Some of Porsche 911s on display at Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California, on 11 May, 2013. Some of these 911s are likely to be subjects in my upcoming book, Porsche's 911: A 50th Anniversary Album. For more details on the project visit http://kck.st/ZS7uX3

Photos taken in April, 2013, of a 1964 Porsche 901, chassis number 300 018 (photo 19), currently in a private collection in the United States.

Photo portfolio of Jerry Yoder's low-mileage 1969 Corvair, the rare four-door hardtopversion from the last year of production in 1969. The car is in as-delivered condition, a true time capsule example of Chevrolet's innovative small car from the sixties.

The 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911, introduced at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show as the Type 901. In 1964 the model designation was changed to 911 and the rest is history. The Porsche 911 is a sports car icon known around the world. This collection of images celebrates not only the 911 but other Porsches on display at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

This pristine, unmolested, 100% original 1964 Rambler Classic was once owned by George Romney (Mitt's dad). It was purchased by George Romney after he left the presidency of American Motors while serving his first term as Governor of Michigan.

Images used in the production of the Icon Status layout in the premiere issue of Chevrolet Driver.

A collection of GM big-block muscle from 1970. All four cars were restored by Phil LaChapelle who owns the Chevelle SS396 pictured in this collection.

This is the car that many auto enthusiasts peg as the start of the muscle car era, the 1964 Pontiac GTO. But this is not just any 1964 Pontiac GTO, this is THE 1964 Pontiac GTO that Jim Wangers sent Car and Driver for its famous cover story comparing it to the legendary Ferrari 250 GTO and firmly established Car and Driver as one of the top US car buff books of the era, a place it still occupies to this day.

Thanks go to film maker and owner Tenny Fairchild for allowing me the opportunity to shoot this piece of automotive history and add it to my portfolio. It will be the subject of an upcoming book that I am collaborating on with automotive writer Rick Rothermel.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This is a set of photos taken of the one-off 1967 Jaguar Pirana concept car with a body styled by Bertone. They have been treated with a mild tonemapping treatment to give the photos an HDR look.

This description comes from uniquecarsandparts.com.au

It was never intended that the Bertone Jaguar Pirana would make it to production, it being manufactured exclusively as a concept for display at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show.

Then again, it was not simply a hollow shell incapable of being driven. Indeed the Bertone Pirana was a fully operational concept, based on the chassis of a 4.2 litre E-Type Jaguar.

The idea for the car came about amoung a group of motoring journalists who, in March of that year, decided to experiment with the development of a car that would represent the attainable, unlike the offerings from Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati and Iso, their prices ensuring they were the play-things of only the rich and famous.

John Anstey came up with the idea, stipulating that the car should be built from components already in production and available to the public, and that all the latest aids to safety, comfort and performance should be built into it.

By the third week in April the basic design had crystallized, Sir William Lyons agreeing to sell the Telegraph a 2-plus-2 E-Type Chassis. Then, after a record minimum of letters (two each way), Nuccia Bertone agreed to design and build the coachwork, promising to complete the job in time for the London (18th to 28th October) and Turin (1st to 12th November) motor shows.

The result was the Bertone Pirana, a fastback two-seater with abbreviated Doktor Kamm tail and an overall length of just over 15 feet (making it slightly shorter than the E-Type 2-plus-2, which was 15 feet 4.3 inches long). To extend the effective track wide based rims and tyres (Dunlop cross-ply racing) were used, the cars overall width being 5 feet 6 inches (as compared to the E-Types 5 ft. 5.3 in.).

Being a prototype, the Pirana was heavier than the E-Type, which resulted in a small performance loss when compared with the donor car. That said, there were plenty of other companies prepared to assist with the cars development. Triplex supplied special Sundym glass which featured a thick vinyl interlayer which increased flexibility and resistance to penetration, with both the windscreen and rear window (which was hinged at the top to give access to the luggage space) being heated by wires laid in the interlayer.

Joseph Lucas, with offices in Turin, kept a close watch on their side of the project, which included paired 5 3/4" diameter headlamps at each end of the grille - the main beam being supplied by the inner lamps of each pair, which used quartz-iodine bulbs; the outer, sealed beam lamps being used for dipping.

