Horsepower Heritage

As Head of Design at Maserati since 2015, this towering German (six-foot-seven of quiet intensity and Italian-trained instinct) has redefined the Trident for a new era. Klaus Busse calls his design approach "surfacing with a purpose". Think the pure, sculptural fury of the MC20. The elegant, long-distance poetry of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio. The muscular track weapon of MCXtrema. Th...

Jay Ward calls himelf "Pixar's resident car nerd". He's known for bringing authenticity to every make and model seen in the wildly successful "Cars" films, from Doc Hudson to Sally Carrera.  Jay is a true aficionado and his motion picture work reflects his wide interest and knowledge of automobiles and car culture.   In this episode Jay talks about boyhood automotive...

Having learned his craft in karting, Formula Ford and historic sports cars, Horatio Fitz-Simon has become one of the most entertaining racing drivers of our day.    His British Racing Green Lotus Elan is a favorite in California and he's also a scrappy contender at Goodwood, Oulton Park and other English circuits. This year, Horatio made the big move to GT World Challenge Europe driving a McL...

Known for his love of exotic Italian machinery, flamboyant hand-tailored suits, and internet alter ego of "The Car Shrink",  Bryant Kreaden is definitely a character- but don't let the schtick fool you.  Kreaden has a vast knowledge of performance cars, a solid background in racing, and an enviable network in the car community. His business is buying and selling the world's mos...

Three great Americans talk about their success in manufacturing, motorsports and high performance: Lukas Czinger is the CEO and cofounder of Czinger Vehicles, Sara Price is an offroad racer and Dakar Rally veteran, and John Hennessey is the founder and CEO of Hennessey Performance Engineering. Recorded live at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering during Monterey Car Week 2026. SUPPORT THE PODCAST SU...

It's time for Monterey Car Week again!  Eric Minoff of Bonhams Cars returns to Horsepower Heritage to give us a sneak peek of their auction catalog- and fittingly, Bonhams Cars has a new venue- WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway.  There are plenty of great cars in the lineup, including a 2000 Lamborghini GT, the 1966 Lola-Ford T70 MKII Can-Am Racing Spyder, a 1963 Jaguar XKE E-Type Competition C...

On June 1, 1955 Stirling Moss and his navigator Denis Jenkinson climbed into their Mercedes-Benz 300SLR and set out from the northern Italian city of Brescia on a thousand-mile blast over public roads. Their objective: trounce the Ferraris and claim victory in the Mille Miglia. The Mercedes team was meticulously prepared and the car was formidable, but perhaps no one was prepared for the astoundin...

Ryan Zummallen is the author of "Cult of GTR", "Slow Car Fast" and other books, and is the founder of Carrara Media, an independent book publisher dedicated to car culture.  Ryan's approach to publishing is all about the convergence of machines, art, people and places and his books capture the current automotive scene in unconventional ways. Visit Carrara Media SUPPORT THE...

If the Ferrari Luce isn't your thing, then you'll appreciate the story behind one of Ferrari's greatest creations, the 330GTC.  For many years, Enzo Ferrari's road cars were mostly thinly disguised racing machines. Motor racing, after all, was the company's raison d'être. But there came a time when its patrons wanted more refinement and sophistication. That car came i...

In the Northwoods of Minnesota, Christopher Runge hand-builds thrilling and beautiful sportscars inspired by the timeliness designs of early Porsche competition models like the 550 Spyder, 718 RSK and 904.  Runge is a self-taught coach builder and an advocate of "Superlicht" construction methods, shaping aluminum panels with traditional tools and techniques in the old European tradition....

In his latest book "The Lost Empire of Alfred Nobel", New York Times Bestselling Author Douglas Brunt tells the fascinating tale of the rise and fall of the world's  largest oil dynasty.  Emanuel Nobel took the reigns of his family's massive Russian petroleum conglomerate  just as the Automotive Age began and the steam engine was giving way to internal combustion. Oil had becom...

In the Restomod world, American Muscle is King- but it's not easy to stand out from the crowd. Jason Engel of Trick Rides has done just that with cars like their "Scorched" 1969 Ford Mustang Widebody in carbon fiber, as well as other cars like the "Rogue" '69 Chevrolet Camaro and '66 Mustang Shelby GT350TR. In this episode Jason takes you inside the Trick Rides b...

