Cars That Matter

Robert Ross and artist Fireball Tim Lawrence met at the world-renowned Peterson Automotive Museum for a tour of Hollywood's Cars That Matter. From the imposing Batmobile to Herbie the Love Bug's NASCAR makeover, Fireball reveals the fascinating process of bringing these cinematic characters to life. He shares how his career was sparked by legendary futurist Syd Mead, whose vision for the dystopian...

Rolls-Royce, a timeless marque that evokes luxury, class, and grace. Robert Ross sits down with Marek Djordjević and Andreas Thurner, former Rolls-Royce designers behind the legendary Phantom and Ghost, in a riveting conversation about the importance of a car's silhouette, maintaining a recognizable identity across models, and the importance of being immersed in a vehicles environment.  A spe...

Everyone knows great cars come from great designers, but where do great designers come from? ArtCenter College of Design is renowned for training world-class designers. Robert Ross joins Transportation Chair, Marek Djordjevic, for a discussion about what it takes to train students in the art of contemporary car design using 3D modeling, animation, and classic techniques like drawing by hand. With...

Step into the world of the Morgan collection with proprietor of Morgan West, Dennis Glavis. Robert and Dennis discuss the legacy of the Morgan collection, the unending appeal and quirkiness, and the magic elixir of driving a Morgan.    A special thank you to our sponsors, Hemmings and MCQ Markets.  Visit Hemmings.com  to learn more about their online automotive marketplace...

Hand-hammering body panels with the same tools and techniques used in 1965, Jim Marietta of the Original Venice Crew, is meticulously recreating original 1965 Shelby Mustangs with stunning authenticity. In this episode, Robert joins Jim in his garage and their conversation highlights the beauty of these tribute cars, the importance of preserving the legacy, and honoring the hard work of the origin...

Listen to exclusive insights into the dedication, precision, and relentless pursuit of perfection required to compete on the toughest showfields, along with fascinating tales of near misses and lessons learned along the way. Step into the world of award-winning Porsche restorer Joseph DeMeo, who invites us into his busy workshop, home to over 30 classic vehicles in various stages of restoration. D...

Jay Leno opens his legendary garage and discusses the incredible story of Bugatti and the enduring influence of classic French design in the automotive world. Jay and Robert journey back to the early days of Bugatti, highlighting the technical hurdles designers faced in creating groundbreaking vehicles that excelled not only in speed and power but also in aesthetic beauty and design.   A spec...

Take a tour of this impressive collection of Le Mans race cars, including Porsches, Ferraris, and Corvettes—one still bearing the mud from its historic victory - all from the collection of Bruce Meyer, world-renowned car collector and enthusiast. Robert dives into Bruce's significant involvement with the Petersen Automotive Museum and its efforts in fostering a community dedicated to car cul...

Foose Design, founded by Chip Foose in 1998, has earned an international reputation for building some of the world’s most celebrated custom cars. Whether turning clunkers into dream rides on his ten-season hit series Overhaulin’, or winning six of hot rodding’s prestigious Ridler Award with his multi-million-dollar creations, this designer’s work is legend. The youngest ind...

Robert Ross narrates the ultimate celebration of fine automobiles for anyone who collects or just appreciates the designs and pedigree of Cars That Matter. He emphasizes that while cars matter, the people behind them matter more. Cars That Matter is an exploration of automotive history, introducing listeners to the legends behind the world’s most important cars. With stunning visuals of clas...

Robert dives into Hagerty Insurance with McKeel Hagerty, who shares initiatives for the next generation of car collectors, different ways that children can interact with cars--ways no generation has been able to experience it before, personal stories, predictions, and his unique approach car reporting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Ross and Bill Curtis speak with Ian Cameron and Verena Kloos about about their years working in automotive design and how their approaches to luxury and function differ. Ian and Bill enjoy discussing Ian's time with Rolls Royce and some of the more famous features belonging to the mark. Verena looks back at her years with Designworks and BMW. They discuss cars that have changed automotive h...

