A few weeks back, I was driving my ’66 Chevrolet home from the ACC office and sitting in traffic. A guy in a minivan pulled up next to me, rolled down his window, and started asking me all about the car. 

Now this isn’t really much of a story for those of us who use our cars regularly, but it stood out for me at the time. Why? Because it had been a while since I’d last had a Read More

Classic trucks, specifically half-tons built between 1967 and 1972, are still hot in today’s market. But it seems that not all trucks were created equal.

The run-up in prices over the last five years has in large part been due to the popularity of GM’s truck twins in the aftermarket. Now that’s not to say that there are no valuable Fords out there, because that isn’t true. But when we’re talking models in general, and overall averages, Ford’s light duty Read More

Monterey Car Week is a whirlwind of events, auctions, and car person fun. This year was my 10th Monterey, and after all these years, the one thing I’ve learned is that it doesn’t really matter where you go and what you do — if you’re a car person, just being in the area and wandering around town is an adventure in car spotting. No pricey tickets or exclusive memberships required. Of course, if you want to see everything, you’ll have Read More

One of the biggest weeks of the collector car year is here — from six high-end collector car auctions to concours, shows, and vintage races, Monterey’s got it all. 

Monterey certainly sets a tone for the year, as it brings in collectors from around the globe to bid on some very expensive and rare machinery. Will this year’s results break records? I expect they will, but how much is anyone’s guess. We’ll just have to wait to see.

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Every year, Detroit pumps out more and more nasty modern muscle cars, from ZL1 Camaros through Hellcats, Demons, and GT500s. But how will these cars’ values stack up to the values of their vintage counterparts in the future? 

That’s a tough question. There’s no good answer. But how they’re treated now is a pretty good indication of how they’ll be treated later. These cars are already bringing good money at auction, and a bunch of them have been stored Read More

ACC’s Mustang is a great driver, but there’s no hiding that it’s already lived a full life.

Evidence of this is all over the car, from dings in the body and trim through wear to the original interior. The car is low-miles, but it’s by no means minty. So that raises the question: Should we leave it alone and drive it, needs and all, or should we work over some of the problems to make it better?

Frankly, I don’t think Read More

When tracking the market, we often focus in on what’s hot, what’s rising, and what the best short or long term investment might be on paper.

Let this serve as your reminder: Buy what you like.

On Friday, I headed out to Mecum’s annual Portland sale to cover cars with ACC Data Analyst Chad Taylor for an upcoming issue of the magazine. Among the hundreds of cars on offer spread out throughout the Portland Expo Center’s sprawling halls, I found Read More

Old cars are great just as they are. But if you hope to use one regularly these days, a few updates can make the experience better. 

For example, say you’ve got a 1968 Mustang with a 390 and you live in L.A. That traffic is notorious, and the cooling system in the Mustang, while decent enough, won’t like long periods of idling. What’s the fix? A modern radiator and an electric cooling fan to assist air movement when sitting Read More

We’re working on the next issue of ACC this week, and there’s still time to participate in our Readers’ Forum. This month’s question: What is it that makes a car collectible?

This issue will feature everything from a vintage AMC Pacer through a modern Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. That’s a wide range of cars, and it begs the question: What is it that makes a car collectible?

When does a car become special? When does it become coveted? At what Read More