Suburban boulevards these days are crawling with curvy compact crossovers as the automotive industry evolves with shifting consumer tastes, an emphasis on fuel economy, and powertrain electrification. But there was a time when brute SUVs ruled the land, and “bigger is better” was the name of the game.
The Pick of the Day is a prime example, a low-mileage 2003 Hummer H2 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Bracey, Virginia.
“Original condition with exception of the wheels,” the seller says in the ad. “71,500 actual miles. Originally stored in a private collection. Hasn’t been rained on in five years.”
Finished in a color combination of White over a Wheat interior, this Hummer looks showroom-fresh, and the photo gallery accompanying the listing includes imaging of spotless wheel wells. This is obviously an H2 that didn’t get beat up on any trails.
The Hummer name – dating back to 1992 – got its real start a decade earlier in the form of the military Humvee, which was a nickname derived from High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). The original Humvee went into service in 1983 as a four-wheel drive-utility and cargo vehicle that was engineered for combat and military use.
The more driver-friendly Hummer H1 came later as the civilian version of that vehicle, sold by AM General, which was owned at the time by General Motors. The GM relationship continued from there, and the H2 model launched in 2002 using Chevrolet pickup frame elements.
Underpinnings of the Hummer H2 were geared toward heavy-duty use, with a three-piece ladder-type frame, an electric locking rear differential, underbody and rocker panel protection, a brush guard, and a winch receiver.
This Hummer offers some comfort and convenience niceties on top of that hardware, courtesy of heated leather seating, a 6-disc CD changer, and a power sliding sunroof. The original Monroney shows a $55,110 MSRP including 1SC Lux Series option packaging, which was a $2,800 add-on.
Under the Hummer’s hood resides a GM Vortec 6000 V8 engine coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Prior to 2011, the United States Environmental Protection Agency exempted vehicles such as this with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 8,500 pounds from fuel-economy standards, but independent magazine testing showed that the powertrain was good for about 10 miles per gallon and 11-second acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour. Considering it weighs more than three tons, that’s scooting.
At 18 years old, this collector-owned Hummer H2 is perhaps one of the cleanest in the marketplace today.
“Everything works as it should,” the seller proclaims. “Very clean outside, inside and underside. Never been in the mud. Runs and drives like new,”
The asking price is $35,000 or best offer for this Hummer, which is guaranteed to stand out from all of the everyday crossovers taking over America’s roadways – at a fuel-consumption premium, of course.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Up for auction on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is a 1970 Ford Mustang Boss on display at the Automotive Addiction museum in Sandy, Utah.
“Following a major cosmetic revision for the 1969 model year, the 1970 Ford Mustang was restyled for 1970,” AutoHunter notes on the Mustang’s listing. “Instead of four headlights, it came equipped with the 7-inch round headlights set at the outboard side of its grille, faux intake where the additional headlights used to be, and a flat rear fascia.”
This SportsRoof example was repainted in Lime Metallic Green, which is accented with flat black stripes on the hood, front fenders, doors and rear fenders. The body is equipped with chrome bumpers, a black front air dam, black sport slats over the rear window, a black wing and a black rear fascia panel.
The interior features green bucket seats with color-coordinated door panels and steering wheel. Equipment includes a foot-activated parking brake, manual crank windows, and a floor-mounted Hurst manual shifter.
Power comes from a 302cid V8 topped with an air cleaner with a “Ford 302-4V Boss” label and linked to a 4-speed manual transmission.
The odometer shows 62,242 miles, which the seller reports to be accurate.
This Mustang Boss’s auction ends November 24 at 11:40 a.m. MST.
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and gallery of photos.
Own a Bentley but are reluctant to drive it in snow and icy winter weather? Fret not. Bentley has just introduced four new 21-inch wheel-and-tire packages for the Continental GT, GT Continental Convertible and Flying Spur, as well as two for the Bentayga and one for the Continental GT Speed.
