At Christmastime, my wife and I engage in a veritable “arms race” of holiday gift giving. It is not about the cost or size of the present, but rather we vie for the most personalized, creative, innovative, and thoughtful gift. Sometimes they are homemade. Sometimes they are silly. Most of the time they make us […]
“Ford was able to demonstrate the superiority of an economy of abundance over one of scarcity and he elevated standards of living to a height never before dreamed of….” —Charles Sorenson Steven Watts excellent biography of Henry Ford, The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century is a comprehensive account of the life of a […]
In 1961, racing legend John Cooper unleashed the potential of the Classic Mini on the racing world. Though it wasn’t the biggest, fastest, or most powerful, this feisty underdog took the motorsports scene by storm, dominating opponents with its nimble handling, near perfect balance and innovative engine and wheel layout. Our eponymous line of high-performance […]
Over the years, Turtle Garage has amassed a large archive of old car magazines dating back to the 1950’s. On a recent rainy Sunday, I took a few hours and perused my Road & Track library—I was surprised at what I found. I became addicted and began burning up hours just pouring through the content, […]
“Christopher Bangle has had a lasting impact on the identity of BMW Group’s brands. His contribution to the company’s success has been decisive, and together with his teams he has mapped out a clear and aesthetic route into the future” —Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW Board Member Chris Bangle is an American-born automobile designer who ultimately […]
Researching a vehicle’s past is as much an art as it is a skill. It takes patience, persistence, and perseverance. It takes help from willing strangers—and a lot of time. It takes an outgoing personality to reach out to people who might have crossed paths with your car or motorcycle. To be a good researcher of vehicle […]
The AFN Archive and What it Reveals By Robert Freeman Edited by Philip E. Richter Archibald Goodman Frazer Nash founded Frazer Nash Ltd. in 1925. He set up a factory in Kingston upon Thames to manufacture V-twin and 4-cylinder sports cars. The Company evolved into AFN Ltd. in 1927. The cars were unusual because they […]
John Milns West, 1909—2004, was a salesman for AFN and the works rider for BMW. West rode a BMW to victory at the 1937 and 1938 500cc Ulster Grand Prix held on the Clady Circuit. His win in 1937 marked the first time that a non-British motorcycle had won the 500cc class at the Ulster Grand […]
Ernst Hoske and Karl Heinrich are best known for their oversized 8-10 gallon aftermarket fuel tanks that adorned BMW’s in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Very little has been written or documented about the life of these two German artisans. I saw my first Heinrich-equipped BMW when I was about twelve years old. The machine was […]
Turtle Garage’s 1938 BMW R51 is currently on the truck and heading east from Los Angles. It is due to arrive in Lakeville Connecticut this week—just in time for the 35th Annual Lime Rock Park Historic Festival. A special thank you to Mike Dunn and Brian Schneider for completing this complex project on time and with […]
“The F4 has high-performance motorcycling history in its blood. It is the epitome of emotion, performance, speed and incomparable design.” -MV Augusta The MV Agusta brand has roots that date back to the turn of the century. Giovanni Agusta founded Agusta Aircraft and became a dominant producer of airplane engines during World War I. He […]
Philip Richter is President and co-founder of New-York-City-based Hollow Brook Wealth Management, LLC. The Turtle Garage Blog, he says, is dedicated to his "love of excessive personal transportation."
