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The Rack

Choosing Wisely and Safely: New-Ray 2001 Yamaha YZF-R1

Without a doubt, the YZF-R1 is the top dog when enthusiasts talk about their favorite Yamaha super sports bike. And we talk from experience: In 2003, Manuel Gaspar “Boy” Albos, Jr., the executive vice president (EVP) of Norkis Trading Corporation, which was the former distributor of Yamaha motorcycles in the Philippines, showed us a brand-spanking-new Yamaha R1 that just arrived ...

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From Dream to Reality: Maisto 2002 Harley-Davidson V-Rod

On the wall in front of my desk in our home-office hangs a framed poster of a 2001 Harley-Davidson V-Rod (VRSCA) parked in front of the Milwaukee factory of The Motorcycle Company. The large poster came inserted in a special issue of a foreign motorcycle magazine that featured the V-Rod’s introduction. My wife Shawie had the poster framed in 2002 ...

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Mini Econocar from WuHu: Chery QQ

We’ve been keeping ourselves busy even when we’re compelled to stay home since the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was imposed in Metro Manila on March 15, 2020. Aside from reviewing scale model cars, we’ve been sorting, organizing, and arranging our stuff in our residence and our home-office. We realized that we have a lot of stuff that we didn’t know ...

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A Personal Memento: Minichamps 2001 BAR-Honda 003

In March 2003, Honda Cars Philippines (HCPI) took several members of the Philippine motoring press, including yours truly, to Australia to watch the Foster’s Australian Grand Prix Formula One (F1) races at the Albert Park in Melbourne. As the guests of Honda, we were privileged to go into the paddocks of the BAR-Honda Racing Team after the Friday afternoon practice ...

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At the Peak of the Era: Greenlight and Hotwheels 1968-69 GM A-Body Muscle Cars

In 1968, General Motors (GM) restyled their A-body platform with a more curvaceous, semi-fastback styling, on which the Buick Skylark, Chevrolet Chevelle, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Pontiac LeMans models were all based. The two-door sedan, hardtop, and convertible variants had a 112-inch wheelbase while the four-door and station wagon variants had a 4-inch longer wheelbase at 116 inches. 1968 A-body 2-door hardtops ...

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Changing the Course of History: Maisto 1993 Porsche Boxster Concept

In the late 1980’s, German sports carmaker Porsche was in a financial pinch. Their front-engine sports cars – the 928, 924, 944 and 968 – didn’t sell as well as expected. On top of poor sales, there was a global economic recession, an unfavorable exchange rate, and aggressive competition from other carmakers. Porsche needed the capital infusion to continue operation, ...

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BMW Concept Car: Revell 1991 Italdesign Nazca M12

When I was a young boy in the mid-70s, a friend and I used to peek into a shoe box containing the Lesney Matchbox Superfast toy car collection of my friend’s dad. Since we were not supposed to even touch the shoe box (his father would be furious if he ever found out), we cannot play with the toy cars. ...

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Fueling My Route 66 Dream: ERTL 2002 Harley-Davidson Road King

In 2006, I was in Vietnam for a 15-day motorcycle tour from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. During one of our several forays into local flea markets, I stumbled upon a 1:10 scale ERTL 2002 Harley-Davidson Road King in its protective plastic packaging case. Through an interpreter, the Vietnamese vendor said that the model motorcycle was a used but ...

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Enamored by a Monster: New-Ray 2001 Ducati Monster S4

In April 2015, I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand for the Asia Premiere of the all-new Ducati Monster 821. My initial impression is that the new naked bike retains the character of the original Monster even with its new chassis and increased muscular styling. The good people of Ducati Asia laid out a ride around Chiang Mai through long country ...

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American Muscle, European Chic: Auto Art Millenium Ford GT

At the 2002 North American International Auto Show, the Ford Motor Company unveiled a new mid-engine two-seat sports car concept that was initially dubbed as the GT40. It was designed in anticipation of the automaker’s centennial year and as part of its drive to showcase and revive its “heritage models” such as Mustang and Thunderbird.  The GT40 was designed to ...

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