A MORE AMERICAN TAKE: THE STREET CAR NATS

A MORE AMERICAN TAKE: THE STREET CAR NATS

If you missed a certain American flair in the previous Spotlight-O-Rama from the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, then this selection I’ve put together should balance things out quite nicely. What better way to get things pointing in the right direction than by taking a look at a couple of traditional hot rods – the rawest [...]

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SPOTLIGHTING CUSTOMS AT THE STREET CAR NATS

SPOTLIGHTING CUSTOMS AT THE STREET CAR NATS

Vintage USA tin and the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals might go hand-in-hand, but you won’t find one single American-made machine in this first Spotlight-O-Rama from the annual Tokyo event. I’m doing this to emphasize just how diversified Mooneyes events are in Japan, and – where you will at times – come across the most curious [...]

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CUSTOMS INVADE TOKYO: THE STREET CAR NATIONALS

CUSTOMS INVADE TOKYO: THE STREET CAR NATIONALS

No matter how many times I attend the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, I never quite get over the visual impact the event creates on the streets of Tokyo’s Odaiba neighborhood. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t into customs or hot rods, the sight that these cars collectively create is simply breathtaking. Throw in an ever-expanding [...]

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DRIVE BY, SHOOTING IN BARCELONA

DRIVE BY, SHOOTING IN BARCELONA

As the Formula 1 dust settles at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona after last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix I’ve been thinking back to a couple of weeks ago when I was at that very track. It was my first visit to the circuit, courtesy of the Spirit Of Montjuïc classic racing festival, and as [...]

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CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE: THE 2013 MARRONIER RUN

CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE: THE 2013 MARRONIER RUN

After a hearty breakfast and a last minute dip into the onsen, the second day of the Marronier Run was going to be all about admiration. I headed out to the front of the Hotel nice and early so that I could make full use of the beautiful morning light that was just breaking over [...]

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THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: SENNA’S CARS AT DONINGTON

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: SENNA’S CARS AT DONINGTON

Ayrton Senna, Formula 1 and Donington Park: three things that go naturally together. Ayrton’s career was intertwined with this track, from his formative years racing in British F3 through his first Formula 1 tests and then on to that European Grand Prix. He even referred to it as his ‘best UK circuit’. Donington already had a [...]

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CO-PILOT DUTIES: THE MARRONIER RUN IN A 432Z

CO-PILOT DUTIES: THE MARRONIER RUN IN A 432Z

The Marronier Run is probably one of the lesser-known classic car events in Japan. It’s a friendly rally organized by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable weekends I’ve had in a very long time. We are always on a mission to step outside of our comfort zones [...]

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THE WAY OF THE SAMURI: Z FEVER AT DONINGTON

THE WAY OF THE SAMURI: Z FEVER AT DONINGTON

This year’s Donington Historic Festival in the UK had the usual strong line-up of car clubs taking up the infield of the track, but one gathering I was really looking forward to checking out was the area dedicated to the Classic Z Register and the Z Club Of Great Britain. Organiser Jonathan Kinghorn had been [...]

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POWER TO THE PEOPLE: THE BHP PERFORMANCE SHOW

POWER TO THE PEOPLE: THE BHP PERFORMANCE SHOW

So there we were: it was the first Monday of May, which in the UK means a public holiday. Hurrah! A month ago there was snow on the ground and many cars were tucked away in garages, safe from the ravages of an unusually long and severe winter that had rudely intruded into spring. But [...]

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60 YEARS IN 6 CARS: A TASTE OF DONINGTON HISTORICS

60 YEARS IN 6 CARS: A TASTE OF DONINGTON HISTORICS

The Donington Historic Festival signals the beginning of the busiest part of the classic racing season in the UK, and already the event is getting international recognition for the quality of the entry – not bad for a festival that’s just three years old. Even better, the reach of the cars taking part is being [...]

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DONINGTON HISTORICS: PUTTING THE CLASS IN CLASSIC

DONINGTON HISTORICS: PUTTING THE CLASS IN CLASSIC

Events like the Donington Historic Festival are like attending a year’s worth of the best racing events imaginable in one weekend, crossed with a time warp. That means the most exciting racing cars from across the last century, all in one place, all for you. One minute you can be watching priceless Ferrari and Aston [...]

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TOYOTAFEST SPOTLIGHT-O-RAMA: SWAPS ‘N CLASSICS

TOYOTAFEST SPOTLIGHT-O-RAMA: SWAPS ‘N CLASSICS

When I set out last Saturday to round up some cars for a Spotlight-O-Rama post from Toyotafest, I wasn’t specifically looking for a selection of vintage cars. But as I made my way around the show, it just seemed that all the cars drawing my interest were from the 1980s and earlier. I guess the [...]

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TOYOTAFEST 2013: A FAMILY AFFAIR

TOYOTAFEST 2013: A FAMILY AFFAIR

As I mentioned in yesterday’s opening post from Toyotafest 2013, it seems almost like the debut of the Scion FR-S reignited a spark among Toyota enthusiasts in Southern California. It could just be a coincidence of course, but for whatever the reason, this year’s Toyotafest seemed bigger and better than ever. The feeling was evident [...]

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WÖRTHERSEE: CARS & CAMARADERIE

WÖRTHERSEE: CARS & CAMARADERIE

This Wörthersee trip, on paper at least, is probably the most ridiculous trip I’ve ever undertaken as a Speedhunter. As I write this, the show itself still isn’t scheduled to start until tomorrow. Already I’ve travelled to Austria from the UK, spent five days there and I’ve now been back in the UK for four [...]

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TOYOTAFEST 2013: ONE MAKER, MANY STYLES

TOYOTAFEST 2013: ONE MAKER, MANY STYLES

I’ve talked in the past about how some of my favorite events to cover are the ones that feature a wide variety of cars. I think you’ll agree with me that as much as you might like a certain model of car, seeing 50 identical ones in a row can get boring pretty quickly. It [...]

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