Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Category Archives: Classic Bits

A CALIFORNIAN MINX

ANOTHER REASON WHY THE BRIT CLASSIC & SPORTS CAR is my favorite car magazine: Senior Contributor Martin Buckley has a marvelous way with words in describing something of a Time … Continue reading

April 11, 2026 · 3 Comments

USED CAR ADS—ROAD AND TRACK 1949-1950 PART 2

YESTERDAY THIS BEGAN WITH digging into used car ads in what used to be called Road and Track. Several neat cars surfaced, including a Speedway/Sprint car and another offered by … Continue reading

April 8, 2026 · 2 Comments

USED CAR ADS—ROAD AND TRACK 1949-1950 PART 1

TALK ABOUT A FASCINATING WISH LIST! In the early days of Road and Track (the “&” didn’t appear until 1954), there were several means of advertising used cars. Here are … Continue reading

April 7, 2026 · 1 Comment

A PAIR OF WIND WAGONS    PART 2 

YESTERDAY WE SHARED Bill Milliken’s adventure with his Aero-Triple-Cycle. Today in Part 2, Sam Posey tells us about his Crazy Uncle Teddy’s Wind Wagon. The primary source of this is … Continue reading

March 4, 2026 · 2 Comments

A PAIR OF WIND WAGONS PART 1

BILL MILLIKEN AND TEDDY JAMESON were kindred spirits born two years apart, 1911 and 1913, respectively. Both were enamored of things mechanical; both were evidently inspired by Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic … Continue reading

March 3, 2026 · 2 Comments

ELECTRIC CARS, R&T, AND ME—1992

WHAT DID I KNOW ABOUT EVS IN 1992? Was I smarter than Donald Trump is today? It’s no contest, I claim, and offer the following as proof.   This and … Continue reading

February 18, 2026 · 1 Comment

OLD ’ZINE FUN PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE BEGAN LEAFING THROUGH R&TS from January-March 1950. And, wouldn’t you know, this developed into a two-parter.  Another Famous Personage. A classified ad in February 1950 listed quite a … Continue reading

February 9, 2026 · 3 Comments

OLD ’ZINE FUN PART 1

MY FIRST R&T WAS MAY 1954, BUT OVER THE YEARS I’ve accumulated earlier ones, including a specially published set of five from December 1949-April 1950, reissued by pal John Dowdeswell’s … Continue reading

February 8, 2026 · 3 Comments

HMS TRIALS REPLICA 

“ROVING CORRESPONDENT ROGER T. PATTERSON tests one of Britain’s rarest cars” reads the subtitle of this R&T September 1959 road test. I cannot speak to the whereabouts (or whoabouts) of … Continue reading

February 1, 2026 · 10 Comments

PAUL FRÈRE ON FERRARI PROTOTYPES 1961–1967 PART 2

YESTERDAY, WE BEGAN SHARING PAUL FRÈRE’S INSIGHTS gleaned from Cars in Profile Collection 1. Here in Part 2, Paul recounted Ferrari’s achievements as well as foibles.   Ferrari’s Initial Views … Continue reading

January 12, 2026 · 2 Comments