Did you wake up this morning thinking: I have had enough of multi-million-dollar, achingly beautiful cars — I want to hear about really weird metal that only strange dudes would own?
No I didn't think so, but it doesn't matter: I am going to tell you about a few. And if you or a close family member own one, then change weird to extraordinary and strange to investment banker.
OK at Las Vegas next week if I were you I would be paying $7000 for access to the owner's box at Barrett-Jackson's huge auction, the Mandalay Bay Casino. Usually only available for celebrities, million-dollar bidders or select VIPs, next weekend thanks to Craig Barrett you can be right there as Las Vegas's finest citizens fight each other for the 1970 EPA Plymouth Superbird.
Back in the 70s when the EPA was born, it was looking for things to do. So they decided to study how much stuff was spewing out of the back of passenger jets. The EPA official tasked with finding a car that could "sniff the tail" of a Boeing 737 at 193km/h was former Dow Chemical executive John Moran.
Moran's company used to sponsor NASCAR heavy Ray Nichels, who by then owned a go-fast engineering shop. Nichels said give me $30,000 and I'll give you a car you can fill with scientific stuff and chase a Boeing down the runway.