Smith's Motor Accessory Division played a big part in the luxury side of the original concept, their assistant chief engineer for special products Brian Bishop making many journeys to Turin during the construction of the car. The result was the development of a special heating and air-conditioning system that used a refrigerator which cooled and de-humidified all air - whether it is needed for cooling or heating. It also featured one of the original climate control systems, using only two controls for the selection of temperature and blower speed. Using the principle that warm air rises, and cool comes down, heated air travelled forward along ducts let into the door sills from the heater unit behind the seats, while cool air was distributed throughout the car via a perforated distributor mounted to the roof.

A radiomobile set was linked to Smith's latest tape-recorder and player - the first such unit to use cassettes. Forward thinking safety items included seat-belt reminder lamps and audible warnings, along with speed limit warnings. Inside the Bertone Pirana was functional, the E-Type steering wheel being carried over and giving a clue as to the origins of the car. The seats were upholstered in top-grade Connolly Anela hide, and special Britax seatbelts were fitted which used webbing to match the upholstery.

Amazingly the Pirana was finished in time, a true tribute to the people concerned with its development. Much of the design work was carried out behind closed doors, by only Nuccio Bertone and his chief stylist Marcello Gandini. They found time to develop a clay model which was modified many times before they were happy with the result. Then came full size and to-scale drawings, followed by a full size mock-up (done largely in wood) but using clay for the critical surface areas.

Then came the conversion to steel and alloy panels. While many were responsible for the cars development, special mention should be made of the main players, Bob Berry (then Jaguar executive director in charge of group publicity), Enzo Prearo (Bertone's commercial manager), Brian Bishop (Smith's assistant chief engineer in charge of special products), John Anstey (editor of The Daily Telegraph Magazine), and of course Nuccia Bertone and Marcell Gandini, Bertone's chief stylist.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This is a set of photos taken of the one-off 1967 Jaguar Pirana concept car with a body styled by Bertone.
This description comes from uniquecarsandparts.com.au

It was never intended that the Bertone Jaguar Pirana would make it to production, it being manufactured exclusively as a concept for display at the 1967 Earls Court Motor Show.

Then again, it was not simply a hollow shell incapable of being driven. Indeed the Bertone Pirana was a fully operational concept, based on the chassis of a 4.2 litre E-Type Jaguar.

The idea for the car came about amoung a group of motoring journalists who, in March of that year, decided to experiment with the development of a car that would represent the attainable, unlike the offerings from Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati and Iso, their prices ensuring they were the play-things of only the rich and famous.

John Anstey came up with the idea, stipulating that the car should be built from components already in production and available to the public, and that all the latest aids to safety, comfort and performance should be built into it.

By the third week in April the basic design had crystallized, Sir William Lyons agreeing to sell the Telegraph a 2-plus-2 E-Type Chassis. Then, after a record minimum of letters (two each way), Nuccia Bertone agreed to design and build the coachwork, promising to complete the job in time for the London (18th to 28th October) and Turin (1st to 12th November) motor shows.

The result was the Bertone Pirana, a fastback two-seater with abbreviated Doktor Kamm tail and an overall length of just over 15 feet (making it slightly shorter than the E-Type 2-plus-2, which was 15 feet 4.3 inches long). To extend the effective track wide based rims and tyres (Dunlop cross-ply racing) were used, the cars overall width being 5 feet 6 inches (as compared to the E-Types 5 ft. 5.3 in.).

Being a prototype, the Pirana was heavier than the E-Type, which resulted in a small performance loss when compared with the donor car. That said, there were plenty of other companies prepared to assist with the cars development. Triplex supplied special Sundym glass which featured a thick vinyl interlayer which increased flexibility and resistance to penetration, with both the windscreen and rear window (which was hinged at the top to give access to the luggage space) being heated by wires laid in the interlayer.

