person. Car and Driver put together a great feature here. What's one of the rarest, modern day manual trans cars you've seen?

Tommy's towing toys

Tommy's towing toys

TV Tommy Ivo sure had a thing for glass sided trailers and great stories of life on the road hauling race cars. His COE Dodge though, takes the cake. I wonder where this is now? And the corvette with the rally stripes for that matter.

Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari: Is it worth $47,000?

Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari: Is it worth $47,000?


I don't know about $47k, but the Abarth 695 is seriously cool in every way! I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 500 here in the states. As soon as I can track down what local dealer is going to be selling them, I'm going to be placing an order for a nicely decked out Abarth version.