Noting that winter tires are more effective than summer tires at temperatures of less than 45 degrees, Bentley adds that its “wheel packages provide the simplest method for swapping between summer and winter tires.”
The Bentley winter wheel packages include Pirelli tires.
Integra returning to Acura lineup
Once an enthusiast favorite, the Integra is returning to Acura’s model lineup for the 2023 selling season, albeit with 4 rather than 2 doors. Honda’s premium division has unveiled the Acura Integra Prototype and says the production version will feature Acura’s first turbocharged engine, a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder, linked to a 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential, and priced “around $30,000.”
The Integra (later known as the RSX) was a 2-door sports coupe produced for US sales through the 2006 model year.
In addition, for the first time, the Integra will be produced in the US, at the Marysville, Ohio, assembly plant.
Mustang gets Heritage, Coastal versions
Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition
Coastal Limited Edition
Ford has announced that the 2022 Mustang will be available in two new versions, a Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition in Brittany Blue with either painted or vinyl Wimbledon White stripes, and the first Mustang Coastal Limited Edition, which gets stripes down the side and over the hood, a rear-fender side scoop, black grille, pedestal real spoiler, and “tarnished dark-painted” 19-inch aluminum wheels.
The Heritage Edition vinyl stripes adds $2,140 to the car’s price while the hand-painted stripes cost $12,140.
Dodge giving away 25 ‘dream cars’
As part of its new “Never Lift” program, Dodge says it will undertake an 8-week promotion to give away 25 dream cars under its Operation 25/8.
In the program, 25 “ambassadors from automotive, music, sports, fashion, media entities and companies” each will award a new Dodge Hellcat by the end of 2021.
Subaru unveils Solterra, its first EV
Subaru has unveiled Solterra, its first battery-electric vehicle. The design theme is hexagonal, and Subaru notes that the gauge cluster is mounted atop the low dashboard, with gauges visible above the steering wheel, another first for the brand.
Subaru noted that the new SUV, which has separate electric motors for its front and rear axles, is built on a platform jointly developed with Toyota.
Mazda reveals new CX-50 model
Subaru isn’t the only Japanese automaker working with Toyota on joint ventures. Mazda has unveiled its new CX-50 model, which will be built in 2022 at the new Mazda Toyota Manufacturing center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Subaru says the CX-50 blends “the brand’s striking Kodo design with an outdoor capable presence,” which leads us to wonder what it might look like were it designed to be driven indoors instead of outdoors.
Ford, Purdue speeding EV recharging
Ford and researchers at Purdue University are working to make it possible to recharge electric vehicles as quickly as you can fill your gas tank, Ford has announced. In fact, they have a patent-pending cable they say could speed recharging without the danger of overheating.
“Charging faster requires more current to travel through the charging cable,” Michael Degner, senior technical leader at Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, is quoted. “The higher the current, the greater the amount of heat that has to be removed to keep the cable operational.”
The Ford-Purdue system uses an “active cooling agent” that “could one day deliver significantly more power than today’s leading systems to re-charge electric vehicles, making the potential of faster re-charging times possible if vehicle charging and other technology enhancements are made in parallel,” Ford said.
“Ultimately, this could eventually lead to re-charging EVs as quickly as conventional gas station fill-ups.
BMW using dairy tech for EV charging
BMW of North America and California Bioenergy have a program using technology from dairy farming to provide renewable energy for powering electric vehicles. The process capturing methane gas from manure and using a biodigester to converting it through fuel-cell technology to feed electricity into the grid.
When not captured, methane gas is a major contributor to global warming.
No, it’s not a new Batmobile
At first glance, the car above may appear to be the latest Batmobile. But it’s not. It’s the Toyota GR Supra that will compete in NHRA Funny Car drag racing during the 2022 season. Previous Toyota Funny Cars have been Solaras, Celicas or Camrys, which won three championships in 20 seasons of competition.
The new car provides a better vantage and more headroom for driver J.R. Todd, who will drive the car for Kalitta Motorsports.