Joseph Lucas, with offices in Turin, kept a close watch on their side of the project, which included paired 5 3/4" diameter headlamps at each end of the grille - the main beam being supplied by the inner lamps of each pair, which used quartz-iodine bulbs; the outer, sealed beam lamps being used for dipping.

Smith's Motor Accessory Division played a big part in the luxury side of the original concept, their assistant chief engineer for special products Brian Bishop making many journeys to Turin during the construction of the car. The result was the development of a special heating and air-conditioning system that used a refrigerator which cooled and de-humidified all air - whether it is needed for cooling or heating. It also featured one of the original climate control systems, using only two controls for the selection of temperature and blower speed. Using the principle that warm air rises, and cool comes down, heated air travelled forward along ducts let into the door sills from the heater unit behind the seats, while cool air was distributed throughout the car via a perforated distributor mounted to the roof.

A radiomobile set was linked to Smith's latest tape-recorder and player - the first such unit to use cassettes. Forward thinking safety items included seat-belt reminder lamps and audible warnings, along with speed limit warnings. Inside the Bertone Pirana was functional, the E-Type steering wheel being carried over and giving a clue as to the origins of the car. The seats were upholstered in top-grade Connolly Anela hide, and special Britax seatbelts were fitted which used webbing to match the upholstery.

Amazingly the Pirana was finished in time, a true tribute to the people concerned with its development. Much of the design work was carried out behind closed doors, by only Nuccio Bertone and his chief stylist Marcello Gandini. They found time to develop a clay model which was modified many times before they were happy with the result. Then came full size and to-scale drawings, followed by a full size mock-up (done largely in wood) but using clay for the critical surface areas.

Then came the conversion to steel and alloy panels. While many were responsible for the cars development, special mention should be made of the main players, Bob Berry (then Jaguar executive director in charge of group publicity), Enzo Prearo (Bertone's commercial manager), Brian Bishop (Smith's assistant chief engineer in charge of special products), John Anstey (editor of The Daily Telegraph Magazine), and of course Nuccia Bertone and Marcell Gandini, Bertone's chief stylist.

Collection of photos of Jim Hetrick's 1946 Dodge Power Wagon pickup, previously featured in Cars and Parts magazine and recently on pickuptrucks.com.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos taken by Stephen Williams of the 2012 Concours d'Elegance of America, held July 29, 2012 at the Inn of St Johns, Plymouth, Michigan.

HDR color photos of a 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster equipped with the rare factory hardtop, shot for an upcoming magazine feature.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

HDR color photos of a 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster equipped with the rare factory hardtop, shot for an upcoming magazine feature.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Standard color photos of a 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster equipped with the rare factory hardtop, shot for an upcoming magazine feature.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This past Saturday, July 14, 2012, I had my first opportunity to visit the Mullen Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. Dedicated to the display of French cars from the pre-World War Two era (with a few exceptions like the Czech-built Tatra). The private museum is open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

The collection is housed in the building that once housed the famed Otis Chandler Collection and the facility has been redesigned with an authentic Art Deco look to give the appearance of a Paris Auto Salon from the period between the wars. To say that the collection is stunning is an understatement to say the least.

I would like to note that while restored cars are the main focus of the collection, especially Bugattis, the Schlumph Reserve Collection (image 3) is a group of cars that have been purposely left in unrestored condition to preserve their originality, a movement that is gaining in popularity.

As the museum displays artifacts and photos of the era, I have taken the liberty of taking a black and white photo of the 1931 Paris Auto Salon as a reference (image 2), then I transformed all of my images into black and white (color photos can be found at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/mullen-automotive-m/) and hope everyone enjoys viewing these photos, which for the most part have been captioned and identified (a few need to be captioned and I plan to upload some detail photos shortly).

Personally, I prefer the black and white photos to the color photos as I feel that the truly evoke the wonderful era before the Second World War when France was at the forefront of automotive design.

