The passion the Americans feel for the oval race tracks is nothing new, it goes back to the beginning of the last century. The idea of a track where the drivers could go flat out almost throughout the whole course isn’t new, but oddly enough, it started with a very popular sport in the mid-1800s,Continue reading “Murderdrome”
Author Archives: Rubens Junior
The 1966 Batmobile
Batman is back on the big screen, this new movie comes 33 years after the American director Tim Burton revived the character with his haunting and stylish version of the Caped Crusader. Speaking as a fan, it is always exciting when a new movie pops up but speaking as a gear head, there will alwaysContinue reading “The 1966 Batmobile”
Wristwatch
A brief account of this obsolete piece of machinery that refuses to fade away. Picture above: Roger Dubois, Huracán edition. At the beginning of the 1969 movie Easy Rider, right before the start of his journey across the USA, the character Wyatt (Peter Fonda) gives one last glance at his wristwatch, removes it from hisContinue reading “Wristwatch”
Chasing a Spy Plane
The Cold War was a dark period in history when humanity came, for so many times, too close to total annihilation. When this “war” came to an end, in 1991, the danger of a nuclear Armageddon became a thing of the past and now we can, in a more relaxed way, look back at someContinue reading “Chasing a Spy Plane”
When NASCAR Went to Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the most traditional and prestigious motor race in history. Every year, since 1923, the best race teams and drivers from all over the world go on a pilgrimage to the Circuit de la Sarthe, located in the city of Le Mans, France, for a gruesome 24 hours race,Continue reading “When NASCAR Went to Le Mans”
Gilles Villeneuve
“Why do we even bother? He is different from the rest of us. On a separate level” – Jacques Laffite, talking about Gilles Villeneuve.- A few years ago I was chatting with some friends, we were casually listing a few great Formula One drivers when I said: – Gilles Villeneuve -, while most of theContinue reading “Gilles Villeneuve”
The Bizarre Collision Between an American Carrier and a Soviet Submarine.
On the foggy morning of January 15, 2022, the American carrier USS Kitty Hawk departed from the Naval Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington for its last voyage, the destination is a shipbreaking facility in Brownsville, Texas where the emblematic vessel is set to be scrapped. The ship was decommissioned in 2009 and had been onContinue reading “The Bizarre Collision Between an American Carrier and a Soviet Submarine.”
Lucky Custom’s “Cheetah”
The (north) American way of life has permeated the whole world, through movies, music, and TV shows and we, the poor cousins from South America are, perhaps, the biggest suckers of it, especially when it comes to cars and bikes. We sure love the European and Asian stuff as well but nothing sends a shiverContinue reading “Lucky Custom’s “Cheetah””
The Mini
During the 1950s North America experienced unprecedented economic growth but on the other side of the pond, in Europe, things were a lot different: they were trying to rebuild the continent from the ashes of WWII, and the economic situation was awful. For those fortunate enough to afford a new car, the options were notContinue reading “The Mini”
George Harrison, the Beatle Who Was a Car Guy.
The Beatles are back in the spotlight, thanks to the “Get Back”, the wonderful documentary about the band’s last work, the album Let It Be. The director Peter Jackson (the same director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy) had the access to over 50 hours of never seen before video and audio recorded duringContinue reading “George Harrison, the Beatle Who Was a Car Guy.”
The Peacemaker
On August 6, 1945, a solitary B-29 Superfortress dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, 3 days later, another bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. It was the only time in history that nuclear weapons were used in an armed conflict, together, the two bombings killed more than 220 thousand peopleContinue reading “The Peacemaker”
The Brazilian Champions. Part Three: Ayrton Senna.
“And suddenly I realized that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension.” – Ayrton Senna-. Brazilians are passionate about speed and that passion produced a few names that became legendary; most of them are well known only withinContinue reading “The Brazilian Champions. Part Three: Ayrton Senna.”
Toronto International Air Show.
The Toronto International Air Show is Canada’s largest and longest-running aeronautical event and it happens right in the heart of the city’s downtown, over Labour Day Weekend. Thanks to the Covid pandemic, the show was cancelled in 2020 but it was back for the 2021 edition. It all started in 1946 when the National Aeronautical AssociationContinue reading “Toronto International Air Show.”
Rat Trap
Between 2008 and 2015, I had the privilege to work for one of the most traditional speed shops in Brazil, Powertech, the company was founded with a noble mission: to bring performance parts from the USA to South America, helping a legion of gearheads who craved speed but had nowhere to go. Powertech’s founder, João Alexandre deContinue reading “Rat Trap”
The Brazilian Champions. Part Two: Nelson Piquet.
By the time when I began to better understand the Formula One universe, during my teenage years, Emerson Fittipaldi was struggling with the Copersucar race team and he naturally fell into obscurity. Fans like me were waiting for the next guy who would restore the Brazilian pride in F-One and that guy was Nelson Piquet.Continue reading “The Brazilian Champions. Part Two: Nelson Piquet.”
Mad Max
When I went to see Mad Max for the first time, in 1985, the movie was already 6 years old and its two sequels had been released already. To be honest, the sequels never caught my attention, I was there to see the original. Even after so many years I still remember leaving the theatreContinue reading “Mad Max”
The Brazilian Champions. Part one: Emerson Fittipaldi.
Brazil, if there is one sport that defines the country is soccer, after all, they won the World Cup 5 times, but there is another sport that the country won even more titles: Formula One. Brazilian drivers won nothing less than 8 F-One World Championships. Sir Jack Stewart once tried to explain the phenomena: “MustContinue reading “The Brazilian Champions. Part one: Emerson Fittipaldi.”
The Classic Machines 