Automotive History

First ever Bentley to race at Le Mans 24 Hours sells for over $3.6 million

(May 28, 2023) GENEVA — A century ago, a Bentley 3 Liter would become the first British car and the first Bentley to compete at the gruelling Le Mans 24 Hours race in its debut year. Today, as this iconic race — a 24-hour full- throttle test of man and machine — celebrates its centenary, that very first Bentley has been sold to a British enthusiast for in excess of £3m ($3.6 million).

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Innovative front wheel drive Alvis Grand Prix race car resurrected

(April 13, 2023 KENILWORTH, UK — The sole surviving Alvis Grand Prix racing car, once abandoned in a scrapyard in Coventry, is being revived by The Alvis Car Company, its original creator. It is set to mark its first public appearance in Chiba City, Japan, at Automobile Council 2023, 96 years after its race debut at the 1927 Junior Car Club 200 Mile Race at Brooklands.

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Spreading the LUV — A brief history of Detroit’s mini-trucks


1972 Chevrolet LUV

Benjamin Hunting
Hagerty.com

(March 4, 2023) It might be hard to imagine, given the current, cutthroat state of the pickup truck segment, but there was once a time when these task-focused haulers were largely an afterthought to the bean counters in Detroit. Fifty years ago, before King Ranches and Longhorns lined their interiors with enough leather to reach from Lansing to Laredo, trucks were barebones affairs built to get the job done and sold to customers who honestly weren’t expected to use them as daily drivers.

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How Steve McQueen really created Bullitt's famous car chase

By Gavin Braithwaite-Smith
Hagerty Media
Photos courtesy of Warner Brothers

(December 12, 2022) There will be many people who have watched 10 minutes and 53 seconds of Steve McQueen’s Bullitt without knowing anything about the plot. You don’t need to, because the car chase is probably the best (only?) reason to watch the entire movie.

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Lost to fire, Ford’s Rotunda destroyed 60 years ago

By Jeff Peek
Hagerty

(November 12, 2022) Ford called it the “Show Place of the Automotive Industry,” and even a title that brazen may have understated the widespread appeal of the Rotunda. By the early 1960s, Ford’s futuristic Rotunda was not only the most popular automotive-related tourist destination in the United States, it was the fifth-most visited attraction overall, seen by more people than the Statue of Liberty, the Washington Monument, and Yellowstone National Park.

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Century-old Ford plant in Florida to be torn down

(October 21, 2022) A car plant that Henry Ford opened in Jacksonville, Fla., nearly a century ago is slated to be demolished over the objections of local historical preservationists. The Jacksonville City Council last week unanimously approved the property owner's request to tear down the building to allow for new waterfront development, the Florida Times-Union reported. The owner said experts who assessed the building said it was too damaged to repair.

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11 concept cars from the decade of the '60s

Richard Heseltine
Hagerty   

(June 5, 2022) Concept cars tend to live ephemeral lives. They appear at an event or two, create headlines if they’re lucky, and then disappear into the ether once they’re no longer of use. Some, however, attain legendary status. The 1960s in particular witnessed the emergence of the show-stopper as we know it, car manufacturers seeing the value of creating a one-off purely to foretell what’s coming down the road and broadcast styling trends and create a little excitement ahead of launching a new model.

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Lincoln celebrates a century of elegance and innovation


Henry and Clara Ford after purcahse of Lincoln Motor Company in 1922

(February 4, 2022) DEARBORN, Mich. — On Feb. 4, 1922, Henry Ford, with encouragement from his wife Clara and his son Edsel Ford, purchased The Lincoln Motor Company from distinguished inventor and automotive engineer Henry Leland for $8 million. The transaction set in motion the creation of an iconic American luxury brand.

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'Back to the Future' DeLorean back in the spotlight in documentary

By Jeff Peek
Hagerty

(January 3, 2022) If there was any doubt about the iconic status of the Back to the Future DeLorean, it is quickly dispelled in a new documentary released by the Hagerty Drivers Foundation. In the first three minutes of "88mph: The Story of the DeLorean Time Machine," no fewer than 13 enthusiasts — including movie stars Michael J. Fox and Lea Thompson — appear on screen to tout the staying power of the fictitious time machine that first appeared in the original 1985 film. And many more weigh in during the next hour and a half.

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Toyota celebrates 25 years of the RAV4 in North America


1996 Toyota RAV4

(November 13, 2021) PLANO, Texas — It’s been a quarter-century since Toyota introduced the groundbreaking model that went on to define a whole new type of passenger vehicle category. With ride, handling and comfort characteristics more akin to sedans than SUVs, the first RAV4 essentially created the template for what became the “crossover SUV” or just “crossover.” This unique vehicle left some mighty big footsteps to follow.

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