My parents abandoned Minnesota for Northern California when I was six, so my memories of mosquito swarms, May snowstorms, and rusty quarterpanels aren't particularly vivid. I'd assumed that I'd be seeing nothing but late-model Buicks in my Wisconsonian travels. Not so!
What a find! A beater '51 Plymouth sedan with an IHC Milwaukee Foundry sticker on the bumper!
This fine machine was providing some vintage ambiance to Milty-Wilty's Diner, located on State Highway 21 in Wautoma. With a name like Milty-Wilty's and an old Plymouth setting on four flats, we had no choice but to stop.
Good move, too, because David Lynch appears to have designed Milty-Wilty's decor; check out this plywood sign, beckoning kids to the "play area" in back! My first impression was that I was suffering from Grain Belt Beer and cheese curd-induced hallucinations, but it was all gloriously real.
Later on, at an art gallery near Sturgeon Bay, I caught sight of this '50 Chevrolet in the bushes. The Eau Claire dealership emblem just beckons to be photographed.
At this point, the old Chevy serves mostly as a yellowjacket breeding facility. I spoke to the property's owner, and he said that they'd discovered the Chevy hidden in the weeds. They cleared enough of the undergrowth that visiting artists could see the car and be inspired by its lines. I'm pretty sure that a LeMons team with a hundred bucks could make this car their own!

In my family, we still tell stories of my uncle's legendary weed-smuggling '57 Plymouth, but even Uncle Dirty Duck himself would have been impressed by the tale told by British musician Richie Lane about his father's 1970 road trip in his '68 Newport. Unfortunately, he doesn't have many photos of the car, but the shots we do get include some nice scantily-clad images of dad's Belgian girlfriend, Titi. Here's his story:

The car had been modified to carry cannabis resin in the floor. Which is quite possibly why we had all been brought along, to act as cover. I'm not aware my dad attempted such things on previous or any subsequent trips and he made many such trips, including another back to India later this same year to conclude vintage car deals arranged on our visit in the Chrysler. Doesn't seem a particularly admirable or responsible thing for my late father to have attempted though. If we had been caught - who know what would have become of us. In fact we nearly were, after considerable concern in Pakistan where the cannabis was concealed in the floor. The story goes, according to Titi, that she and my dad became very aware that our movements were being monitored. So my dad took off at night and buried the cannabis in the desert to avoid detection, and we carried on our journey. The people who later purchased the car in Belgium after we got back, were mainly interested in it as well for it's capabilities to carry drugs. That is before they wrecked it anyway. Shame as it was an excellent car with great stamina and marvellous comfort and performance. There were few cars made in Europe that could have withstood the punishment that these journeys handed out. The Peugeot 504 was only in production the previous year, and its 1,800 cc (80 bhp) engine would have been very sluggish next to the Chrysler's potent V8, which was the only saloon made in Europe that would have managed as 1,000s of miles of this journey had roads that were much more like dirt tracks really. A Land-Rover would no doubt have done it as well - and those were used on other trips, but they were slow and very uncomfortable.

We travelled from London to Belgium - Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India. Then back again. Took about 11- 12 weeks. Probably more than 20,000 miles. Khyber Pass was the most exciting location, although amazing scenery in many places. There were quite a number of us in there at certain points of the trip, I was nine and used to sleep on the back parcel shelf! My dad didn't believe in stopping, he would drive all day all night, taking only occasional naps behind the wheel, and do this for 10 - 12 day stretches. You would fall asleep on these journeys and wake up several hours later in completely & totally different scenery with different air even. Were amazing times, best days.

The car needed some quite serious work when it got back to Belgium, the front end was getting lower and lower we had to keep readjusting the head lights, I think the suspension got knackered. After it was repaired, someone took it out on the town got drunk and trashed it quite badly.

A few yrs later ('74 or so), my old man took a Cadillac Fleetwood to Kathmandu, a beautiful dark green sedan. I still remember sitting inside it while a monsoon storm was taking place all around, listening to "461 Ocean Boulevard" on the 8 track. Whenever, I see that Norah Jones video, it makes me wanna cry, y'know the one. I didn't unfortunately go out there with him on that, I had to smuggle money out to him (as an unaccompanied minor) when he had spent out and couldn't afford fuel let alone checking out the hotel. We left the Cadillac there, and took a Land Rover and a 1950s Marguis Deutsch truck (not sure that's the right spelling never tried to write it before), with a Phantom 1 RR tourer on the back that he'd smuggled out, and took it over the Himalayas, through India and across Pakistan to Kararchi where we put it on a boat bound for the UK.

Wow! Sort of puts most of our personal road trips to shame, doesn't it? Richie's father has passed on, sadly, but Titi is still around and may have more photos of this epic- and no doubt harrowing- road trip. When I get 'em, I'll share 'em!

Truesdell’s great adventure began at a press garage in London where he was given the keys to a Ford GT. Crossing into Continental Europe, he visits the Nürburgring, then Maranello, and finally ends up at Circuit de la Sarthe—the racetrack in Le Mans. His story was published in high-class British classic car magazine Octane, but never online.

