Past Gas

The year is 1988. Chrysler is getting pummeled by Ford and GM in sales, and the company’s lineup of cars weren’t inspiring consumer excitement. They needed a new, exciting car - and fast. Company VP Bob Lutz was driving to work in his 1985 Shelby Cobra when it hit him. The Cobra was exactly the kind of car Chrysler needed to add to its repertoire. So Bob put together a team, gave them a three-poin...

The year is 1870. And a samurai has just started a trading operation in a Japan still coming to grips with the modern world. Through hard work, ingenious engineering, and perhaps more than a little war profiteering, that company would later grow to be Mitsubishi - one of the four largest companies in one of the world's four largest economies. But how did sales plummet to just 15 percent of their p...

Eight-time World Rally champion Sébastien Ogier was primed to defend his title at the 2022 World Rallycross season opener at Monte Carlo. As the four-day event progressed, the man who’d dominated Rallycross for the last decade was in the lead… until he found himself competing with an unexpected aggressor: a 47-year-old dude who hadn’t participated in a WRC event in over a year, driving a car he’d...

1989. The first episode of Seinfeld had just aired, Game Boys were flyin’ off the shelves, and the Berlin Wall was about to fall. But for car enthusiasts everywhere, 1989 will be remembered for something even bigger. The year that the Mazda MX-5 was released in the United States. How did the Miata become one of the most beloved two-seaters of all time? Who were the people who brought it to life? A...

If you’re an F1 fan, you’re probably familiar with the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. But who ARE the Hermanos Rodriguez? What impact did they have on motorsports in Mexico? And is being fearless really a good quality for a race car driver, or indicative of future disaster? Today on Past Gas, the story of Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez. Thanks to our sponsors: Get Valvoline for your car...

When we think of getaway cars, we usually think of criminals hopping into an automobile, perhaps after they’ve robbed a bank or a jewelry store, and speedily fleeing the scene to avoid being caught for their crime. But how did the term come to be? Who are the most infamous criminals to get behind the wheel? What kind of cars did they drive (and sometimes steal) to get the job done? And what are so...

Jim Clark never intended to become a professional race car driver. What he wanted was to be a shepherd and eventually take over his family’s farm in Scotland. So, how did Jim’s unbelievable driving career come to be? Where and how did his natural driving talents get noticed? And in such a loud, colorful sport, how did Jim manage to snag the spotlight with such a quiet, humble persona? Today, on Pa...

Hollywood. LalaLand. The windy city of brotherly love. The stars of the screen are known for their outsized appetites for clothes, houses, and, most importantly to us, cars. While the majority of celebrities likely tool around in a Model X or a Rivian, there are some for whom this is not the way. Today on Past Gas , we are going to look at celebrities who consider cars and motorsport their calling...

Gordon Johncock may not be a name you’re familiar with, but he’s a legend on the track - especially at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But how did Gordon Johncock achieve his status as a legend at the Indy 500? What caused him to shy away from the limelight? And what made Johncock racing’s unluckiest winner? Today on Past Gas, the story of Gordon Johncock. Need to hire? You need Indeed. Visit htt...

In December of 1922, French industrialist and innovator André-Gustave Citroën was determined to show the world how tough his cars could be. Though the Citroëns were simple and affordable, he knew they were built to handle any terrain… even the Saharan Desert. But how exactly did the company’s founder, André Citroën, get his start? How did Citroën cars set the standard for how automobiles could be...

Few people in human history have been infected with a love for automobiles and pushing their limits quite like Jessi Combs. But how did one of the most recognizable faces in automotive television also become the fastest woman on earth? How did Jessi manage to excel in multiple high-pressure, male-dominated industries? And what led to the tragic crash that claimed Jessi’s life? Today on Past Gas, w...

If you’re a fan of American racing, chances are you know the name AJ Foyt. But how did this fiery Texan write himself into the history books? How did he manage to come back after career-ending injuries? And what made AJ Foyt so dominant for so long? Today, on Past Gas, the life and times of one of America’s most well-known drivers, AJ Foyt. Thanks to our sponsors: Visit https://Indeed.com/PASTGAS...

