Horsepower Heritage

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...

Four little letters: SEMA. This simple acronym helps drive the 300 million dollar US automotive aftermarket industry.  Every year, thousands of companies descends on Las Vegas, Nevada to showcase their latest and greatest products- everything from exhausts and lift kits to lighting and detail supplies.  The Specialty Equipment Market Association was founded in 1963, originally to promote "spe...

"All my heroes are in black and white" goes the lyric of a John Mayer song. It's also how Max Minshull thinks about motorsport, racing drivers and sportscars.  Max Minshull has a fascination with the exploits and the thrill of vintage machines from the Fifties and Sixties. He races a Porsche 356A coupe and he's on a mission to bring together a new generation of enthusiasts who...

Not long ago, three Los Angeles car enthusiasts decided to organize a new event celebrating the best Italian machinery in a distinctive location. Mike Baum, Bronson Page and Dorian Valenzuela are friends, collectors, and the creatives behind MACCHINISSIMA.  MACCHINISSIMA III comes to Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, September 27.  Horsepower heritage host Maurice Merrick joins Team Macchi this ye...

The manual gearbox is an endangered species. We all know the battle cry "Save the Manuals"- but Ahmed Raza decided to do something about it. He bought a Mazda Miata without knowing how to shift gears, but promptly learned and became a car enthusiast.  Being an entrepreneur, Ahmed and a friend started a business called "Manual Driving Academy" to teach others the essential skill...

On a narrow street in Tokyo, there's a nondescript little workshop known as Naito Engineering, where some of the world's most desirable sports and racing cars are cared for by a small team of men.  Founded by Shinichi Naito in 1952, it's now a third generation business where, on any given day, you might find a Ferrari 250LM on the lift or a Porsche racing engine being rebuilt. Shini...

One of the most historic racing circuits in the United States has a new helmsman. Mel Harder is a motorsports management veteran who began his career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and went on to manage Circuit of the Americas and the Chip Ganassi Racing Team.  In this episode, Mel talks about the past, present and future of Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca and shares his insights on decades of...

In the early 1960s, Lincoln Small fell in love with the perfomance-tuned FIATs built by Abarth. Soon he was obsessed with them, leading to a business venture with a pair of backyard-engineer brothers, John and Geoff Anstead, in which the three became the Abarth agents in the United Kingdom.   Under the Radbourne Motors banner, they imported, prepared, sold and raced the whole range of Abarth cars....