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.
1932 Ford Model B Truck Rolls Out of Long-Term Storage, It's a Fantastic Survivor
28 Jun 2022, 12:10 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1932, the Ford Model B wasn't as popular as its predecessors, the Model A and Model T sales-wise. However, it brought a couple of important changes to the company's full-size car. While similar to the Model A on the outsi...
One-of-One 1970 Chevrolet El Camino LS6 in Fathom Blue Up for Sale, Costs a Fortune
27 Jun 2022, 19:35 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / First introduced in 1959 as a competitor for the Ford Ranchero, the Chevrolet El Camino was discontinued after only two years in showrooms. But the nameplate returned in 1964 and remained relatively popular until it was retired for good in 1987. ...
1945 Studebaker US6 Military Truck Strolling Through a Junkyard Is Strangely Beautiful
27 Jun 2022, 16:01 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / When it comes to iconic 6x6 military trucks from World War II, we usually think about the GMC CCKW. Introduced in 1941, it was built in more than a half-million units and remained in service well into the 1950s. But Studebaker also built a 6x6 truc...
The Unique 1965 Ford Mustang Zebra Is a Furry Movie Car With a Cocktail Cabinet
27 Jun 2022, 14:00 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / From the 1966 Batmobile to the Munster Koach used in the TV series "The Munsters," George Barris built quite a few outlandish custom cars. The 1965 Mustang Zebra may not be as famous, but it's just as wild. Created for the 1965 mo...
Rare 1967 Chevrolet SS Impala Convertible Found in a Junkyard, Needs a Second Chance
27 Jun 2022, 11:27 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Offered from 1961 until 1969, the Chevrolet Impala SS is among the rarest and most desirable versions of the company's iconic full-size. Granted, the SS might not be as rare as the 1963 Z11 and the 1962 Lightweight, both track-prepped Impal...
1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro ZL1 Previously Owned by Reggie Jackson Up for Sale
26 Jun 2022, 19:55 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Conceived by drag racer Dick Harrell and originally ordered by Fred Gibb Chevrolet, the 1969 COPO Camaro ZL1 is not only the rarest iteration of the first-gen muscle car but also the most desirable Camaro ever sold. Built in only 69 units, these...
World's First V8-Powered Chevrolet Corvette Comes Out of Storage, Flexes Big Fin
26 Jun 2022, 17:04 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Introduced in 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette is still around in 2022 as one of the most iconic American sports cars. But the nameplate was extremely close to being axed after only two years on the market. Synonymous with V8 power today, the Corvet...
1972 Pontiac LeMans Spent 20 Years in a Barn, Gets First Wash and Drive
26 Jun 2022, 13:00 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / The GTO may be the most desirable Pontiac of the 1970s, but the LeMans is just as cool in terms of design and performance. And while they're not as valuable as other muscle cars from the era, I think barn-found examples are totally worth savin...
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Discovered After 43 Years in a Barn, It's a Holy-Grail LS6
25 Jun 2022, 11:14 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Discovering a classic car that's been hidden for decades is pure gold for barn find enthusiasts, but things become even better when the vehicle in question is a rare gem. Hidden from sight for more than four decades, this 1970 Chevrolet Chevel...
Five Convertible Pickup Trucks You Probably Forgot About
24 Jun 2022, 15:46 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / If you're into truckin' with the wind blowing through your hair, you're stuck with just one option as of 2022: the Jeep Gladiator. But that's only if you want a modern drop-top truck. If you're okay with something a bit...
This 1940s Daimler Barn Find Used To Be a Royal Limo, Sees Daylight After 32 Years
24 Jun 2022, 12:56 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Established in 1896, Daimler is known for the fancied-up Jaguars it produced from 1960 to the late 2000s. But the British firm also built a range of luxury cars and even ran a bus division until the 1970s. More importantly, Daimler was awarded a Ro...
Ford's 1,973-HP Transit SuperVan Makes Goodwood Debut, Doesn't Break a Sweat
24 Jun 2022, 09:48 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / It's been about two years since Ford showcased the wild Mustang Mach-E 1400, and the Detroit-based company rolled out a new EV with ludicrous power. Yup, I'm talking about the 1,973-horsepower Pro Electric SuperVan, which just made its gl...
Take a Virtual Stroll Through the World's Largest Junkyard, Home to 4,500 Cars
23 Jun 2022, 15:33 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Described by its owner as the "world's largest known classic car junkyard," Old Car City USA stretches over 34 acres of land in White, Georgia, and it's home to about 4,500 vehicles. But is it, indeed, the world's larges...
Pristine 1970 Dodge Challenger HEMI Spent 50 Years in Hiding, Now a Museum Piece
23 Jun 2022, 13:29 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Unrestored, all-original classic cars that still look like new aren't very common, but you'll see plenty of them at car shows and in private collections. But some of these gems were hidden for decades and did not come out of storage until...
1962 Dodge Dart Is Not Your Grandma's Grocery Getter, HEMI Surprise Under the Hood
23 Jun 2022, 10:59 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / The Dodge Dart is mostly known for the fourth-generation compact version built during the golden muscle car era, but the nameplate also spent a few years on the full-size and midsize markets in the early 1960s. Around for just one model year, the m...
1967 Chevrolet Corvette L71 Convertible in Marina Blue Is an Absolute Dream
22 Jun 2022, 14:25 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / While each generation of the Chevrolet Corvette has something cool to brag about, most enthusiasts argue that the C2 is the best iteration of the nameplate in terms of design and performance. And I agree: the second-gen Corvette is one wild and gor...
Remembering the Willys Jeepster, America's Last True Phaeton
22 Jun 2022, 13:02 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / June 2022 is Open Top Month here at autoevolution and we celebrate all things convertible. But while we're busy paying tribute to soft-top and retractable hardtop cabriolets the world over, we tend to forget about the primordial open-top body ...
Slingshot Yellow, 2,600-Mile Chevrolet SSR Is No Lemon
21 Jun 2022, 20:48 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Back in the 2000s, Chevrolet used two of its iconic 1940s vehicles to create a pair of retro-styled models. One was the HHR wagon, inspired by the third-generation Suburban. The other one was the SSR, a two-door pickup based on the Advance Design t...
Abandoned Maglev Train Is Proof That Hitting 260 MPH Sometimes Isn't Enough
21 Jun 2022, 16:04 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Mankind has been obsessed with speed ever since the horse carriage was invented. Come 2022, and we have quite a few supercars that can hit the magical 300-mph (483-kph) mark. The same goes for trains, which are known to reach similar speeds when us...
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Looks Rad on 24s, Sounds Like a Muscle Car
21 Jun 2022, 13:14 UTC · By: Ciprian Florea / Arguably one of the most iconic classic cars from the 1950s, the Chevrolet Bel Air is a highly desirable rig nowadays. But because Chevrolet built millions of them, many are still rotting away in junkyards. The good news is that the Bel Air is a...