If there was ever a time of automotive wonderment and absolute freedom among designers and enthusiasts alike, it was the early 1950s. This was a special time when automobile manufacturers were exploring new territory previously held by the foremost automakers of Europe, and the Americans were going all out to stake their own claims to greatness.
Gil Losi, the owner of this super-slick ’54 Mercury Monterey—which was a year in the making—has quite a liking for the ’54 Mercury body style. He’s owned several of the stylish Monterey hardtops, but this one tops them all with its slammed stance, laser-straight paint and bodywork and 32-valve DOHC engine. One of the many great aspects of this particular Mercury Monterey is that Steve Cook’s team started with a good body. It was solid and already featured a low-down stance, but the crew reworked every part of the car into what you see here.
When Pigeon Forge hosts the Spring Rod Run, it doesn’t just put on a show—it takes over the entire town.
From April 16–18, the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge was ground zero for some of the cleanest, hardest-hitting builds in the country. Inside, it’s all business—high-end restorations, pro-touring muscle, detailed customs, and serious contenders chasing Top 25, Ultimate 5, and King of the Hill. It’s the polished side of the Rod Run, where the bar is set high and the details matter.
Winter doesn’t fade quietly in Tennessee—it gets drowned out by horsepower. And once again, Ponies in the Smokies 2026 lit the fuse. The Sevierville Convention Center became ground zero for Ford performance, as thousands of enthusiasts rolled in, filling every inch with Mustangs, trucks, and Blue Oval builds that showed up to make noise—not sit still.
In a world obsessed with the latest engines and newest technology, ARP (Automotive Racing Products) just proved something important—progress doesn’t only move forward. It also means going back and applying everything we’ve learned since.
The Great Smoky Mountains are famous for the blue haze that gives the range its name—but during the 49th Annual Corvette Expo 2026 and Chevys in the Smokies, the mountains were a little smokier than usual. Some of that haze came from cammed-up V8s, hot rubber, and thousands of horsepower rolling into Pigeon Forge for one of the biggest Chevrolet performance events in the region.
Every winter, the custom car world storms into the Motor City for one of the most legendary indoor shows in hot rodding history—Detroit Autorama. Inside the sprawling halls of Huntington Place, the temperature might still read winter outside, but on the show floor the atmosphere is pure horsepower, chrome, and adrenaline. Thousands of enthusiasts flood the aisles to see the machines that define the cutting edge of hot rods and muscle cars craftsmanship.
Just after New Year’s, when the cold really starts settling in, one of the first major indoor car shows of the year rolls into town. The O’Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels Custom Auto Show has become a yearly tradition—mixing hot rods, customs, and classics with a dose of pop culture to create a winter event that gives the whole family a reason to get out of the house.
There’s a real beauty in upgrading a classic without masking its character—and the Intellitronix Analog Gauge Panel AP7001 delivers exactly that for the 1965–1966 Ford Mustang. Designed to drop directly into the heart of your Pony’s cockpit, this panel brings modern instrumentation to the dash while still working with the original factory Mustang bezel.
You can’t fault a man for knowing what he likes, and in the case of Chelsea, Alabama’s Mike George, what he likes is the ’69 Camaro. at the age of 41 years old, he’s managed to own no fewer than 15 of these cars over the years, but none was anything like his current Camaro. In fact, we can’t think of any other ’69 Camaro that’s quite like this one.
