There is a strange moment in the life of almost every collectible car. It happens somewhere between “that’s just an old used car” and “I can’t believe those are worth that much now.” I think that all the time!!!! Unfortunately, by the time we reach the second part, most of them are already gone. They’ve been wrecked. Modified beyond recognition. Left behind a repair shop because the estimate was higher than the car’s value. Donated. Crushed. Turned into parts cars. Or sold to someone’s nephew...

The Volkswagen Beetle has one of the strangest origin stories in automotive history because the car basically started life as transportation for ordinary people and somehow ended up becoming one of the biggest symbols of rebellion, hot rod culture, freedom, weirdness, and California creativity the world has ever seen. That almost never happens. Most cars either stay practical forever or become collectibles for rich people who wear loafers without socks and say things like “numbers matching”...

There was a time when saying your car was fast actually meant something. Now? Everything’s fast. A base Honda Civic will surprise you, a Tesla Model 3 will embarrass things twice its price, and half the SUVs on the road can outrun what used to be considered “performance cars.” Speed used to be the flex (I hate this saying but had to use it). Now it’s just… standard equipment. So when everyone’s quick, being “fast” doesn’t really separate you anymore. It’s like bragging that your phone has a...