Autoweek’s Vice President and Publisher, KC Crain, gives us the lowdown on Vinsetta Garage–both the TV show and the historic repair shop.
The essence of the show: A quick video showing what Autoweek’s Vinsetta Garage is all about.
Courtney Hansen rides alongside Dutch Mandel, Autoweek Editor, as they wax philosophical about the hardcore passion that burns inside every true car person, including some of the auto industry’s newest decision makers. Plus, we visit some unique collector garages and hear from the bullpen about the topic at large. All that and a look at some people who will take their passion to the extreme.
Join Courtney and guest Tony Michaels (President/CEO Detroit Parade Company & Woodward Dream Cruise) as we discuss the rules of cruising, the reasons we cruise and why people love to watch these organized traffic jams. Plus, the Autoweek editors in the bullpen tell us about their favorite cruisin’ rides.
Racing legend Rhys Millen buckles up with Courtney as we get an insider’s look at competition. Plus, we take to the track and watch Millen put some horses through their courses while Courtney holds on for dear life. Also, the competition gets heated between two rival auto execs. And we get a hilarious look at the Red Bull Soap Box Derby.
Autoweek’s Mark Vaughn serves as Courtney’s driver’s-ed instructor as the two of them chat about the art of driving. They also get the chance to put the pedal down on one of America’s most thrilling roads. And they test the mettle of one of America’s most popular rides.
Autoweek Creative Director Ken Ross joins Courtney in the car to discuss design and what makes it the most important aspect of the automobile. We also talk shop with some of the world’s finest car designers. Then we visit a company that uses car design cues to make its own unique line of cool clothing.
Courtney finds that the quickest way to a car guy’s heart is through his stomach. This episode is all about what fuels us–food, glorious food! Watch as Courtney and her guest, racing’s Scott Pruett, enjoy the food and enjoy the ride. We even pay a visit to Pruett’s vineyard for last call.
Professional spy photographer Brenda Priddy joins Courtney Hansen to discuss some unique jobs in the automotive business. We unearth employment opportunities beyond working the line or engineering, including spy photography, security and the job of sniffing. We also catch up with a woman who started her own automotive business based on the premise that our pets need to feel safe, too. And we meet Rusty Haight, a man better known as the Human Crash Test Dummy.
Henrik Fisker, auto designer and entrepreneur, drives with Courtney Hansen in his newest electric, efficient and unusually quiet Fisker automobile. They talk environment on a visit to Alexandra Paul, who’s gone from wearing a red swimsuit on Baywatch to wearing her green on her sleeve. Plus, we look at how cars are being recycled, and we stop by the SEMA show to see what’s going green there. We get all organic and earthy, and you’re invited to come along for the ride.
Autoweek editor Natalie Neff joins Courtney Hansen to discover emerging technologies in the automotive world. They learn all about new gadgets and inventions that will affect every aspect of driving—and the people who are bringing them to us. We make a trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, take a look into General Motors’ pod car and see how Ford’s ingenuity helped a blind man live out his dream to drive. Plus, we talk to Autoweek editors about some of the vehicles and technology that will change our roads for good.
Courtney Hansen drives through the North American International Auto Show in Detroit with Paul Hemsworth of the George P. Johnson Co. and one of the designers responsible for the elaborate displays at the show. They talk car-show lore and car-show models (product specialists), and we get to see some of the coolest concept cars of all time. We also report on some marketing stunts that have made the NAIAS in Detroit the biggest and best car show in the business.
We’re on the road with Courtney Hansen and her copilot, Autoweek editor Natalie Neff, in a classic RV. We also make a road trip down the Midwest’s Highway 127 to visit the world’s biggest yard sale and do some roadside shopping. Plus, we wind our way down a concrete roller coaster on one of America’s curviest roads, the Tail of the Dragon. We also visit some other unique stops and roadside oddities on our unusual odyssey spanning the United States.
Jay Ward, keeper of the Cars movie franchise for Pixar Studios, takes Courtney Hansen for a ride in his Cadillac hot rod as they talk about the art of customization and how it has influenced his life and his work at the U.S. animation studio. We also visit a trade school that teaches students to be custom-car builders. And we see some of the most memorable customized cars of all time—cars that were made for the movies—at Memory Lane Museum just outside Chicago.
For those about to drive, we salute you with this special music edition of the show, featuring the passion and car knowledge of Brian Johnson, lead singer of rock group AC/DC. Courtney Hansen and Johnson get behind the wheel and talk about how music and the automobile go hand in hand. We catch up with Curt Catallo, owner of the original “Little Deuce Coupe” that inspired the Beach Boys’ classic hit. And we visit a singing cab driver in Chicago and a composer who makes music using car parts.
