Quinn Mercer articles

In 1953, a leather-jacketed Marlon Brando, sunglasses on, atop a rumbling British motorcycle, cemented an image so iconic it outlived the film itself. That motorcycle—a Triumph Thunderbird 6T—didn’t just carry his character, Johnny Strabler, across the dusty streets of The Wild One; it became a cultural emblem of rebellion, individuality, and biker cool.

Having to spend the winter in a cold climate means you'll need to do some major prep on your RV before the snow flies.

Back in 1985, when most motorcycles were either cruisers or sportbikes, Yamaha dropped something completely different: the V-Max. It wasn’t meant to be subtle. With a thumping V4 engine, fat rear tire, and brutally honest acceleration, the V-Max was part cruiser, part drag-strip missile, and part “hold onto your butt or fly off the back” ride. Over 35 years later, it still scares riders. Here's why.

Imagine Britain in the 1950s, with streets still marked by wartime austerity, but youth hungry for speed, freedom, and identity. Into that world rolled a new kind of motorcycle culture. They called them “café racers,” and though the term started local, the vibe spread worldwide.

Ask a random car nerd to name a Mitsubishi rally hero and you’ll hear the usual answer: Lancer Evolution, maybe the Pajero if they’re into Dakar. But before the Evo showed up with its giant wing and Playstation clout, Mitsubishi had another weapon: the Galant VR-4.

American car history isn’t just about Mustangs, Camaros, or Corvettes. Beneath the spotlight lies a shadow world of bold experiments, quirky compromises, oddball compacts, and luxury attempts that, for one reason or another, faded away. Here are some of the best hidden gems from American automotive history.

The Great Depression was a brutal era of empty wallets, widespread unemployment, and a sense of uncertainty across the United States. But for many Americans who still owned old cars, economic hardship sparked a surprising kind of creativity. This would lay the shaky but fertile ground for what would become America’s legendary hot rod and custom car craze.

When it launched in the late 1960s, the Opel GT was Europe’s closest answer to America’s growing obsession with stylish, compact sports cars. Sleek, curvy, and surprisingly advanced for its price, the GT had all the makings of a classic. Yet despite its promise, it quietly slipped from mainstream automotive memory. Let’s change that.