When Ford launched the Mustang in 1965 (or 1964 1/2, if you prefer), the company anticipated selling around 100,000 cars in its first year. However, after 12 months, Ford had sold over 400,000 units. The Mustang was exactly what young customers were looking for at the time: a compact car that offered personality, decent performance, and affordability.
Suddenly, Ford had created the Pony Car, a new niche in the auto market, leaving the competition desperately scrambling to come up with something similar.
In 1967, Chevrolet released the car that would become Mustang’s greatest rival, the Camaro. In the same year, sister company Pontiac re-badged the Camaro, creating their own Pony Car, the Firebird.
Today’s catch is a gorgeous 1968 Firebird that I found parked in front of a medical clinic that I visited, in August 2025.
The “pro-touring” style of the car immediately caught my attention. Upon approaching this bird, I noticed how low to the ground it sits, without looking exaggerated. I am not a fan of big rims in classic cars, but in this “Poncho” the wheels look just right.
Also, the body work is worth mentioning; have you heard the saying, “Black will show everything?” Well, the only thing this Pontiac shows is dust. Not a ding on the panels, and the paint job is flawless.
I waited for a little while for the owner to show up, I wanted to see the machinery under hood, but I was in a hurry.
Although the Firebird is nothing more than a Camaro in disguise, the Pontiac engine line-up at the time was quite peculiar.
The 1968 model featured two options for in-line 6 engines, producing 175 and 215 HP each. Both had a displacement of 250 CID and were equipped with overhead camshafts, which was an uncommon technology for American automakers at the time.
If the customer wanted something spicier, the 68 Firebird could be ordered with two different options of the 350 CID V8, one producing 265 HP and the other 320 HP.
At the top of the line, you have the 400 CID with 330 HP and the 400 Ram Air with 340 HP.
The most unique characteristic of the Pontiac V8s is the fact they don’t fall under the customary “small-block” and “big-block” engine families common to other GM divisions, Ford, and Chrysler. Effectively, production Pontiac V8 blocks were externally the same size, but with variations in the internal components like the main journals, bore, and stroke to achieve different displacements. In other words, Pontiac never had big or small blocks, they had big and small displacement V8s. In 1981 Pontiac stopped the production of their own engines, adopting the “corporate” Chevy engines in all their cars.
Pontiac kept the Firebird in production for 35 years. When Chevy pulled the Camaro’s plug in 2002, it was obvious that the Firebird had to die was well. At that point the fate of the brand was already sealed; GM finished the Pontiac’s operations in 2010.
I hope you have enjoyed this catch of the day. I will see you next time.
Rock and Roll has been around for quite some time now. Over the years, an enormous number of musicians attempted to make a living playing the most thrilling musical genre ever, often lured by tales of glory and fortune.
In rock’n roll history, some bands struggle to take off, while others achieve stardom at lightning speed. Among those fortunate enough to fall into the latter category is the American band Eagles.
The band was formed in 1971 in Los Angeles, CA. Their debut album, Eagles, was released in 1972, and the singles “Take It Easy” and “Witchy Woman” went straight to the top 20 in the US and Canada.
The albums that followed also achieved a fair share of popularity, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 became the best-selling album in the USA, with 38 million copies sold, propelling them to become one of the most successful rock’n roll bands of the 1970s.
Hotel California
If we could encapsulate the band’s talent and creativity in one song, that would be ‘Hotel California’. The song was created as the opening single for the band’s 1976 album of the same name, which became the third best-selling record in the USA.
Glenn Frey
If you ask ten different fans about the meaning of ‘Hotel California,’ you will receive ten different answers. People will say the song is about a haunted hotel, or dreams during an acid trip, and even about a satanic experience. However, the creators of the song, Don Felder (music), Glenn Frey, and Don Henley (lyrics), had a different story.
– “Hotel California is about materialism and the feeling that no matter how much you possess, it will never be enough”.– California is used as the song’s setting, but it could be anywhere in America and beyond. In 2007, Don Henley said, “I know, it’s so boring. It’s a song about the dark underbelly of the American Dream and about excess in America, which was something we were already aware of. It’s a song about a journey from innocence to experience.“
However, the song wasn’t meant to point fingers at others; instead, it zeroed in on the band members themselves.
We often hear that some celebrities struggle to cope with fame and fortune, and this is a universal truth. It is a tale that members of many rock’n roll bands have gone through; one day you have nothing, and then, in the next chapter of your life, you are a millionaire, adored by thousands of fans, and living a life with no limits. Henley chose the theme of the song, pointing out how The Beverly Hills Hotel had become a literal and symbolic focus of their lives at the time.
He said of their personal and professional experience in LA: “We were getting an extensive education, in life, in love, in business. Beverly Hills was still a mythical place to us. In that sense, it became something of a symbol, and the ‘Hotel’ the locus of all that LA had come to mean for us. In a sentence, I’d sum it up as the end of innocence, round one.”
Frey also came up with a story of a person who, fed up with driving long distances in the desert, saw a place to rest and pulled in for the night. However, he entered “a weird world peopled by freaky characters”, and became “quickly spooked by the claustrophobic feeling of being caught in a disturbing web from which he may never escape.”
Frey described the song as a cinematic montage, “just one shot to the next … a picture of a guy on the highway, a picture of the hotel, the guy walks in, the door opens, strange people.”
Frey said he and Henley wanted the song “to open like an episode of the Twilight Zone”, saying: “We take this guy and make him like a character in The Magus, where every time he walks through a door, there’s a new version of reality. We wanted to write a song just like it was a movie.”
Henley wrote most of the lyrics based on Frey’s ideas and also drew inspiration from driving out into the desert, as well as from films and theatre.
Meanwhile, some of the lyrics, such as ‘Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes-Benz / She got a lot of pretty pretty boys she calls friends’, were based on Henley’s break-up with girlfriend Loree Rodkin.
Wild Theories
In those chaotic years before the internet, people could freely write about anything and express their opinions, and responses would take a long time to arrive. It was just natural that different people would come with their perspectives about the lyrics of Hotel California and write about it as if it were the undisputed truth.
In the Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volume 1, Steve Sullivan theorized that the “spirit” that the Hotel California hasn’t had since 1969, refers to the spirit of social activism of the 1960s.
In the 1980s, the Reverand Paul Risley of Cornerstone Church in Wisconsin claimed that ‘Hotel California’ referred to a San Francisco hotel bought by Anton LaVey and converted into his Church of Satan.
The word ‘colitas’ in the song has been interpreted as sexual slang or a nod to marijuana. ‘Colitas’ means ‘little tails’ in Spanish, while in Mexican slang it refers to buds of the cannabis plant.
Other claims suggested that the Hotel California was the Camarillo State Mental Hospital.
Other interpretations of the song include heroin addiction and cannibalism.
It is clear that the writers left the door open for some wild theories about the song’s meaning, but at some point, it just got out of hand.
Henley once said: “Some of the wilder interpretations of that song have been amazing. It was really about the excesses of American culture and certain girls we knew. But it was also about the uneasy balance between art and commerce.”
The jorney to get it right
It took a great deal of dedication to perfect the song. Hotel California was a work of love from every member of the band.
A demo of the song’s instrumental was created by Don Felder in a rented house on Malibu Beach.
Felder’s demo for ‘Hotel California’ had influences from Latin and reggae music, and it intrigued Henley, who said he liked the song that “sounds like a Mexican reggae or Bolero”, giving its first working title, ‘Mexican Reggae’.
Don Henley
They first recorded the song’s riff, but for the vocals, the key was too high for Henley’s voice, so Felder lowered the key from E minor, to B minor.
The second recording had the tempo set too fast, and the song sounded odd. They came back to the studio with a different tune for the instruments and lyrics, and recorded several takes. Five or six of the best ones were selected, and the best parts were mixed together.
Producer Bill Szymczyk said there were 33 edits on the two‑inch master. The final version had a guitar battle between Joe Walsh and Felder.
Henley decided that the song should be a single, but Felder had doubts, and the record company wasn’t sure about releasing a six minute single, which far exceeded that of the songs generally played by radio stations. However, the band took a stand and refused the label’s request to shorten the song.
‘Hotel California’ topped the US charts for a week in May 1977, their fourth song to achieve the feat.
In 2009, the song was certified Platinum by the RIAA for sales of one million digital downloads, and has since sold over 3 million downloads.
In the UK, it reached a peak of number eight.
The hotel on the album cover is the Beverly Hills Hotel, known as the Pink Palace. The photo was taken by photographers David Alexander and John Kosh, who sat in a cherry-picker about 60 feet above Sunset Boulevard to get the shot. However, the rush-hour traffic at the time made the experience rather difficult!
