PETROLICIOUS FOR SALE

Afshin Behnia, founder of the popular car site Petrolicious, has stepped down as CEO and says the site is for sale after posting controversial remarks on the Internet.

I never approached them for work, based on their rates, but I did enjoy some of the car stories they published. Hopefully the site continues and the new owners can find a way to enlist the best automotive photojournalists and filmmakers. I’d be honored to be a part of it.

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Randy Wells | Director of Photography | Writer | Car and Automotive Photographer | Seattle and Santa Barbara

WELCOME TO THE WEEKLY BLOG

A widely recognized, award-winning travel and automotive photographer, Randy Wells offers his best images, films, and essays at his main website here:

WELLS IMAGERY

TED FIELD AND DANNY ONGAIS
Taking the Long Road Home with a Porsche RSR

Article by Randy Wells, Photos by Randy Wells and Others

Forty-Five years ago Porsche’s RSR was the hot ticket for car racing. Of course, joining in the fun has always been easier if you are an heir to one of America’s famous family fortunes.

Our never-before-published story covers the famous 1975 RSR and Ted Field, who was born to Marshall Field IV, a part of the department store dynasty that created a world of affluence for his family.

Field was only 12 years old when his father passed away in Chicago. After moving to Alaska with his mother, the young Field decided California was where he wanted to be. So what do you do when you’re wealthy, single, 21, and living in southern California? Find yourself a Porsche of course – but not just any Porsche. More

HAVE A SAFE 4TH OF JULY

This candid photograph of an American veteran (and a cat hiding under the truck) was made along Route 66 in Seligman, Arizona with a digital Leica M and a 50mm lens. Thanks to all our military personnel, past and present, for their sacrifice in the name of independence.

WASHINGTON STATE IS NOW OPEN FOR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

Yeah!

Call today for your custom photo shoot: WELLS IMAGERY

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PORSCHE’S FIRST OVERALL VICTORY AT LE MANS & HANS MEZGER

The 1970 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans took place 50 years ago on June 13 and 14. Porsche had won first in class before, but their 1970 victory was their first overall Le Mans win.

They would go on to conquer the event more times than any other manufacturer. The late Hans Mezger was instrumental in that first victory and many others.

R.I.P. Hans Mezger, age 90, who passed away today. Hans was one of the most important engine designers ever. His first project was to work on the valve train of the Luhrmann-Designed 356 Carrera engine for Porsche – not an easy task. Over the next 35 years, he took part in the design of the first Porsche 911 engine, the Porsche turbocharged engines, and became the leader of the famed Porsche Race Engine Department. More

CAN A CAR HAVE A SOUL?

According to one Porsche owner it can.

Read all about it in this month’s issue of Porsche Club of America’s national magazine Panorama.

Special thanks to the Pano team: publisher Vu Nguyen, editor-in-chief Rob Sass, photo editor/designer Richard Baron, and text and layout editors Amy Skogstrom, Allen Lane and Emma Smith. Also, thanks to Linda Goodman, Damon Lowney and all the proofreaders.

PCA Panorama Magazine

I WANT TO DRIVE

When road trips roll around again, and they will with a vengeance I’m predicting, you will want go where the crowds are not. That means your vehicle will need to be ready to camp anywhere.

Here’s what I will be carrying with my wife in a Porsche SUV after CARonavirus: More

CAYMAN GT4 RS AND CANON RS 5

Porsche’s latest announcement is a 718 Cayman GT4 RS reported to put out 500 hp.

Canon’s latest mirrorless camera is the RS 5. It’s for pros with 45 MP, IBIS, 8K video and 120 fps at 1080…

I’m guessing these will not disappoint. Wow!

(Photos: Courtesy Porsche AG and Canon)

SLOT CAR RACING AGAIN

As a kid, I raced slot cars at commercial hobby tracks pretending to be the famous British driver, Sterling Moss. I still have my box of cars and controller. Twenty years ago, I started collecting the 1/32nd scale slot cars that were being produced at the time. More

STERLING MOSS R.I.P.

Happy Easter. It is with a sad heart that I report Sir Stirling Moss passed away this morning. Considered the greatest racing driver never to win the Formula 1 World Championship, he succumbed to a long-term illness at 90 years of age.

Sterling won just about everything else during his long career – including numerous F1 races, Le Mans, Sebring, Targa Florio, and the Mille Miglia. Amazingly, he won 212 of the 529 races he entered. Godspeed. More

PHOTOGRAPHING SCALE MODEL CARS

Since we are spending another month (or two) at home because of the global health pandemic, now is the perfect time to photograph some scale model cars. Look for more on this subject soon!

FAST CAR

Tracy Chapman broke the airwaves in April 1988 with this song and others on her self-titled album. Singles from the record, like “Fast Car”, “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution”, and “Baby Can I Hold You” are still relevant today. The CD, or better yet, the record or the elusive 12″ single discs, are audiophile grade music. Check it out.

BORED? BUILD A 1:3 SCALE PORSCHE 4-CAM MOTOR!

The 4-cam Carrera engine is a technical masterpiece. It propelled Porsche to several race wins in the ’50s and 60s with cars like the 550 Spyder and the 356 Carrera 2. I’ve driven both, and let me tell you these multi-million dollar icons are the real deal.

Now, for $300, you can assemble a 300-piece 1:3 scale working model with a 112-page collector’s book from the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. No gas needed. It runs on 3 AA batteries.

CAR PHOTOGRAPHY & WRITING IN THE AGE OF COVID

First of all, my heart goes out to all of those who have been impacted by this crisis.

Fortunately, working from home, my writing routine has changed very little. For my photos, I’m working on projects that have been idle for awhile.

Once the “stay at home” order is lifted, I can resume my car photography. All I need is one person to drive the assigned car into position in front of an appropriate background. I can shoot the whole take with a normal and telephoto lens, keeping ten feet from the car and driver at all times. Of course, that doesn’t help the millions of people who are not so fortunate. More