By Petrolicious Productions / 13 June 2013

Hunting and collecting vintage garage gear can be nearly as fun as driving cars of the same era, and nothing complements a fine old driving machine like a few well-chosen vintage accessories—particularly a classic diagnostics machine. If you’ve got a few spare square feet and don’t have any philosophical qualms with harboring a tool that will most likely never earn its keep, there’s no cooler way of highlighting your parked classic.

By Petrolicious Productions / 13 June 2013
5 Comments

An Italian tax-break 2.0-liter version, this particular Merak comes with a 170 HP version of the more typical 3.0-liter car’s 190 HP V6, both based on the Citroën SM’s motor. Inside, it even shares many of the SM’s gauges, while early cars shared the entire dashboard. Located in Italy with only 29,000 miles from new, it’s said to be in completely original condition. We love the silver on blue/tartan interior—it’s not the most tasteful combination we’ve ever seen, but its '70s-period kitsch fits the car well.

By Petrolicious Productions / 04 June 2013
6 Comments

You don’t have to be a skater to appreciate these amazing boards. Illustrated with detailed Minichamps models, they’re available with either an Alfa GTA, 911 2.7 RS, 300SEL 6.8 “Red Pig”, or Porsche 904 on their decks. Part of a limited-edition collaboration between Minichamps and board maker Robotron, these are a reissue of a previously sold-out run, and are sure to disappear quickly—if you’d like to snag one, better act fast.

By Petrolicious Productions / 10 June 2013
5 Comments

Persol make some of the best and coolest sunglasses available today, a quality pair of which comprise an essential tool in any serious driver’s glovebox or center console kit. Though great looking as an entity unto themselves, their series designed in conjunction with legendary coachbuilders Pininfarina ratchet the style and exclusivity up another notch. Here we link a few of our favorites found on eBay.

By Petrolicious Productions / 31 May 2013
8 Comments

Like Larry David, we respect wood, we revere wood, we’re considerate of wood. That’s why we love tool boxes made of the stuff. Gerstner has been making so-called “machinist’s chests” out of wood for more than a century now. Still built with tongue and groove joints and available in a variety of configurations, sizes, and finishes, they range in price from about 100 bucks to nearly 4,000, meaning it’s easy to find one right for your needs and budget.

By Petrolicious Productions / 05 June 2013
3 Comments

It’s said that the Espada was built to meet Ferruccio Lamborghini’s desire to build an “Italian Rolls Royce”. Styled by Gandini under the Bertone banner, the Espada is somehow simultaneously ungainly and elegant, ill-proportioned yet perfectly formed—its long, tapering hood and truncated Kamm tail, low beltline, and tall greenhouse seemingly at odds with one another as separate elements, but cohesive as a whole. Our feature car is a 1973 Series III version with a claimed 85k on the odometer.

By Petrolicious Productions / 29 May 2013
22 Comments

A good heel-and-toe technique is an indispensable part of the experienced driver’s repertoire, a disappearing skill indicative of dedication to this hobby, and to the craft of driving well. It’s difficult to do under the best of circumstances, so why make it harder with the wrong type of shoe? Driving shoes, with their thin, narrow, and flexible soles and uppers are designed to allow maximum flexibility on the pedals, making it infinitely easier to precisely operate three of them at once.

By Petrolicious Productions / 30 May 2013
2 Comments

Who doesn’t love an old Alpine? They’re gorgeous little cars, bursting with interesting engineering, built for a purpose, and soaked in competition history—what else do you need from a classic? OK, practicality isn’t spectacular, with a tiny two seat cabin and front trunk (we call that the frunk) dominated by fuel tank, battery, and spare tire, but who cares for all the style and fun on offer? This particular example is an Mexican-built Dinalpin.

By Petrolicious Productions / 30 May 2013
3 Comments

It takes patience, skill, and dedication to run a classic and keep them on the road, and the challenge is often its own reward. If you frequently spend weekends crawling around underneath an oily old car, you might as well come to the job properly equipped and invest in a nice pair of coveralls—the cost of which is recouped pretty quickly when you factor in all the jeans and t-shirts ruined from grease.

By Petrolicious Productions / 20 May 2013

One of the little perks of Ferrari ownership, aside, of course, from owning a Ferrari, has to be the custom-fit, butter-soft, caramel-colored Schedoni leather luggage that comes with the car. Offered as options in Modena’s finest for several decades now, Schedoni custom-fit bags, tool kits, suitcases, wallets, and cases have been featured elegantly in big V12 GT cars and crammed in where they fit in stripped-out road racers like the F40 and F50.

