On The Lighter Side: These Car Brands Have The Most Loyal Customers

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
Published Mar. 22, 2023

Is your favorite one of them?

According to a recent study conducted by S&P Global Mobility, customer brand loyalty in the automotive market has fallen for a third year in a row. Blame it on the pandemic, increasing economic pressure, or the fact new cars pretty much all look the same these days, but more people aren’t returning to buy a vehicle from the same brand as before.

Among

On The Lighter Side: Barn Find Hunter Bags Two Classics

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
Published Mar. 17, 2023

If you’re interested in getting in on the barn find action, you might learn a thing or two from legend Dennis Collins.

The man has a knack for tracking down some interesting vehicles in places you might not think to look, like Ashely, Illinois and Bloomsdale, Missouri. Hidden away in those towns were a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback and a 1978 Toyota Truck extended cab dually with a camper shell, both rare finds in their own rite. We’ve included the video Collins put together of these two rescues, which is really something to

On The Lighter Side: Suspected Thieves Busted After Stopping To Charge Their Tesla Getaway Car

Written by: Lulian Dnistran, InsideEVs
Published Mar. 15, 2023

The two people were caught in their Tesla Model X at a charging station.

Two people accused of stealing $8,000 worth of gaming systems in the state of Georgia were taken into custody after police caught them charging their getaway vehicle, a Tesla Model X.

The story, as reported by Business Insider and Fox Business, says that officers from the Gwinnett County Police North Precinct responded to a theft call where they learned that two individuals had stolen several PC gaming systems from

On The Lighter Side: Jeremy Renner Will Give Old Buses New Life In Upcoming Disney+ Series

Written by: Anthony Alaniz, Motor1
PublishedMar. 10, 2023

The Marvel actor will repurpose decommissioned government vehicles to help communities around the world.

Decommissioned government vehicles don’t have to end up in the junkyard. That’s the premise for Jeremy Renner’s new show coming to the Disney+  streaming service. It’s called Rennervations and has Renner and his team of builders repurposing old vehicles to help revitalize communities around the world. The entire four-part series premieres on April 12.

A trailer

On The Lighter Side: Hot Wheels Museum Opens In Maryland

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
Published Feb. 24, 2023

This would be cool to check out…

A Hot Wheels museum has opened in Maryland, containing one of the most valuable collections in the world. In a space of about 4,000 square feet are the diecast cars collected by Bruce Pascal, a commercial real estate agent in Washington, D.C. The man has amassed over 7,000 items including the rarest Hot Wheels car in the world.

That rarest Hot Wheels is the 1969 Beach Bomb Volkswagen Type 2. It’s a prototype Mattel decided wasn’t stable enough on the

On The Lighter Side: Porsche Names Paint Color After Enthusiast

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
Published Feb. 24, 2023

This is quite the honor…

Leaving a legacy behind is something a lot of people think about doing but few truly accomplish. Then there’s Michael Essmann, a diehard Porsche enthusiast who also is Managing Director for his family’s business, Elektro Essmann. The man recently had a paint color named after him for Porsche’s Paint to Sample Plus range.

That’s right, starting in March of this year, you’ll be able to order the exterior color Essmanngreen, color code 24C. It will be made available on the Car Configurator for

On The Lighter Side: Vin Diesel's Fast And Furious Dream Casting Includes Robert Downey Jr

Written by: Jacob Oliva, Motor1.com
Published Feb. 17, 2023

Vin Diesel, the lead star of the popular "Fast and Furious" franchise, has revealed that he wants Robert Downey Jr. to be a part of the upcoming film in the series. Diesel, who plays the role of protagonist Dom Toretto, shared his thoughts about who he would like to see in the next movie while speaking to Variety at the trailer

On The Lighter Side: Philadelphia Eagles’ Darius Slay Drives A Killer Donk

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
Published Feb. 10, 2023

You’ll either love or loathe his taste…

Philadelphia Eagles star cornerback Darius Slay caused quite the stir when he rolled up before his team faced off against the San Francisco 49ers. The man arrived in style behind the wheel of a 1973 Chevy Caprice donk, the big gold wheels and grille standing out against the big, white convertible.