Suitcase-sized charging unit for apartment dwellers
An issue with electric vehicles is how people living in apartment buildings will recharge their cars and crossovers. ZipCharge, a British company, says it has a solution. The ZipCharge Go is a suitcase-sized charger that can be plugged into a household outlet and, when fully charged, can be wheeled to the car to recharge its batteries. The company says its Go provides a 20- to 40-mile charge in 30 minutes to an hour, enough for most daily commutes.
Being suitcase-sized, the Go can be carried in the car and recharged during the workday.
NHTSA awards $24 million to whistleblower
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced its first whistleblower award, more than $24 million going to someone in connection with information regarding Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America and their violation of the Vehicle Safety Act. The money being paid represents the maximum allowable share of the $210 million the automakers paid to the US government.
“The whistleblower provided NHTSA with information related to Hyundai and Kia’s violations of the Vehicle Safety Act,” according to the news release. “In November 2020, NHTSA issued Consent Orders with Hyundai and Kia reflecting the agency’s assessment that both Hyundai and Kia conducted untimely recalls of over 1.6 million vehicles equipped with Theta II engines and inaccurately reported crucial information to NHTSA about the nature of serious defects in the engines.”
Brembo plants a forest
Automotive brakes producer Brembo is celebrating its 60th anniversary by planting more than 14,000 trees near Lake Victoria in Kenya.
“Among the trees being planted are fruit and non-fruit species appropriate to the local environment and the needs of its population,” Brembo said in its announcement, adding that the project involved 1,300 farmers who will care for the forest.
Brembo said the forest will capture more than 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide over a 10-year period.
London gets double-decker EV bus
The double-decker passenger bus is an icon in London, England, and its largest bus operator, Go-Ahead, is scheduled to begin trials of the Beulas Jewel E double-decker electric-powered version in the first quarter of 2022. The bus is reported to have a 300-mile range.
Presented as what it calls a “birthday present” to the Mother Road, the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership has published a new “more accurate history” of Route 66 in conjunction with the Research Encyclopedia on American History from the Oxford University Press.
The Route 66 centennial celebration is scheduled for 2026.
Established in 2015 with support from the National Park Service and the World Monuments’ Fund, The Road Ahead Partnership set a mission of sustaining and revitalizing Route 66 as a national and global icon.
Primary authors of The History of Route 66, the Mother Road’s new biography are David Dunaway and Stephen Mandrogoc of the University of New Mexico.
“The world has long needed an accurate history of Route 66,” Dunaway is quoted in a news release. “Many books tell the story but not always with accuracy.”
“Their analysis will not match other histories of Route 66,” the news release points out, “for their intent was to move beyond stereotypes to tell the stories of groups often left out of the road’s history.
Historic Route 66 celebrates its centennial in 2026
“The work spans the changing eras of America’s mother road, including the origins and early uses of Route 66. Also addressed is the role of the historic freeway during the Depression and the Postwar Era, which led to its popularity as a family vacation destination in the middle of the 20th century. The article documents the decommissioning of the legendary highway and its recent revival, and includes a discussion of Route 66 literature and an overview of primary sources.”
Route 66, the authors note, became among the most culturally influential roads in the country, partly because many of the communities through which it traveled “had never been connected by a highway to the wider nation.”
Ironically, just the opposite happened with the introduction of the Interstate highway system which, as we were reminded by the animated movie Cars, bypassed many of those smaller communities the Mother Road had knit together.
The authors quote Angel Delgadillo, famed Seligman, Arizona, barber who led the revival of the route more than a decade after it was decommissioned: “September 22, 1978 between 1 and 2 o’clock,” he said. “Every 24 hours nine thousand automobiles passed through town. And suddenly, you could lay on the street and nobody would run over you because there wasn’t any traffic.”
Cars cruise historic Route 66 in northern Arizona
“Route 66 was a road that introduced diversity in American culture by bringing people and their cultures together,” they write, adding the road “represented the ideals of America — the freedom of the open road, to choose one’s own path, to see something new and interesting.
