Robert Ross is joined (virtually) by Sam Fiorani to discuss the disruption of electric vehicles, the global market shift into trucks and SUVs, and the future of the car collector industry at large. After introductions, Robert asks Sam to share how he ended up at AutoForecast Solutions (1:08) and exactly what they do (2:30). Then Robert shifts gears to deep dive into the topic of electric vehicles and their impact on the car market (4:08). After a short break, the two men review the shift of popu...
Mar 08, 2021•35 min•Ep. 55
Robert Ross is joined again (virtually) by Rich Truesdell and Mark Fletcher to finish their conversation about the history, design, and impact of the American Muscle Car on automotive history. Robert gets things going right away by asking Rich and Mark what muscle cars they'd each put in their imaginary garages--which yields some surprising answers (0:31). Then Robert asks the two authors to detail the history of the hemi engine and how that translates into the collector market (11:30) and Rich ...
Mar 01, 2021•33 min•Ep. 54
After introductions, Rich explains the origins of their book "1970 Maximum Muscle" (2:20) and Mark explains the criteria for determining what Muscle Cars made it into their book (5:07). Mark and Rich explain that muscle cars were designed to appeal to the youth of the era, which was challenging considering the tumultuousness of '69-70 (11:17). Then Robert takes a detour to ask what a 'Pony Car' is (13:24) and then Rich and Mark discuss some of the larger impact on engine design from the company,...
Feb 22, 2021•33 min•Ep. 53
After an introduction, Robert asks Greg to share what The Collector Car Podcast is about and its unique approach and connection to the auction marketplace (1:18). Then, the two men turn their attention towards some recent auction surprises, including the recent Bonhams auction in Scottsdale, AZ (8:00), Greg explains his involvement in the auction process as a consultant for RM Sotheby's (9:13), and then thoughts on collector car investors (12:05). After a short break, Robert asks Greg about some...
Feb 15, 2021•36 min•Ep. 52
Robert jumps right back in by asking how many and what variety of cars and collections Scott has photographed, including some favorites (0:41), before turning his attention to an interesting project Scott did involving American muscle cars (5:11), and the importance of good design and provenance (7:21). After a short break, Scott shares some of the most difficult cars he's ever had to photograph and how he was uniquely suited to rise to the challenge with his studio (9:36), then he dives deep in...
Feb 08, 2021•24 min•Ep. 51
Robert begins by introducing and describing his long-time friendship with Scott Williamson (1:11). Scott then shares how a trip to Antarctica as a young man ultimately introduced him to the world of photography (3:38), how he moved to commercial photography (5:56), and how his unique history with and approach to cars uniquely qualified him for automotive photography (8:49). After a short break, Scott shares what makes his studio so unique and gives his advice for capturing their beauty (15:24) a...
Feb 01, 2021•30 min•Ep. 50
Robert begins by sharing the story of how he and Matthew met at the Inaugural Chantilly Concours and shared a deeper appreciation for art and luxury (1:05). Then Matthew shares his unconventional path to a men's style expert through photography (4:15), the founding of the William Brown Project (5:50), and the origins of his latest book, "A Man & His Car" (7:07). Then Matthew shares how and why watches and cars have so much overlap in those people who appreciate design and craftsmanship (10:4...
Jan 25, 2021•37 min•Ep. 49
After introducing Jakob, Robert shifts the conversation to discuss how Bonhams will be handling online auctions and how that's changed things for bidders (2:03) before examining some special cars going on sale (3:58), such as a Curtis (4:47) , a '58 Porsche Speedster (6:19), a '56 Continental Mark II (10:09), and a '56 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc Roadster (10:49). After a quick break, Robert can't resist reviewing a few more cars to roll across the stage, like a '39 540K Special Cabriolet A (15:59), a ...
Jan 18, 2021•34 min•Ep. 48
After an introduction, Robert dives in to uncover the impetus for the book (2:02) before jumping into the advice that truly set Don on his path to become an automotive icon and his early life in the San Fernando Valley (3:44). Then Don shares the origins of his nickname "The Snake" and his rival and friend's, Tom McEwen, "The Mongoose" (6:30). Then Robert asks Don to share the notable people who got him where he is today (8:28) before pivoting to talk about 'the most important drag racing car in...
Jan 11, 2021•35 min•Ep. 47
After a brief introduction, Robert and Jon begin by discussing "Best in Class," a documentary about the first-ever Audrain Concours D'Elegance (1:15). Then Jon continues to share his unique approaches and insights in his films "The Golden Hour" (10:55), "Unrivaled" (15:28), and "100,000 Cameras." (17:09) After a short break, Robert asks Jon to share how his automotive passions led him to filmmaking (19:43) and some advice for future filmmakers (28:57). After sharing where to view his work (30:39...