Aston Martin is a name synonymous with sports cars, and it's a marque that has survived against all odds for over a century. Aston has always teetered on the edge of oblivion only to hang on for yet another chapter, being rescued time after time by wealthy benefactors and brilliant engineers. Russell Hayes' new book, "Aston Martin: the Entire Story" chronicles the people, the c...

Aston Martin is a name synonymous with sports cars, and it's a marque that has survived against all odds for over a century. Aston has always teetered on the edge of oblivion only to hang on for yet another chapter, being rescued time after time by wealthy benefactors and brilliant engineers. Russell Hayes' new book, "Aston Martin: the Entire Story" chronicles the people, the c...

In 1980, the FIA issued a new set of competition regulations for GT and Rally car classes known as Group B. These rules allowed manufacturers wide latitude on  design and materials- and most importantly, no restriction on forced induction. Carmakers were also required to build fewer road car versions (just 200) to meet homologation.  The result was an astounding array of racing brutes like the Aud...

Born out of a love of great automobiles, timeless design and the fascination for bygone eras in motorsport, Autodromo wristwatches have captured the imagination (and the wrists) of many car enthusiasts.  In this episode, Autodromo's founder Bradley Price discusses his career as an industrial designer and the inspiration behind his work, as well as vintage racing and his car collection. Horolo...

Classic Ford Mustangs and Broncos are hot in the restomod world, and so is the Fox Body Mustang platform. Velocity Restorations in Pensacola, Florida is one of the top builders today, using Roadster Shop Chassis and Ford Performance drivetrain components to blend classic looks with modern technology. In this episode, Tom Maxwell shares what it takes to build these incredible cars. VISIT VELOCITY R...

The spectacular Porsches built by Gunther Werks might be the ultimate expression of the ultimate air-cooled 911.  Founder Peter Nam disliked how technology was dulling the driving experience, so he and his team have instead to worked to re-engineer the 993 platform in a way that strengthens the car's already fantastic attributes.  With extensive use of carbon fiber, a stiffened chassis, a hig...

Pickup trucks are an American original- and so is Jason Noel, the founder of Fat Fender Garage. Jason and his team breathe new life into classic trucks, with modern chassis, powertrain and systems.  These are dream builds, often still in their original paint, but Fat Fender also does the full-on custom look too. "We put in the kitchen sink and a box of cereal for you too", says Jason.  V...

Elana Scherr is the Senior Features Editor at Car and Driver Magazine. She's also an incurable MoPar muscle car fan- and together with her husband, Tom, Elana rescues unloved and overlooked automobiles whenever she can, giving them a new home and plenty of care. She drives plenty of new cars in her professional life but is always game for a classic car road trip or other adventure.  Follow El...

Author Peter Grimsdale returns to Horsepower Heritage to discuss his new book "Superveloce: How Italian Cars Conquered the World". It's a sweeping history of the Italian auto industry with a fascinating cast of characters and astonishing insights into the development of legendary machines that are beloved the world over. From the early days of the motorcar through the Swinging Sixti...

Author Peter Grimsdale returns to Horsepower Heritage to discuss his new book "Superveloce: How Italian Cars Conquered the World". It's a sweeping history of the Italian auto industry with a fascinating cast of characters and astonishing insights into the development of legendary machines that are beloved the world over. From the early days of the motorcar through the Swinging Sixti...

"The people of Lebanon love life", says Ahmad Fahs. And they love classic cars, too.  Ahmad calls himself an "International Classic Car Ambassador", having built his own car collection at home, buying cars overseas, and traveling extensively in Europe to learn more about his passion. He's built a local car club called "South Classics" and his Instagram @classics....

From the moment he saw midget racers in Pasadena as a kid in the late 1940s, Jim Busby was hooked on cars.  He became a hot rodder, a mechanic, a drag racer, and by the 1970s he was behind the wheel of Lolas and Porsches on road circuits in the US and Europe.  Jim made his mark at places like Lime Rock, Sebring, Daytona, Monza, the Nurburgring, and of course, Le Mans. He also had many successful y...

Ride along with us on the Slow Baja Vintage Expedition- a week of primo off-roading and exploration in one of the world's most magical landscapes, tracing the tracks of the legendary Baja desert races. and featuring conversations with Car & Driver's Elana Scherr, Slow Baja founder Michael Emery, and Offroad Motorsports Hall-of-Famers Sal Fish and Curt LeDuc.   A hearty group in twent...