Backroads Mercer Drive

Taking a priceless, century-old car out for a spin on the back roads of Vermont. 

Video owned by YouTube car person Proscriptus.

Insomniac Garage Presents: Blues Brothers Dixie Square Mall Car Chase

At Insomniac Garage, hooning and car chases are always appreciated, and this is one of the best Hollywood car chases. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi and a slew of Chicago and Illinois State police officers going through the Dixie Square Mall at high speed while destroying merchandise and risking lives. The Malaise Era cars in the Dixie Square parking lot and the mocked-up Oldsmobile dealership are remarkable, as are the stunt driving, the filming and the audacity of using a disused commercial space that parts of were being used as a school at the time of filming.

Death Of The Studebaker Factory: Urban Exploration of the Abandoned Studebaker/Avanti Factory in South Bend, Indiana

A very interesting video featuring an exploration of the abandoned Studebaker automobile factory.

A True American Sports Car: 1993 Panoz Roadster #007

(all photos from seller, wirewheel.com)

While the Chevrolet Corvette may be regarded by many as "America's sports car", many people overlook the Panoz, a high-quality and exclusive sports car made in the state of Georgia. Panoz cars are arguably closer in nature to the likes of Porsche, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lotus than the Corvette and Dodge/SRT Viper are, yet they are largely unknown outside of enthusiast circles.

With a high-output Ford 302 V8, 5-speed manual transmission, lightweight construction and engineering derived from racing experience, the Panoz Roadster was a great performer, and was no crude glorified kit car like the Consulier. Nor did it have the countless teething problems and excessive complication of the Vector.

This car was the 7th of 44 made before the design was refined into the AIV, has 35 actual miles, was part of a collection since day one, has the optional tonneau cover, original brochure and bill of sale, and may be the lowest-mileage Panoz car in existence.

A video of the Panoz Roadster being tested for drifting is seen here, I will leave it to the reader to make a judgment.

The text of the authenticity letter from the Panoz factory follows:

19^th day of July 2012

This document will authenticate the provenance by the Panoz factory of the Panoz Roadster VIN# 1P9PR2820PB213007 built and shipped to Mr Milan Puskar for his approval on 09/10/1993 and consequent purchase on 3rd November 1993. Mr Puskar was a long time friend and partner of Dr Donald Panoz and he placed this car into storage and full maintenance preservation as a collectable asset, the car was often used for display in various events around Morgantown, the car was never driven for more than a fraction of a mile on any occasion over the years and then only as a pert of its maintenance program as a drivable collectable. The car had been used for display in recent years at a friend of Mr Puskars exotic car dealership for display only.The roadster was returned to its birth place at Panoz Auto Development in Hoschton Georgia in the spring of 2012 and was completely checked out and serviced with new fluids and a full tune up. This was done by the very same staff that had built the car in 1992 and still work at the Panoz factory handling service, maintenance and repair of Panoz vehicles.

Sincerely, John A. Leverett

Director, Sales/marketing

Panoz Auto Development Company

Panoz Automotive Group

Find it here for $32,500 USD at WireWheel in Florida.

The Last AMC Dealership: Collier Motors, Pikeville, North Carolin

The legend of one remaining AMC dealership in the world is widespread in the classic car hobby, but this video along with the two linked sites prove its existence.

The cars are all supposedly to be sold off as complete units, but many are usable only as parts donors by now. Hopefully the AMXs, the Javelins, the Nash-Healeys and the 1957 Rambler Rebel will be saved at the very least...

Find an article about Collier Motors here, and the Collier Motors image gallery here.

Abandoned Racetrack: Metrolina Speedway

This abandoned 1/2 mile oval racetrack near Charlotte, North Carolina, perhaps best known as where Dale Earnhardt, Sr. won his first race on asphalt, was explored by the person behind the "AdamTheWoo" YouTube channel, before the track was cleaned up and an attempt at rebuilding it was made. Supposedly this place is returning to nature again after the attempt at a rebuild failed.

While I do not approve of the poor video quality, the horseplay inside abandoned places seen in the intro and in their other videos, and the obnoxious music in the intro, this is still one of the most thorough explorations of the Metrolina Speedway available...

Video (c) AdamTheWoo