According to Rolling Stone, Julia Phillips, the producer of films Taxi Driver and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, wanted to make a movie based on the song’s story. The band members and Phillips met up to discuss the idea. In her book, You’ll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again, she stated that the band members were difficult to deal with and arrogant.
Rolling Stone reported that the band was not upset at the film being scrapped, as they were not particularly in love with the idea of a movie version.
The most beautiful guitar solo ever.
When I fell in love with ‘Hotel California’ I didn’t know to speak English, so it was, in the first place, the song’s guitar solos that sunk deep into my heart. I always dreamed to become a guitar player but the lack of talent and discipline, prevented me to make this dream come true. But one thing I have learned during the time I spent with my guitar, to admire those who can actually play it.
The iconic closing guitar solo in “Hotel California” was performed by both Don Felder and Joe Walsh (pictured above). Felder wrote the initial chord progression and solo parts, and the famous dual-guitar solo features both guitarists performing what sounds like a ‘duel’, trading lead lines before harmonizing together.
Later in life I understood the song’s lyrics and also fell in love with the ‘Twilight Zone’ feeling of it, making the journey complete. For me, ‘Hotel California’ will always be one of the greatest classic rock ever.
Last August, as part of my 56th birthday celebration (it does sound like I am an important person), my wife and I visited the Alberta Aviation Museum.
It was a cloudy day.
This museum is one of Edmonton’s prides and joys; it is housed in the historic Hangar 14, one of the last two remaining examples of a ‘double-double’ WWII British Commonwealth Air Training Plan—BCATP—hangar. These facilities, built across Canada, were made of pre-cut wooden timbers from British Columbia foresters.
The second remaining hangar is probably located in Manitoba, the one that houses the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum. I posted a photo article about my visit there; you can check it here.
The first thing we noticed upon entering the building is how organized and clean the museum is. It looks like the volunteers dust off the planes on a daily basis.
The first display is the most remarkable one. It recreates the horrors of the Nazi Bombardment against London, using the V1 flying bombs.
Above, a V1 Flying Bomb, just about to hit its target.
A destroyed car, a victim of the Bombardment. I could not identify year and model.
The display includes the iconic De Havilland Mosquito. The airplane is a British twin-engine, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. It was unusual because its airframe was primarily constructed of wood, nicknamed the “Wooden Wonder”, or “Mossie”.
In 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world. Due to its high performance and heavy firepower, the Mosquito became one of the RAF’s favourite machines for pursuing and destroying the V1S.
The number of swastikas painted on the airplane shows that this Mosquito had a very successful career as a flying bomb hunter.
I took a few pictures of the museum’s collection. I hope you will enjoy the trip.
A pristine North American B-25 Mitchell. It would be nice to see this iconic warbird flying again.
A Canadair Sabre
And its engine.
The Canadair CF-104, also know as “The Widow Maker”. I wrote a post about this fighter, you can check it here
This is a beautiful replica of the 1922 flying boat Vickers Viking Mk IV.
My lovely wife Estela, in front of the replica.
The building is pretty much full and some of the airplanes are displayed outside. This one here is a Canadair CT-133 Silver Star.
This is a Avro Canada CF-100 “Canuck”
Another “Silver Star”
Unfortunately, the future of the Alberta Aviation Museum is uncertain at this point. The building has the “historic resource” status, which granted a 25-year lease renewal in 2018, but the maintenance of historic buildings is complicated and expensive.
A recent motion put forward by City administration has revealed that the hangar requires structural upgrades and requires a minimum of forty-one million dollars for repairs by 2027. It was initially motioned by administration that the building be de-accessioned from the city’s heritage properties, which could result in the museum moving to another building, just like what happened to the Royal Aviation Museum in Winnipeg.
The Alberta Aviation Museum is working with the city to determine a plan for moving forward. In July 2022, the city began a two-year effort to sell the hangar and use the funds to build a new facility.
When the Royal Aviation Museum in Winnipeg closed its doors, I thought it would never open again. To my surprise, the hard work of the museum administration and city officials resulted in a brand new and beautiful facility, a building worthy of the honor of housing so many historical aviation artifacts. I truly hope the same will happen to the Alberta Aviation Museum.
The Dodge Charger is one of those cars that has transcended into immortality. Considering some hiatus periods, the car has been around since 1966 and is now in its 8th generation.
The Charger has seen some ups and downs during its career, but so have the Mustang and the Camaro, so we are kinda even here.
The second generation (1968 – 1970) is the most popular, becoming one of history’s most desirable muscle cars. This is thanks in part to being the car of choice for many bad guys and outlaws on the big and small screen. The Charger plays an important role in movies like Bullitt (picture above), Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry , Fast and Furious, and, of course, The Dukes of Hazard.
The today’s catch is a more elusive first-generation Charger. I caught this gorgeous one while delivering parts for Alta Nissan Richmond Hill in Ontario, CA, in 2024.
This body style was produced in 1966 and 1967 and it was regarded as a personal, luxury coupe. The car was a direct competitor to the AMC Marlin, as the American auto industry was trying to once again lure customers into the fastback body style.
The first gen was a sales flop, and Dodge almost terminated the Charger moniker then. Thankfully, they decided to give the car a second chance.
With the much less pretentious Mustang, Ford finally won the customers over to the fastback design.
I hope you enjoyed today’s catch, and see you next time.
On June 3, 1969, fans of Star Trek watched the final episode of the classic TV series, marking the end of an iconic show after just three seasons. It took ten years to reunite the original cast for another bold adventure, this time on the big screen.
In 1979, StarTrek—The Motion Picture was released. In this movie, the crew of the USS Enterprise faces a new menace: a cloud of energy that threatens planet Earth.
At the center of this cloud, known as “V-ger,” lies an ancient NASA probe called Voyager VI. This probe was launched hundreds of years ago as part of the Voyager program, intended to collect data throughout space. At some point, an alien entity discovered the probe and chose to assist it in fulfilling its mission: gathering all available information in the universe and returning it to its creator.
The plot of this movie is one of the most creative and thought-provoking in the history of science fiction. The concept of blending reality with fiction is genuinely fascinating. After watching the film, I became obsessed with the Voyager program and the history of the two probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, which were launched in 1977, and are still travelling through space and sending data back to their creators.
Two lonely spacecraft, each no bigger than a full-size SUV, became the only human-made machines to reach interstellar space and keep moving into the infinite vastness of deep space. As of May 25, 2025, Voyager 1 was 24.2 billion km from our planet, travelling at 61,198 km/h. The farthest human-made machine from Earth.
The Voyager probes became our real sci-fi tale, fulfilling our desire to “Explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before!“
Or, perhaps one day they will fulfill our desire not to find new life, but to be found by it.
In my quest for knowledge about the Voyager probes, I found a fantastic article that provides more than crucial information. It gives a new perspective on the subject. It gives the little machines a necessary soul, crossing the boundaries of artifacts, making them entities.
If you like sci-fi and space exploration, please check it out.
Our Brazilian correspondent, my cousin and good friend Sérgio D. Florentino, visited one of the most traditional classic car shows in southern Brazil, the “Encontro de Veiculos Antigos de São Bento do Sul,” which celebrates its 20th edition this year.
July means winter time in the Southern Hemisphere and the fact this event holds most of the cars indoors, is a plus.
Once again, Sérgio has done a fantastic job with extensive photo coverage of the show.
We hope you will enjoy the trip.
Here they are, the whole gang. Sérgio is the guy in the middle.
The show’s security officer welcomes all visitors.
A spiced up in-line 6, 250 CID Chevy engine.
Brazil is a vast country, and since our government never cared much about railroads, trucks have always played a pivotal part in the country’s development. That is why we love them so much.
A 1985 Escort XR3 convertible
The beloved MOPAR 318 small block.
A 1980 Ford Corcel
This is a 1971 Ford Itamaraty. This model, only built in Brazil, was an evolution of the American Willys “Aero”. When Ford acquired Willys in South America in the late 1960s, the company kept the car in production until 1971.
This is how motorsport was born in South America, with cars like this one, called “Carretera.” The preferred models were the two-door coupe versions of Fords and Chevys from the 1930s and 1940s, stripped of all unnecessary stuff. Amazingly, some of them survived after all these years.
This is a very welcome improvement, aluminum radiator for classic CJ.
1993 VW Gol GTI
1975 “Brazilian” Charger R/T
1968 Willys Aero.
VW Saveiro in a beautiful shade of green.
