Russia brings new meaning to the term "SUV."

Automotive designer Jonathan Ward gives us an inside peek into the ICON 4x4 brand and his latest creation, the ICON Chevy Thriftmaster truck. The Thriftmaster is a truck with an identity crisis. Unassuming on the outside but completely modern on the inside. The Thriftmaster attacks the old twisty Santa Susana Pass with extreme ease.

More info at http://www.roadsandrides.com/icon-thriftmaster/

Steve Wong's amazing Ford F-350 XLT Super Duty. Photo by CF user and automotive photographer @kace_logik.

Early version of Chevy's "Advanced Design" half-ton pickup trucks from the late forties.

For some light chores around the house...

There's just something about a diesel pickup truck that makes grown men regress into Tonka-loving children. Even my Prius-driving environmentalist friends in Berkeley admit they secretly want a diesel pickup. The problem of course is that diesel pickups are expensive (the cheapest diesel Ram 2500 is $36,975 and it doesn't have an automatic transmission, the cheapest oil-burning F-250 is $38,250) and, for the majority of us, the high payload and towing capacities are overkill. While economical in a specific sense, the large diesel trucks aren't "fuel-efficient" either. Until now. Mark your calendars folks, The 2014 Ram 1500 Eco Diesel is the half-ton truck in America sporting a small diesel engine.
Although new in 2010 and refreshed for the 2013, the 1500 is undeniably a Ram. That's because Chrysler prefers evolutionary rather than revolutionary styling when it comes to their volume truck. That's not a bad thing, since the 1994 style cues that have lived on were sexy back then, and still attractive today. The big-rig front end still captures my attention, but despite my family's Ram addiction, I find the 2014 Silverado's nose to be the better looker. As with most redesigns, the front end got bigger, brasher and has more chrome than ever before.
In 2007 GM purchased 50% of the Italian engine maker VM Motori. The logic was that GM needed a smooth Euro compliant diesel engine for the Cadillac CTS (and other models) in order to compete with the Germans. Sadly, GM declared bankruptcy between the engine being designed and the engine actually being used so it sat on a shelf. In 2011 Fiat bought the other half of VM Motori and found the engine gathering dust. Fiat had some quick tweaks done to the engine to make it more suitable for their use and the EcoDiesel V6 was born. While there was much talk about GM getting their hands on this same engine for Silverado duty, Fiat recently snapped up the other half of VM Motri making this a Fiat/Chrysler engine in every way that matters.
The high revving single turbo aluminum-block V6 engine produces 240 horsepower and a stout 420 lb-ft of torque. If those numbers sound impressive, consider this. The first 5.9L Cummins engine Chrysler used in the 2500 and 3500 series RAM trucks produced 94 fewer ponies and 20 fewer twists. In the biggest statement of progress I have seen in a while, that Cummins also delivered its power via five fewer gears.

Like the rest of the Ram 1500 lineup (except for one model with a 5.7L HEMI), all 1/2 ton Rams now use ZF's 8-speed automatic transmission. If you're worried it's just a passenger car transmission that's not up to the task, ZF's 8-speed transmissions are also found behind the insane twin-turbo V12s that the Germans love so much.

Diesel Drag Racing Trucks at Bandimere Test n Tune Night at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison CO at 5800 feet above sea level. Some Cummins Rams, Duramax and one or two Powerstroke.

Dymaxion, an advanced vehicle designed by Buckminster Fuller 1933.

Vintage Mayflower moving van!

Now this is a wintertime vehicle. No excuses for being late to work if you have this.

2006 Hummer H2 like new, $25,000. Vehicle is in very good condition. White with Tan and black leather interior. Bose stereo, electric adjustable front seats, Heated seats, Cold A/C. Spare tire rack. New tires. Heavy duty brakes. Better gas milage than stock due to upgraded cold air intake, performance exhaust and computer tuner. Recently smoged and renewed registration. Owner will finance. No credit Bad credit. I will carry loan. $6,000 down/payments $665.00 a month for 33 months 7.9% interest.
You must have verifiable income and residence and pay insurance.
760-707-2844

During a recent hunt for something interesting on eBay, I started searching out military 6×6 2.5 ton trucks. They are super cool and often times customized in interesting ways, but you can imagine my surprise when the very first ad at the top of my page was for a 1959 Chevrolet Apache truck that has been set on top of an M135 6×6 chassis. Not on has the body swap been done, but also a big block Chevrolet install for power which is always cool, even if it is just the little bastard 366 commercial truck motor. We can fix that.