I would like to note that while photography is allowed at the Mullen Automotive Museum, photography with a tripod is not. This required that I shoot the collection hand-held using an exposure index of 640 or 1000 instead of my customary 100-200. This results in photos that are grainy (looking a bit like they were shot with Kodak Tri-X film) and do not print out well larger than 11 x 14 so please keep that in mind if you are purchasing any photographs from this folder.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This past Saturday, July 14, 2012, I had my first opportunity to visit the Mullen Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. Dedicated to the display of French cars from the pre-World War Two era (with a few exceptions like the Czech-built Tatra). The private museum is open to the public on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

The collection is housed in the building that once housed the famed Otis Chandler Collection and the facility has been redesigned with an authentic Art Deco look to give the appearance of a Paris Auto Salon from the period between the wars. To say that the collection is stunning is an understatement to say the least.

I would like to note that while restored cars are the main focus of the collection, especially Bugattis, the Schlumph Reserve Collection (image 3) is a group of cars that have been purposely left in unrestored condition to preserve their originality, a movement that is gaining in popularity.

I have a second set of images of the visit available, converted to black and white, which can be viewed at http://public.fotki.com/automotivetraveler/mullen-automotive-m-1/

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos taken at the 2012 Dana Point Concours d'Elegance held at the St. Regis Resort at Monarch Beach. The event showcased cars that ran at Le Mans and honored Checkered Flag 200 founder Bruce Meyer who brough his Briggs Cunningham Corvette, the SEFAC Ferrari 250 SWB, and the first production Shelby Cobra.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

For a change of pace this weekend, instead of attending another Concours d'Elegance, I attended a small gathering of vintage trailer enthusiasts at the Prado Regional Park in Chino, California. Met a great group of people and was able to check out a number of restored vintage trailers.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Selection of photos from the second annual San Marino Motor Classic, held 10 June at Lacey Park in San Marino, California. In just its second year the event drew a world-class field of cars from both the prewar and postwar eras. Winner of the Best of Show award was Tony Vincent with his 1939 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet, the first photo in this album.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved. Editors and agencies interested in purchasing or licensing any of the images are invited to contact me by sending me a message through Fotki.

This unusual car is probably unfamiliar to you unless you are a fan of Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, or Alfred Hitchcock. It is virtually identical to the car Kelly drove in 1955's To Catch a Thief.

It is, in my humble opinion, one of the most photogenic cars I have ever photographed.

Fully restored, it was one of 1,582 built over a production run that spanned 1953 to 1955. It is powered by a 2.3-liter OHV four, and I would consider it a contemporary of the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL, another four-cylinder four-seater, itself introduced in 1955.

The car is related to the Sunbeam Talbot 90 sedan and many of the design details come from the noted designer, Raymond Lowey, who finalized the design.

This car was photographed for an upcoming magazine feature in Italy and I am exploring other feature opportunities in the US and markets outside of North America.

There are three sets of photos in this album. The first set are photos of the car where I employed standard processing only. the second set of photos employ mild tonemapping to give an HDR effect. The final set is where I applied a B&W treatment to the HDR photos to give the photos an in-period, press photo look.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

A selection of photos from the 2012 La Jolla Concours d'Elegance. More photos and full event coverage on AutomotiveTraveler.com at http://automotivetraveler.com/jump/4053

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Today, on the 68th anniversary of the D-Day invasion I remembered that I was in Normandy eight years ago for the 60th anniversary in 2004 on a tour of France in a Jeep Liberty for Truck Trend magazine. 160,000 Allied soldiers hit the beaches that day.

What struck me today is that in 2004, most of the veterans who returned to Normandy were in their eighties. How many will return in 2014 to celebrate what most probably think was the defining day of their lives?

I think that the last photos in this album are especially significant as they are the British paratroopers who returned to Pegasus Bridge. Personally, I think it takes a special brand of courage to jump out of an airplane, into the darkness, on to a continent held by the enemy. These men, who were teenagers then, and are in their eighties and in some instances their nineties, are a special breed. In taking the photos and listening to these veterans of D-Day talk, I was in absolute awe of their accomplishments on 6 June 1944.

The first two photos in the album, while not automotive, are also significant as they mark the graves of two soldiers, one American, one German, each who fell 68 years ago.