It’s a great read with fun pictures—including the obligatory balls-out Autobahn run speedo shot—and it proves that sometimes, it takes a European motor race to perform the vaguely Biblical turning of blood into gasoline. Or should we say, petrol.

Photo Credit: Automotive Traveler

The idea was this, take a Toyota commercial truck and convert it to a travel camper fit for three buddies and a year of frugal travel. Over the course of two years, the friends did just that, starting with the main living space, equipped with all the modern conveniences like a rice cooker, refrigerator, storage, a bath tub in the restroom, and a nice fold out deck opened on by double doors.

The really cool part happens upstairs. To get an upstairs on a compact truck box cube, they created an ingenious hinged mechanism which lifts a large section of the outer skin upwards then folds a second layer under it, creating a fully enclosed living space. Entry is by a door in the floor and narrow steps downstairs which double as storage.

Its construction reminds us of the izakayas we saw along Nonbei-yokochō street in the Shibuya district of Tokyo. These tiny bars and restaurants barely have enough space for three people inside and feature super steep stairs to their more spacious, though also insanely tiny, upstairs.

When the guys were done with it they traveled all around Tokyo for a year, visiting some of the most beautiful and amazing places in the country. The complete build blog and travel adventure documentation is on their website, and if you happen to live in Japan and are interested in a lightly used, very custom, super cool RV, they're selling it! Only $5,500! Call us sentimental, but we'd keep that thing forever and ever if it were ours. [Two Story Camping Car]

10. The National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
Nothing says America like the Corvette, and no place better preserves the spirit and history of the classic American sports car than the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky, near the production site of the Corvette. Get a look at historic Corvette models, learn about the production history and get your own Corvette specially detailed (if you have one). It's like Mecca, but less crowded. [Corvette Museum]

9. Auburn - Cord - Duesenberg Museum (Auburn, Indiana)
Believe it or not, there was once an automotive operation in the U.S that wasn't based in Detroit. The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana preserves the unique story of these three companies, all important in their day. The museum also remembers the seven other brands of cars produced in Auburn. The Gallery of Classics shows off cars from the "classics era" that competed to be the cream of the cream. [ACD Museum]

8. Jay Leno's Garage (Secret Location, California)
When Jay Leno does something interesting or noble with cars, like rescuing a Duesenberg, the resulting cars end up in the Big Dog Garage, which houses cars powered by turbines, steam and the engine out of a Patton tank. Though not exactly on the map, we totally think it would be worth it to just show up and beg to be let inside (you could also break a window, but then you might damage a car). We hear the Popular Mechanics boys know where it is, go ask them. [Jay Leno's Garage]

7. The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village (Dearborn, Michigan)
What would an American automotive pilgrimage be without a trip to the greater Detroit area and The Henry Ford Museum? Though not everything is car-themed, there's an amazing collection of automotive history, including Rosa Parks' bus, the Lincoln in which JFK was assassinated and the relatively untragic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. If you leave "The" out of the museum's name, they cart you off to the turn-of-the-century jail outside in Greenfield Village, a place of make-believe designed to capture the spirit of the American Industrial Revolution. Also, they have really good pies. [The Henry Ford]

6. Indianapolis Motor Speedway & Museum (Indianapolis, Indiana)
The self-proclaimed "Racing Capital Of The World," the Brickyard has a lot to offer in the way of a journey for racing fans. In addition to the famous track, the accompanying museum includes historic footage, a large trophy collection and timing equipment from the older days. Of course, there's always a collection of dozens of rare vehicles, including the Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250LM and the more American 57' SSI Corvette. If you know who to tip, you may even get a chance to head down into the basement because that's where the real magic is stored. Non-disclosure agreements prevent us from saying anything more. [Indy Motor Speedway]

5. The ArtCar Museum (Houston, Texas)
For those more inclined toward customization and personalization, the ArtCar Museum (a.k.a. The Garage Mahal) contains a large collection of outstanding testaments to our rolling culture. There's also a rotation of cars, sculptures, photos and paintings that chronicle the evolving art of cars. [ArtCar Museum]

4. Petersen Automotive Museum (Los Angeles, California)
Covering over 300,000 square feet and four floors, the history of the automobile is lovingly detailed at the relatively new Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Current exhibits include "The Art of Cars," "Nascar: 60 Years" and the totally meta "From Autocamp to Airstreams: The Early Road to Vactionland." It's like the Library of Alexandria of cars... but without the tragic destruction. Petersen Museum

3. Historic Route 66 (Chicago to Los Angeles)
Though no longer marked as an actual highway, there are plenty of resources to help you make the trip from the Second City to the City of Angels along Route 66, the Mother Road. Whether you do the entire journey or a small historic portion of the road, like Holbrook to Topock, there's plenty to see along the way. If you make it through the Texas panhandle, we recommend the leaning water tower in Groom, Texas, which was built to attract tourists making the journey. [Historic 66]

