Ciprian Florea
7,286 ARTICLES
Personal motto:
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donohue
You'll never catch him drooling over the latest supercar but he could spend hours talking about why he loves 1940s windshield visors, Mopars, and Studebakers. Naturally, most of his stories are about barn finds and rare classics.
He can give you several reasons why speed and power are more about motorsport than silly street wandering, and Can-Am machinery tops his ridiculously fast all-time favorite car list. He claims he could die happy after a Rattlesnake Raceway ride in a Chaparral and a cup of coffee with Jim Hall on the other side of the table.
Before landing on these pages, Ciprian's work has been published on outlets like TopSpeed, AmericanMuscle, and ThisWeekInMotors.
Unrestored and All-Original 1961 Chrysler Windsor Is the Very Definition of a Time Capsule
8 Nov 2023, 21:38 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1939 and built until 1961 (with a break during WWII), the Chrysler Windsor is a primarily forgotten nameplate nowadays. And that's a shame because it's a cool and more affordable alternative to the fancier New Yorker and 300...
This Low-Mileage 1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro Is a Unique Gem With Drag-Racing Heritage
8 Nov 2023, 15:25 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Built from 1966 through 1969, the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro spawned iconic models like the RS, SS, and Z/28. But the three-model-year run also included the COPO, arguably the rarest and most desirable classic Camaro. Short for Central Of...
Pristine 1974 Dodge Dart "Hang 10" Flaunts Factory Swimsuit Fabric and Surfboard
8 Nov 2023, 12:59 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / The mid-1970s was a difficult era for US carmakers. New fuel consumption and emission regulations sent muscle cars into retirement, while the global recession moved drivers away from large, powerful vehicles. Small European and Japanese vehicles we...
Spotless 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Has a Mundane Feature That Makes It Super Rare
7 Nov 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Launched in September 1966, the Chevrolet Camaro was more than two years late to the pony car market. But that didn't stop it from becoming one of the most iconic vehicles of the golden muscle car era. Chevrolet didn't waste any time a...
Mr. Norm's 1971 Dodge Super Bee Is a Rare Unicorn With a 440 Six Pack
7 Nov 2023, 17:54 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / One of Dodge's shortest-lived nameplates from the golden muscle car era, the Super Bee arrived in 1968 and remained in production through 1971. Originally based on the Coronet, the Super Bee became part of the Charger lineup during its final y...
1970 Dodge Super Bee Abandoned for 40 Years Is Surprisingly Original
7 Nov 2023, 14:51 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Long-term storage is terrible for any classic if it happens in a wooden barn or under full exposure to the elements. A garage is a far better choice, but sometimes, it's not enough to prevent an old vehicle from rotting away. However, some rig...
This Hellcat-Powered 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Is the Coolest Restomod You'll See Today
6 Nov 2023, 16:36 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / While not quite as fancy as the GTX, the Plymouth Road Runner was one of the greatest muscle cars of the golden era. Available with Chrysler's biggest V8 engines, it was the most affordable way into HEMI ownership, just like the Dodge Super Be...
Iconic 1969 Plymouth Barracuda "HEMI Under Glass" Comes out of Long-Term Storage
6 Nov 2023, 15:09 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced for the 1970 model year, the third-generation Plymouth Barracuda is arguably the most iconic iteration of the nameplate. Not only did it look sportier than its predecessors, but it was also available with Chrysler's greatest big-blo...
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A Sitting for 45 Years Is a Rare Barn Find in Sublime Green
6 Nov 2023, 13:01 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1969 on the then-new E-body platform, the first-generation Dodge Challenger was a big hit, moving nearly 77,000 units in its first year on the market. And while it may seem rather common, the 1970 Challenger lineup included a few rare...
Spotless 1971 Dodge Demon 340 Flexes Rare Color and Extensive Options List
5 Nov 2023, 21:54 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1959 as a full-size car, the Dodge Dart was moved into the midsize segment for the 1962 model year. That didn't last long, though, as Dodge reassigned it to the compact market in 1963. The small Mopar soldiered on through 1976. ...
1957 Chevrolet Tri-Five Roars Back to Life After First Wash in 30 Years
5 Nov 2023, 19:52 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1955, the Chevrolet Tri-Five remained in showrooms for only three years, but it was enough to turn the nameplate into one of America's most iconic rigs. Beautiful, affordable, and available in a wide range of body styles, the Tri...
1950 Chevrolet 6700 Hidden for 50 Years Is a Rare and Mysterious Advance Design Truck
3 Nov 2023, 13:50 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Like most carmakers established in the early years of the 20th century, it didn't take long for Chevrolet to start producing trucks. The bowtie company introduced the 490 one-ton hauler in 1918, only one year after Ford launched the TT. But...
1962 Chevrolet Impala Gets Unexpected Second Chance After Decades in a Yard
2 Nov 2023, 21:56 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced for the 1958 model year, the Chevrolet Impala remained in continuous production through 1985. And then returned from 1994 to 1996 and again from 1999 to 2020. That's an impressive run of more than 50 years and ten different generati...
1956 Chevy Bel Air Barn Find Gets First Wash in 33 Years, Becomes Beautiful Survivor
2 Nov 2023, 12:09 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / The best-selling nameplate of its era, the Chevrolet Tri-Five moved a whopping five million units from 1955 through 1957. And while it's a highly desirable classic nowadays, it's not exactly scarce. The two-door Nomad wagon is the rare...
Forget About the HEMI, This 1974 Plymouth 'Cuda Small-Block Stroker Sounds Vicious
1 Nov 2023, 16:06 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1964, some two weeks before the Ford Mustang, the Plymouth Barracuda tackled the then-emerging pony car market. The 1967 redesign brought a sportier rig into showrooms, but the Barracuda didn't morph into a full-fledged muscle ca...
This Junkyard-Found 1975 Chevrolet El Camino Is a One-of-None Laguna Pickup
31 Oct 2023, 21:06 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced as a competitor to the Ford Ranchero, the Chevrolet El Camino arrived in 1959, was discontinued in 1960, and returned to showrooms from 1964 to 1987. It's been more than 30 years since the nameplate went into the history books, and ...
Stunning Collection of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars Going Under the Hammer
31 Oct 2023, 17:20 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / With more than 200 vehicles on display, the Wellborn Museum is one of the greatest muscle car collections you can drool upon in the good ole US of A. And if you have a fat wallet, you can also take some of the cars home. Six of them will go under t...
Barn-Found 1972 DeTomaso Pantera Gets First Wash and Second Chance After 46 Years
31 Oct 2023, 14:00 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Launched in 1971, the DeTomaso Pantera is one of the most exotic European cars of its era. And even though it soldiered on until 1992, production came in at only 7,260 units, so it's pretty rare and sought after. And unlike muscle cars from th...
1968 Plymouth Barracuda B029 Lookalike Hides a Nasty Surprise Under the Hood
30 Oct 2023, 21:28 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1964, the Plymouth Barracuda soldiered on for three generations until 1974. And it got a couple of significant redesigns over the years. Originally a mild pony car, the Barracuda got big V8 power in 1967. The 1970 model year saw th...
In-Violet 1970 Plymouth AAR 'Cuda Is Golden-Era Mopar Perfection
30 Oct 2023, 18:37 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced for the 1970 model year, the third-generation Plymouth Barracuda was a notable departure from its predecessor. Built on the brand-new E-body platform, it looked decidedly more aggressive and got the big-block 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) R...