“Even after decommissioning, it remains a powerful cultural symbol.”
But the authors note that not all of those symbols are positive. For example, in 1930, 44 of the 89 counties through which Route 66 passed were “sundown” communities, “where African Americans were banned from being in the city limits after nightfall.”
Not only African Americans, but Native Americans, people of Hispanic descent and Asian Americans also would meet discrimination as they traveled the route.
While Route 66 was used primarily in its early years for trucking goods to the West Coast and for westward migration, and during World War II as a main military transport route, it wasn’t until after the war that it became a tourist destination cherished by Americans and foreign visitors alike.
“Almost immediately,” the authors note, “Route 66 entered American popular culture and imagination. Tourists wanted ‘that California trip’ sung about in Bobby Troup’s well-known 1946 song…”
Get your kicks, indeed, but also read the rest of the route’s story in this new 39-page (at least that’s what it is on my iPad) biography of the Mother Road.
Collector car enthusiasts taking part in Bespoke Rallies’ recent 19-day, 7-island drive around the Canary archipelago, described by the BBC as “a plucky band of tourists,” witnessed La Palma and the erupting Cumbre Viejo volcano in full flow.
“Never before has such an event taken in all seven of the region’s main islands, hopping between the familiar destinations of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife before heading west to the lesser-known haunts of La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera,” Bespoke Rallies reported as the event ended.
“The highlight of an unforgettable rally was undoubtedly getting up close and personal with La Palma’s active volcano, that has now been erupting for some weeks, and the reactions of some of the doughty participants were encapsulated for posterity by BBC television news.”
“Experiencing the full force of nature at such close quarters is something none of us will ever forget, though I have to admit we weren’t all that sorry to move on once we’d done so,” rally company director John Brigden is quoted in the Bespoke Rallies news release. “We were close enough to be rained on by volcanic ash, but far enough away to be out of danger from the lava flow.”
Bespoke Rallies reports that 18 teams took part, in vehicles as old as a 1923 Bentley and with drivers included Formula 1 and IndyCar engine builder Mario Illien and former McLaren F1 team manager Alastair Caldwell.
“It was wonderful to see a group of classic car enthusiasts back doing what they enjoy most after the restrictions of Covid – ie revelling in each other’s company and enjoying their cars to the full,” Brigden added.
Next up for Bespoke Rallies is the Dakar Enduro scheduled for February 28 to March 20, 2022
You wouldn’t normally consider a Buick Skyhawk to be a collector car. In fact, you might have even remember that there was such a car. But we’re selecting one — a 1977 Buick Skyhawk S — as the Pick of the Day because of its history and the sales pitch being made in the car’s advertisement on ClassicCars.com.
The car has been owned by one family since new, and it is being advertised for sale by a dealership in Alsip, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, that has the car as a consignment.
Right up front we’ll note that this car is being offered for only $3,900, and it needs work, but the dealership says it could be the ideal “father-and-son” project, to which we’ll add that it also might be the ideal father-and-daughter restoration project. The dealership also suggests the Buick could be the basis for a car to take to the drag strip (presumably because there’s room under the hood for a small-block V8).
“The ‘First Generation’ Buick Skyhawk is a subcompact, four-passenger, hatchback automobile produced for the 1975 through 1980 model years sharing a wheelbase and width with the Chevrolet Vega,” the dealership reminds, adding that other GM H-body cars were the Chevrolet Monza (which many folks did take to the race track), Oldsmobile Starfire and Pontiac Sunbird.
The “S” signifies a hatchback body style for the Pick of the Day. Buick also produced Skyhawks in standard formal roof architectures. The advertising dealership notes that Skyhawks were produced in Canada, and that only 5,821 of them were made for the 1977 model year.
This one was purchased new from Baber Buick-Opel in Fox Lake, Illinois, but moved to Wyoming with a family member and was stored outdoors there.
