Petrolicious

For some, the dedication and passion invested into their vintage car approaches fanatical levels, much like those who push their limits in the ocean. Whether racing from Molokai to Oahu or paddle-boarding for miles and miles off California's coast, being in the ocean can become an obsession. For Mr. Casey Annis, Vintage Racecar editor, his 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce 1600 allows him to bridge the gap between his two pastimes—classic cars and the ocean.

Had the James Bond series been set in Italy, this would be his car. Instead, this Lancia Flaminia Super Sport Zagato belongs to Mr. Robert Giaimo and is simply about style. Simply being the operative word because the shape is so pure and unadorned. The Lancia was blessed with taut lines, classic proportions, and is mercifully devoid of any extraneous details.

Yesterday, we asked you which Japanese cars helped improve Americans’ opinions. But perhaps it wasn’t the cars as much as the people who bought them. At the young age of fourteen, Mr. Christopher Hoffman helped convince his mother to buy a ’77 Honda Civic wagon. That was just a small, first step in what would become a life-long infatuation with Hondas.

Starting any classic car is special. There is the sensation that something distinct and superior is taking place because of the rituals observed and details you notice. On this 1956 Porsche 356A T1 Speedster for example the windscreen is removable, the seats have a thin fiberglass shell and the steering wheel is elegant and spartan. There is little concession to comfort and virtually none to safety. When new, this was the least expensive Porsche available and had a 'less is more' philosophy behind it. Indeed, the car was intended to be taken to the track and be a legitimate club-racing contender. It seems that that's precisely how this 356 spent a large portion of its early life. Raced around Connecticut, the car racked up trophies and actually won the E-Production Championship in 1963. The majority of this car's first 50,000 miles were racked up on the track. It wasn't designed to coddle. Although it only makes about 60hp, it causes an adrenaline rush as you're close to the road, the instruments, and there isn't a lot surrounding you. There's immediacy about the car. And according to the owner, Mr. Jon Warshawsky, "It feels like a racing machine." When driving on B-roads, "you feel like you should be on the track." There is an intimate mechanical interaction because the power-band is narrow; both you and the car have to agree that the next shift is appropriate otherwise there might be bogging or might over-rev the engine. The feeling that something great is happening is due to this constant dialogue between you and the car.

Mr. Bob Gough's family moved to France for a few years when he was thirteen years-old and thus he grew up idolizing European sports cars and looking down on American muscle. That was until he discovered the 1967 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S. The ‘Cuda Formula S was upgraded in-house by Plymouth with suspension and brakes, allowing it to keep pace with Europe's best.

Some people might consider Mr. Brian Bent's lifestyle extreme, an anachronism perhaps. But we have a feeling that he'd be OK with that. You see, when Brian purchased this 1927 Oakland he built the clutch pack himself. He also makes his own 1920s and '30s style surfboards and his own period-correct clothing. Brian applies "Drive Tastefully" to his entire life, making sure that all the pieces fit him.

We're all affected differently. Some people fall in love because their dad or uncle had one. Others fall in love out of necessity, constant breakdowns requiring them to work on their car. For Mr. Frank Mandarano a tour through the Maserati factory in 1971 was enough for him to be smitten. He bought his first Maserati a few years later, a red 3500GT, which promptly broke the day after he bought it.

After expressing an interest in racing, saying it "looked like fun," Mr. Jack Griffin found himself strapped to a race car contesting the 12 Hours of Sebring. Sure it was his first time sitting in a proper race car, but he had four days of training in a Nissan 280ZX at Bondurant a week or so earlier. In spite of his ample