I’m not one to get all awestruck when one of those brush with smarminess moments comes along, but the circle of friends of The Garage keeps producing endless introductions that just blow my mind.
Now I was never a skater, other than a bit of transportation here and there in high school, but that was back in the day when the legends of skateboarding were doing their thing. Steve Caballero was one of those guys. What more can you say? The guy is a legend.
This legend has become an artist and works in a variety of mediums. His topics revolve around that other California lifestyle: Hot Rods.
Last weekend, Caballero held a show to display some of his new work last weekend and while our West Coast contributor, Aaron Von Minden, wasn’t able to drop by the show he did score the original piece you see above. The 35 Ford truck belongs to Steve & Aaron’s mutual friend Nacho. If you look around Steve’s blog, you’ll catch a photo of Von Minden’s Model A Coupe in there too!
Every car nut loves a great calendar full of stunning automotive images. The guys (and a few girls) go crazy when there are some pretty ladies included too. When the ladies are true enthusiasts, not just eye candy and the package is put together for a good cause, everybody wins.
The founders of the popular Porsche enthusiast community Rennlist have gotten together with forum members to create a stunning calendar, with all proceeds going towards helping families in need around the globe. That’s a pretty tall order, but with help from Porsche enthusiasts around the world I’m sure the group can help make a difference.
Now back to the ladies. All of these fine ladies are Porsche enthusiasts who are members of the Rennlist community! Look beside you on the grid at your next lapping day. You may find someone you recognize peering out of that helmet!
To order order a calendar for yourself or your in house Porsche fanatic, visit the Women of Rennlist.
Who doesn’t love stories and images of old Grand Prix cars? I know I certainly do, especially when there are such oddities as a biscuit jar with Coopers and Vanwalls on them!
Our man on the east coast, Paul Chenard, has some tales of the British marque. Oh yes, you can also pick up some of Paul’s work for the den!
On our recent trip to Lime Rock, I had hoped to bring something cool home for the kids, just like any good Dad is supposed to do. What was I going to pick up? Who knew. Until of course I was taking some respite from the sun while poking about in the Driving Impressions store and came across the Scalextric slot cars. I knew I had to bring home some slot car goodness. Continue reading →
Canadian motorsports artist Paul Chenard has become somewhat of a fixture around The Garage over the past year or so. Paul’s artistic talents are only matched by his enthusiasm for the history of racing. His latest endeavor has been to combine some of his works into a short video, with a soundtrack that I suspect was recorded at last year’s VARAC Festival at Mosport.
Paul is always busy creating new images that continue to blow all of us behind the scenes in The Garage, so we’re going to begin showcasing a new one of Paul’s sketches every week. For now, check out the short video and then visit the link for Automobiliart at the top right of the page to get your own images for the den.
What happens when you merge two organizations? Usually you end up with a ton of surplus desks and stationary. When those two organizations happen to be pro racing series through, you get an unbelievable amount of cool stuff. In the aftermath of the IRL/CCWS reunification, there is an absolute ton of said stuff and there are creditors looking to recoup some cash. Sounds like time for an auction!
That’s right, the entire pile of Champ Car booty is going on the block on June 3rd at the old Champ Car headquarters in Indianapolis. Timing equipment, race transporters, race cars, shop equipment, memorabilia and a bunch of those cool pace cars are all up for sale.
There was a time when race cars were finished in the colours of the nation from which they hailed. National pride often ebbed and flowed when the national colours were winning or losing. Back in those days, the Grand Prix cars boasted magnificent engines that were as much mechanical works of art as they were the heart of a racing car.
Good friend of The Garage, Paul Chenard has recently completed a limited edition series that captures the essence of this era of machinery. The premium archival Giclee prints measure 14.5′x 11′ and will be limited to a run of 125. They are available for $100 cdn each or an even better deal of $325 for all 4 plus shipping. They can be ordered by clicking on the Automobiliart button at the top right of this page.
Above is the Maserati 250F and the rest of the series can be seen after the break Continue reading →
Falling squarely in the “I gotta get me one of these” category is the just announced 50th Anniversary poster from Lola. In fact, I may just have to get 2. You see, this somewhat unique poster has images on both sides.
The poster has drawings of 50 Lola race cars, one for each year of the company’s existence, beginning with the 1958 Lola Mk1 to the 2008 B08/80. It will be available for free at selected events that are involved in the 50th Anniversary Celebration. The first two events will be at Brands Hatch World Sportscar Masters race in May and the Oulton Park Gold Cup in August. Let’s hope that they free up a few for the VARAC Festival at Mosport in June.
I have so many childhood memories and some of them after all these years that stand out are about some homemade toys I used to play with in a dirt pile. Of all the toys I had my favorites were an old logging truck, an orange bulldozer and a crane, most handmade and hand painted but some were very old heavy metal types that made Tonka toys look like tinfoil. And then there was my favorite Ford tractor my father gave me which is extremely life-like. Continue reading →
We first came across the Brightwork Sign Company a few years ago at a custom car show here in Toronto. Artist Matthew Labutte had been working with hand painted vintage style signs, but had made a transition to more hot rod related pieces. Since then, Matthew’s works have grown to include a wider range of automotive topics, from rods to racers. All of his work is done in a vintage style that just tickles us pink here in The Garage. Be sure to visit Brightwork Auto Art at their home page or at a show like Performance World.