The place I stayed on this and on three previous visits to Normandy (the first visit was in the days immediately following the September 11 attacks) was the Chateau Vouilly (photo four) not far from St. Mere Eglise. What's noteworthy, and a great reason to stay there, is breakfast is served in the room where US journalists Ernie Pyle, Robert Capa, Andy Rooney, and Ernest Hemmingway filed their dispatches in the weeks immediately following the invasion in June and July, 1944. Chateau Vouilly is not far from the invasion beaches, Caen, St. Lo, and the nearby American and German cemeteries.

Back in 2009 I published a feature on Automotive Traveler about my 2001 visit, which can be found here http://bit.ly/LaDtqJ The published accounts of my 2001 visits, a two part series in Four Wheeler magazine can be found here http://bit.ly/Kh5Jqb and here http://bit.ly/LBTcQn

Of all the trips I've taken over the years, this one remains the most meaningful, especially given that less than 30 minutes after taking the photo in the German Cemetery in Normandy, I was hit by a car and came very close to being killed.

Over the years I reflected on this many times, realizing that life is truly precious and that one should live every day as it it might be your last. Those are the words I live by.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Last year (2011) I was invited by a good friend to spend a Sunday touring the garages of several members of the Checkered Flag 200, the group of enthusiasts that supports the Petersen Automotive Museum. With so much going on at the time, I really didn't do much with the photos but after reviewing the photos, I started to edited the photos, posting the first group from the first stop on the tour.

More photos from the other stops on the tour will follow so check back.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

The great thing about the Saturday morning Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California, is that you are never sure exactly what will show up. While the 1961 Fiat 600 Multipla MPV was great (http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/from-the-archives-14/) this Saturday was an appreciation for all series of the Mercedes-Benz SL. There were almost a dozen first-generation SLs in attendance, both Gullwings and roadsters.

Most interesting to me was Steve Marx's white 300SL, chassis number 18, a very early 1954 model. Steve took time to show me the differences between his car, such as the dogleg shifter and the welting for the front fender "eyebrows," features not found on later model production 300SLs which he pointed out on the other Gullwings nearby. Thanks for spending the time with me Steve, I learned so much and appreciate it greatly.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

On Saturday 2 June, 2012, friends and fans of Steve McQueen gathered at Boys Republic in Chino Hills, California, the school the King Of Cool once attended. There, in a fun and festive atmosphere, they gathered to honor his memory. Several cars and trucks once owned by Steve McQueen were on display, including his 1953 Hudson Hornet pictured here.

Mustangs and Porsches were the main attraction, no surprise given the actor's close connection to both marques through his films Bullitt and Le Mans.

There were dozens of production, late-model Bullitt Mustangs (both generations) on hand as well as many tributes to the original Bullitt 1968 Mustang as well as its companion, tributes to the 1968 Charger R/T from the movie.

Please feel free to leave comments and to view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

While Chrysler is given credit for introducing the minivan in the fall of 1983, small passenger-carrying vans were introduced in Europe long before Chrysler's popular people mover. None was more popular than Fiat's 600 Multipla, produced from 1956 to 1965. And as the photos show, while Chrysler gets credit for its Stow and Go seating system, the engineers at its current partner Fiat conceived the idea back in 1956.

At the Saturday morning Cars and Coffee show in Irvine, California, there was a 1961 Fiat 600 Multipla in attendance, the same morning I attended in the new 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth, giving me the opportunity to shoot both together.

Also included in this photo album are scans of an English-language Fiat 600 Multipla brochure illustrating all the unique features of what might be the most space-efficient vehicle of all time.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Over the last couple of years I haven't shot too many tuner cars, especially domestics, but here's one that was shot for Amos Auto Enthusiast, the 2011 Ford Mustang Tjin Edition. In my opinion, tuner cars fall into two categories, "just right" and "over the top." This one falls into the "just right" category, tastefully modified with just the right amount of bling. It's a tight rope but here's one late model Mustang that in my opinion hits all the right buttons.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Saw this car at the annual John Force Christmas show, presented it to the editor of Cars and Parts as a possible feature and the next week shot this car with a near impossible deadline. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate so I photographed the car inside of Jay Leno's Big Dog Garage. Jay showed up at the end of the session after taping that night's Tonight Show at the nearby NBC Studios, posed for a few photos, and gave me a complete tour.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Another Cars and Parts feature car, this time capsule 1958 AMC Classic 6 station wagon had covered less than 10,000 miles when I shot it back in 2008. It's a Romney-era Rambler, George, not Mitt Romney (Mitt was 11 years old at the time) and it marked the start of the rise of AMC during the 1958 recession, that culminated in AMC rising to the number this position in sales in 1962.