2. Carhenge (Alliance, Nebraska)
A detailed recreation of Stonehenge made from 38 spray-painted classic American automobiles, Carhenge is an undeniably weird and awesome destination for those with a car-spiritual nature. The stewards of the site have worked with artists to place other car-based sculptures, such as a take on Vivald's "Four Seasons" made with Fords. [Carhenge]

1. Deals Gap (Blount County, Tennessee)
Considered by many to be the best driving in the country, the portion of U.S. Highway 129 in rural Tennessee is a must-visit for those with superior automobiles (or not) and a thirst for spirited transportation. The Tail of the Dragon, in particular, is said to contain more than 300 curves in less than 11 miles. Lacking any serious development, it's mostly uninterrupted driving... with the exception of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Be safe, be quick but be wary of the flashing lights. [This is what it looks like In An Audi TT]

These are the 10 we could come up with, but feel free to add American automotive pilgrimages of your own.

Not only is this a great-looking replica of the movie star car, but open up that hood and you'll find something else not found on a standard Ford wagon: A 5.3-liter GM small-block V8 plucked from a 2002 Chevy Silverado. The guy who built it up said he just had the motor lying around anyways, so why not drop it in? That's our kind of thinking. Now, he plans on driving the Truckster in the Hot Rod Power Tour, where he's sure to turn some heads with this sweet metallic pea green machine.
[LS1tech.com] Hat Tip to John and Richard!

Automobile Magazine's Best Road Trip Vehicles By Category

Best Seats: Volvo S80

Most Versatile: Chrysler Town & Country

Most Cargo Space: Dodge Sprinter

Best Entertainment System: Infiniti M35/M45

Best Fuel Economy: Toyota Corolla/Honda Civic Hybrid (tie)

Best To Sleep In While Moving: Lexus LS460L/LS600hL

I've decided that since I gave 11.5 years of my life to this country, and even lost body parts fighting for it, I want to SEE it, and the people who live in it. My plan is to drive basically a big circle around the USA from TN to Maine, then Oregon, down Cali and off to Key West. I have a beat up 1984 Suburban I've been preparing for the trip, and my plan is to live in it, along with my mildly retarded Boxer. I hope to see a lot of sites, stay off the interstates, and meet a lot of interesting people along the way...

We're big fans of excess and therefore like the idea of any Reagan-era Winnebago powered by the Toyota 22R. You've got comfort (there's a bed), pretty reasonable mileage, a bathroom and nothing but style. On the other end, we think we could cross the country stealthily in a V8-powered Phaeton. But that's us. It's your trip, your dime and your dream.

[Photo: Toyota Dolphin 86]

We were tempted to mock these guys with a headline something along the lines of "Utahns Meet World," but it turns out this is actually pretty cool. Their route was originally drawn up by Josh's dad 15 years ago, who was forced to abandon his dream due to a death in the family. The three friends have since updated it with the help of Google Earth. To make the record time they're driving straight through, alternating naps in the back seat of their Scion xB with turns driving and navigating. The Guinness World Record committee wouldn't sanction their attempt for fear of sanctioning dangerous driving, so if Josh, Adam and Joey are successful, all they'll get is the satisfaction of having done it. [The Great American Road Trip via NPR]

Thanks to Nate for the tip.

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In his unassuming garage in the German country side, buried unter various parts boxes and old blankets, are the bits and pieces that make up one of 462 known worldwide examples of the original BMW 328 - the car that defined BMW's as ultimate driving machines in pre-war Germany. Built between 1936 and 1940, 328's won the Mille Miglia in '38 and the RAC Rally in '39. They were even in the running for the car of the century back at the end of the 1900's. These are some of the most sought after BMW's in the world. Ladies and gentlemen of the audience, please direct your attention to the gallery where you can see the car as it stands today. Would you believe us if we told you those parts are right now worth three hundred and fifty thousand Euro. Yeah, our jaws hit the floor too.

As you can see, the coach work is being painstakingly rebuilt from the ground up. All of that glimmering steel is hand worked to replace the lost or damaged. Each hammer stroke along the door frame can be seen, though only from the soon to be polished away scuff mark. The curve is smooth to the hand - planished to perfection. The manually rolled steel around the hood vent is so symmetrical it looks as if it just came off the press.

The engine (the one laying on its side, on a hand truck, under a blanket) was sourced from a technical school somewhere in Russia, and alone cost 25,000 Euro. Those are three original Solex carbs topped with steel mesh filters. Check out that cast aluminum radiator fan. So. Cool. We don't even know what to say more than that. Letting the pictures do the talking is about all we can do. How often do you fly into Germany and stare face to face with a legend being remade? Never, that's how often.

It's incredible that this car is dead stock, right down to the brush guard, but totally true. Apparently this was a very popular car with Germany's hunting population, which is both small, and insanely regulated. The little cars could get into and out of the Hinterlands without a problem and still return fantastic mileage. We're thinking US hunters would have a slightly different opinion of the car, probably involving a lot more laughter, but we still want to add it to our collection.