There’s been a growing trend of professional athletes showing up for games behind the wheel of more classic vehicles instead of the usual modern

On The Lighter Side: Carroll Shelby Describes His Journey In His Own Words

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
PublishedFeb. 03, 2023

Take a moment to hear an automotive legend speak.

Shelby, the name stirs up all kinds of feelings among car enthusiasts. Even non-car people recognize it, but they likely don’t know much about the man who made it famous. Carroll Shelby’s influence will likely live on for quite some time. He was in many ways larger than life. That kind of legendary status makes hearing the man describe himself supremely interesting.

His interest in cars seemed to be ingrained in him from the time Carroll was young, thanks to a father who also loved

On The Lighter Side: Man Steals Over 50 Luxury Cars To Satisfy His 16 Girlfriends

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
Published on Jan. 27, 2023

We couldn’t make this up if we wanted to…

We’re still trying to wrap our heads around how one man is being blamed by police for stealing more than 50 luxury cars, which he then gave to each of his 16 girlfriends. Delhi Police interrogated the man, who confessed to the crimes, admitting he stole the vehicles for his girlfriends and “his own hobbies.” The man, named Robin, has a string of known aliases and we’re assuming quite the toolkit for boosting cars.

During his interrogation, Robin spilled the beans on how he

On The Lighter Side: Recycling Yard Hides Hundreds Of Classic Cars

Written by: Steven Symes, Motorious
Published on Jan. 20, 2023

Stop looking for rural farms and start hunting for your barn finds at the city dump!

If you watch some “barn find” classic car content online, you might be under the impression all the cool old cars that aren’t in the greatest condition are hidden away on rural farms in the Midwest. While there certainly are quite a few stashes like that, we ran across a video posted by Jerry Battaglia from a Long Island junk yard/recycling yard where hundreds are classic cars are hidden away from the public’s view.

That’s right, not too far from the hustle and bustle of

On The Lighter Side: Ken Block’s Greatest Gymkhana Antics

Written by Elizabeth Puckett, Motorious
Published Jan. 13, 2023

This level of car control was virtually unheard of, it’s what made him a legend.

Ken Block was a great man who truly exhibited the best aspects of skill and dedication to a craft. Some are great carpenters, others are good with computers, but Ken was a master of his mind and body. He showed this off quite well with the Gymkhana series as he slid the cars around as if they were on ice. Here’s a few of the best videos to ever come out of Hoonigan’s signature series.

First of all, most people got their first taste of Ken with the first Hoonicorn video. A

On The Lighter Side: Ford Highland Plant Adventure Reveals Automotive History

Written by Elizabeth Puckett, Motorious
Published Jan. 06, 2023

It’s a monument to car culture…

The Ford motor company is one of the most prominent businesses in the American automotive industry today. Typically you might expect the next sentence to read something like what it all wasn’t always like that. However yes it was in fact pretty much always like that and there are many Great monuments to recognize the brand history across the nation. Although there is one building which seems like it should’ve been preserved a hell of a lot better than it was in respect for that name.

That

On The Lighter Side: Ford’s Supercar Scares Jimmy Fallon

Written by Johnny Puckett, Motorious
Published Dec. 29, 2022

It’s funny watching celebrities lose their cool when they get strapped into a race car.

You might’ve heard that Ford is developing quite a few different iterations of their new Mustang. Along with the Darkhorse, eco-boost, and possible Shelby models, you also have the GT additions. However, it’s just now striking people's minds that Ford is trying to turn their flagship pony car into a supercar. Whether or not the Mustang can ever be a super car is pretty much a matter of personal opinion. However, there’s no doubt that Ford has produced some really crazy

On The Lighter Side: Arizona Grinch Gets Pulled Over In The Carpool Lane

Written by Steven Symes, Motorious
Published Dec. 21, 2022

It’s that time of the year when people are using inflatable Christmas decorations to game the HOV lane restrictions…

A rather odd situation involving someone transporting Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch as a passenger while driving in the carpool lane transpired recently in the Phoenix metro area. An Arizona state trooper noticed the “Seusspicious-looking” passenger riding shotgun and took action, pulling over the scofflaw driver during morning rush hour traffic.