“Does start but will require some work to get roadworthy,” the dealership points out. “Carpets removed to show solid rust-free floors. Will need fuel pump to fire up, will also need complete brake work.”
By the way, that new fuel pump comes with the car, but needs to be installed, and there are other spare parts as well.
The car does have a 231cid V6 engine linked to an automatic transmission, an aftermarket AM/FM/CD audio and a “rare 3-piece spoiler is included with the car.”
The 231 V6 was rated at only 105 horsepower, but pumped out 185 pound-feet of torque when new. It is believed the car and engine have been driven only 61,381 since new.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is a 1962 Jaguar E-Type open two-seater recently put through a 2-year restoration.
Under prior ownership, the car received a new hood which the seller completed by installing new headlamp scoops, headlights, horns, wiring harness and motif bar.
The body was repainted in Carmen Red urethane paint during the restoration and was equipped with a new black retractable cloth top with a plastic rear window.
According to the seller, the floor, transmission tunnel, and rear bulkhead were coated with sound and heat insulation.
The interior is outfitted in GW Bartlett Co (now known as OSJI ) dealer-specification black leather and the doors are furnished with new winding and locking mechanisms.
Rebuilt Nisonger Instruments of New York gauges are on the dash and the 5-digit analog odometer shows 12,836 unverified miles.
Power comes from a correct replacement 3.8-liter I6 engine linked to a new clutch for the correct replacement 4-speed manual gearbox. The seller notes the hydraulic clutch master and slave cylinders and both master hydraulic brake cylinders were replaced.
This Jaguar’s auction ends November 22 at 12:00 p.m. MST.
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and gallery of photos.
Take a 1969 Volvo P1800, stuff a supercharged big-block 454cid Chevy V8 under its hood and what do you have? If you’re 71-year-old British mechanic Lee Johnstone and his three daughters, you have the 2021 Hot Wheels Legends Tour global champion, and in about a year you’ll have a 1:64-scale die-cast toy version of your car being sold around the world.
The Johnstones’ Volvo, known as “Aint No Saint” in honor of the P1800 featured in the 1960s television series The Saint, was chosen over the other finalists this past weekend in the Hot Wheels Tour finals staged at Jay Leno’s Garage.
According to Mattel, Johnstone acquired the car as a rusty rolling shell and turned it into a drag racing winner driven by himself and his daughters — Eleanor, Sarah and Victoria — with his wife, Sue, “on standby to help.”
“The Hot Wheels Legends Tour has truly become a global celebration of custom car creations,” Mattel vice president for design Ted Wu was quoted in the announcement. “With the addition of five new countries in the Tour, we have been able to reach and interact with millions of new fans and builders from around the world.
“The Volvo Gasser is a wonderful expression of authenticity, creativity and most importantly, garage spirit.”
We look forward to welcoming Lee Johnstone and his 1969 Volvo P1800 into the Hot Wheels family and presenting the world with our newest Hot Wheels Legends Tour die-cast toy.”
‘Brute Force’ Chevy wins SEMA builders battle
‘Brute Force’ 1955 Chevrolet | SEMA photo
A 1955 Chevrolet modified by Robert Matranga and Matranga Hot Rod Fabricators took top honors in the eighth annual Battle of the Builders competition at the recent SEMA Show.
The car is known as “Brute Force” because of its 540cid Merlin engine with Arias cylinder heads, Hogan intake and a pair of Garrett turbochargers. The 1,400-horsepower engine was detuned to 800 horsepower to make it drivable.
Others taking honors at the Battle of the Builders were Eddie Pettus with his 1961 Austin Healey Sprite (sport compact), Bryan Thompson with his 1934 Ford pickup (truck/off-road) and Dayton Jacobson for his 2000 Chevrolet S10 (Young Gun).
Anthony Robinson won “King of Builders” honors as the Progressive IMS Outdoors’ 2021 J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder custom bike show concluded its 11th season at Conyers, Georgia.
