5 Forgettable Cars From the 1980s

1987 Yogo GV Sport

The 1980s can be defined in one word: us. For that’s the decade when Americans began to cast off the memory of the Watergate scandal and the lost Vietnam War of the 1970s. Consumerism, especially materialism, was in vogue and global trade brought the first cars from Yugoslavia, Brazil and … Read more

5 Forgettable Cars From the 1970s

1973 Ford Pinto

It was during the 1970s when automakers from Japan began to find a market among the big American cars of that era. As Toyota, Honda and Datsun (later Nissan) products began to take hold, American car manufacturers responded by producing several smaller models to counter the overseas invasion. Unfortunately, many … Read more

5 Retired American Car Brands

1971 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser

The auto industry continues to evolve and consolidate, casting off brands or seeing the demise of entire automakers including Saab. In the United States, we have seen the death of several car brands in recent years including Mercury, Pontiac, and Plymouth. Hundreds of brands have come and gone down through … Read more

Spotlight: 30th Annual Piedmont Classic Chevy Club Car Show

America and Chevrolet in 1969 Probably the most significant event of 1969 was the July 20th lunar landing of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. The galactic mission showcased America’s tech prowess in an age when the space program’s computers had less power than the device you hold in your hands today. … Read more

Spotlight: 23rd Annual Triangle British Classic Car Show

23rd Annual Triangle British Classic Car Show Auto shows are held ‘year round, especially in warmer climates where cold and snow are not much of a factor. In the southeast, including the Carolinas, May begins a stretch of shows lasting into early fall. Thus, if you enjoy classic cars, then … Read more

Spotlight: American Children’s Home Show-off Show

American Children’s Home 20th Annual Show-Off Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show What could be better than a gathering of cars, trucks and motorcycles? Not much, unless that function benefits a nonprofit, as it did at a recent event held in Lexington, North Carolina. Indeed, the campus of the American Children’s … Read more

Spotlight: 2018 Piedmont Classic Chevy Club Car Show

2018 Piedmont Classic Chevy Club Car Show As an automotive writer, most of my focus is on what’s new and upcoming, thus the “auto trends” moniker. But I also know that the industry has a rich history spanning nearly 150 years. Keeping an eye on the past while looking toward … Read more

At the Spring 2018 Charlotte AutoFair

2018 Charlotte Autofair

Charlotte Motor Speedway’s AutoFair is a classic car extravaganza. The twice-annual Charlotte AutoFair never disappoints, even when the weather is less than cooperative. Rainy skies and falling temperatures ruled Day No. 3 of the Spring 2018 Charlotte AutoFair, keeping crowds to a minimum. On the other hand, if you ventured … Read more

Rolling Sculpture: Art Deco Car Exhibit

1935 Bugatti Aerolithe

Pictured Above: This 1935 Bugatti Aerolithe is only model in the Rolling Sculpture collection that is a reproduction. The original was lost shortly after it was first shown. The North Carolina Museum of Art has done it again. For only the second time, the state art museum in Raleigh is … Read more

Cars and Coffee: Best Informal Meet Ups Ever

cars and coffee meet

What do you call a gathering of automotive enthusiasts that meets early on a Saturday morning to show off their rides? Well, if they’re drinking coffee while on site, there is a very good chance that you stumbled upon a Cars and Coffee event. Cars and Coffee Contacts Calling Cars … Read more

Cars and Coffee in the Sandhills: July 2014

2014 Sandhills cars and coffee

Anyone that has followed Auto Trends for some time knows that we look backward as well as forward. Not just to the new, upcoming and futuristic models, but at the antiques and classics that have shaped the auto industry for more than a century. Throw out information about a classic … Read more

Cars and Coffee Raleigh Holds First Meet

Third Saturday meetings at the Raleigh Grande. Cars and Coffee has come back to Raleigh, NC. This past Saturday the inaugural meet up of the *new* Cars and Coffee Raleigh was held and judging by the amount of coffee consumed and the cars on hand, future gatherings may soon fill … Read more

Cars and Coffee Fayetteville: March 2014

cars and coffee fayetteville 2014

A monthly gathering of car enthusiasts in Cumberland County, NC. What a difference a day makes. Friday was wet and cold, with snow mixing in at times. Saturday started off cool, but quickly warmed up with an assortment of cars descending upon Millstone Town Centre for Cars and Coffee Fayetteville … Read more

7 Winter Storage Tips For Classic Cars

1959 DeSoto Fireflite

With storms looming and winter just around the corner, it’s time to store your classic car for the cold months ahead. Classic cars require a little extra care when it comes to winter storage, and while it might be a time-consuming process, the steps are important to help ensure optimal … Read more

Highlights of the Fall 2013 Charlotte AutoFair

2013 Charlotte Auto Fair

The fall edition of the Charlotte Autofair is now over, what its organizers and supporters consider a success. As mentioned on these pages previously, the fall show is smaller than the spring show, but its still features thousands of vendors, multiple car clubs and special events that pull in visitors … Read more

Classic Cars Judged, Auctioned at the Charlotte AutoFair

classic car Charlotte Autofair

The Spring 2013 edition of the Food Lion AutoFair at the Charlotte Motor Speedway officially comes to a close today. The past few days have been beautiful and comfortable, with Carolina blue sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s. That’s a far cry from the 40-degree temperatures on opening day … Read more

Charlotte Food Lion AutoFair Returns This April

The Charlotte Motor Speedway gets all the attention for hosting the Coca-Cola 600 and the Bank of America 500 motor sport events, and justifiably so. These two annual NASCAR races are the biggest ones on this North Carolina racetracks calendar, but when it comes to attendance numbers the semiyearly Food … Read more

Dream Garages International (Book Review)

Dream Garages International book review

Many of us know one person who goes well beyond being the atypical weekend mechanic. This individual not only works on cars, but lives them, eagerly finding and passionately restoring a classic car to its former glory or maintaining at least one such model. His main ride may be something newer, … Read more

The Allure of the Automobile (Book Review)

Allure of the Automobile book review

Automotive design has had its shining moments, something we still see today in select Italian sports cars, German luxury sedans and, if I daresay, in America’s current drove of pony cars. There was a season from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, when most cars were predictable and uninspiring, … Read more