Robert is joined by a panel of guests (Derek Bell, Marshall Terrill, and Jay Gillotti) to discuss what it was really like to drive in Le Mans in the 1970s, how the film came to be, the intertwined histories of the movies and the 917, what making the movie was actually like, and the impact the film had on car culture as a whole.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Ross and Bill Curtis sit down with David Gooding of Gooding and Company. They discuss David's record-breaking Monterrey auction, the step-by-step process for getting a car to auction, where David's passion came from, what's happening to the collector car market, tips on how to strategize at an auction, and what cars David thinks might be collectible in the future. See omnystudio.com/listene...

Robert Ross speaks with Pete Stout and Alex Palevsky about their years long friendship in regards to their love of cars--a friendship that led them to create 000, a luxury magazine for all things Porsche. They share insider stories about car reviews and test trials and even tell some stories about Porsche's place in automotive history and the future of cars that matter.  https://www.000magazi...

Before race car driver and automotive innovator Carroll Shelby passed in 2012, Robert Ross (host of Cars That Matter and friend of Shelby) recorded conversations with Shelby reviewing his place in history, his legacy, and even telling first-hand accounts of events depicted in the feature film Ford V. Ferrari. In this episode, Robert shares these recordings that span from 2002 to 2010. There will n...

Come along for a culinary thrill as Foods That Matter transports the epicures, the foodies, and the gastronauts to different corners of the world through stories of adventure with food archeologist John Robert Sutton, also known as 'The Indiana Jones of Food.' John has invited us to continue unlocking the secrets to the globe's most extraordinary cuisines, as he's been doing throughout his travel...

Today, Cars That Matter has the great fortune of welcoming on the legendary John Kraman to the show. John is the host of the Mecum Broadcast where he gets to fully represent all the car fans of the world on Motortrend TV.    Robert and Mecum start by chatting (3:50) about how televised car auctions impact the market today. (6:00) Robert reminisces about some of the great sales that he’s seen on th...

Cars That Matter is back with a special episode. On this week’s show, Robert chats with long time competition judge and owner of Bobileff Motorcar company Gary Bobileff. Gary specializes in Italian car restoration and is one of the leaders in the country for his custom work. Gary and Robert start off (1:50) chatting about their recent trip judging at the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance at the Wynn a...

After Robert introducing the panel of guests, Robert asks Derek to describe what it was really like to drive in Le Mans in the 1970s (3:20). Then Marshall explains how the film came to be (6:15) and Jay dives into the intertwined histories of the movies and the 917 (7:17). Then Robert puts the conversation into high gear by asking what making the movie was actually like (8:41). Then Robert asks wh...

After Robert justifies an entire episode about motorcycles, he introduces Bobby Haas and Stacey Mayfield and asks them to detail their museum (1:59), its stunning collection (6:57), and how they go about commissioning custom bikes (13:14). Following a short break, Robert redirects the conversation into "Leaving Tracks," Haas and Mayfield's new documentary: how it came to be (18:37), the people inv...

After a brief introduction, Robert asks Alex to detail the recent founding of Automobili Estrema (1:46) and how he got involved with Fulminea and what the vehicle is designed to be (3:22). Then Robert and Alex share their thoughts on the rapid embracing of electric vehicles (13:53). After a short break, Alex details when the car will come to market and what he thinks the future of cars will be (23...

After introducing Marlon, Robert asks about the origins and goals of the company (1:26) before diving into some specific models Robert had seen in Marlon's workshop (6:41). Then, the two men dig into the details of the engines and how Marlon approaches his work on those parts of the automobiles (13:22).  After a short break, Robert asks Marlon to explain the torque and suspension in Marlon's...

In honor of Memorial Day, Robert Ross re-examines the origins of Jeep--a vehicle that ultimately turned the tides of WW2 for America. By delving back into interviews with author Paul Bruno and Director Head of Design for Jeep, along with a new interview with Randall Withrow of the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum (which houses an impressive collection of Jeeps used in the U.S. military, including the...

After introductions, Robert asks Mark to delve into the origins of Jeep as a brand and how it was 'sold' to Americans following WWII (1:07). Then Mark drills down into how Jeep upholds the 'authentic' reputation it's had since its creation (3:35), how new designs must pay tribute to its past (6:52), and how the brand new 2021 Wagoneer continues that tradition (13:13). After a short break, Mark sha...