In 2004, Ford decided they were done with Formula One, and started looking for someone to buy the remnants of their failed team, Jaguar. Luckily, an energy drink company was eager to take the reins. That’s right - Red Bull had decided to launch an official Formula One racing team, and little did the world know that they were about to change racing forever. But how has a team that’s been around for...

Roger Penske Racing’s debut was going pretty well… until his team’s Corvette t-boned a slower competitor in the middle of the night session. But failure was not an option for Roger Penske, and nothing was going to spoil his first race as an owner. A perfectionist with a compulsive need to win, Roger instructed his team to grab two flashlights and some duct tape. This car was going to get back on t...

Whether you’re kicking up dust on your favorite dirt bike, or screaming a crotch rocket down the 101 at midnight, there’s nothing on earth like riding a motorcycle. But Harley Davidson bikes are a little different. Maybe it’s their sound, maybe it’s their mystique, maybe it’s a century’s worth of market dominance. But how did the hogs get their start? What led to the company’s meteoric rise in aut...

Alain Prost was a fiery Frenchman, and an elite driver known for dominating the track like no driver before him. But along with his unrivaled success, The Professor had an extremely combustible personality and made more than one enemy on his path to glory. But how did this son of a small-town handyman become an F1 driver in the first place? What led to Prost’s legendary personal feud with Ayrton S...

Twenty years before the launch of YouTube, tuning shops partnered with tuner magazines and illegal street racers in Japan to produce one of the most legendary viral car videos in history. The video would go on to cement careers, create massive media franchises, and ultimately resulted in an entirely new motorsport. And it was all done with one of the most unlikely cars anyone could have imagined a...

Bernie Ecclestone: a name more commonly spit out than spoken. How did the son of a fisherman, born into poverty, come to be a billionaire? How does a man go from living in the northern English countryside to jet-setting with a string of new wives over the course of his life? What kind of person could have such an incredible hero’s journey, only to end up the villain in the eyes of the public? Toda...

December, 2022. Everywhere, work is winding down for the holidays. Everywhere, except of course, the Past Gas Studio. After a year of epic and inspiring stories, producers Kristina and Gavin are wringing their hands, anxious because the upcoming episode list is looking thinner than Ken Miles after 24 hours of Le Mans. That's when Kristina has a brilliant idea. "Dear Santa, what I would like more t...

On November 7th, 2021, Vin Diesel, the executive producer and star of the Fast and Furious franchise decided to post a public message on Instagram to the biggest action star in the world, Dwayne Johnson. The co-stars had been making snarky comments about each other in interviews or saying cryptic things on social media for years. For a while, it seemed like they had let bygones be bygones. Yet wit...

After Rob Cohen read the article, “Racer X,” about an underground New York world of street racing he couldn’t stop thinking about its potential. He had to see it for himself. So his friend and auto journalist R.J. de Vera brought him to a race. The experience left him hooked. He knew he had a story. The only question was, could he sell it? Who started modern urban street racing and why did they lo...

In 2009, Ross Brawn bought the ENTIRE Honda F1 team for a SINGLE British pound. What came next was a season that went down as the most remarkable David and Goliath story in Formula One history. How did Brawn GP beat other teams, that had been established for decades? What’s the team’s legacy in F1? And how does an F1 team get sold for the price of a candy bar? Today on Past Gas, the incredible sto...

The Baja 1000 is an arduous 1000-mile drive through the remote and desolate Baja Peninsula. For many, it wasn’t a question of when you finished, but if you’d finish at all. The route is treacherous, and so is the weather. Drivers face flash floods and fog. Scorching heat and freezing cold. Rocks and boulders and unpredictable herds of animals. And if one broke down or got injured… the journey migh...

Porsche has such panache that it’s easy to assume they’ve been a rock-solid luxury import since the beginning. They’re owned by Volkswagen, they have a stellar racing resume, and they’re one of the most respected brands by aficionados and casual drivers alike. But it wasn’t always that way. Porsche has been on the brink of bankruptcy not once, but three times, since they began production. How did...

In the autumn of 1975, Graham Hill was in a new phase of his life. He had just retired from Formula One as a two-time World Champion, as well as the only driver in history to win the F1 championship, Indianapolis 500, and 24h of Le Mans. From cinematic near-death experiences to triumphant comebacks, Graham Hill was a living legend. But on a cold and foggy November evening in 1975, Graham’s heroic...