Like all AMC station wagons, the area over the space behind the second row of seats looks as is if was grafted on... because it was. The AMC station wagons shared virtually all of the four-door sedan's stamping, thus making this range extension easy and inexpensive to add to the model lineup.

At the time these photos were taken the car was offered for sale by San Diego Classic and Muscle Cars in Escondido, California. I believe that the matching, attractive, home-built "canned ham" trailer shown in the photos was sold along with the car.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Beautiful, original 1962 Pontiac LeMans Convertible that appeared in Pontiac Enthusiast magazine. With a rope-like drive shaft and a rear-mounted transaxle, with the exception of the Corvette and Corvair (to which it was related), this was the most technologically advanced car built by GM. The four-cylinder engine is literally half of of Pontiac's famed 389-cubic-inch V8.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Another Cars and Parts feature car, this is the last "Squarebird" (1958-1960) to roll down the line in Wixom, Michigan. Was a special-order car with a number of unique trim elements, especially in the interior. This is an an original car with original paint. Rather than over restoring it, the owner works very hard in cleaning away over 50 years of accumulated road grime.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Studio images of a 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda. While stock-appearing, if you look closely, especially at the photos of the rear tires, you will see that this 'Cuda features and updated suspension, enabling it to corner and handle as well as almost any contemporary muscle car.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This spectacular 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS was a cover car for Auto Enthusiast magazine, garnering many favorable comments.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This is the companion album of the color studio images of the 1954 Corvette, converted to B&W to give the appearance of in-period factory-supplied press photos.

This car has not appeared as a feature presentation in any magazine, it was planned as a feature in Chevy Enthusiast magazine but the magazine ceased publication in the fall of 2010.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

In going through some photos albums stored online, I found this set, taken in 2004 at the Volo Auto Museum north of Chicago. It is the one-off 1967 Shelby EXP 500 convertible prototype that was rebodied into a 1968 configuration for publicity purposes. The Shelby VIN tag which I photographed (but not included here) ends in 139 which is the same number of the car that is very well documented at http://www.1967shelbyconvertible.com

Anyone who has information on this car, please contact me by leaving a comment here in the album.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

In 1957 the Nash nameplate's history came to an end as AMC ended production of the full-size Nash and Hudson models. This was another car featured in Cars and Parts. For more automotive photo albums visit Automotive Traveler/Fotki index page at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ And don't forget to visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com for more original automotive and travel content.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

The Jaguar Pirana was a one-off Jaguar prototype commissioned by John Anstey of the Daily Telegraph newspaper for the 1967 Earl's Court Motor Show built by the coachbuilder Bertone. Built on a Jaguar E-Type 2+2 chassis, it was styled by Bertone chief stylist Marcello Gandini and was built in just six months. It was for sale in the Palm Springs area in 2010 when I photographed for a magazine story that didn't come to fruition. Complete details on the car can be found at http://bit.ly/JIYszb and I was able to track down a promotional brochure at http://bit.ly/MMXAQk

Update 5/25/2012 -- I just talked with the current owner of the car, who bought it from the dealer who helped me with this photo shoot and I will be updating this description with more information on this car as it becomes available.

This 1957 Lincoln Premiere converible appeared as a Cars and Parts feature.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos taken of many of the Nash, Rambler, and AMC cars on display at the 100 Years of Rambler Show in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2002.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Studio photography of of a 1954 Corvette roadster. This car has not appeared as a feature presentation in any magazine, it was planned as a feature in Chevy Enthusiast magazine but the magazine ceased publication in the fall of 2010.