Probably a Brazilian immigrant who came from Canada with enough money to buy an SRT Chally.
Chevy “500”. A Brazilian UTE based on the Chevy/Opel Chevette
This event is getting better year after year, and so is the Sérgio’s dedication to cover it.
Now that the summer is approaching, the number of classic car events will increase dramatically, and I am already excited to see what my cousin will bring next.
The 2025 WEC season is in full swing, and the fifth race of the calendar took place in Brazil on July 13, 2025. The race track could not be any other than the iconic Interlagos, in the city of São Paulo, the place which we Brazilians call “our sacred temple of speed.”
The race will be weeks in the books as I write these lines. I am not writing to spread the news, but mainly as a historic record. No, historic record sounds too fancy; maybe I am writing this for a personal record.
The WEC (World Endurance Championship) has never been so coveted. I believe we are witnessing the peak of its popularity. But its path wasn’t always easy. From the glory days of the 1960s to the incredible lows of the 1980s, when it was hard to find a major brand willing to enroll a couple of cars in the class, the sports-prototype universe has seen its fair share of ups and downs.
The year started with 9 major brands competing in the top prototype class Hipercar, Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, and Toyota. There are rumors that Ford will be joining the party in 2027, so it will be “Ford vs. Ferrari” all over again. Yes, I am excited.
The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo coincided with the Formula E race in Berlin, and a few drivers who do double shifts, racing for both classes, decided to go to Germany instead, opening positions for drivers who were waiting for this opportunity.
Celebrating Brazil
The Bend Team WRT honoured the host country and their Brazilian driver, Augusto Farfus, with a striking yellow, green, and blue livery for its LMGT3 BMW.
Qualifying
Eduardo Barrichello
But the star of the weekend, at least in the eyes of the 84,741 fans that packed the stands, was Eduardo Barrichello, the son of national hero Rubens Barrichello.
Rubens Barrichello and his son, Eduardo.
He has been hired for the 2025 season by the Racing Spirit of Le Mans to drive the team’s #10 Aston Martin Vantage LMGT3. Eduardo started the race leading the LMGT3 pack as he scored the best time during qualifying.
In the top-tier WEC Hypercar class, Toyota Gazoo still is the team to beat. The Japanese clinched seven manufacturers’ world titles—2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024—but as the grid becomes flooded with more factory-backed teams, Toyota no longer holds the absolute dominance of the years past.
As the Toyota Gazoo seems to be losing traction, other teams are consistently improving their performance. Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA qualified their two cars in P1 and P2, repeating the same achievement in Le Mans.
Team Cadillac pit crew watch in disbelief the car #38 being penalized.
But the team’s happiness didn’t last long. The #38 Cadillac, driven by Sébastien Bourdais, received a one-position grid penalty for impeding the #93 Peugeot during qualifying. This penalty demoted the #38 Cadillac from second to third place on the starting grid, while the #5 Penske Porsche moved up to the front row. The incident occurred at Turn 12 when the #38 Cadillac was deemed to have impeded the #93 Peugeot during a fast lap.
The race.
According to the WEC standards, every 6-hour race is classified as a “short race,” allowing the Hipercar teams to designate only 2 drivers per car if they wish to do so. But their job this year wouldn’t be so easy. Interlagos recently received a new coat of asphalt. The resurfaced track led to significant tire wear, forcing the teams to replace tires more often.
Since the first lap, it was clear the race would be a battle between Porsche vs. Cadillac.
The #38 Cadillac passes by the houses in the Interlagos neighbourhood. The city of São Paulo grew too close to the race track.
The Porsche Penske #5 (Andlauer/ Christensen) jumped in P1 on the first lap and bravely kept the position for the first 2 hours of the race, when they gave up the lead position to the #38 Cadillac JOTA (Bamber / Bourdais / Button). Meanwhile, Ferrari and Toyota were struggling even to stay among the top 10.
In the GT3 class, the fight was among the #10 Aston Martin (Macintosh / Barrichello / Hasse), the #85 Iron Dames Porsche (Martin / Frey / Gatting) (pictured above), and the two Lexus Akkodis ASP.
Results Hipercar
In the end, the #12 Cadillac (Lynn / Nato / Stevens) received the checkered flag, followed by the sister #38 car, scoring a historic 1-2 victory, the first for the American brand at WEC.
#93 TotalEnergies Peugeot at the pits, Interlagos.
The two Porsche Penske cars finished in third and fourth place, followed by the #20 BMW. The #94 and #93 Peugeot secured sixth and seventh positions, respectively, highlighting the strong performance of the French Lion team.
The only Ferrari in the top 10 was the privateer #83 AF Corse, which finished the race in 8th place.
For the first time in their history in the WEC, the Toyota Gazoo team failed to score a single point.
Results LMGT3
The WEC fans witnessed another breakthrough that day. Like Cadillac, Lexus has been poised to make a significant impact all year. At Interlagos, the Japanese brand did just that, as José María López, Clemens Schmid, and Petru Umbrărescu secured the first victory in Akkodis ASP Team’s #87 Lexus LMGT3.
The #81 TF Sport Corvette scored second place.
Perhaps one of the most thrilling moments of the race was when, at the final lap, the home hero Eduardo Barrichello battled his way past the Iron Dames Porsche almost within sight of the chequered flag (picture above). Clintching a hugely popular podium finish in third place for Racing Spirit of Léman.
No doubt it was heartbreaking for the all-female team Iron Dames to miss a podium finish in the final minutes of the race, but their fourth-place result at the 6 Hours of São Paulo marked their most competitive performance of the season. This near-podium result at Interlagos might be a turning point in their campaign.
The Rolex – 6 Hours of São Paulo is the second most important race in Brazil, only behind the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix. This year’s race will forever be remembered for the surprise results and for bringing the Barrichello name once again to the podium in an international race.
Following the traditional summer break, the 2025 FIA WEC campaign will continue with round six – the Lone Star Le Mans at Texas’ Circuit of The Americas – on 5-7 September.
Wow, this picture was taken on February 2015, in Brazil. Time really flies, even when you’re not having fun.
The car is a 1990s Mazda MX3; I can’t tell the exact year. Even if it is not a common sight in Brazil, it is not the kind of car I would take time to photograph. One reason made me pull out my cell and register it.
The owner removed all the original nameplates and logos and replaced them with Ferrari ones. It is funny that the trunk lock cylinder prevents the horse from going full prancing.
I didn’t take a picture of the front of this Mazda, but I do remember seeing the yellow prancing horse Ferrari logo on the hood.
I noticed the Mazda parked at a Shell gas station on my way to and from work every day. I assumed it belonged to the station’s manager. As a regular customer there, I regret never taking the time to find out who owned the car to strike up a conversation about this interesting “Ferrari.”
The car.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Japanese automakers offered some interesting sports compact options for enthusiasts with not-so-deep pockets. It was a time of Honda CRX, Toyota Passeo, Nissan Pulsar, and so on. Mazda was committed to standing out from the competition, and in 1991, the company released the MX3. Besides the bold design, the MX3 offered a 1.8-litre V6 engine. The smallest V6 to ever power a production car.
Despite being a pretty good option then, the MX3 was overshadowed by the Miata, and in 1998, it quietly went into retirement.
The gas station
Writing about this interesting Japanese Ferrari brought me some sweet memories—memories of something as ordinary as fuelling up my car. After so many years away from home, I can help but smile when I remember something like this.
Look at this truck. Such a clean machine.
These are a few pictures of the gas station where I found that MX3. Since it was close to my home and on my way to work, I was a regular customer there.
Shell has been changing the image of its stations worldwide for the last decades, but in Brazil, they brought it one notch above the average “gas and convenience” we are used to. There, you can find state-of-the-art pumps, a competent deli inside with delicious sandwiches and snacks baked in-store, clean washrooms, and even a decent selection of wine and beer.
They also fully take advantage of Shell and Ferrari’s partnership. Customers can have a loyalty card, collect points, and redeem them for Ferrari merchandise, such as hats, T-shirts, and die-cast miniatures. Perhaps this link inspired the owner of the MX3.
Another thing I miss about Brazilian gas stations is the digital tire pressure machines; they are easy to operate and free of charge.
“Lives who boldly live.”
This phrase was written on the wall of the men’s washroom at that Shell gas station, and I hope it’s still there. I had to take a picture of it because it’s such an unusual place to display a powerful statement like this.
Sometimes, I wonder if I have truly followed it. When I reflect on the many different places my wife and I have called home, it becomes clear that we have, in some way, been living boldly.