By Petrolicious Productions / 20 May 2013
6 Comments

One of the best things about vintage cars is their interiors--well lit, airy greenhouses full of delightfully tactile materials like metal, wood, wool, leather, and chrome. A real bummer, then, to have that wonderful, fuzzy, old-timey feeling interrupted by a thick slab of artless plastic festooned with dozens of tiny buttons and distracting, flashing LEDs—the modern head unit. Fortunately, there’s now an alternative.

By Petrolicious Productions / 22 May 2013
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We recently delved into just what it is that we love about the Fulvia, but to sum it up in a few words, we’d have to call it “elegant intrigue”. The Fulvia represents one of Lancia’s finest moments in an era when they were still run as an engineering-first, profits-later organization--obviously an unsustainable way of doing business, but man did it make for some spectacular cars. This ‘67 Coupe shows 20.7k kilometers on the clock, but real mileage is unknown.

By Petrolicious Productions / 14 May 2013

This week’s Crave is an original photo taken of Trintignant behind the wheel during that final Bugatti GP appearance, and signed by the drive himself—it’s hilarious to imagine what might’ve been going through his head when he was autographing these photos, each a 36” x 24” sepiatone print taken directly from the original negative. The Collector’s Studio has a limited supply of these fascinating and historically significant prints available for $895 apiece.

By Petrolicious Productions / 14 May 2013
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Nothing accentuates a vintage toolbox or a workbench like a collection of cool old go-fast product stickers, and few cool automotive-themed collectibles come so inexpensively. Whether you keep your box neat and tidy, cleaning your tools with gasoline after every use, or it’s a greasy, hazardous-to-fingers, unorganized mess, slapping a few vintage logos on top or the sides will only make it better. We’ve gathered a few of our favorites currently up for offer on eBay.

By Petrolicious Productions / 13 May 2013
3 Comments

For pedigree, rarity, style, fun, and bucketfuls of the old car quirks that we all love, there’s not much that can beat a Lancia Scorpion (née Montecarlo), bang-for-the-buck-wise. This 1976 model is claimed to be the recipient of a recent respray in factory white, and with a scant 61.5k miles from new, it’s pretty Pininfarina-penned lines saw only roughly 1,700 miles of road a year—a feat requiring quite a bit of restraint from its previous three owners from new.

By Petrolicious Productions / 13 May 2013
5 Comments

In 2008 aartist Markus Haub began his “Racing Legends” series of work. Concentrating on racecars of the '60s and '70s, a rich and exciting era from which to draw inspiration, Haub’s pieces combine the realism and detailed eye one would expect of a dyed-in-the-wool Petrolista, but with the elegance and impressionistic slant of a true artist, elevating his paintings beyond the somewhat heavy-handed and overly-literal style typified by most automotive-themed artwork.

By Petrolicious Productions / 10 May 2013

We’re all pretty much just grown-up kids, our enthusiasm and excitement for shiny, loud, fast things a remnant of the childhood wonderment that many of our less-fortunate adults have sadly lost sight of. After all, how many of us refer to our wheeled pride and joys as “weekend toys”? Of course, the love of actual toy cars is still very strong for many of us as well. In that vein we introduce this week’s Crave-able collector items, vintage Schüco vehicles of varying types.

By Petrolicious Productions / 01 May 2013
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You already know we love the Lancia Delta Integrale for all its raw, box-flared aggression and sharp-suited style, and though much of the flying elephant’s history is either common knowledge among petrolista, or at least easily attainable through a quick browse of the internet, a lot of its behind-closed-doors history is much less well-known. Enter the subject of this week’s Crave, a very well-reviewed, informative, and entertaining read titled “The Story of a Champion”.

By Petrolicious Productions / 07 May 2013
8 Comments

There’s no cooler way to scare yourself silly than behind the wheel of an early 911 Turbo. Big power, big lag, and a big ol’ wing took big talent and even bigger courage to tame—if you’re ready for the challenge, you’d be hard-pressed to find another 930 this clean. A 1979 model with a claimed 27k miles, the seller claims mileage and maintenance records are backed up with extensive documentation. Pictures aren’t abundant or very well composed, but it looks tasty from what we can see.