Please view the rest of my albums posted at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/ and visit the Automotive Traveler homepage at http://automotivetraveler.com

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos of a custom 2-door Chevy Chevelle 2-door station wagon done up Tiki style that appeared in Chevy Enthusiast magazine.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Previously unpublished photos of a very unique 1960 Pontiac Bonneville that features a period correct aftermarket underdash record player.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

She's so fine my 409 sand the Beach Boys and her's the car that inspired the song, a beautifully restored 1962 Chevy Impala 409 Bubbletop.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

What is it about gas stations that so motivates so many car people (car guys and car girls collectively)? Are these items a memory of long lost youth? When a gallon of gas cost 30 cents a gallon (pre-1973's OPEC Oil Embargo, adjusted for inflation that gallon of gas should now cost about $1.65)?

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.These photos show one man's impressive collection of petrolania. My favorite? Having grown up in New Jersey and having started driving in the fall of 1971, I think that the mint condition Sunoco custom blending pump is the centerpiece of his collection. But be sure to check out the ZL-1 cross-ram Camaro.

Be sure to check out the rest of the albums in the Automotive Traveler Fotki image gallery at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/

Edited photos used in the 2012 Fabulous Fords Forever! coverage published on AutomotiveTraveler.com (http://automotivetraveler.com/jump/3987) Check out the rest of the Automotive Traveler/Fotki galleries at http://automotivetraveler.fotki.com/

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

First seen at the 2009 Rose Bowl Show, this is another one of my Cars and Parts cover cars.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This stunning 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing was just photographed for a feature that will appear in an overseas publication. As I am doing with many of my recent photo albums, I am producing three albums, one a standard conversion from RAW files to JPG images, a second album with a mild tone mapping treatment applied to simulate an HDR look, and finally a conversion from color HDR to B&W HDR. I think this gives the photos an in-period look, like a factory press photo.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This stunning 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing was just photographed for a feature that will appear in an overseas publication. As I am doing with many of my recent photo albums, I am producing three albums, one a standard conversion from RAW files to JPG images, a second album with a mild tone mapping treatment applied to simulate an HDR look, and finally a conversion from color HDR to B&W HDR. THis is the tone mapped, HDR-look album.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This stunning 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing was just photographed for a feature that will appear in an overseas publication. As I am doing with many of my recent photo albums, I am producing three albums, one a standard conversion from RAW files to JPG images, a second album with a mild tone mapping treatment applied to simulate an HDR look, and finally a conversion from color HDR to B&W HDR. This is the RAW to JPG conversion album.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Of all the 1000+ cars I've shot over the past 15 years, this Bertone-bodied BMW coupe remains one of my favorites. Again, I've never produced a feature on this car and these are basically quick snapshots of the car, its a local Southern California car and I still wait for a magazine editor to commission a full feature.

The BMW 3200 CS was a sports touring car manufactured by BMW between January 1962 and September 1965 and was the last version of a BMW using the postwar luxury sedan 501 platform introduced in 1951. It was introduced at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show and over its lifespan, a little more than five hundred were built. The styling of the 3200 CS obviously influenced the 2000 CS coupe that followed, a car based on the New Class sedans. It is also is one of the first BMWs to employ the now famous the Hofmeister kink on its C-pillar, a styling element that survives to today's BMWs.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

These are photos of one very special station wagon and another Cars and Parts cover car, a 1957 Buick Century Caballero Estate. What makes this station wagon so unusual is it is a four-door hardtop station wagon. Station wagons that featured pillarless styling were very unusual and rare. They were offered by Buick for just two model years, 1957 and 1958 and represented less than 3% of total sales. Like all buick station wagons, from the A-pillar to the rear bumper, the bodies were supplied by Ionia Manufacturing.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