Even if you are not interested in military history, chances are that you have heard something about a soldier or a civilian who, miraculously, escaped from the chains of a communist regime and started a much better life in the Western hemisphere. History records numerous accounts like this, especially during the Cold War. Although every single defector had many reasons which led to such a perilous decision to escape, one reason is undoubtedly at the top of any list: life in a communist country during those days was terrible, and one could easily be lured by the prospect of an abundant life in Western Europe or in the USA. Every story has its fair share of disillusionment and courage, but some stand out for the bold actions of the defectors.
The Latvian ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov became one of the most celebrated Soviet defectors in History. In 1974, while on a world tour with the Bolshoi Ballet, he requested political asylum in Canada, which was promptly granted.
Free countries on the other side of the Iron Curtain were more than happy to receive deserters and help them start a new life. In exchange, the governments used them as propaganda, showcasing the world how our system was significantly better than theirs.
Although all “traitors,” soldiers, civilians, and diplomats were received with open arms, military personnel were the favorite of the bunch. They could provide valuable information about operations, technologies, equipment, and other relevant details about the enemy. But every now and then, a defector would bring something much more interesting than just information.
The defector
Viktor Ivanovich Belenko could have been a poster child for the perfect Soviet youth. He was born in Nalchik, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, USSR, on February 15, 1947. Born into proletarian poverty, he had worked himself up through the Air Force and party ranks. At the age of 29, Lieutenant Belenko was already a respected pilot in the Air Defence Forces, a branch separate from the Soviet Air Force and arguably more prestigious. He was stationed at Chuguyevka Air Base in the Soviet Far East, close to Vladivostok.
Chuguyevka Air Base. – Satellite picture by NASA.
A fighter pilot in any Western country would likely have enjoyed a decent and fulfilling life; however, that was not the case behind the Iron Curtain. At that time, conditions at the airbase were grim, characterized by inadequate facilities and low morale. Belenko tried to address these issues with his superiors, but he was essentially ignored and ridiculed. To make matters worse, his wife had grown weary of life as a military spouse and filed for divorce. Disillusioned with his circumstances, Belenko decided it was time to leave.
The machine
Fueled more by fear than common sense, allied countries usually grossly overestimated the Soviet Union’s capabilities. From the number of soldiers ready to invade Europe to access to aerospace technologies, everything behind the curtain looked scarier than reality.
When the Soviets put the new Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 supersonic interceptor into service in 1969, Western analysts went crazy. The plane quickly established world records in speed and altitude and was immediately considered the most dangerous threat to NATO aircraft. The Secretary of the Air Force, Robert Seamans, had said the MiG-25 was “probably the best interceptor in production in the world today.”
The MiG-25 was code-named “Foxbat” by NATO. It is equipped with two Soyuz TumanskyR-15BD turbojet engines, capable of producing 8,790 kg of dry thrust and 11,190 kg of thrust in afterburner. The only armament was four R-40 air-to-air missiles. The Foxbat was capable of reaching a maximum speed of Mach 3.2, and a ceiling of 27 km (89,000 ft). Although the maximum speed was exceptional, the plane was unable to sustain it during combat. A limit of Mach 2.83 had to be imposed as the engines tended to overspeed and overheat at higher airspeeds, possibly damaging them beyond repair.
The scape
Lieutenant Belenko was learning to fly the new Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 at the time. He knew the jet fighter was a mystery to NATO, and he could use one of them as a bargaining chip in exchange for asylum. The opportunity to put his plan into action came on Sept. 6, 1976. The weather was clear, and his squadron was ready to take off on a training sortie.
The Foxbat was a voracious fuel consumer, and Belenko wouldn’t be able to fly to an American or Canadian air base. Still, he could try reaching a much closer allied country, Japan.
But it would not be an easy escape. The squadron that day would fire rockets; so, too, would a group of MiG-23s from other bases. They could easily shoot him down if his intention were evident. Another factor to consider was that clouds were starting to move in around Japan. During the pre-flight medical examination, Belenko was visibly nervous, and his blood pressure was slightly elevated. He lied to the doctor, claiming he was doing physical exercises, and the doctor believed him.
He took off on a perfect, cloudless day and joined his squadron in formation. He followed the mission instructions perfectly; however, at the far edge of the route, he didn’t circle back as per the flight plan. Instead, he continued onward, allowing the plane to gradually descend to 19,000 feet. Suddenly, the Lieutenant threw the Foxbat into a steep dive, plummeting down to just 100 feet, and kept the jet at low altitude, staying beneath radar detection.
The other pilots in his squadron chased after him, but Belenko had a good lead. He flew low and fast, at one point pulling up to avoid being hit by waves, as he invaded the Japanese airspace.
A perfect shot of Belenko approaching the runaway at Hakodate airport.
He hoped to reach Chitose Air Base, but his plane was dangerously low in fuel. At 1:10PM, Japanese radar detected Belenko’s plane, and at around 1:20PM, two F-4EJ fighters from Chitose Air Base took off to intercept the intruder.
As Belenko would admit, years later, that day was his lucky day. It was very cloudy in Hakodate, making it difficult for the F4 pilots (picture above) to spot the MiG.
Miraculously, he found the Hakodate airport, and as he started to approach, a civilian Boeing 727 was taking off, straight towards the Foxbat. Here is an excerpt from the book “MiG Pilot” by John Baron:
“He jerked the MiG into the tightest turn of which it was capable, allowed the 727 to clear, dived at a dangerously sharp angle, and touched the runway at 220 knots. As he deployed the drag chute and repeatedly slammed down the brake pedal, the MiG bucked, bridled, and vibrated, as if it were going to come apart. Tires burning, it screeched and skidded down the runway, slowing but not stopping. It ran off the north end of the field, knocked down a pole, plowed over a second and finally stopped a few feet from a large antenna 800 feet off the runway. The front tire had blown, but that was all.“
This picture clearly shows how far off the tarmac the MiG ran before it stopped.
When the MiG finally stopped, over the grass, Lieutenant Belenko jumped out of the cockpit, fired his pistol into the air and shouted to the emergency crew that had just arrived: “I want to defect”. Even if the Japanese personnel didn’t understand what he was saying, they understood what was happening.
In the end, Belenko’s plan worked, with a few hiccups here and there. He outmaneuvered his fellow pilots, evaded the Japanese air defences, avoided crashing into the 727, and managed not to destroy his precious MiG during landing. Mission Accomplished.
The aftermath
Lieutenant Belenko, in disguise, is being escorted by Japanese officials to an undisclosed location.
The Soviet government created a fictitious story, saying Belenko got lost and had to land in Japan. There, the Japanese officials drugged the pilot and kept him incarcerated.
The Soviets demanded the return of the jet fighter and the rebel pilot immediately. The Japanese government wanted to comply, avoiding unnecessary attrition with such dangerous neighbours. Still, the Americans pressured them to keep both for the time being, and the request was ignored.
The Japanese government was afraid the Soviets would forcefully attempt to retrieve the MiG. In the days following the landing, 200 troops were deployed to guard the airport. Tanks and anti-aircraft artillery were placed around the perimeter, and the maritime defences were also strengthened.
The Americans were allowed to inspect the jet at the airport, and on September 25, it was partially dismantled, loaded into a USAF C5 Galaxy cargo plane, and brought to Hyakuri Air Base, north of Tokyo. A banner on the plane read: “Goodbye people of Hakodate, sorry for the trouble.”
After a thorough inspection, the Americans realized the Foxbat was “too much barking for too little biting.” It was fast but fuel-guzzling, and the engines were prone to overheating. Its radar was powerful, Belenko said it could kill rabbits in the fields if turned on during taxing, but it was outdated.
Due to a lack of funds and expertise, the Soviets didn’t utilize advanced materials like carbon fiber or titanium, and the plane was primarily constructed from steel, resulting in excessive weight and poor maneuverability.
Belenko’s Foxbat was eventually packed into 40 boxes, and on November 15, it was shipped to the Soviet Union. The Soviets complained that around 20 pieces were missing.
After the incident, the relationship between Japan and the Soviet Union went sour. The Soviets sent a $10 million bill for the missing/damaged parts, and Japan charged the Soviets $40,000 for the damage to Hakodate Airport and shipping costs. Neither bill was ever paid.
Lieutenant Belenko was sent to prison for breaking into the Japanese airspace, but his request for asylum in the USA was granted by President Gerald Ford. Later on, President Jimmy Carter signed his American citizenship.
Balenko poses in front of an unknown aircraft, wearing a USAF flight suit.