We’ve seen people try to pull the wool over law enforcement’s eyes in the

On the Lighter Side: A Millionaire's Abandoned Classic Car Collection

Written by Elizabeth Puckett, Motorious
Published Dec. 16, 2022

These trucks may soon get back on the road.

There are many classic car collections circulating in the world waiting to be found. Some of them feature absolutely pristine models hidden away in a barn while others show a sad sight of what looks like a graveyard with vintage automobiles riding left and right. However very few are as versatile and interesting as this particular gathering of classic cars. So, let’s answer the question that many of us have had at some point in our lives, what kind of cars do millionaires like?

Well, it

On The Lighter Side: Gas Monkey Garage Uncovers Some Rare Classics

Written by Elizabeth Puckett, Motorious
Published Dec. 7, 2022

You might not even recognize this Lamborghini…

Gas Monkey garage has uncovered quite a few crazy cars of the classic variety over the years of operation. However, every now and then they come across a collection of more than just one beloved sports car. In this find, the crew managed to gather up a multitude of wildly iconic vintage cars for the adventure of a lifetime. So what exactly makes this particular collection so special?

First up, a car that catches many enthusiast eyes, the second generation Corvette.

On The Lighter Side: Tesla Chief Designer Says His Favorite Design Is A Still-Unseen Secret Project

Written by Sebastien Bells, CARSCOOPS
Published Dec. 2, 2022

Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer for more than a decade, says that the work he’s most excited about hasn’t yet seen the light of day.

Von Holzhausen sat down to speak with CNBC on the occasion of his work being displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum, for the recently opened exhibition, “Inside Tesla: Supercharging the Electric Revolution.”

Speaking to the outlet, von Holzhausen suggested that the company has an exciting new design that’s coming soon. Perhaps a new

On The Lighter Side: Tesla Takes First Step in Motorsports, Sponsors Texas A&M EV Racing Team

Written by William Johnson, Teslarati
Published Nov. 22, 2022

Texas A&M University’s Electric Formula SAE team is being sponsored by Tesla for the upcoming racing season, the team told us in an interview.

Formula SAE is a racing series held by the Society of Automotive Engineers, typically competed in by college teams that put together a single-seater racecar under strict engineering limitations. With the racing series’ new electric variation, Tesla is getting involved and sponsoring a team from Texas A&M University.

...

On the Lighter Side: Buried Mercedes Found In California Mansion Backyard

Written by Steven Symes, Motorious
PublishedOct. 29, 2022

This is pretty crazy…

On the morning of October 20, landscapers working in the yard of a multi-million dollar Silicon Valley home in California discovered a buried Mercedes-Benz. Immediately, they called police, who showed up with cadaver dogs, expecting to find the worst. Instead, all they discovered in the interred vehicle were bags of concrete mix, leaving everyone mystified.

The discovery, which was made in Atherton, initially left police and members of the public baffled. As reports flooded in, aerial footage of the dig didn’t help shed light on

On The Lighter Side: Cars From The Richard Rawlings Car Collection

Written by Elizabeth Puckett, Motorious
PublishedOct. 21, 2022

Coming from Gas Monkey Garage and Fast N' Loud, our expectations are very high for what Richard Rawlings choose to put in his garage. He got his first car the age of 14, and has seen nearly every make/model you can think of. Most cars don't stick around the garage for very long, and are sold after restoring, but here is a look at a few in his own private collection.

