Ciprian Florea
7,287 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.
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven Is a Stunning EV Tribute to the Iconic C111
15 Jun 2023, 16:38 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Remember the C111 experimental car that Mercedes-Benz built in 1970? It looked pretty stunning and used a wide variety of powerplants. If you don't recall it, it's about time you do because the German company revived the idea with the Vis...
This Stash of Over 50 Trans Ams Is Classic Pontiac Heaven
15 Jun 2023, 14:27 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in early 1967, the Firebird was Pontiac's answer to the emerging pony car market. Sure, it arrived a bit late to the party, and it was overshadowed by the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro, but it developed into a notorious musc...
This Crash Compilation Shows Just How Chaotic the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans Was
15 Jun 2023, 12:12 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / The 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans marked 100 years of the iconic endurance race. It promised to be one of the most exciting events in years and didn't disappoint. However, it wasn't only about highly contested categories and unexpected twists....
Mysterious 1964 Ford Mustang Spent Almost 50 Years in the Woods, Is Now a Sad Sight
14 Jun 2023, 14:47 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Keeping a classic car in a barn is a big no-no if you still want to be able to drive it after a few years. But it's definitely a better option than dropping it off in the woods, leaving it fully exposed to the elements. This 1964 Ford Mustang ...
Long-Lost Ford Cortina GT Wagon, One of Only 5 Made, Found in Detroit
14 Jun 2023, 12:01 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Built from 1962 to 1982 and sold in over four million units, the Ford Cortina is one of Britain's most legendary cars. It's not quite as famous in the US, but a left-hand-drive version was imported from 1967 to 1970. The first-generati...
5 Mergers That Reshaped the Automotive Industry
13 Jun 2023, 15:11 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Mergers and takeovers have been a part of the automotive industry since the early days. And they've been used as a means to expand, cut costs, or better compete with larger companies. General Motors, for instance, was set up in 1908 by brin...
Stock-Appearing 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie Hides Modern Goodies, and It's Insanely Loud
13 Jun 2023, 11:19 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / When it comes to Fords introduced in the 1960s, we usually think about the Mustang, Bronco, and Econoline. Because these three nameplates made a significant impact on the automotive market. Ford also introduced game-changing race cars like the Thun...
1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda Is an Orange Trickster With a Modern Surprise Under the Hood
12 Jun 2023, 15:15 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1970, the third-generation Plymouth Barracuda is among the most desirable Mopars from the golden muscle car era. The HEMI version is particularly sought-after due to its short-lived and low production run. Specifically, Plymouth sold ...
Rare 1970 Dodge Polara Convertible Hits the Drag Strip After 20 Years in a Barn
12 Jun 2023, 13:05 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Getting a barn-kept vehicle back on the road is a difficult task if it's been neglected for too long. And it's usually the rust and the stuck engine that cause most problems. Things can get easier when the car is still in one piece, but y...
1971 Lamborghini Espada Abandoned for 18 Years Is a Barn Find With an Incredible Story
12 Jun 2023, 09:43 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Remember when Jonny Smith of "The Late Brake Show" unearthed a Lamborghini Espada sitting in a barn for over 30 years? It happened in 2021, and the car has since found a new home. Well, it's been less than two years, and he did it ag...
This Rare 1959 Willys Jeep Gala Is a Pink Candy Stripe Gem
11 Jun 2023, 15:53 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1941, the Willys MB is arguably the most iconic light utility vehicle of the military variety. But it's also famous for spawning the civilian Jeep CJ, the spiritual predecessor to the equally renowned Wrangler. Unlike the latt...
1966 Pontiac Grand Prix Kept in a Shed for 31 Years Has a Nice Surprise Under the Hood
11 Jun 2023, 13:53 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / When it comes to 1960s Pontiacs, it's the GTO that gets all the attention in the classic car market. But that's not surprising, given its status as the nameplate that popularized the muscle car market. However, Pontiac produced a long lis...
This Citroen 2CV Is an Unlikely Tiny Camper With a Double Bed and Kitchen
9 Jun 2023, 16:35 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Buying a large motorhome that accommodates everything from a king bed and a shower to a fully equipped kitchen is not an issue nowadays. The market is simply packed with spacious RVs and campers. However, they can be pretty expensive. Fortunately, ...
Alpine Unveils A424 Beta Hypercar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans
9 Jun 2023, 11:45 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / French carmaker Alpine just took the first step in joining the premier category of the FIA World Endurance Championship by unveiling the A424_β. The show car will morph into a full-blown LMDh-class Hypercar in time for the 2024 racing season, ...
One-of-5 1971 Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda Convertible Pops Up for Sale, Starts From $2.75 Million
8 Jun 2023, 19:15 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Built in 1970 and 1971 only, the Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda is the holy grail of Mopars. Not only that, but it's also one of the holy grails of the golden muscle car era. And if recent auctions are any indication, the convertible version is amon...
Perfectly Restored 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350 Is Pure Eye Candy, Rare Too
8 Jun 2023, 16:59 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1964 as a rather mundane pony car, the Ford Mustang gained a high-performance version in 1965. That's when Carroll Shelby stepped in a created the Shelby GT350. Originally a lightweight, track-prepped car, the GT350 morphed into ...
This 1948 Keller Super Chief Is an Extremely Rare Woodie That's Been Missing for 60 Years
8 Jun 2023, 11:31 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / When talking about classic cars, we usually think about vehicles made by the Big Three: Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. But the US market was littered with automobiles from hundreds of companies back in the day. Iconic names include Packard, Tu...
The 1980 Gama Home Is a Unique 6X6 Motorhome in Need of TLC
7 Jun 2023, 19:56 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / When it comes to vintage motorhomes, we often think about products from Airstream and Winnebago. And needless to say, some of them are pretty rare and valuable nowadays. But no RV, no matter the brand, is as intriguing as the 1980 Gama Home. A o...
Ford-Powered 1955 Chevy Tri-Five Has Sacrilege Written All Over, It's Quicker Than a Demon
7 Jun 2023, 15:47 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Engine swaps are a great way to increase output in any vehicle, especially when it comes to crate powerplants. The Chevrolet LS small-block seems to be the most popular choice. And I'm not talking about only about GM cars. Many enthusiasts dro...
1971 Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda Looks Like a Million-Dollar Gem, but There's a Catch
6 Jun 2023, 17:27 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Arguably Chrysler's most iconic engine, the 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI was produced from 1964 to 1971. Originally introduced as a race-spec engine for NASCAR duty, it gained a streetable version for homologation purposes. The latter arriv...