Justin Owen

1 month ago | slashgear.com | Justin Owen

Ever since legendary automotive designer Harley Earl penned his beloved Buick Y-Job in 1938, the concept car has foreshadowed trends in auto design and upcoming models from all manufacturers. When Earl created it, nobody had yet built a car with a forward-thinking design never meant for production. It featured cutting-edge details and prefaced what cars would soon come to look like. Furthermore, he had no idea that building the Y-Job would start an auto industry tradition, the concept car.

2 months ago | slashgear.com | Justin Owen

Most production vehicles do not inspire much enthusiasm as they are built to fulfill the demand for affordable transportation, offering reasonable comfort and utility. They may be fine cars, but we also know that some models cater to buyers looking for more than just a means of transportation. For example, sports cars and luxury cars are meant to elevate driving into an experience unto itself and possibly turn the drive into a destination of its own.

2 months ago | slashgear.com | Justin Owen

American fighter jets serve dual roles as symbols of American power as well as enforcers of it. With a rich history of pilots who have undergone the most rigorous training programs in the world piloting the most advanced aircraft that engineers and scientists can create, the fighter jets of the U.S. military provide the United States with a great deal of airborne reach.

2 months ago | slashgear.com | Justin Owen

Although some crude prototypes predate it, the 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller is widely considered to be the first mass-produced motorcycle, with about 2,000 copies built. With that model also came the first use of the portmanteau, combining "motor" and "cycle" to describe it. Despite having a twin-cylinder engine of 1500cc, its output was only 2.5 horsepower, though it demonstrated thinking far ahead of others of that era.

2 months ago | slashgear.com | Justin Owen

For most people, buying an automobile for the first time also represents the first substantial purchase regardless of its status as new or used. While a first car offers unfettered freedom unavailable via walking or public transportation, a range of responsibilities accompanies it. For these reasons and more, the wrong first car can be troubling.