In most circumstances a ’59 Chevy Apache body on a 6×6 chassis would be enough to get your attention, but the crazy Canadians that built this one also decided that it needed to be as bright as possible. Safety first and all that. The thing looks to be in pretty good shape, although there are some signs of age where the rear fenders were spliced together to cover both rear wheels. We’re pretty sure Brian would get over that if I bought this thing for him. After all, look at the other stuff he drives.

If it was mine I would make this thing look like it was a real military truck that came this way in ’59. I’d outfit it with snorkels and winches and all that crap just to make it ultra bitchin in any terrain. Brian would probably keep the mud flaps. I worry about him sometimes.

$30,000 and counting!

Another cool gem from G. Stone Motors here in VT. Check out this P30 Step Van with under 7,000 miles on the odometer! This Chevy van was owned by a local fire department. It starts runs well and is in very good condition! There is an on board Honda EV 6010 gas generator, flood lamps, light bar/side flashers etc. The interior has wooden cubbies, 2 roll up storage compartments and 2 benches in the rear with seat belts. This van has plenty of life left, you will not be disappointed! Give us a call to schedule a test drive today. At G. Stone Motors, We Take Anything In Trade! $9,975.

Fire truck from the Bill Ruger collection.

If dream of the Wild West, where boys are men and trucks are workhorses, the new ad campaign for the 2013 Ram 1500 may be right up your alley, partner.
The four new print ads will be featured in the 2012-2013 Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual Hunting and Fishing Regulations guide, which the Ram brand is sponsoring. “Ram trucks are an essential tool of the trade for the avid outdoorsman,” said Fred Diaz, president and CEO of the Ram Truck Brand. “The ads make an impactful statement about the beauty of Texas, my home state, while showcasing features hunters and fishers need in their trucks.”
Inspired by the series of posters created in the 1930′s and 1940′s by the Works Projects Administration (WPA) to promote U.S. national parks, the ads take advantage of Texas’ most picturesque scenery. Featured are the Rio Grande Valley (with a Ram 1500 Mossy Oak Edition Outdoorsman), Balanced Rock (with a Ram 2500 Power Wagon), Enchanted Rock (with a Ram 1500 Lone Star Editio), and Lighthouse Rock (with a Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn). The ads use the same shades of muted colors as the WPA posters, and send regards from places such as “Versatility Valley,” “Horsepower National Park,” “Inspiration Canyon,” and “Monument to Craftsmanship.” Cheesy? Perhaps. Pretty? Indeed.
Created by Anderson Design Group in Nashville, Tennessee, the ads also include fun catchphrases for each of the trucks like “Not all states are created equal. Same goes for trucks.” “It doesn’t drive on roads. It owns them.” and “The road less traveled leads to better fishing holes.” Check out all four ads below and let us know what you think of them in the comments.

Read more: http://rumors.automobilemag.com/new-2013-ram-1500-adverts-go-retro-163219.html#ixzz2O8ClHiPR

Molly Sims in the back of an old Ford? Yes please!

1956 Mercury XM-Turnpike Cruiser. "Carted around the country in a semitrailer with big picture windows on each side, the XM-Turnpike Cruiser was described as 'not merely a 'dream' car. It is a full-scale, fully operative automotive styling laboratory dedicated to ... pioneering, testing, and perfecting new ideas in design, new features, new safety and new power application.'" — auto.howstuffworks.com

If you are into cars or trucks, then you'll probably enjoy this video of all the cars leaving the 2011 SEMA Show. 25 minutes worth of footage! There's a couple burnouts in there too!

We stood out in the rain for over an hour to capture this footage, so that's why it can be shaky at times.

Rat rodding has extended from traditional rods to all manner of vehicles including this low slung late forties Chevy pickup.

Rat rod truck.

For a few decades mid century, streamlined commercial vehicles like this Gilmore three-axle vehicle brought dazzling design to ordinary transportation.

1939 Dodge Airflow tank truck. This streamlined tank truck connected local Texaco service stations to a larger national distribution network. Each of America's competing oil companies had a branded fleet of trucks that took gasoline from refineries to its retail service stations. Even independently operated stations had to buy gasoline from a big oil company's refinery.

Wildest police chase on film.

J.W. Watson construction dump truck late 1950s, Andover, MA.

I created this old truck-americana decor image in an 8x8 fine art photograph print of a very old fashioned and beat up Mack Truck on one of our recent country road adventures. I love the shapes of these old classic trucks. Mack trucks are known for being strong and manly, I think this image conveys it stands the test of time.

Tow truck on what bridge??