Articles by Mike Ryan

Songs have been sung, books have been written and movies made about America's iconic Route 66. From Chicago to Los Angeles, the 2451 mile road winds its way through farmlands, mountain ranges and deserts, but most importantly it showcases what the 'Main Street of America' would have been like in its heyday, before the interstate bypassed hundreds of small towns.

When the biggest Hemi, Flathead Ford or Small Block Chev engine isn't enough, what do you do?

After a 20 year absence from top level touring car racing in Australia, Nissan will return in 2013, running four cars in the V8 Supercar Championship with Kelly Racing.

1965 proved to be one of the most successful years in US automotive history. All the Big Three carmakers (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler) recorded banner years, with more than 9 million vehicles sold across all domestic manufacturers. Naturally, Chevrolet had a pretty big chunk of that pie, with their full-size car range selling better than ever.

Continuing its trend of funky special edition models named after trendy London suburbs, MINI have recently revealed the 'Highgate' convertible.

Think of the iconic Targa Tasmania event, and screaming Porsches, Subarus and Mitsubishi Evos with their popping turbos come to mind. What doesn't come to mind is a Jaguar XJ6 saloon. That didn't dissuade Richard Andrews from using a classic Jag as the basis for a Targa and track weapon. So, what's involved in turning a 1970 Series I XJ6 saloon from mild to wild? A lot!

Shannons Sydney Summer Classic Auction will be a feast for fans of the "Leaping Cat", with five desirable Jags set to cross the blocks at the auction, to take place on February 20.

Amongst the consignments for Shannons Sydney Summer Classic Auction this February are a number of Aussie performance machines, including a Bolwell Nagari V8 coupe, K Code ZD Fairlane, VN V6-powered FJ Holden custom and this striking SLR 5000 Torana.

In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, MINI have released the first in a series of special edition models inspired by and named after culturally-significant suburbs and sections of modern London.

The 1975 Ford XB Falcon 'John Goss Special' hardtop coupe is one of those iconic Australian muscle cars. Just about every Ford fan would love to have one, but with only around 260 built, there's not enough to go round. George Vlahakis is one of the lucky owners - twice lucky, actually, as the Goss he sourced for restoration in 2008 was not only straight and relatively rust-free, but a matching numbers unit as well.

It's been one of the most keenly-anticipated cars in the history of the Touring Car Masters series, but this March, the AMC Javelin built for Jim Richards will make its competitive debut at the Clipsal 500.

Queensland-based classic car specialists Oldtimer Australia have a habit of finding old and extremely rare cars for sale, both here and overseas, for their clients. However, Oldtimer have excelled even themselves with this recent acquisition - a 1948 Tatra T87 sedan. A rare example of one of the Czech motor industry's most stunning cars, what makes this car even rarer is that it's one of the few to have been factory fitted with a sunroof, and has been upgraded with a later model of the firm's signature air-cooled V8 engine.