MR. 5 MPG
My History: I grew up in West Los Angeles during the 1960s/70s and was transfixed by fast cars and the racing scene. Speed equipment and racing companies like Shelby-American, Traco Engineering, Halibrand Wheels, Isky Cams, and many more were all close by. Van Nuys Blvd (the cruising and street racing Mecca of L.A.) and even more drag strips were a mere freeway-drive away.
Beginning when I was seven, my dad would take me to races at Riverside, Lion's Drag Strip, OCIR, Ascot Park and Ontario Motor Speedway. We would occasionally drop by Shelby's LAX facility on a Saturday to peek through the fence at the Cobras and Mustangs being transformed.
My Career: 30+ years experience as car magazine editor, writer, photographer, and track-test-driver. The first car story I wrote was about my tire-smoking ride in a real Cobra 427. It was published in Popular Hot Rodding Magazine in 1981, thereby convincing me that my freshly-minted college degree (in Business) wouldn't be setting the career path for me after all. I was driven from my heart to become a car magazine editor.
After my getting experience at a smaller publishing company, Popular Hot Rodding hired me in 1982. Between then and when I was hired by Motor Trend as its Editor-in-Chief in 1994, I contributed words and photos to most every car magazine on the newsstands.
I left Motor Trend in 2002 to create an automotive show for ESPN. The result was the "Drive" TV series. I was the host and co-producer.
My Ford GT "Inside Connections":
Back in the early 1980s, when I won the Shelby-Rolex Challenge Series, I became friends with Carroll Shelby (whom I always referred to as "The Most Interesting Man in the World.") He hired me to be his PR manager for the Dodge/Shelby products in 1988-89, and again for the 1992 Indy 500, when he drove the Dodge Viper Pace Car.
In 2003, Carroll told me off-the-record that he was working on a "new GT40" with Ford. My ears perked-up at that.
In 2004, Carroll arranged for me to drive one of the GT development cars at Ford Proving Grounds. Neil Hannemann (a friend from my Shelby days) was one of the project's lead engineers. The car blew my mind. I vowed then and there to own one.
In 2006, I tested a production GT for my "Drive" TV show. It's searchable on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCQPOmia9Xs
I soon after bought a GT identical to the test car: 2006 Tungsten, 4-options, 100% stock. I sold it in 2009 (amidst the recession) and have been regretting it ever since.
After the past ten years of hunting for a low-mile one-owner GT (and painfully watching the prices climb) I finally decided to swallow the pill and buy one.
I found the right GT in Dec 2023:
2006, Tungsten, 5200 miles, 4-options, with polished 3.3l Whipple blower, Accufab throttle body, JBA headers, exhaust, Stillen clutch, 3.90 gears, Ohlin adjustable coil-overs, rear bumper delete. Dynoed at 602hp at the wheels. Ran 210.2 mph at Mojave Mile (previous owner.)
Now, with this stunning GT in my garage, next to my Kirkham Car 427, I'm whole again. Fully absolved and with nothing left to do but lay down rubber and watch the speedometer needle twist past 200 mph.
Beginning when I was seven, my dad would take me to races at Riverside, Lion's Drag Strip, OCIR, Ascot Park and Ontario Motor Speedway. We would occasionally drop by Shelby's LAX facility on a Saturday to peek through the fence at the Cobras and Mustangs being transformed.
My Career: 30+ years experience as car magazine editor, writer, photographer, and track-test-driver. The first car story I wrote was about my tire-smoking ride in a real Cobra 427. It was published in Popular Hot Rodding Magazine in 1981, thereby convincing me that my freshly-minted college degree (in Business) wouldn't be setting the career path for me after all. I was driven from my heart to become a car magazine editor.
After my getting experience at a smaller publishing company, Popular Hot Rodding hired me in 1982. Between then and when I was hired by Motor Trend as its Editor-in-Chief in 1994, I contributed words and photos to most every car magazine on the newsstands.
I left Motor Trend in 2002 to create an automotive show for ESPN. The result was the "Drive" TV series. I was the host and co-producer.
My Ford GT "Inside Connections":
Back in the early 1980s, when I won the Shelby-Rolex Challenge Series, I became friends with Carroll Shelby (whom I always referred to as "The Most Interesting Man in the World.") He hired me to be his PR manager for the Dodge/Shelby products in 1988-89, and again for the 1992 Indy 500, when he drove the Dodge Viper Pace Car.
In 2003, Carroll told me off-the-record that he was working on a "new GT40" with Ford. My ears perked-up at that.
In 2004, Carroll arranged for me to drive one of the GT development cars at Ford Proving Grounds. Neil Hannemann (a friend from my Shelby days) was one of the project's lead engineers. The car blew my mind. I vowed then and there to own one.
In 2006, I tested a production GT for my "Drive" TV show. It's searchable on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCQPOmia9Xs
I soon after bought a GT identical to the test car: 2006 Tungsten, 4-options, 100% stock. I sold it in 2009 (amidst the recession) and have been regretting it ever since.
After the past ten years of hunting for a low-mile one-owner GT (and painfully watching the prices climb) I finally decided to swallow the pill and buy one.
I found the right GT in Dec 2023:
2006, Tungsten, 5200 miles, 4-options, with polished 3.3l Whipple blower, Accufab throttle body, JBA headers, exhaust, Stillen clutch, 3.90 gears, Ohlin adjustable coil-overs, rear bumper delete. Dynoed at 602hp at the wheels. Ran 210.2 mph at Mojave Mile (previous owner.)
Now, with this stunning GT in my garage, next to my Kirkham Car 427, I'm whole again. Fully absolved and with nothing left to do but lay down rubber and watch the speedometer needle twist past 200 mph.
- Location
- SoCal
- Occupation
- Retired Editor-in-Chief of Motor Trend Magazine
Signature
2006 Ford GT. Tungsten, 4-options. Whipple, JBA headers, Ohlin coil-overs, 3.90 gearing, bumper delete, HRE 20-inch wheels. Ran 210.7 mph in Mojave 1.5 Mile with previous owner "GT44".
Kirkham Cobra 427. Aluminum 427 side-oiler stroked to 483 cid.
2022 Ferrari F8 Tributo. 2020 BMW Alpina B7. 1964 Cadillac Eldorado (national concours winner.)
Kirkham Cobra 427. Aluminum 427 side-oiler stroked to 483 cid.
2022 Ferrari F8 Tributo. 2020 BMW Alpina B7. 1964 Cadillac Eldorado (national concours winner.)