Jeremiah 29:11

This is one lucky guy to have driven all of these cars.

February 18, 2008

Top 10 Driving Roads
By Rich

1968Rogue

I can honestly say that life’s treated me pretty damn good. I’ve had a run as a high school social studies teacher immediately after graduating college, I owned an automotive electronics specialty store for 15 years and since then have lived the life of an automotive journalist combining my two life’s passions, driving some of the world’s greatest cars on some of this planet’s most challenging roads. This has led me to establish Automotive Traveler, an online-only digital magazine dedicated to the proposition that every trip is an adventure.

Many times I’ve been asked what’s my favorite car and what’s my favorite road and to be honest, I’ve never compiled a top ten list. That is until today when I went back and reviewed hundreds of stories and thousands of photographs I’ve taken over the last 25 years and come up with this list.

1. PCH (CA 1) in the Dodge Challenger Concept
2. The Inca Trail in a Ferrari 599
3. A832 in NW Scotland in a European Ford Focus coupe-cabriolet
4. The Furka Pass in Switzerland in an Aston Martin DB5 and
5. Driving from Tokyo to Sapporo, in a Japanese-spec Subaru WRX
6. Hafeet Mountain Road in the UAE in a basic rental car not available in the US
7. The Nurburgring in a Ford GT
8. Highway 61 in a 1961 Lincoln Continental
9. The Normandy beaches in a WW II-era Jeep
10. Route 66 in a 1968 Chevy Camaro SS/RS

After the jump I’d love to share some impressions of each of these combinations that I’ve cataloged.



1. Dodge Challenger Concept on California 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. The return of Dodge’s muscle car after 35 years on the sidelines was previewed by the 2006 Challenger Concept. Due to a combination of circumstances with the car being in the Bay Area for an event, I asked Chrysler’s Scott Brown if I could take it for a spin. We agreed that the drive from Carmel to the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge would suffice. I can tell you that there’s nothing quite as scary as driving a one-off, multi-million dollar concept out on public roads. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.







2. In a 12 month run of once-in-a-lifetime experiences, my drive from London to Maranello in a Dodge Viper and Ford GT has to rank right up there with the Challenger/PCH drive. But what made the trip even more memorable was that I took it for six laps at the famed Nurburgring. Previously the closest I got to the ‘ring was Grand Turismo for PlayStation 2 so I can attest to the fact that it in no way will prepare you for your first trip to the Green Hell. Before Ford trusted me with the wheel they had Bridgestone’s top tire tester, Armin Hahne give me several laps of instruction…a good move on their part.







3. In 2006 I also drove from the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit to Chicago to LA on Route 66 with four muscle car owners for a feature produced for the departed Motor Trend Classic. The four cars included a 1967 Dodge White Hat Special, a 1969 AMC SC/Rambler, a 1970 Mustang, and a heavily modified 1969 Chevy Camaro SS/RS whose previous owner was a GM suspension engineer. I’ve driven many vintage muscle cars but never did one drive so much like a brand new car as this one. A simply unforgettable experience on the Mother Road.







4. In 2004, on the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasions, I visited the beaches in Normandy and toured the French country side in a 1944 Willys Jeep that was restored to War Correspondent specifications. What made this trip so memorable, besides being hit by a car and nearly killed in the German Cemetery at La Combe, was that I stayed in a chateaux near St. Mere Iglese that was home in June 1944 of war correspondent Andy Rooney and famed photographer Robert Capa.







5. I’m a big James Bond buff and have cataloged and visited many