Viktor Belenko moved to the US, was debriefed extensively by the CIA and US military, learned English, and gradually adapted to life in the US. For a while, he was afraid that the KGB would send agents to kill him. For a few years, he kept himself quiet, living under the radar. The story of his life in the Soviet Union, his defection, and his early time in the US was written by John Barron in the book MiG Pilot: The Final Escape of Lieutenant Belenko, published in 1980. Belenko later became a consultant to the US military and aerospace industry, a public speaker, and a businessman. He also married an American woman and had two children.
All the data collected by the American military, including the MiG-25 pilot’s manual that Belenko brought with him, helped the development of the McDonnell Douglas F-15, which became the best fighter interceptor of the Cold War. (Pictured above).
The MiG-25 had a short career. The Soviets retired the plane in 1984. It still holds the absolute world record for altitude achieved by a production jet aircraft. In 1977, a MiG-25 reached an altitude of 37,650 meters (123,523 feet).
A Soviet committee later visited Chuguyevka Air Base and was shocked by what they found there. They immediately decided to improve conditions and built a five-story government building, a school, a kindergarten, and other facilities. Treatment of pilots in the Russian Far East region improved significantly. Were the commies concerned with the well-being of their personnel or just afraid that Belenko’s daring escape could inspire other pilots? Perhaps both, who knows?
Belenko’s military ID.
The luckiest man alive.
Part of the info I wrote here came from a write-up by the investigative journalist Susan Katz Keating, published on the Soldier of Fortune website. There, she describes an encounter with Belenko at the Reno Air Races. Here is how she finished the article:
– That day when Belenko and I met at the Reno Air Races, he was jovial, happy, and full of jokes. I asked him if he was glad he defected.
“Of course!” he grinned. “I have a good life here in our country, the United States of America.”
We sat watching the race planes whiz through the sky. The pilots pulled tight corners, rounding far pylons as they flew the course, battling to outrun one another. Even from the ground, it was thrilling.
I asked Belenko if he planned to do any gambling while he was in Reno.
“I should,” he laughed. He waved at the lead plane, urging him onward. “I am the luckiest man alive!” –
Viktor Belenko quietly passed away on September 24, 2023, following a brief illness. His sons Tom and Paul were at his side.
On Father’s Day 2025, my wife and I attended our first classic car meeting in Edmonton, our new Canadian hometown.
It was a wonderful sunny Sunday, and the place was packed.
Go Infiniti South Edmonton, the dealership where I work, was one of the show’s main sponsors, which was another good reason for me to attend the event.
As usual, the meeting starts before we arrive at the location, with some interesting cars parked around the streets. Like this 1968 Big Block Chevy Nova.
And this 1966 Mustang hard top.
The first car we saw inside the gates was this Ford Falcon. If you compare it with the picture above, it is easy to see that the first-generation Mustang was essentially a Falcon in trendy clothing.
1940 Ford Coupe.
A beautiful 1958 Jaguar.
And its interior.
A brief video to give you an overview of the meeting.
1948 Ford F-1. The very first Ford “F” truck.
Powered by the legendary Ford Flathead V8.
A cool 1973 Plymouth Road Runner
Such a sexy derrière.
A blown Chevy Nova. I’m not sure if I like the scoop.
That is a wicked Nissan Silvia S14 with a Rocket Bunny body kit.
Under the hood, a Nissan V8 engine is installed.
A modern classic, the Chevy SSR.
1970 AMC Rebel
The German sector
This Porsche 911 Targa belongs to Daniel Varty, the general manager of Infiniti South Edmonton.
This is a VW SP2, a sports car developed by the Brazilian Volkswagen. You can learn more about it here.
Say what you will, but the Chevette is a true classic nowadays.
Not enough torque on a 426 HEMI? Turbocharge it.
Have you ever heard about Diamond trucks? Neither have I. After a quick Google search, I concluded that this one might be a 1939 model.
The legendary “Stovebolt” in-line six.
It took us 2 hours to walk around and take all these pictures. We left the place tired, with a light sunburn, but happy because it was a super cool event.
In my first post of this series, I praised the pictures that we, car enthusiasts, take of classic cars we discover on the streets and in parking lots—essentially, in the wild. Yet, here I am, breaking my own rule in this second post. However, I believe this car truly deserves the exception.
Today’s catch is a Brazilian-built VW SP2, which I saw during the Father’s Day Classic Car Meeting 2025 in Edmonton, Canada. It is a rare car to spot, even in its native country, let alone in North America.
A little Introduction
From its foundation in 1959 to 2010, the Brazilian VW was the undisputed market leader in the country and all of South America. Being such a powerhouse (and the first VW factory outside Germany) granted the company relative independence from the German headquarters. Brazilian engineers developed some interesting cars that became sales champions throughout the years, like the Brasilia and Gol.
In the late 1960s, they developed an interesting sports car, the VW SP1, based on a stretched Beetle platform. Production started in July 1972, in very small numbers. The German technology magazine Hobby, in its issue of June, 1973, called the SP the “most beautiful Volkswagen in the world.”
The SP had a brief production run, ending in December 1975. Its demise was due to a common issue faced by many sports cars before and after it: a high price tag. Ultimately, the SP was viewed as little more than an expensive toy.
The model we see here is the improved SP2, an evolution of the original car. It is equipped with front disc brakes, a revised gearbox, and a 1.7-liter VW boxer engine, the largest of its kind produced in Brazil.
As a nice touch, the owner kept the Brazilian “black plate,” showing that the car was acquired in the state of Santa Catarina.
Black plates are intended for collectible/classic vehicles, and there are some requirements for getting them: The car must be at least 30 years old and receive a certificate from a classic car institution attesting that it retains a minimum of 80% of its original characteristics.
I hope you enjoyed this Catch of the Day, and I will see you next time.
The history of racism in the United States is full of unimaginable pain and suffering. The journey that minorities had to endure to achieve fundamental human rights was long and fraught with deception.
Now that 77,302,580 Americans have voted for a certified white supremacist, all those hard-fought rights are at risk. I do not intend to write a political post or vent my frustration. Still, this situation reminded me of a fascinating account in Rock ‘n’ Roll history that is deeply related to the American civil rights movement of the 1960s.
Neil Young
“That keep me searching For a heart of gold And I’m getting old Keep me searching For a heart of gold”
Neil Young’sHeart of Gold.–1972.
Neil Young, in the 1970s. He is also known as “The Father of Grunge.”
If there is a good cause to be fought in this world, chances are Neil Young is involved in it at some level.
Neil Percival Young was born in Toronto, Canada, on November 12, 1945. He started his musical career in Winnipeg, and in the early 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he joined Buffalo Springfield (1966-1968).
Neil Young quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the folk-rock scene of the 1960s and 1970s. He performed with various bands, including Crazy Horse and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, but primarily toured North America as a solo artist.
Young in concert, USA 1969.
Neil became popular not only because of his music but also for his activism. Throughout his career, he got deeply involved in social, political, and environmental causes. As no surprise, many of his songs are filled with social themes.
Southern Man
Neil Young’s work with Crosby, Still and Nash helped to catapult his popularity in the USA. During this time he became American citizen and bought a ranch in California. In September 1970, Young released the album After the Gold Rush, which was his first commercial success.
Among the songs of the album, there is Southern Man, a tune that would soon become one of the most controversial songs in Young’s career.
The lyrics of Southern Man describe, in a poetic way, the racism towards black people in the southern United States and how the prosperity of the region was built on the suffering of the slaves. The song also mention the practice of cross burning, in a clear reference to the Ku Klux Klan.
Southern Man – Lyrics
Southern man, better keep your head Don’t forget what your good book said Southern change’s gonna come at last Now your crosses are burning fast
Southern man
I saw cotton and I saw black Tall white mansions and little shacks Southern man, when will you pay them back? I heard screamin’ and bullwhips crackin’ How long? How long?
Southern man, better keep your head Don’t forget what your good book said Southern change’s gonna come at last Now your crosses are burning fast
Southern man
Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown I’ve seen your black man comin’ round Swear by God, I’m gonna cut him down I heard screamin’ and bullwhips crackin’ How long? How long?
Southern Man was not the only time Young poked the wounds of racial discrimination in the Southern United States; in February 1972, he released the song Alabama as part of the album Harvest. In this song, he tells us about the same issues found in Southern Man. Bothsongs became anthems of the civil rights movement during the 1970s, and Young often played them in his concerts.
But not everybody was happy about it.