Jan 04, 2021•35 min•Ep. 46
Preserving a piece of history: 'Most vehicles that sit outside unattended for four decades aren’t destined to ever move again. But this 1966 Volkswagen Type 2 Deluxe Station Wagon isn’t just any Bus – it’s a piece of civil-rights history, and a memory of a family that spent decades working to make the country a better place.' Travel through the history of 'The Jenkins' Bus'--beginning with VW origins in WW2, through the role the bus played in the Civil Rights Movement, and to its current resting...
Dec 28, 2020•39 min•Ep. 45
After introducing Donald, Robert discusses Donald's fairly recent appointment as CEO of the Audrain and the efforts Donald is undertaking to increase the outreach of the museum (2:30), before turning to the origins of the building housing the collection (4:43) and some of the ways the museum is 'digitizing' to connect with car lovers with a brief detour into a discussion about their latest video comparing Ferraris (9:29). Then, Donald shares a story about a personal car of his that was included ...
Dec 21, 2020•38 min•Ep. 44
After an introduction, Robert begins by asking Paul about his background as a car guy in Australia (1:20). Then the two jump into what will differentiate Auto Royale from other Concours D'Elegance events (5:51), the charity the event will be benefiting, Starter Motor (12:43) and how one goes about creating a concours (14:37). Then Paul shares some some of the cars that can be expected at Auto Royale (17:32). After sharing his own personal tastes in cars (22:30), Paul concludes with some final mu...
Dec 14, 2020•35 min•Ep. 43
Following a brief introduction, Paul shares how a television show introduced him to a story that would change his live forever (2:33). Then Robert sets the stage for the pacifism in the US during the 30s and Paul explains the needs the Army had at the time (4:48) before the Jeep origin story pivots into a new phase with Bantam, Willys, and Ford vying to get the government contract despite unclear requirements from the Army (7:07). Despite an early victory by Bantam, both Willys and Ford continue...
Dec 07, 2020•37 min•Ep. 42
After introducing him, Robert asks Rob to detail the mission of Panorama Magazine and the relation to the Porsche Club of America, along with the people behind the publication (0:47). Then, Rob shares some of the interesting people and discoveries he's made in his position as Editor of the magazine (5:38), before Rob shares a story about the Porsche 911 that prompts Robert to ask where the 911 might be going in the future (9:06). Then they discuss the need to update and/or restore Porsches and w...
Nov 30, 2020•33 min•Ep. 41
After a brief introduction, Robert takes a moment to marvel at the sheer number of Volkswagens that were produced (1:14) before Russell dives into the unexpected history of the 'people's car'...specifically the Beetle (3:02). Then Robert asks Russell to drill into the history of Volkwagen after the British involvement following WW2 with a man named Heinz Nordhoff (7:19) and VW's efforts to go international and the difficulties in sharing the Beetle's new style with other cultures (8:50). Then Ru...
Nov 23, 2020•32 min•Ep. 40
After an introduction, Robert asks Diane to explain the goals and purpose of the Historic Vehicle Association (0:59), the qualifications that a car must meet to be included in the National Registry (3:47), and the process the vehicles must go through for documentation (5:07). Robert asks what types of vehicles are up for consideration (7:25) before Diane shares the stories of two of the most recent inductees: a 1921 Duesenberg Straight 8 (9:24) and a Dodge Challenger with a very special history ...
Nov 16, 2020•39 min•Ep. 39
Robert begins by asking Brian to explain how he got into conservation, but more importantly, what conservation is and how it's different than restoration (1:14). Then, Brian shares how his early career spent working on carriage conservation (7:12) prepared him for his transition into 'industrial conservation' and his specialty with cars (9:43). Robert and Brian then discuss the unhelpful instinct of some car collectors to 'clean the machine' and the benefits of simply removing the layers of dust...
Nov 09, 2020•37 min•Ep. 38
After introductions, Robert asks David to detail his record-breaking Monterrey auction from August 2019 (2:59), then Bill asks David to review the step-by-step process for getting a car to auction (7:58). After a short break, Bill asks David to detail where his passion came from (12:43) and Robert asks David to take out his 'crystal ball' and take a peak at what's happening to the collector car market (16:14). Finally, Bill asks David for tips on how to strategize at an auction (22:11) and what ...
Nov 02, 2020•34 min
Robert re-introduces Frank to the listeners and then asks for Frank to share his 'second' trip to Italy and the people he met there--a menagerie of stars in the world of Italian car design and manufacturing (1:25). After a quick break, Robert asks Frank to discuss the other car designers he met beyond Maserati's (11:25), then Frank pivots into the origins and impact of the Concorso Italiano (13:12). Robert asks Frank about the other Italian car factories he got to know (22:23), before Frank shar...