Robinson got the royal title for winning the Freestyle Class championship with a 1949 TriumphT-100 called “Black Coffee,” with custom designed and crafted wheels, tanks, seat, fenders, manifold, bars and more. The project was built on a 1938 Indian Jr. Scout girder with 18-inch rear Chevron tire and 21-inch Firestone up front. Paintwork by Mike Clary.
“The raw talent and pure passion these builders infused into their custom bikes is remarkable and we applaud everyone who participated,” UBCBS director Bob Kay is quoted in the news release.
“What’s exciting about this year’s competition is that it’s not over. We are thrilled to host a bonus round in Southern California during the IMS tour’s final stop along the eight-city event series, offering special prizes and features.”
Winners and runners-up from that bonus round in SoCal, scheduled for November 19 in Costa Mesa, will qualify for the 2022 national championships, the news release added.
In addition to Robinson, winners at the 2021 national finals held near Atlanta included:
1977 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead
2000 Ducati 750ss
Custom Classic — Brian Buttera for a 1977 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead with handmade stainless frame, girder front, handlebars, rear struts and exhaust, as well as a brass rear fender, handmade fuel and oil tanks, and a handmade bead-rolled aluminum seat.
Custom Street — Jesse Spade for a 2000 Ducati 750ss with hand-shaped tail and fly screen and paint by J Daar.
This year, Rozelle beats Ramey
Jake Rozelle and his 2003 Corvette Z06 | Optima Batteries photo
A year ago, Jake Rozelle lost the championship of the Optima Batteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational by a single point to Chris Ramey, but Rozelle came back this year to take the title in his 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The 14th annual event was held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway right after the 2021 SEMA Show.
“I’ve been working at this for eight seasons and I came so close last year, so to come back and win this year is huge,” Rozelle is quoted in the post-event news release. “I work on this car more than anybody knows and to finally have it all come together means a lot.”
Ramey finished second to Rozelle this year in a 1987 Corvette. Third went to yet another Corvette, a 2008 owned by Mike Rovere.
Lamborghini Day in Japan
Lamborghini Countachs on display and parading in Japan | Lamborghini photos
Lamborghini Day was celebrated recently in Japan, where more than 70 vehicles, including 20 Countachs, paraded through Tokyo and where Triangular Square at the Sumitomo Building featured a showcase of 10 Countachs as part of a 50th anniversary event.
Pebble Beach donates $2 million+ to charities
Organizers of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has announced the 2021 event raised more than $2 million for local charities.
2021 car show and concours calendar
The following are dates currently set (but subject to change) for a variety of concours d’elegance, car shows and driving tours scheduled during 2021:
November
19-21 – Goodguys Southwest Nationals, Scottsdale; 25-28 – Daytona Turkey Run, Florida; 28 – VW Santa Run, Beaulieu, UK
With the launch of its Genesis model, and then its Genesis luxury brand, Hyundai no longer offered its XG or Azera in the US automotive marketplace. But that model, originally known as the Grandeur in South Korea, certainly has not been forgotten, in South Korea or elsewhere, for that matter.
It was 35 years ago, in 1986, that Hyundai unveiled its original luxury sedan, which at the time was basically a Hyundai-built version of the Mitsubishi Debonair produced to supply top officials during the upcoming 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
To celebrate the Grandeur’s 35th anniversary, Hyundai has created what it calls a “retro-futuristic makeover” based on the original, but now with an electric powertrain, “Parametric Pixel” exterior lighting, and a “Newtro” interior as part of the automaker’s Heritage Series, which previously has featured a redone 1975 Pony model.
‘Parametric Pixel’ headlamp
The goal, Hyundai said, is “to shed light on the original sedan’s symbolic significance and find new inspiration for future designs.”
The exterior lighting style, and presumable the electric powertrain as well, come from Hyundai’s new Ioniq 5 production model. The interior “Newtro” theme is short for “newness + retro” and features burgundy-color velvet and laced Napa leather. The interior has bronze-colored lighting designed to be reminiscent of period audio equipment, though with a modern audiophile sound system.”