While I have posted these photos of this very pretty Lancia Flavia coupe under the From the Archives title, I've never published a story on this car. To me it's like a baby (and much less expensive) Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 four-headlight coupe. I think that this is due in part to the fact that both 2+2s were styled by Pininfarina.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Very rare 1969 Dodge Charger 500 Hemi, a cheater car produced with a flush-mounted front grille and rear back light (window) to gain an aerodynamic advantage for the 1969 NASCAR season. Ford countered and Dodge countered with the even more radical winged Dodge Daytona, cousin to the Plymouth Superbird.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Previously unpublished photos of a perfectly restored 1967 Ford F250 Camper Special. I love it when I encounter trucks like this as so many of these trucks have been lost to time once their utility days are over.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos of a nearly 100% original 1963 Studebaker Avanti. Designed, built, and marketed in Studebaker's dying days, launched in the fall of 1962, the Avanti was one of the most innovative cars of its time but it was not enough to save Studebaker and production ceased a year later after less than 6,000 were built. This set of images are tone mapped to simulate the look of HDR photography.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell and AutomotiveTraveler.com, all rights reserved.

Photos of a nearly 100% original 1963 Studebaker Avanti. Designed, built, and marketed in Studebaker's dying days, launched in the fall of 1962, the Avanti was one of the most innovative cars of its time but it was not enough to save Studebaker and production ceased a year later after less than 6,000 were built. This set of images are black and white conversions of the tone mapped images to give the look of in-period factory photos.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell and AutomotiveTraveler.com, all rights reserved.

Photos of a nearly 100% original 1963 Studebaker Avanti. Designed, built, and marketed in Studebaker's dying days, launched in the fall of 1962, the Avanti was one of the most innovative cars of its time but it was not enough to save Studebaker and production ceased a year later after less than 6,000 were built. This set of images are standard JPGs converted from RAW files. Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell and AutomotiveTraveler.com, all rights reserved.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

A very unusual woody, a 1947 Ford body sitting on top of the chassis and drivetrain of a 2004 Lincoln Aviator.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Shot this classic VW in mind for Auto Trader Classics but the editor, believe it or not, didn't like the color? tell me, what was she thinking?

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Another one of the four woodies I shot for a special issue of Cars and Parts where I produced all four features. (I think that pissed off all the other contributors.)

As I recall this International Harvester R-130 was one of three or four built and was used to transport Congressional representatives around the National Parks. Glad the GSA doesn't waste money like that today, right?

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

This was the cover car/truck for the all-woodies special issue of Cars and Parts I produced (I also shot a post war Chevy woodie but haven't yet been able to locate the photos.)

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

The 1953 Dodge Coronet station wagon tribute on display at the NHRA Museum in Pomona, California. This car is a replica of the NHRA safety car and appeared as a feature in Cars & Parts magazine in 2010.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Back in August 2010, on a visit to the Pacific Northwest, I had the opportunity to visit the existing facility housing the Harold Lemay Collection. On June 2, 2010 the collection will move to a state-of-the-art facility in Tacoma, Washington.

On my visit, as the photos show, I concentrated on shooting some of the collection's less mainstream vehicles, specifically many orphan cars that are part of this collection.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

HDR vintage-look photos of the 1941 Chevy Pickup I shot for my title, Chevy Enthusiast. These photos were used to illustrate an Automotive Photography article published in 2012 on AutomotiveTraveler.com at http://automotivetraveler.com/jump/4002

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.



Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

HDR-look photos of the 1941 Chevy Pickup I shot for my title, Chevy Enthusiast. These photos were used to illustrate an Automotive Photography article published in 2012 on AutomotiveTraveler.com at http://automotivetraveler.com/jump/4002

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos of a rare 1962 Porsche 356 Super 90 coupe

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos of a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE for an upcoming magazine feature.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

Photos from the 2012 Rancho Mirage Desert Classic Concours held at the Westin Mission Hills Resort and Spa.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.

These are photos from my trip in 2005 from London to Maranello and back for Octane magazine. Along the way we visited five vintage GT40s, drove the Nurburgring and the Circuit Bugatti at Le mans, and stopped by the Ferrari factory in Maranello. Along the way we traveled more than 2,500 miles.

Photos copyright 2012 by Richard Truesdell, all rights reserved.