It’s winter 1985, deep in a dark wet Welsh forest, the moon is glinting through the trees and reflecting off deep puddles. Something is stirring. A glimpse of lights in the distance, the raucous noise of a race engine becomes louder and louder. Suddenly, a flash of lights, a turbo whistle, tires plowing through the puddles, stones banging off bodywork—the cacophony peaks, then as quickly as it started, it simmers off into the distance. Nestled up on a bank with his friends, Steve Rimmer has just experienced his first taste of Group B rallying.

Three pre-teen kids sit on the curb of Front Street, lazily throwing small stones and bits of gravel at a nearby stop sign; one of just a few in town. They have no agenda, no plans, and no obligations other than to be home before dark to keep their mothers from scolding them or worse yet, grounding them from tomorrow’s prospective adventures. These are the children of Haines, “The biggest little city in Oregon” a sleepy town with a population of just under 400.

Growing up on the streets of Los Angeles, Hansel Echeverria went by the tagging name “Leen.” In today’s car culture, that name means something far more—and his uniquely styled lapel pins have appeared at events as wide ranging as the Fast and Furious-inspired Fuel Fest to the classic Porsche gathering known as Rennsport.

If you’ve ever seen an older Volvo in traffic, chances are it had IPD parts in it. The company is that prevalent in the Volvo culture in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. They are, and remain, the go-to company for replacement, maintenance, suspension and go-fast bits for Volvos of all ages.

Coming across a Porsche 959 in the wild is an exceedingly rare occurrence. Only a scant 337 copies were made. To come across a proper 959 Sport, of which just 29 were ever produced, conjures a sense of suspended disbelief, even in Stumptown with its catchy “Keep Portland Weird” slogan.

What do you get when you take an exclusive automobile—an ultra-rare, track-focused hypercar—and give it a bespoke paint job by a sought-after artist, auction it off to benefit one of the world’s premier automotive museums, and then have an innovative engineer build it into a street-legal driver’s dream? The result is a truly spectacular one-of-a-kind vehicle that has stories to tell even before its tires meet the pavement.

Beau Boeckmann is a unique breed. Shaped by the incredible growth of his family’s car dealership—something to which he has greatly contributed—and raised in a family that cherished honesty, loyalty, and character, he has helped continue to grow the business into the largest Ford dealer in the world while incorporating a multitude of brands ranging from Mazda to Aston Martin, Land Rover to Porsche.

Scott Keogh remembers the lightbulb moment clear as day. A crisp summer afternoon, taking his children to the beach in the family VW ID.4, sun angled just right, diffused with mist off the sea. The only other car in the parking lot: a classic International Harvester Scout.

Unusual. Quirky. A little different. Those are the typical words people will use when describing a Saab. Then in the same breath they will use words like well-designed, safety, and performance. Saab people, like the cars, are a little different.

Every decade has certain automobiles that represent the audaciousness of the era in which they were made. For 1980s Los Angeles, the vibe was driven by celebrities with big hair, loud neon clothes, loud music, lavish houses, wild parties, and vast amounts of cash to burn.

When I proposed writing a profile on Larry Vollum, I had only heard of the Portland resident and whispers of an impressive, meticulously curated, and well-driven car collection. Based on the cars I had heard about and the people who spoke highly of him, I felt compelled to learn more about him.

Brionna Lynch is out to prove something. She doesn’t want to be known as the best female stunt driver or best African American stunt driver. She wants to be known as one of the best stunt drivers. Full stop. And she is well on her way.

Jake Langer has owned more than 70 Toyota Celicas in his lifetime. Passionate? Yes. Devoted? Yes. Obsessed? Perhaps. The year was 1989 when Langer bought a 1976 Celica from his dad for $600 and he hasn’t looked back. He wrenched on it when it needed work, customized it, and kept it in his possession for 28 years. That’s passion.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Los Angeles—the “City of Angels”—was the epicenter of the romantic and alluring picture of California known around the world. It was the home of Hollywood, The Beach Boys, Hot Rods, and bikini-clad girls. And it was there, in June of 1959, from a small mom-and-pop L.A. storefront at 4077 West Pico Boulevard, that Honda began selling their very first products in the United States, under the name of American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

The joy that her 1990 Lexus LS 400 brings her is palpable. That’s because she has built something unique: a true automotive mashup, a luxury sedan meets an off-road machine in a way that wasn’t intended. That’s what makes the car so special. Her determination to make the Lexus her own manifested itself in something that feels familiar yet is entirely new, like a new song that you know you’ve never heard before, but it feels like life wouldn’t be the same without it.

When content is king, you can build an empire with six GoPros and a Canon 5D. Hoonigan started in 2010 as no more than a t-shirt logo designed in a New York City apartment. Eleven years later, the brand exists as a motorsport powerhouse occupying half a city block in Los Angeles.

In my day, the standard advice from family, friends, and educators was simple. Get an apprenticeship and learn your craft. Or go to college and get a career. But a minority of people struggle with such limited options, knowing that neither feels right, sensing there have to be other ways. Often perceived as lazy, rebellious, or plain cantankerous, such iconoclasts are forced to rely on their determination and clarity of thought to find their path.

The Volvo Amazon is one of those cult classics that’s not a top-of-mind car but elicits a genuine reaction when spotted in the wild. They are cool, capable, and a willing build partner. Lower the stance, swap on some trick wheels, and the Amazon transforms from basic utilitarian transportation to fun-loving custom cruiser.

They were never the fastest cars on the road or the most popular posters on the wall, but for nearly three decades, Lancia ruled the world of rally. