Since the dawn of aviation, engineers and designers have continuously drawn inspiration from the skies, translating airplane technology into innovative vehicles across land, sea, and rail.
From cars boasting aerodynamic wings to motorcycles powered by jet engines, the integration of aviation advancements has opened the door to groundbreaking possibilities.
Even boats and trains have adopted aircraft-inspired designs, resulting in impressive hybrids that sometimes even took flight.
Join us as we explore 15 remarkable vehicles that cleverly borrowed airplane technology, pushing the boundaries of engineering and turning ambitious dreams into reality.
In the realm of supercars, brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche dominate headlines, leaving little room for small European automakers to shine. Yet, occasionally, niche companies emerge from obscurity, defying skeptics by crafting vehicles astounding enough to rival automotive giants. These boutique manufacturers, often operating with limited budgets and minimal recognition, have surprised enthusiasts and critics alike through sheer ingenuity, passion, and relentless ambition. From forgotten workshops hidden in rural villages to bold startups challenging conventional wisdom, these small European brands have repeatedly proven that innovation and determination can lead to automotive masterpieces no one ever expected.
When the worlds of fashion and automotive design intersect, the result can be extraordinary.
While some collaborations are mere publicity stunts, certain partnerships between renowned fashion houses and prestigious car manufacturers have genuinely pushed the boundaries of style, innovation, and craftsmanship.
These vehicles seamlessly integrate sophisticated aesthetics with cutting-edge automotive engineering, proving that high fashion can indeed enhance the allure of luxury cars.
From elegant interiors to unique, statement-making exteriors, these collaborations underscore the shared pursuit of excellence and creativity between two seemingly distinct industries.
Join us as we explore 15 remarkable cars born from fashion houses that were more than just marketing gimmicks.
Muscle cars have long captivated automotive enthusiasts with their raw power, bold designs, and exhilarating performance.
While some models became household names through mass production, others achieved legendary status by virtue of their extreme rarity.
In this article, we spotlight 15 classic muscle cars that were produced in ultra-limited numbers—fewer than 1,000 examples.
These rare machines have become highly sought-after treasures, their scarcity only adding to their mystique and allure among collectors and passionate car lovers alike.
The Nordic region—with its notoriously harsh winters, freezing temperatures, and challenging road conditions—has historically inspired automotive manufacturers to create vehicles uniquely adapted to cold climates. These specialized cars, often exclusive to countries like Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland, come equipped with enhanced traction control systems, heated components, reinforced insulation, and even specialized engines designed to perform reliably in sub-zero environments. In this article, we explore a distinctive selection of 15 vehicles specifically tailored for navigating the extreme Nordic winters—cars that not only exemplify engineering ingenuity but also showcase how exceptional challenges can lead to extraordinary automotive solutions.
The automotive world is vast, dynamic, and full of surprises—particularly when it comes to cars uniquely tailored for a single nation’s roads.
While major automakers typically design vehicles with global appeal, occasionally they craft models intended exclusively for one specific country’s market.
Factors such as stringent regulatory standards, distinct consumer preferences, cultural identity, or economic strategies often dictate such niche creations.
In this article, we dive into 15 fascinating examples of cars that never ventured beyond their homeland, uncovering the intriguing reasons that kept their wheels firmly rooted in just one nation.
Factory diesel sedans have long held a special place in automotive history, often fondly remembered for their unmistakable tractor-like rumble and legendary dependability.
Despite their noisy idling and agricultural acoustics, these diesel-powered machines earned a loyal following due to their exceptional durability, fuel efficiency, and impressive mileage potential.
From daily commuters seeking robust practicality to automotive enthusiasts appreciating the charm of longevity, these sedans became iconic symbols of relentless reliability.
Join us as we revisit 15 memorable factory diesel sedans that, despite sounding more at home on a farm than a freeway, simply refused to die.
The day was Friday, August 19, 1955. Colleen Curtis, 20, received the keys to a brand-new black Chevrolet two-door. It was grand-opening day for Ben Redd Chevrolet at 335 North Main Street in Logan, Utah. Colleen was having an eventful era in her life; her wedding had taken place just a few months earlier and, the previous year, she had taken a job at Mountain Bell as a telephone operator. Her new car retailed at around $1,900. A photo of Colleen’s happy day was featured in The Herald Journal newspaper three days following her car purchase.
This August will mark the 70th anniversary of Colleen’s key handoff. She and I have a little bit of a connection: A few years ago, I told the story of my first car, a 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity. My mom and dad bought that car new on April 19, 1986, from Axtell Chevrolet in Logan, Utah, which was what became of Ben Redd Chevrolet. I recently decided to dig a little deeper into some history of dealerships in Logan, and I ended up on a journey of great discovery.
This falls in line with my prior “classic building” stories that some of you liked about my great-grandfather’s 1923 service station and my visit to Bob’s Sinclair in rural Kanosh, Utah.
Origins of 335 North Main Street
A January 24, 1947, story from The Herald Journal announced the opening of the Humphrey and Evans Motor Company. “The new building is modern and complete,” the story said, “Representing investment of about $50,000. Constructed of tile and cinder block, it has a spacious showroom with a floor finished in marble, a parts room, office upstairs finished in knotty pine, and a shop in the rear. The showroom is recognized as one of the most beautiful in the state.” For its first several years, the Humphrey-Evans Motor Company sold Hudson vehicles.
Ben Redd Chevrolet Takes Over
The 1950s were a time of postwar optimism – an era of prosperity, an economic boom and thriving car culture. Car ownership became a rite of passage and a status symbol for people like Colleen Curtis. Redd Chevrolet took over the Humphrey-Evans dealership location in mid-1955 and rode the wave, selling many iconic vehicles like Bel Airs, Task Force trucks and Corvettes.
Just about five years after Colleen bought her car, in January 1960, the dealership changed ownership to a Mr. Ellis Axtell. A month later, operations at 335 North Main were closed, and Axtell Chevrolet relocated to 1475 North Main (the former location of an equipment building). The move was logical for a lot of reasons: Most notably, the original location had become a hub of traffic and industry with limited parking. The new location – at the time, on the outskirts on the north end of town – offered lots of space. “Inspect the new enlarged facilities and view the large selection of new 1960 Chevrolet cars and trucks. Remember, parking is no problem at Axtell Chevrolet,” an advertisement from February 10, 1960, said.
Evolution and Decline
Now that Chevrolet had moved its operations, the original 335 North Main location became home to a number of different businesses in the decades that followed. I remember my uncle saying he worked a speed shop there in the 1970s. It went by a few names, including Custom Muffler & Speed. The facility fell into some disrepair and became surrounded on all sides by more modern infrastructure as development ensued. Main Street, too, became too busy to allow for easy entry or exit to the property, so its days were numbered.
Google Street View chronology shows that the once-glamorous 1947-era showroom was bulldozed sometime between November 2021 and September 2022. As of the most recent image taken in August 2024, it was an empty lot – a quiet reminder of the many exciting automotive stories over the years.
Tribute to Colleen
As for Ms. Curtis, since the photo of her in The Herald Journal was what prompted this story: Colleen lived her entire life in Logan, Utah, and eventually pursued a career in real estate.
When she passed away on December 28, 2000, she left behind three children, 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. What a great legacy! And, as it turns out, great taste in cars.
As you may have learned back in February, Bugatti has a long history with the horological industry. Since 2019, the French company has been working with the watchmakers at Jacob & Co. Their newest collaborative effort, the Calandre (which translates to “radiator grille”) is a little different because it’s not only a table clock, but it also was made with the help of another company: Lalique.
You classic car fans out there are probably familiar with that last name. Frenchman Rene Lalique made a variety of glass automobile mascots/hood ornaments in the early 20th century, such as “Victoire” (“victory”) and “Tete d’Aigle” (“eagle head”). He was also known for his clock designs, many of which featured two figurines leaning toward each other over the dial in the middle. For the Calandre clock’s case, the company bearing Lalique’s name poured molten crystal into a mold, cooled it, then spent months sharpening the edges, enhancing the texture, and polishing it. The two figurines are Dancing Elephants, an homage to both the Bugatti Type 41 Royale, which had an elephant on its radiator cap, and the sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti, Ettore Bugatti’s brother. The trunks of those two Dancing Elephants draw the eye to the 30mm red gemstone at the top, which Jacob & Co. made nearly round with 288 facets and its patented Jacob Cut.
Bugatti’s signature horseshoe grille features the red “Bugatti Macaron” at the top and is filled with geometric mesh that serves as the dial for the rhodium-finished hands of the clock itself. The flying tourbillon directly below connects this timepiece to the V16-powered Bugatti Tourbillon hypercar while also doing what tourbillons were designed to do: maintain accuracy in clocks and watches in a fixed, vertical position. Jacob & Co.’s manually wound caliber JCAM58 movement has an eight-day power reserve, which can replenished by inserting a special key at the back of the clock.
Like any Bugatti, the Calandre will be exclusive and expensive: only 99 will be produced, each at a price of $240,000. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “Time is money.”
Featured on AutoHunter is this restored 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL, which has a Bosch fuel-injected 2.8-liter I6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Finished in silver and equipped with a black convertible top over a black vinyl interior, this W113 SL is now offered by the private seller in Illinois with service records, spare tools, a jack, and a clear title.
The silver body of this SL features chrome bumpers with black guards, chrome brightwork, a driver-side mirror, and a pair of rear exhaust finishers on the passenger side. A black soft top with a plastic rear window protects the passenger compartment from bad weather; it can be stored under a body-color tonneau cover.
A set of 14-inch wheels with Mercedes-branded covers and 185/75 Milestar Touring whitewall radial tires help this SL cruise down roads and boulevards.
The cabin offers black vinyl bucket seating for two. Surrounding features range from power steering, woodgrain trim, and air conditioning to a Becker Europa AM/FM stereo and Craig/Pioneer 8-track player.
Instrumentation consists of a 140-mph speedometer, 7,000-rpm tachometer, and displays for the oil pressure, temperature, and fuel level. The odometer shows 74,631 miles, but the title for this vehicle indicates it’s mileage-exempt.
Under the front-hinged hood is a 2.8-liter I6 equipped with Bosch mechanical fuel injection, which helped it achieve factory ratings of 170 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque (both net). The M130 engine’s output reaches the road through a four-speed automatic transmission and a 4.08:1 rear end. Power disc brakes keep this SL on the right path.
If you want to be headed toward getting this 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL, bid on it right now. The auction ends on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. (PDT).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery