It took awhile, but over the last year “The Motoring Historian” has become my natural way to disseminate ideas about cars. That is to say where once I would share thoughts about cars/bikes/motoring in print (either here, for the esoteric stuff, or for various paid...
Your Own Personal Go...
posted by Jon Summers
I prepared this abstract for the 2020 Historic Vehicle Association “Drive History” Conference. As with academic historians conferences, presenters had a twenty minute slot. Like it or not, that amounts to 2000 words. Therefore to ensure you communicate as much and as clearly as possible,...
Jon Summers – ...
posted by Jon Summers
A few years ago I was involved in a nascent YouTube channel, Just Go Drive. My contribution was to do road tests and comment on new cars and companies from a historical perspective, much like Motor Sport magazine reviewing a new car. At best, I am an indifferent...
New Cars Thumbnail: ...
posted by Jon Summers
A wise man once said that history is not about the past, but about the future. At first this feels counterintuitive, but the more I have considered it, the more true I think it is. It is why, as a Historian, I write about new cars. I recently drove some, in a setting where they could be...
A Yellow Ford Fairla...
posted by Jon Summers
There are lots of youtubers who talk about “flipping”, buying and selling cars to make money. Of these car salesman talkers I like Rabbit best. He is a cross between the Dukes of Hazzard and Arthur Daley with the same “lovable rogue” appeal. What we share is a delight in a good...
Electra Meccanica: A...
posted by Jon Summers
You might be thinking that hardcore V8 guy like me only drove this so I could tear it down. But no. I have written before about how I feel that this is the most exciting time for car design since the mass adoption of cars one hundred years ago. Before then, cars were artisan-made, quite...
2022 Honda Civic
posted by Jon Summers
2022 Honda Civic Si Given I was so complimentary about the 2022 Civic I thought I might attend the official press launch, and learn some more details about it. Believe it or not, this is the eleventh generation Civic. According to the press pack, it should embody Civic’s three key...
New Cars For 2022
posted by Jon Summers
2022 Mercedes S580 – Is the S-Class Still The Best Car in the World? When you approach a Mercedes S Class, you’re expecting it to be The Best Car. You’re looking for the ways in which it is moving the whole art and science of passenger conveyance forwards. I have felt this way...
Kerbside Italia
posted by Jon Summers
I feel like I am Daniel O’Grady from Wasabi cars as I write this, and I mean that as a compliment to him. These gems were lurking set back a little from the road between San Gimignano and Poggibonsi, right in the heart of Italian tourist country, just off the route of the Mille...
The Smith and Sniff ...
posted by Jon Summers
Ever since his days as a columnist for Evo, back when I was a company car thrashing sales rep, I have enjoyed Richard Porter’s, controversial and often funny perspective on cars and motoring. He is best known as Jeremy Clarkson’s scriptwriter, but don’t let that put...