Southern Rock
Lynyrd Skynyrd
During the magical years of the 1960s and 1970s, rock’n roll exploded into a myriad of subgenres. Bands started to experiment with new sounds and adapt elements from different cultures into their music.
One of the most interesting new genres of that time was Southern Rock, which peaked in the mid-1970s. This genre represented a refreshing departure from the psychedelic influences of the 1960s, returning to the foundational elements of original rock ‘n’ roll. Southern Rock drew heavily from the musical traditions of the Southern United States, including blues, country, and gospel. It blended these influences with a strong, rhythmic pulse, often characterized by a prominent bassline and dynamic drumming.
The Allman Brothers Band
However, Southern Rock’s most peculiar characteristic is its passionate regional pride. The musicians often wrote lyrics telling stories of deep South America. Tales about their love for the land and its traditions, praising the rebel spirit of its people.
It was only natural that Neil Young’s songs about racism would not be well received by some of those musicians and audiences.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Key bands associated with this genre include The Allman Brothers Band, Charlie Daniel’s Band, and perhaps the most popular of them all, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
In one way or another, the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd were on the road, pursuing fame and glory since 1964. The band was comprised initially by Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), and Bob Burns (drums).
The origin of the name
I might be drifting away from the theme of this post, but if you like rock history as much as I do, you will enjoy it.
After four years of playing in small venues, under many different names, they settled for the name that would make them legendary.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is a playful tribute to Leonard Skinner, a physical education teacher at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida, who was known for enforcing the school’s strict rules regarding long hair for male students. The band members, who were also students at the school and had long hair, frequently clashed with Skinner over this policy.
The band members, notably Bob Burns, came up with the name “Leonard Skinnerd” as a way to poke fun at the teacher and his strict rules. The spelling was later modified to “Lynyrd Skynyrd” to avoid potential legal issues.
Over time, the band and Skinner became acquainted, and Skinner even appeared to embrace his connection to the band’s fame. The band also used a photo of a sign from Skinner’s real estate business on the inside of their “Nuthin’ Fancy” album cover, further solidifying their unique bond.
The band released their first studio album, “Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd,” in 1973. The album featured most of the songs they used to play in concerts. It was well received by fans and critics, which led to their second album, “Second Helping,” released on April 15, 1974. According to critics, this album shows consistency, keeping all the strengths of their first album, but SecondHelping will be forever known for one song in particular.
Sweet Home Alabama
Van Zant
The late Ronnie Van Zant, the frontman of Lynyrd Skynyrd, was a big fan of Neil Young. He was not shy in expressing his admiration for the Canadian and often wore a Neil Young T-shirt during concerts. However, this affection was somewhat shaken after Young publicly shared his negative views about the Southern United States.
After the success of their first album, the band felt comfortable writing a song that would answer Young’s views. They felt this answer was necessary for themselves and mainly for their fans in the South.
“Sweet Home Alabama” was born with a broad mission. The song should be more than just an answer; it should be an ode of love to Alabama, even if none of the three writers were from the state. Van Zant and Gary Rossington were born in Jacksonville, Florida, and Ed King was from Glendale, California.
The Lyrics
“They got loose to you Here it comes Oh, whoa-whoa
Big wheels keep on turnin’ Carry me home to see my kin Singin’ songs about the Southland I miss Alabamy once again, and I think it’s a sin, I said
Well, I heard Mr. Young sing about her Well, I heard old Neil put her down Well, I hope Neil Young will remember A Southern man don’t need him around, anyhow
Sweet home Alabama Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama Lord, I’m comin’ home to you
One thing I wanna tell you
In Birmingham, they love the governor (boo, boo, boo!) Now we all did what we could do Now Watergate does not bother me, uh-uh Does your conscience bother you? Tell the truth
Sweet home Alabama Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama (oh, my baby) Lord, I’m comin’ home to you (here I come, Alabama) Speak your mind
Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers And they’ve been known to pick a song or two (yes, they do) Lord, they get me off so much They pick me up when I’m feelin’ blue, now how ’bout you?
Sweet home Alabama (oh) Where the skies are so blue Sweet home Alabama Lord, I’m comin’ home to you
Sweet home Alabama (home, sweet home, baby) Where the skies are so blue (and the governor’s, too) Sweet home Alabama (Lord, yeah) Lord, I’m comin’ home to you (whoo, whoa, yeah, oh) Alright, brother, now
Wait one minute Oh-oh, sweet Alabama Thank you“
The cover of the single, released in Spain.
The feud
The song was an instant success, it reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974, becoming the band’s highest-charting single. Since his name was clearly stated in the song, Neil Young had to defend his creations. He said he never meant to specifically target the state of Alabama, and the name was used metaphorically, meaning the the Civil Rights Movement as a whole.
Although Young’s words in both songs, Alabama and Southern Man, are far from being fictional, they can be easily interpreted as a gross generalization, and a cheap stereotyping of the Southern “red neck”.
In a interview to the Rolling Stones magazine, Van Zan said: – “We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two. We are Southern rebels, but more than that, we know the difference between right and wrong.”
In conclusion, “Sweet Home Alabama”, had a profound impact in the way Young perceived the people from the Southern USA. He publicly accept the blame for not creating with a wiser way to spread his message. He and the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd reconciled soon after the release of the song and they remained good friends to the end. Young once said: “They play like they mean it. I am proud to have my name in a song like theirs.”
In Young’s 2012 autobiography Waging Heavy Peace – A Hippie Dream, he was preety hard on himself: “My own song ‘Alabama’ richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record. I don’t like my words when I listen to it. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue.”
The Canadian even included Sweet Home Alabama in some of his concerts, and Van Zan kept wearing Neil Young T-shirts.
The accident
A rescue crew member at the crash site.
It is impossible to write about Lynyrd Skynyrd and not talk about the tragic airplane accident that abruptly ended the original band.
Following a concert in Greenville, South Carolina, on October 20, 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded a chartered flight bound for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they were scheduled to play on the following night. After running out of fuel, the pilots attempted an emergency landing before crashing in a heavily forested area five miles northeast of Gillsburg , Mississippi. Killed on impact were Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve’s older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot John Gray. Other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman, and several road crew members suffered serious injuries.
The accident came just three days after the release of the group’s fifth studio album Street Survivors. It became the band’s second platinum album and reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The single “What’s Your Name” reached No. 13 on the single charts in 1978. The original cover sleeve for Street Survivors had featured a photograph of the band amid flames, with Steve Gaines nearly obscured by fire. Out of respect for the deceased (and at the request of Teresa Gaines, Steve’s widow), MCA Records withdrew the original cover and replaced it with the album’s back photo, a similar image of the band against a simple black background.
The surviving member disbanded after the tragedy, but the name Lynyrd Skynyrd never died. Throughout the following decades, the band got together several times, with different members every time.
After so many years on the road, Lynyrd Skynyrd decided it was time to retire. The band embarked on their “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour,” which began in 2018 and continued through 2022. (picture above).
And, what about Neil Young?
At 79 years old, the good old Neil remains unstoppable. He can still be found on the streets, fighting bad guys wherever they are.
As I write these lines, in late June 2025, Neil Young and his band Chrome Heart are traveling Europe, in his world tour LoveEarth. Then they will cross the pond to finish the adventure in September, playing in the US and Canada.
Capturing photos of interesting cars is irresistible for any automotive enthusiast. I have hundreds of pictures taken at numerous car shows and races. After all, the vehicles at these events are well-presented, in most cases perfectly parked, and ready to be photographed, much to the delight of their owners. The only challenge is to wait for the other gearheads to get out of the way.
But taking pictures of cool cars in the wild is a different story. For the trained eyes of a car guy, it is not hard to spot interesting machinery on the streets, but taking pics of them requires more effort. Sometimes, you have to ask permission from the owner, and sometimes, you have to take the shot while driving, which is not recommended at all (but we do it anyway).
This is my first “photo” post, showing some pictures that I have been taking over the years in three different countries.
I hope you will enjoy it.
1973 Dodge Dart Sport
We found this car sitting in an apartment building parking lot on the south side of Edmonton, Canada, in June 2025. It looks pretty good, with no rust spots, at least not visible.
With those Center Line rims and the hood scoop, this Dart looks like it came straight from the pages of a 1980 Hot Rod magazine.
A quick Google search reveals that the 1973 Dart Sport inherited its body from the 1972 Dodge Demon. Other options were 2-door hardtop and 4-door sedan.
The Dart 340 Sport, kept its 340 four-barrel V8 from the Demon, which was still a hot option for a mid 1970s car, with 240 net horsepower and light weight. The 198 slant six was still available (except in California), along with the 225 slant six. The omnipresent 318 V8 was optional to all models except on Dart 340 Sport, for obvious reasons.
My dear cousin Sérgio never misses a classic car gathering, and he often sends me pictures he takes there.
City of Lapa, Paraná.
This time, the meeting took place in a picturesque little town called Lapa, located 70 kilometers southwest of Curitiba, my hometown in Brazil.
Lapa is one of the oldest cities in Brazil; in the downtown area, you can find several perfectly preserved houses built in the XVIII and XIX centuries.
The city holds an emotional connection for us because my wife, Estela, attended a Catholic boarding school there when she was a kid.
The Meeting
A beautiful 1980s Ford Bronco is on its way to the meeting.
Not yet a classic, but the new Suzuki looks good.
A 1969 German-built VW Transporter.
A 1990s Lada Laika. A symbol of the Perestroika, when Russia was more interested in selling cars than invading sovereign countries.
The white VW Beetle is a 1966 model, the same year as my first car, which was a dark blue Beetle.
Lapa’s Off-Road Club is very active.
The meeting was also an opportunity to advertise new cars.
1974 Chevrolet Opala
A well-preserved, unrestored 1960s Willys pick-up.
The air-cooled gang.
This is a ratty 1946 International KB1 Metro van. I have a soft spot for vans; I wish Sérgio had taken more pictures of this car.
Two distinct GM products: the iconic 1959 Cadillac (tastefully lowered) and a 1980s Brazilian Chevy Opala.
A pair of Brazilian-built Puma. You can read more about this car here
The VW Brasília was a huge success in the 1970s and 1980s. It was developed and produced in Brazil from 1973 until 1982. The car was exported to the Philippines, countries in South America, and Africa.
It was also produced in Mexico from 1974 and 1981.
1951 Chevy sedan 4 doors.
The license plate gives it away. It is a 1972 Chevy Camaro.
A 1972 Brazilian-built VW TL (touring luxury).
The Model Ts rolled in with undeniable charm. Always the crowd’s favorite.
Once again, I thank my dear cousin Sérgio for graciously sending his pictures.
That was a fantastic event, and I wish I could have been there with my wife, not only to see the cars but also to reminisce about the time she spent in that city.
Recently, I shared my intention to write a series of articles about the machines that fought under the Canadian flag against fascism. In this second installment, I will focus on a museum located in Brandon, Manitoba: the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum.
This museum was born with a noble mission to preserve the memory of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) and honour the airmen, airwomen, and personnel of all the Commonwealth Air Forces for their bravery and commitment during the dark years of WWII.
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.
Since WWI, the United Kingdom has sought volunteers from all over the empire to fill the positions of pilots and ground crew members for the Royal Air Force. In a clever arrangement, these personnel should receive training in their home country, far away from the battlefields of Europe.
Air cadets checking a map in front of a Bristol Bolingbroke. This is a staged photo designed to lure youngsters to join the Royal Canadian Air Force.
On December 17, 1939, the RAF announced the creation of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program in Brandon, Manitoba. The facility was very successful during its existence; the Canadian Prairies offered wide open, flat fields, a perfect combination for training new pilots.
Between 1939 and 1945, the program recruited thousands of conscripts and volunteers from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth countries. A total of 50,000 pilots and 80,000 crew members and ground staff graduated, making it one of Canada’s most significant contributions to the war effort.
After the war ended, the program was shut down, and the installations were decommissioned. Gradually, the airplanes and equipment that had once served as training tools were either sold or scrapped.
In the early 1980s, a dedicated group of individuals in Brandon, Manitoba, recognized that there was still time to save most of the program’s material and organize it in a museum preserving the memory of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and honoring the men and women who generously contributed to the World War II effort.
The Museum officially opened on July 3, 1982, in Hangar No. 1 at the Brandon Airport, located one mile (1.6 km) north of the city. The airfield was the site of No. 12 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) operated by the BCATP during World War II.
The museum has an impressive collection of aircraft (some of them airworthy), motor transport vehicles, artifacts, and archival items.
Restoration
The Bristol Bolingbroke, ready for its trip back to the base.
The museum performs all the restoration projects in the facility with the invaluable help of volunteers. Down below are a couple of examples of airplanes that were restored at the museum:
The Faithful Annie
When the Avro Anson Mk IV came to the BCATP museum, it was literally in pieces.
And here, the plane after the restoration. During the war, the Avro Anson was effectively called “Faithful Annie” by the airmen who flew it.
The Cornell
The picture above shows the Fairchild Cornell PT-26 arriving at the museum.
Here, an enthusiastic bunch of volunteers are dropping the Ranger 6-cylinder engine into Cornell’s airframe.
After a thorough restoration, the airplane became one of the airworthy machines in the museum’s collection. The Cornell PT-26 was a key aircraft in the Canadian training fleet. It was the first plane that WWII pilots flew before progressing to more advanced trainers or single-seat fighters and bombers. Primarily constructed from wood, veneer, and fabric, the PT-26 was mainly used by Canadian forces for training in colder climates. Pilots appreciated having the option of an enclosed cockpit while being able to slide it back for an open-air experience.
The Visit
We visited the museum in May 2019. From Winnipeg to Brandon, it is an easy 214 km trip.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by a Canadair CT-133 Silver Star, the museum’s gate guardian. This airplane is the Canadian license-built version of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer/fighter. The CT-133 was so common in the RCAF that I believe there must be at least one on display in every Canadian city.
On that day, the museum was a bit dark inside, and the sun shone through the windows, making it challenging to get good shots. Most of the pictures you see here are not mine.
Motor transport
That is me admiring a perfectly restored staff car that served at the base during the war. I didn’t make any notes, and I don’t remember the car’s brand, but it looks like a 1940 Dodge sedan. If you know it, please help me out with the information.
Photo credit: Victor Chávez, Google Images.
A 1940s-era Willys Jeep
1942 International Harvester K8 Fire truck
Above, a 1941 Ford fuel tender truck.
Marmon-Herrington supplied axles and transfer cases to the American auto industry.
For the war effort, the company teamed up with Ford to build military trucks with some serious off-road capabilities, like this 1942 Crash Tender 6×6 Ford truck.
1942 Ford Truck
Airplanes
The museum’s airplane collection is divided into static displays and airworthy machines.
Bristol/Fairchild Bolingbroke
Another take of the Bolingbroke.
A nice shot of the museum. Photo credit: Miles Sun
Above, a beautiful shot of the Stinson 105 Voyager.
Between July and September 1940, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) acquired 26 Voyagers for approximately $10,000 each in American dollars. At that time, American neutrality laws prevented U.S. manufacturers from selling to countries involved in the war, so the Voyagers were purchased as commercial aircraft. Each plane was assigned a Canadian civilian registration number and flown to Canada. Once they arrived on Canadian soil, the aircraft were transferred to the RCAF and given military serial numbers.
Note of the Editor: – Our reader James H. Gray made an important correction about this airplane: “The 75 hp Stinson 105 produced in 1939 and the 80 hp Model 10 (an updated 105) released in 1940 were not called “Voyagers”. That is a common misconception. Only the Franklin-powered 90 hp Model 10A introduced in 1941and some of the postwar 108 series airplanes were designated Voyager by Stinson. In vintage photos of these planes bearing factory livery, the 10A Voyager can be easily differentiated by its 2-tone paint and distinctive circular badge on the cowling. The plane pictured is clearly a 105.
The museum has two Tiger Moths in its collection. One is a Canadian version (pictured above), and the other is a UK version. Both are airworthy. The difference between them is that the Canadian one is equipped with a canopy covering the cockpit; yes, it gets cold in Canada. The Tiger Moth was one of the most popular trainers in WWII. The Canadian version was built by de Havilland Canada, in Downsview, Ontario. An estimate of 7,800 units were built around the world.
Another notable piece of WWII aviation history is a 1940 North American Aviation Harvard Mark II. The Harvard is the “British” version of the T6 Texan, purposely built for the Commonwealth air forces. For the cadets, this plane was the last step on the ladder towards becoming a combat fighter pilot.
The Texan/Harvard was extensively used by many air forces around the world as a combat and gunnery/bombing trainer from the 1940s until the 1970s. Thanks for its impressive maneuverability. The plane is a favorite among acrobatic groups, and therefore, it is a common sight at any air show.
The airworthy machines of the BCATP Museum have an active life. Visitors can purchase 20-minute flights on most airplanes. They are also frequently seen at major air shows throughout the country.
