It is not easy to summarize the importance of the VW Beetle in Brazil, my home country. The car helped us to become a motorized nation, with the Beetle we learned not only how to drive, but also how to fix it, how to take care of it, and, naturally, to love it with allContinue reading “1978 VW Beetle”
Author Archives: Rubens Junior
Ray-Ban, The Icon Factory
-“When the Americans came here in 1943, they brought things we never saw before, like Coca-Cola, bubblegum, and Ray-Ban sunglasses”. – Recollections of one of the local residents of the Parnamirim Air Base, in Brazil, used by Allies during WWII. Necessity is the mother of invention, this is a very wise proverb that fits perfectlyContinue reading “Ray-Ban, The Icon Factory”
Argentina, the world champion
December 13th, 2022; quite a few of us have abandoned our “battle stations” at the dealership to spend a few minutes in front of the TV, watching the final moments of Croatia vs Argentina. We are a bunch of immigrants from all corners of the world, cheering, commenting, and sometimes cursing; after all, that isContinue reading “Argentina, the world champion”
1964 Simca Rallye
In the late 1950s, Brazil started a very ambitious plan that would change the whole country forever. The idea was to shift a good portion of the economy from agriculture to manufacturing, opening the doors to foreign industry and technology. The motor of this revolution was the automotive industry, and the logic behind it isContinue reading “1964 Simca Rallye”
The Best Job of My Life.
No doubt we are very proud to be “Gearheads”, the kind of people who are so in love with machines that most of our family members and friends don’t quite understand us. After all, we can easily forget important stuff but still have fresh in our memory the firing order of the piece of junk weContinue reading “The Best Job of My Life.”
Classic Rock – Stairway to Heaven
It has been a while since the idea of diversifying this blog crossed my mind; perhaps it would be a good idea to write about something other than machines. Following this idea, I decided to talk about another passion of mine, Classic Rock, but instead of telling the history of the bands, I will tellContinue reading “Classic Rock – Stairway to Heaven”
A Future F1 Champion
Several months ago I started following https://demaras.com/, a very interesting blog that shows the adventures of the Demaras, a gearhead family, from Toronto. The emphasis of the site is on the development of the racing career of Daniel Demaras, the older son of the family and a young talent at the Canadian F1200. Chris Demaras,Continue reading “A Future F1 Champion”
A Rebel Driver
Spain has given us quite a few idols in motorsport, and many years before the world started following the career of Fernando Alonzo and Carlos Sainz, another Spaniard was already conquering hearts and minds in Formula One, his name was Alfonso de Portago, but the fans affectionately called him “Fon”. He was a member ofContinue reading “A Rebel Driver”
The Once Incredible Markham Airport.
Since my wife and I moved from Winnipeg, MB to Markham, ON, we immediately fell in love with the back roads of this area. Traveling between small towns, we see farms, woods, and beautiful tree-covered properties, nestled in this idyllic ride through Ontario’s countryside. (top photo courtesy of the Canadian Jewish News) If you areContinue reading “The Once Incredible Markham Airport.”
Brazilian Formula Vee
In September 2022 I was delighted when Chris Demaras, the team manager of Demaras Racing, asked me to write an article about the history of the Brazilian Formula Vee. The Demaras is a family of committed gearheads competing in the Canadian F1200, one of the most exciting and competitive classes in the Canadian Vintage series.Continue reading “Brazilian Formula Vee”
The Widow Maker
During the Korean War (1950-1953), Allied pilots had the unpleasant opportunity to face the new Soviet jet fighter, the MIG 15. This new plane was fast, nimble, sturdy, and well-armed. The only thing that prevented the communists to dominate the skies in Korea was another extraordinary fighter, the F-86 Sabre, flown by well-trained American pilots.Continue reading “The Widow Maker”
The Fastest Rider on Earth.
Many years ago, I had the chance to ride a beaten-up 1995 Yamaha V-Max, I didn’t have the guts to go full throttle, but even at half of it, the front wheel insisted on not touching the pavement in first and second gear, and by the time when I shifted to third, the speedo wasContinue reading “The Fastest Rider on Earth.”
Motor Show
It’s summertime in North America and for the gearheads all over Canada and USA, that means race season, car meetings, and air shows. But down south things are a little different, take my home country, Brazil, for example; in some cities close to the equator, it is summertime year-round, but if go deeper south, wintertimeContinue reading “Motor Show”
The First Paris-Dakar Rally
“Do Not Go Where The Path May Lead, Go Instead Where There Is No Path And Leave A Trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Riding a motorcycle in a desert rally can be tricky, the car racers have the luxury of carrying a navigator along, still, the bikers have to do it all by themselves. InContinue reading “The First Paris-Dakar Rally”
Rock & Roll Car Show
As part of the Canada Day long weekend, the city of Stouffville, Ontario (50 km from downtown Toronto) promoted the “Rock’n Roll Car Show” with an emphasis on muscle cars and American iron in general. The event took place at the “Village of Stouffville”, a picturesque historic downtown area, filled with boutique shops, and niceContinue reading “Rock & Roll Car Show”
Vintage Car Racing in Canada
Since the Coronavirus is somehow in our rear view mirror, we like to tell that “life is back to normal”, even if we know it is a lie. Recession, climate change, and the danger of nuclear armageddon are just a few reminders that life is far from normal. Undoubtedly, some aspects of life are goingContinue reading “Vintage Car Racing in Canada”
The First Jet Powered Car
The space-age, which started at the end of the 1940s and went all the way through the 1960s, was such a wonderful time. Humanity was fascinated with the possibility of “boldly going where no one has gone before“. Various fields of society have been inspired by space travel, including literature, films, fashion, and so on,Continue reading “The First Jet Powered Car”
The Classic Machines 