By Petrolicious Productions / 02 May 2013
2 Comments

On offer from the Collector Studio’s Motorsport Gallery in Toronto, and limited to only 10 pieces is this detailed, hand-built 1/8 scale model of the T59, offered with or without post-race patina. The level of attention lavished on the smallest features of this replica is breathtaking, from its miniscule brake shoe springs, piano-wire body retainers, quarter elliptical springs and associated suspension parts, wood-rimmed steering wheel, to the spectacular highlight of all these wonderful things—the engine.

By Afshin Behnia / 09 April 2013
9 Comments

Founded by our good friend and fellow vintage car enthusiast James Chen, ASAP Tire is a mobile tire service that brings specialty tires to you and expertly installs them at your convenience. Vintage tires, high-performance, and hard-to-find sizes and brands are their specialty. When a three-inch nail recently punctured my ‘74 GTV’s driver’s side front tire, ASAP Tire was kind enough to come by and repair it. Now I just need to decide which tires to buy next.

By Petrolicious Productions / 01 May 2013
4 Comments

Browsing through eBay as we’re prone to do, we stumbled across one of the nicest 2002 Tiis we’ve seen in ages, a ’72 model with 121k miles and presented in stunning condition. Claimed to be a garage-kept California car from new, the seller says it has no rust and is completely unmodified, with the only flaws being a non-operative clock and a driver’s side vent that doesn’t seal as tightly as it should—hardly deal-breakers!

By Petrolicious Productions / 26 April 2013
3 Comments

Our office espresso machine sees heavy daily use keeping us all thoroughly caffeinated—all the better to service you, dear reader, with the best of the vintage automobilia world. Though it makes a quality thimble-full of jet fuel, our machine doesn’t look nearly as cool as the Espresso Veloce series of machines. Available in V8, V10, and extra-strong V12 versions, and built with high quality materials including magnesium, aluminum, and titanium, these machines are said to be inspired by Formula 1 engines.

By Petrolicious Productions / 25 April 2013
3 Comments

We love antique gas pumps for their honest, mechanical forms, glass meters, bright colors, variation of styles and designs, but most of all, we love them for the colorful, art-deco masterpieces adorning their tops like glowing crowns—the gas pump globe. These delicate, hand-painted milk glass orbs illuminated with a soft but attention-grabbing light, designed to attract motorists with emptying tanks to gas station forecourts.

By Petrolicious Productions / 23 April 2013
2 Comments

This week’s Crave Vehicle is a one-off 1965 shooting-brake Iso Grifo A3C with a strong resemblance to the Ferrari 250 GT Drogo “bread van”. The seller makes no claims of originality, but we’re guessing it’s probably not a recent retrofit—Rivoltas, though not stratospherically priced, are still not common enough that radical re-bodies are in the realm of sane collecting strategy. Grifos combined Golden-Age Italian design with reliable Detroit-sourced power.

By Petrolicious Productions / 16 April 2013
6 Comments

Changing gears is either an absolutely central or a nearly involuntary part of driving a car. Either way, nothing better highlights the sheer physicality of driving, that sacred man-machine interface, than the humble shift knob. There’s probably no other control that you’ll operate as much in a lifetime, so it might as well be topped by something special. In that spirit we’ve selected a handful of lovely vintage, NOS, and racing-style knobs here for your perusal.

By Petrolicious Productions / 17 April 2013
5 Comments

Our inaugural Crave-mobile is a lovely little 914/6 prepped for SCCA vintage racing. Painted in the iconic '70s orange that only classic Porsches seem to pull off, it’s well presented with pictures of what appears to be a very clean and well-prepped car, though is perhaps a bit light on history and specific information pertaining to this example. No claims of originality are made, but it is mentioned that the car has never been wrecked and the shop credited with its care is reputable.

By Petrolicious Productions / 03 April 2013
2 Comments

We’ve gathered a bunch of cool and surprisingly affordable vintage motorsports-themed windbreakers and light vinyl jackets—the perfect attire for an early-morning car show or a late summer drive with the top down. Featuring bright colors, contrasting racing stripes, embroidered logos of iconic brands, and lots of intricate detailing, they’re exactly the type of things you can see drivers and crews wearing in period photos.