Oct 26, 2020•35 min•Ep. 37
After introductions, Frank explains the story of how he first connected with Maserati (2:03), before the two men discuss what makes the Maserati designs so special (7:08), and Maserati's emphasis on race car design (10:46). Then Robert asks Frank to talk about his experiences in restoring and driving Maseratis (14:21). After a short break, Frank details the origins of the Maserati Information Exchange (18:06) and how MIE changed the history of the marque (21:07) before a gradual transition into ...
Oct 19, 2020•39 min•Ep. 36
Robert kicks things off after some introductions by asking Jack to detail his family history with racing and cars (1:12), then Jack explains how he approaches and prepares for a race (4:05), before explaining the recently launched Roush iRacing League (5:16). Then, Jack shares his proudest racing moment (8:36). After a short break, Jack explains the company origins and the services that Roush Performance provides (10:41), Robert asks Jack to give a peak into the research and development processe...
Oct 12, 2020•31 min•Ep. 35
Robert Ross is joined (online) by Pete Evanow, author of the book "Nissan Z: 50 Years of Exhilarating Performance" to discuss Z history, the impact the six generations of the Z-Car had on the automotive industry, and what the future might look like in the collectible market. After introducing Pete, Robert shares his thoughts on Pete's book, "Nissan Z," and Pete shares how the book came to be (1:01). Then Robert rewinds and asks Pete to go back and look at the origins of the Z legacy (2:34) befor...
Oct 05, 2020•34 min•Ep. 34
Robert Ross is joined (online) by Jim Warlick, owner of "The American Presidential Experience," which is going to be auctioned off through Bonham's next month. The collection includes quite a few notable pieces, including two limos from JFK's presidency. Robert and Jim discuss the importance of those cars, their impact on history, and how the auction will benefit the Worker's Legacy Foundation which was founded by Jim. Robert begins by asking Jim to describe the origins and goals of "The America...
Sep 28, 2020•33 min•Ep. 33
After some brief introductions and conversation, Robert dives into "Gulf 917" and asks Jay to explain his love affair with the car and why it's such an important car--which has some interesting ties to Steve McQueen...(1:52) Then, Jay explains how the car series changed 'the game' in unexpected ways due to continuously changing 'rules' (6:14) before Robert asks for a quick rundown on what a '917' car is and why the Gulf is special (8:47). Then Jay explains exactly how the Gulf 917 came about (13...
Sep 21, 2020•46 min•Ep. 32
Robert and Curtis begin by considering why the Model T is important in history--and why it's important to themselves (1:16), as well as how the 'assembly line' revolutionized industry around the world (2:50). Then Robert asks Curtis to detail the cars specs (4:42) before 'taking us for a drive' (6:42) and talking about what exactly the car is capable of (9:14). Right before a break, the consider how creating the auto industry necessitated the gasoline industry and how some of the quirks of the c...
Sep 14, 2020•32 min•Ep. 31
Jay and Robert get right into things by reviewing Jay's earliest memories of cars (1:05) and how his unique education led him to Ford (3:57). Then Robert pivots to discuss the fifteen years that Jay spent working for Ford Motor Company and how the company's ethos continues to set the bar for other companies (5:45), an ethos that Jay was excited to discover with Embraer (8:28). After a short break, Robert asks Jay to detail his process for brining automotive interior design to private jets, first...
Sep 07, 2020•32 min•Ep. 30
After a brief introduction and some shared memories about previous guest, Eddie Sotto, Jay and Robert focus in on how to define luxury and how that manifests itself in both the automotive and aerospace industries (1:50), then Jay explains how Eddie was key to connecting Robert and Jay by way of creating the Skyacht One (5:30), crafting the meticulous 'narrative' to showcase the Skyranch One (9:16), and how exactly the Kyoto Airship directly impacted the design of the Skyranch (10:05). After a sh...
Aug 31, 2020•35 min•Ep. 29
Robert jumps right in by asking David to elaborate on what SpeedKore's philosophies are before focusing on the company's predilection for Chargers (1:03), before having David review the cars of note his company has built, rebuilt, and enhanced (3:50). Then David explains why car owners should consider carbon fiber as an option for restoring or upkeeping their classic cars (9:16), considers the need for artisan expertise in car making (10:25), and the importance of education for younger enthusias...
Aug 24, 2020•39 min•Ep. 28
Wayne Carini, host of 'Chasing Classic Cars' on television and owner of F40 Motorsports joins Robert Ross (online) to discuss Wayne's talent for locating and restoring classic cars as well as his thoughts on the changing car collector industry. After a brief introduction, Robert asks Wayne to go back to the beginning and share how his love of cars began and his unique history with the Model A (1:29), before honing in on what drives Wayne as he hunts for classic cars and some of his favorite stor...
Aug 17, 2020•38 min•Ep. 27
