E3 Spark Plugs News

In 1964, Ford tested an experimental “Wrist-Twist” steering system that just might have replaced the steering wheel.

E3 Spark Plugs loves finding vintage car tidbits, and this one is a doozy. In 1965, Ford tested a concept car that just might have fundamentally changed driving forever.  Designed by a former missile engineer, the experimental Mercury Park Lane replaced the boring ol’ steering wheel with two five-inch metallic rings mounted on a two-pronged stick.

Dubbed the Wrist-Twist Steering Control, the system promised improved steering, better visibility and comfort features like armrests for each of the rings, making sitting in the driver’s seat feel a lot more like sitting in “your favorite easy chair.”

In a promotional video promoting the Wrist-Twist, the experimental convertible was tested by “a driver who promises to be about as non-technical as they come,” says the narrator.

We’re not sure whether he was was alluding the fact that the test driver was a woman, or that she was a cute blonde woman. Touche, indeed. We’re having flashbacks of Mad Men episodes.

Anyway, in addition to being a time-capsuled statement on manufacturer’s attitudes toward women, including assumption that “most women agree that parking is the most taxing part of driving,” the video is thought-provoking. What if the Wrist-Twist had caught on? Does it look like something you’d drive? And what might have been the next major fundamental change? After all, “you can never tell what surprises automakers have just around the corner,” the narrator says.

Take a look at the video and post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs fan page.

Irving Gordon's 1966 Volvo is expected to hit 3 million miles in 2013. Photo by Associated Press.

In April, E3 Spark Plugs brought you the story of Rachel Veitch and her “chariot,” a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente that had just hit 576,000 miles. With all due respect to Ms. Veitch, we’ve just come across another vintage wonder whose mileage makes her chariot’s look like chump change.

Irving Gordon’s 1966 Volvo P1800S has held the Guinness World Records mark for high mileage vehicle since 2002. A decade later, it’s still going strong with just 34,000 miles to go before hitting 3 million miles – something Gordon expects will happen next year.

Gordon, a retired school teacher from Long Island, has driven his little red two-door sportster everywhere since he bought it in June of 1966 for $4,150 – his full year’s salary. His mileage thus far is equivalent to crossing the globe upwards of 1,176 times. Much of the later mileage comes by way of traveling to auto shows to represent Volvo. But Gordon also travels purely for pleasure, boasting that he’s “had coffee in every state and multiple cities across Europe, where he had the car shipped for an extended vacation.

“I am my own Travel Channel,” he told the Associated Press, noting that the Volvo racks up 85,000 to 100,000 miles a year. And while a 46-year automotive relationship might wear on some, Gordon doesn’t plan on parting ways with his lil’ red beauty anytime soon.

“Why would I want to get rid of it?” he asked. “Kind of like a good woman.”

Got a ride with mileage to match Gordon’s ’66 Volvo? E3 Spark Plugs wants to hear your story and see your pics. Post them on our Facebook fan page.

Holiday shopping for a car buff? California's King Bag Co. creates funky, fashionable purses, travel bags and messenger bags from vintage auto seat covers.

You know what’s difficult about buying a holiday gift for a car buff? Selecting just one! There is a wealth of cool products and experiences out there sure to make the car, truck or motorcycle lover on your list happy. Here are a few favorites selected by E3 Spark Plugs‘ staff:

Corvette Car-a-Day 2012: Wouldn’t it be nice to have a different gorgeous vintage ‘Vette to drive each of the year’s 352 days? Sorry ’bout your luck. But all is not lost. With the Corvette Car-a-Day 2012 calendar, you can at gaze across your desk at the antique car of your dreams. The calendar features more than 300 black-and-white photos of the legendary “America’s Sports Car” by David Newhardt and Chris Endres, two of the nation’s leading automotive photographers. And it comes with a bonus: a die-cast Corvette toy.

Cover of Tom Cotter's "The Vincent in the Barn: Great Stories of Motorcycle Archaeology"

The Vincent in the Barn: They are words to the vintage motorcycle lover’s ears: “You know, there’s an old bike that’s been sitting in this garage for years.” Variations of that one line have kick-started many a journey to find and restore a genuine classic bike rescued from the hollows of long-forgotten garages, basements, barns, sheds and fields. The Vincent in the Barn: Great Stories of Motorcycle Archaeology is the latest of Author Tom Cotter’s “In the Barn” series of photographic short-story books that chronicle the discovery and restoration of classic rides. “You never know what you might find in a barn, back of a garage or under a dusty tarp,” says CycleWorld of the 256-page book.

Hemmings Car Lover’s Cruise: Now this is the gift that will truly impress. And it will give the auto buff you love something to look forward to in 2012. Hemmings Motor News’ annual Car Lovers Cruise departs from Rome August 13th and makes stops in Santorini, Athens and Mykonos, Greece; Istanbul and Ephesus, Turkey; and Naples, Italy before returning to port in Rome. While at sea, passengers will enjoy automotive seminars, private cocktail parties and mixing and mingling with automotive enthusiasts from around the world.

Monticello Motor Club: Billed as North America’s premier automotive resort and racetrack, the Monticello Motor Club offers great getaway packages for car lovers. Excursions will include the one-day Cadillac CTS-V High Performance Driving Experience, a two-day racing school and exclusive racing gifts and gear. It’s located in Monticello, NY at the foot of the Catskill Mountains and promises to be the gift that’ll put everything else under the Christmas tree to shame.

King Bag Co.: For the fashionable car buff on your list, you can’t go wrong with a selection from the King Bag Co. When the iconic King Kovers auto upholstery shop in uptown Oakland went out of business, artist Bobby Glasser went on a liquidation sale shopping spree, buying all the vintage (mostly 1950s-era) seat covers, seat belts and other assorted upholstery scraps he could get his hands on. Today, that material has been reborn as bowling bag-styled purses, travel bags, messenger bags and coin purses in funky retro patterns and colors. Look for King Bag Co. products in stores throughout California or on the company’s Etsy site.

From all of us at E3 Spark Plugs – Happy holiday shopping!

E3 Spark Plugs celebrates National Collector Car Appreciation Day, paying tribute to the autmobile's unique place in American history.

July 8 is Collector Car Appreciation Day. How do you plan to celebrate? Car shows, cruises and club gatherings no doubt are scheduled all across the country this weekend. You’re bound to see some beautiful sights and we  hope you’ll share them with E3 Spark Plugs.

Collector Car Appreciation Day first came about last year when the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and its Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) and Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA) Councils successfully lobbied the passing of Senate Resolution 513. Sponsored by Congressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus members Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), the day pays tribute to America’s ongoing love affair with all-things-automotive and to the automobile’s unique place in our country’s history. SEMA, ARMO and HRIA now are working to secure a Congressional resolution for Collector Car Appreciation Day.

“The industry endeavors to preserve our nation’s automotive heritage while providing well-paying, high-skilled jobs nationwide,” said Rick Love, Chairman-elect of SEMA’s HRIA Council. “Collector Car Appreciation Day is a singular tribute to this industry and the millions of hobbyists it supports.”

E3 Spark Plugs wholeheartedly supports this effort. We believe that no single invention has driven America’s technological, social or cultural progress quite like the automobile (pun intended). We’d love to hear your thoughts and see your photos/videos of your Collector Car Appreciation Day experience or your own automotive treasures. Leave us a comment here or post on our Facebook fan page. And remember to stock your vintage ride with E3 car spark plugs, E3 truck spark plugs or E3 motorcycle spark plugs to make her purr like a kitten and drive like she’s brand new.