I captured this at a car show in downtown Cary. One of the collectors brought down a gorgeous 1971 De Tomaso Pantera. The '71 Pantera was powered by a gigantic 5.8L V8 engine. While I didn't get to hear the vulgar utterances of that massive engine, I did take time to admire the blazing orange paint that this car wore. I've never gotten to see a Pantera in person before this day, so it was a pretty neat car to see. I'm particularly fond of how this picture manages to look more like a Ford stamp on a flat background than an actual photograph. To me, it looks like the Ford brand is floating above an orange surface.
I will maintain for a long, long time that only one American sports car has not lost its edge over time. Sure, the Corvette has looked more interesting at some times than others. Sure, I prefer the Ford GT in all of its incarnations. But only one American sports car has lasted a dedicated 50 years, going on 65 with no breaks. Here's looking at you, Corvette.
Standing like solemn sentinels, the remains of the gutted engine peered out from the minivan's hood. But this minivan would not be going anywhere. Abandoned by an unknown owner, its engine compartment burned out, and its interior looted, the van waits for its last stop. As all things eventually must, it, too, must go to its grave.