The Memorial Wall
This museum is not just a collection of vintage machines but a place to reflect on and honor the ultimate sacrifice made by thousands of young men and women who fought against tyranny.
On September 10, 2014, the 75th anniversary of Canada’s entry into WWII, a memorial wall was unveiled to the public. The wall holds the names of 18,039 airmen and airwomen from all over the Commonwealth countries who died in the Second World War.
This 300-foot airfoil-shaped granite wall is watched over by a bronze airman. The names and ages of these young men and women have been etched on this wall as a permanent tribute to the ultimate sacrifice they made for our freedom.
As an enthusiast of old war machinery, my visit to the CATP Museum was a blast, but walking by the Memorial Wall made me think that we usually take our freedom for granted. Most of my generation (and the generations that followed) don’t know how painful it is to fight against fascism.
As I write these lines, all I can think is the world is going through a dark path. We might have to fight against tyranny once again, and this fight might come sooner than we think.
The title of this post might be misleading. After all, the VW Beetle has reached the status of a classic, collectible car in Brazil, and therefore, it rarely ends up in a junkyard nowadays.
The story of this car started when my Dad received as a gift, the race Beetle that belonged to his brother, (you can check this story clicking here).
Since the #12 was a race car, my uncle never paid much attention to its documents, and after sitting in storage for nearly 30 years, whatever left of its docs were lost. Dad’s idea was to restore the #12 and make it street legal once again. The easiest way was to find a “donor” car with a clean and documented chassis, then just swap the bodies.
Even if dad wasn’t actually defrauding anybody, it might be considered a shady operation, but he decided to go ahead anyway.
It didn’t take long to find a perfect candidate for a donor car. Dad found a 1968 Beetle with good documents and in a decent driving conditions. The car was altered to look like a modern Beetle, which was a fairly common practice during the 1980s. To be fair, this played a part in deciding to buy this car, after all it would be heartbreaking to dismantle an all original Beetle.
But it turns out that the #12 body, which is a 1972 year model, wont fit the 1968 chassis. This came as a surprise since the Brazilian Beetle received minimal modifications during its time in production.
The wheelbase and suspension width are the same, but the bolts attaching the body to the chassis do not align.
Unable to continue with his original plan, Dad took the obvious path: restore the 68 Beetle. He dismantled the whole car, fixing the body, patching rust spots, and painting it in its original color.
He also refurbished the 1300cc engine, transmission, suspension, and brakes.
This was the ideal time to restore the Beetle to its original condition, but doing so would require purchasing all four fenders, the hood, the engine compartment lid, headlights, taillights, and rims. This would involve a significant expense, and since Dad was working on a very tight budget, the best option was to leave the car as it was.
After several months of hard work, the restoration was completed in 2020. The car was not in “showroom condition” because it has experienced its fair share of use and wear. Dad mentioned that the Beetle was likely involved in an accident, and the body wasn’t completely straight. He did his best to fix it, but working at home made the process challenging.
The yellow Beetle became a nice and reliable car, Dad even used it as his daily driver for a while.
But he lives in a beach city in South Brazil, and the salty Atlantic air can be quite unfriendly to older cars. Five years after the restoration, a few little rust dots started to pop up.
A couple months ago, Dad decided to repaint the whole car. The pictures you see here are the result of the second paint job.
This video shows the Beetle in the final stage of the painting
Since the car is now finished, he has decided to sell it. Dad owns four vintage Beetles and is struggling to find enough space to store them all, so selling this one seems like a good idea.
He is asking for R$15,000.00 (US$ 2,600.00), which is pretty reasonable. He will use the money to restore the fourth Beetle in his collection.
All I can say is that I am very happy that Dad is having fun with his hobby. He is doing what he loves, and he might even be making a few bucks out of it.
In 1966, the most popular rock and roll band in history, The Beatles, chose to step away from the pressures of live concerts to focus on creating music and recording albums. At that time, music artists could afford this luxury and still make tons of money by doing so.
Back then, we had the delightful experience of visiting a record store to buy our music. Browsing through the records, selecting the right one, opening the package at home, and placing it on the turntable was almost a mystical experience.
Led Zeppelin in concert – 1975.
Although records were not cheap. The final price should reflect many details, such as the cost of the production, advertising, distribution, and, of course, a significant share of the pie, enough to make your favorite rock band filthy rich.
Thankfully, there was a more affordable option for the less fortunate music lovers of the 1970s and 1980s: the cassette tape.
In the early 1980s, Dad bought a “3 in 1” CCE (turntable, cassette recorder/player, and AM/FM radio), just like this one. I have probably recorded dozens of tapes using that equipment.
Recording cassette tapes at home was cheaper than buying LPs, but it could also be laborious. First, you need to find someone who owns the LP you are looking for and then convince the person to lend you his precious possession. Good luck with that.
My very first record: The Autobiography of Supertramp. I got it as a birthday gift from my lovely high school sweetheart (today, she is my wife).
The other option was to form a cooperative of friends with similar musical tastes and then buy the record, which would be shared by the members to record their tapes.
No matter what the situation was, cassette tapes were as much a part of our lives back in those days as LPs. Making a tape with your personal selection of songs was as enjoyable as listening to the songs.
Obviously, we all had our favorite tape brands. In Brazil, the most popular was the German BASF, but we loved the Japanese stuff as well, like TDK, Sony, and Maxell.
The blown-away guy
To win customers’ hearts and minds, cassette brands spend a lot of money on visually appealing TV commercials. Although most of the ads were cool, one easily tops them all: the “Maxell blow-away guy.”
The ad campaign, which was run worldwide, instantly made Maxell synonymous with high quality and made the brand look cool to customers.
Maxell, short for “Maximum Capacity Dry Cell,” was founded in Japan in 1960 as a Nitto Electric Industrial Co., Ltd division. The company initially focused on manufacturing dry-cell batteries, which is reflected in its brand name. Maxell gained a reputation in this area but became globally recognized after introducing its first magnetic audio tape, designed for high-fidelity playback, in 1962.
“A picture is worth a thousand words,”
In the history of advertisements, there are a few campaigns that actually achieved the intent of this statement. Certainly, the Maxell’ “Blownaway guy” is one of them.
The advertisement debuted in 1979, and remains one of the most memorable symbols of the cassette era. It’s hard to imagine anyone reading this who isn’t familiar with the poster, and most self-respecting music enthusiasts from that time likely had it hanging in their music rooms. The campaign was initially designed for print but later expanded into television commercials, further increasing its international fame.
The iconic photo was taken by photographer Steve Steigman, who had a background in fine art photography. It’s no surprise that the identity of the “blown away” guy is somewhat controversial; the most accepted theory is that the model used for the campaign was a makeup artist named Jac Colello, who had previously worked for David Bowie.
Peter Murphy is one of my faves from the 1980s underground.
An intriguing version of the story suggests that the man being blown away was Peter Murphy, the former lead singer of the British rock band Bauhaus. However, I doubt this claim is true.
Interestingly, the effect of the man being blown away was created in the print ads without any actual wind. Instead, Steigman and his team strategically arranged the man’s scarf and other props, along with using a generous amount of hair product, to create the illusion that he was being swept away by the sound.
My family was a huge fan of the TKR cassette player.
This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end
(The End- Song by The Doors – 1967)
The cassette dominated the market from the 1970s until the 1990s as the most popular form of musical media. It was portable and durable, able to withstand the punishment of being carelessly stored in backpacks and glove compartments. The cassette also helped create a whole universe of electronic equipment.
The advent of digital formats, led by the CD, drove the music industry to gradually phase out the use of cassettes and our beloved vinyl. CDs offered superior sound quality and durability. The rise of MP3 players, downloading/ripping, and streaming services in the early 2000s—even in lieu of their inferior sound quality—further sealed the fate of the cassette’s status as a mainstream format.
It was only when movies and TV shows of the 2010s/2020s embraced the 1980s as the coolest era in recent history that the cassette saw a tiny resurgence.
A good example is “Stranger Things,” a highly popular Netflix series that follows a group of teenagers battling supernatural monsters in the 1980s. In its fourth season, the iconic Sony Walkman, the ultimate portable cassette player,alongwith Kate Bush’s song “Running Up That Hill,” plays a crucial role in their fight.
My old T-shirt. The old-timers will understand.
The cassette is still alive and kicking (the 1980s references are endless), thanks to dedicated groups of collectors, DJs, and underground music scenes that continue to use them. And also thanks to old timers that insist on being connected to the stuff of their youth.
And yes, you still can buy a brand new Maxell tape and a Sony Walkman.
The Classic Machines 