Soundbar piano can be played while car is parked
Secret compartment in center console
South Korean sound designer Guk-il Yu developed a “4way4” sound system made of 18 speakers and includes a soundbar piano function that can be played through the system when the vehicle is parked.
The interior also has a wide, touch-enabled flat screen rather than traditional gauges and a single-spoke steering wheel and aircraft-style gear selector.
The center console armrest has a hidden pop-out compartment for storing valuables, be they watches or fine cigars.
“As our designers conceive the future, it’s important to look back on what we’ve created in the past and find inspiration in it,” Hak-soo Ha, head of interior at the Hyundai Design Centre is quoted.
“With the Heritage Series Grandeur, our designers have reinterpreted an important part of Hyundai’s history as a wonderfully unique blend of vintage and contemporary that reflects the boundless possibilities of our EV era.”
As his health was failing in recent years, I don’t know how long it may have been since the last time Bob Bondurant took a bunch of fledgling students at his high-performance driving school, had them climb into a boxy old passenger van, and gave them the thrill of their lives as he demonstrated on the winding track his amazing car-control skills, he so calm and seemingly inattentive at the steering wheel while they rode with him in terror.
But that was Bob, who died recently at age 88, making sure his students realized what they didn’t know about driving before he and his team of instructors rebuilt their capabilities as drivers.
Bondurant operated his school — first in California, and for many more years just south of Phoenix — for more than 50 years, years during which he taught everyone from Hollywood celebrities to secret service and military personnel to budding racing drivers, and those who already were champions but realized even they needed his tutelage, to teenagers armed with fresh student driver permits, to, well, folks like you and me.
After recuperating from serious injuries in a crash, Bondurant started a school to share his high-performance driving skills with others | Bondurant school photos
A broken steering component caused a horrific crash that ended Bondurant’s racing career
Many people revere Bob Bondurant as a world-championship racing driver, a winner at Le Mans and one of the few Americans competing in Formula 1, but his most important legacy isn’t in those racing records but in how for so long he worked to make the rest of us better and safer drivers, and whether we were on at speed on the race track or pulling back into traffic after a run through a local fast-food drive-thru.
Yes, high performance at Bondurant involved high speeds and squealing tires, but safety on the street was just as important, even more important, if not nearly as sexy.
Although I’d known Bob since sometime in the mid-1990s, and had been on his track numerous times in a variety of vehicle and tire-company media programs, I hadn’t officially gone through one of his formal school sessions until I was 61.
Oh, it wasn’t that he hadn’t offered the opportunity. I moved to the Phoenix in early December 1999 and Bob was our first speaker when we organized the Phoenix Automotive Press Association (aka “papa”). I had interviewed him several times through the years, usually with his constant companion, an Australian Blue Heeler named Rusty, beside him. Each time, he’d remind me I hadn’t yet been through his school.
My Bondurant school classmates were teenagers, some who had been racing go-karts for several seasons, others who had just gotten their learner’s permits | Larry Edsall photo
So, at the age of 61, I went to school, but not for racing. I enrolled in Bondurant’s school for teenagers, in part because I wanted to see what his team was teaching new drivers and in part because I thought the session would be a good exercise as I approached senior citizenship.
One of the exercises we did involved what amounted to emergency lance changes. We were in one of three lanes when lights ahead flashed, indicating the lane in which we were to steer. Speeds increased with each pass through.
That exercise was the last of the morning session and before heading to lunch, our instructor asked the students for their reactions and they were unanimous about the level of concentration they’d needed.
The instructor then noted that the skills they’d used could be called on at any time, such as having to avoid a car turning into a parking lot without signaling or making a right turn on red without stopping, and then asked them to think about how much more difficult avoiding a collision would be while reading a text message on a cell phone.
I’ll never forget the look of epiphany that spread across the young faces.
Making more than half-a-million people, multiple generations of us more alert and safer drivers, be it on the track or especially on the street, that’s Bob Bondurant’s legacy.