By Petrolicious Productions / 27 March 2013
6 Comments

Industrial designer by trade and gearhead by nature Bradley Price is the man behind Officine Autodromo, makers of a gorgeous line of wristwatches that are heavily influenced by the gauges of golden-era sports and racing cars. All feature lovely proportions, fine detailing, and high-quality construction. Standard models include the Vallelunga, Brescia and Veloce, with a top-range, multi-function chronograph version of the Vallelunga also available.

By Petrolicious Productions / 26 March 2013
11 Comments

The quickest, easiest way to change or enhance a car’s style is with aftermarket wheels. Whether chosen to allow wider or bigger diameter rubber, for lighter weight, to clear upgraded brakes, or for a change of style, wheels undeniably make or break a car. Alternately, a good wheel can make an amazing piece of garage art or one seriously cool glass coffee table base. We found a tasty selection of vintage rolling stock available on eBay.

By Petrolicious Productions / 25 March 2013
6 Comments

It's easy to find vintage posters or items to decorate your garage or shop, but it takes more of an effort to tastefully accentuate your home with car-related items. This set of original, handmade, ceramic coasters, which showcases four favorites from distinct eras in automotive history, would be a nice touch when hosting friends or family for dinner or drinks, and it would make a great gift as well.

By Petrolicious Productions / 20 March 2013
4 Comments

Steve McQueen set a new standard for the car and bike fan. He made his choices wisely, and avoided excess and needless adornment. While you may not be able to afford many of his personal vehicle choices, there is nothing stopping you from co-opting much of his personal style into your life. Minimize and distill functions down to their core essence, and every fan of motorized transport, male or female, needs a cool leather jacket.

By Alan Franklin / 06 March 2013
8 Comments

A vintage car needs a vintage wheel, but choosing the right one to complement your machine is essential. Does your car evoke the brutal single-mindedness of a 288 GTO or an F40? Then perhaps a Momo Monte Carlo, as fitted to either of those mythical beasts, is right for you. Is your elegant, pillar-less coupe or large, dignified sedan in need of a new tiller? We'd recommend a delicate wood-rimmed wheel with beautiful polished steel spokes—a classic Nardi would fit the bill.

By Petrolicious Productions / 05 March 2013
1 Comment

We can all appreciate photography of early Porsche 911s, whether or not we have one in our garage. Bob Tilton, of Werk Crew, has put together a particular lust-worthy collection of of his own photography and with is designed a 2013 calendar. A bit of caution that should be heeded when staring at this calendar: it will inspire you to purchase a 911 and blast off to your favorite twisty roads. It's already March, so pick your calender up now.

By Petrolicious Productions / 18 February 2013
2 Comments

Created by UK-based graphic designer and illustrator Dean Walton, also known as Mr. Shabba, this limited-edition set features stylized, iconic racing cars and is available for purchase as canvases or prints. If you love the Ford GT40, Shelby Cobra 427, Ferrari 250 GTO, Jaguar E-Type, or the Lancia Stratos, these five designs would be perfect additions to your walls.

Click through to see the designs.

By Petrolicious Productions / 15 February 2013
1 Comment

In addition to being one of the most comprehensive books dedicated to a single car model, two qualities truly make this book stand out. First, the rich set of color photographs, both archival and recent, that fill the pages render this book beautiful enough to be displayed proudly on a coffee table. Second, Dr. Taylor’s clear writing style combined with the practical diagrams and photos make the technical instructions of the book very easy to follow.

By Petrolicious Productions / 05 February 2013

Valentine's Day is tomorrow, so if you need an excuse to get some new art on the walls of your modernly decorated living room, this is a good one. A grouping of two or three of these sculptures will add a sophisticated touch. Most people will just think it's modern art, but you'll know better. Racing circuit sculptures from racetracks all over the world available.

Click through to check out some of the sculptures.

By Petrolicious Productions / 06 February 2013

Valentine's Day is here again, and we have an idea that's sure to win you some points: Plan a Valentine's Daytrip. Perhaps you have a favorite daytrip destination, or maybe you want to go somewhere new, but either way, we've chosen some ingredients to make your Valentine's Day a great one. Grab your driving gloves, the keys to your classic car (or rent your favorite classic car), and pack a picnic and an overnight bag. Most importantly, pick up your Valentine!

By Afshin Behnia / 30 January 2013
7 Comments

Whenever I’m away from Milan too long, there are three places that I start to miss: the Madonnina, for the best Milanese home cooking, all the bars on the Navigli canal, and my favorite automobile bookstore ever, the Libreria dell’Automobile.  A car-lover’s paradise, Libreria dell’Automobile is run by a family of authentic gearheads. Though they ship internationally, and you can order everything online, I highly suggest you experience it in person.