1968 Shelby Mustang

Richard

On The Lighter Side: Abandoned Factory Hides Over 40 Classic Cars

There are some wild rides, including completely custom builds…

When you’re a celebrity like Richard Rawlings, you’re privy to information and events the rest of us could only dream about. That includes seeing car collections which have been hidden away for a long time. As you already know, in this Gas Monkey adventure the man is checking out a collection of 40-plus cars holed up in an abandoned factory in

On The Lighter Side: Tesla Cybertruck Looks Absolutely Unreal In New Teaser Footage

The Tesla Cybertruck’s initial production may have been moved to late 2022, but this does not mean that the excitement for the imposing all-electric pickup truck is abating anytime soon.

A look at Tesla’s new minute-long Cybertruck teaser all but proves this, as it is quite difficult not to feel excited about the vehicle after viewing the short video.

...

On The Lighter Side: Dealership Technician Takes C8 Corvette For Joyride

And there’s video evidence of a freeway race…

A C8 Corvette owner recently posted video evidence of a Fremont Chevrolet technician taking his mid-engine sports car for a joyride on the freeway. This is the sort of thing any enthusiast’s nightmares are made of, because you hope dealership employees would be professional enough to not do this sort of thing.

The whole joyride romp was captured on the

On The Lighter Side: Inside John Cena's Muscle Car Collection

This collection highlights American manufacturing triumphs, and is full of one-off and ultra-rare cars.

Back when Motorious was a seedling, John Cena and the Ford GT drama was one of the first ongoing stories we covered in-depth. Since then, the more we learn about Cena's car obsession, the more we like him.

He's a hardcore American muscle car guy, with a few halo cars that have passed through his garage. Here are some highlights of the cars owned by John Cena over the years.

2006 Ford GT

While it's neither the Ford

On The Lighter Side: Cuda, Challenger, Roadrunners, Chargers Found Stashed At Chevy Dealership

This is an incredible discovery! Classic muscle cars have gathered the attention of the public for quite some time now for being rare, high performance, and wickedly valuable vehicles.

Many enthusiasts will go searching for one of these relics of power, restore it, turn it into a drag car, or build it to fit a myriad of other aspirations the owner might have.

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On The Lighter Side: Tim Allen’s Car Collection Fills A Warehouse

Did you expect anything less?

Thanks to all the lockdowns, the Petersen Automotive Museum has really stepped up its YouTube channel, which has come to include celebrity garage tours. For the tour of Tim Allen’s car collection, which is housed in a good-sized warehouse, they had to release two videos. Considering he’s one of the few celebrities who rivals Jay Leno when it comes to obsessive

On The Lighter Side: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Clint Eastwood’s Car Collection

Okay, there's not bad or ugly about it, we admit, and it will make your day!

Clint Eastwood is creeping up on 91 years old, and has decades worth of work in the entertainment industry. Thanks to his work as an actor and film director, composer, and producer, this icon has amassed quite a bit of wealth, and some of those dollars have gone towards mighty impressive cars in his collection. Here are some of the highlights of cars owned by Client Eastwood over the years.

GMC Typhoon

I want to start with

On The Lighter Side: Chip Foose Hot Rods A Volkswagen Beetle

He says it’s Europe’s '32 Ford…

Ah, Chip Foose, the guy who often does beautiful work in metal but so often goes off the rails when working with markers.

Part of me feels like sometimes he’s trolling everyone, like the time he made a first-gen Ford Bronco into a low-riding cruiser or injected all kinds of BMW M3 styling into the classic Mini. It’s like he’s begging for people to criticize his work, which I believe he can

On The Lighter Side: Duck Duck Jeep – A New Phenomenon

There is arguably no other vehicle ownership culture that is as unique and vibrant as Jeep ownership, or to be more precise Jeep Wrangler ownership.

It’s more than the many Jeep clubs that exist around the country, more than the ubiquitous off-roading events, more than the obligatory “Jeep-wave” as two Jeep drivers pass in traffic. It’s a culture of “go anywhere and do anything” with the top canvas and doors on or off – and just have fun. And now, borne out of the depths of the COVID pandemic, is a new, fun, Jeep-ownership ritual – “Jeep Ducking.”

It all started in July, 2020 in Canada. Allison