By Petrolicious Productions / 24 January 2013
1 Comment

Men aren't the only ones who love motorcycles, and there is something very stylish about a woman on a bike. Below is a selection of motorcycle gear to make stylish riders even more so...elegant without trying to be elegant...sexy without trying to be sexy.

Click through for more details.

By Petrolicious Productions / 15 January 2013

Former race car driver Jackie Stewart has always been someone with loads of skill in his racing and a smart business brain, but The Flying Scot was a trendsetter as well. Early on in his career, he learned the importance of appearances and created a brand for himself.

"If I was the principal guest at a function, I recognised that I would need to be correctly dressed to make the right impression."

By Petrolicious Productions / 07 January 2013
2 Comments

Sixties fashion icon Twiggy is known for her large eyes and long eyelashes, so it's fitting that in real life she drove a Lamborghini Miura, a car with large orbs and "eyelashes".  We love when automotive design and fashion blend, because, after all, what we really love is beauty and both offer it up in spades.  Twiggy certainly falls in the line as we at Petrolicious love celebrities that love vintage cars.

Who's your car-loving celebrity idol?

By Petrolicious Productions / 30 December 2012

For those of you with both the guts, the gusto and the mechanical know-how to participate in the adventure of a historic or retrospective rally such as the Peking to Paris or the Trans-America, you'll likely need a Retrotrip Historic Rally Tripmeter unless you're one of the lucky few who are able to source a vintage tripmeter.

By Petrolicious Productions / 27 November 2012
3 Comments

Ah...the joys of restoring a rare classic. You've spent countless hours toiling over that beloved restoration job or paid embarrassing sums to someone else to do it for you. Your unobtainable jewel of a vehicle is finally finished and you're ready to enjoy it and show it off. There's just one thing missing: a period-correct radio. Are you going to take the easy road and just put in a blanking plate in that hole? Heck no! Lino Carlini is here to the rescue and he's just an email away.

By Petrolicious Productions / 13 December 2012
5 Comments

Shin Yoshikawa is a photojournalist, car collector, and cutaway drawing artist. His pieces are all done by hand using very fine black pens to make all of the thin lines and tiny dots. His pieces have been shown in various automotive magazines like Rosso Ferrari, Classic Car UK, European Car, Excellence, Forza, 356 Registry, on the wall at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California, and at the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles.

By Petrolicious Productions / 11 December 2012

Christmas is the time for peace, love and goodwill to our fellow man.  Gifts often remind our loved ones that all that we do in the day is think about them, and who they are, and what they need.  So, in that spirit: On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...yet another reason to love them.

By Petrolicious Productions / 06 December 2012
3 Comments

I know, I know—you're putting aside the money for a 2002tii or some other necessary toy for yourself, but what about your kids? Don't you think they wanna get themselves a set of brand new wheels? You can make them happy this holiday season with only a small fraction of what you would spend restoring a 911...

By Petrolicious Productions / 04 December 2012

James Bond fans will love the 50th anniversary set of 100 postcards from the James Bond archives. The set contains iconic images from all 23 official Bond films and features all six of your favorite Bonds, the cards you'd like to own, and the girls your parents would probably not be happy to see coming to dinner. Celebrate Bond's 50-year milestone with this stocking stuffer.

By Petrolicious Productions / 26 November 2012

What’s better than a scale model of a classic car? A vintage scale model of a classic car, of course! You could waste invest hours on eBay trying to find the vintage model you want, or you could simply email Enzo Pastormerlo. Chances are he has what you want. Enzo’s been collecting vintage scale models for years...

By Petrolicious Productions / 20 November 2012
3 Comments

We loved Michael Caine in the original version of The Italian Job. In fact, we loved him in everything: on-screen, off-screen, wherever. In a mashup of his iconic fashion style and The Italian Job, we've created an inspiration board with a few products you'd need to channel the star as you drive in a Mini Cooper. You'd also need a Mini Cooper, of course.

By Petrolicious Productions / 12 November 2012

This large-display book features 200 color illustrations of French automotive posters from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s and short biographies of the artists who created them. The brightly-colored posters in this book feature bold typography and playful imagery, like the other poster advertisements of the day.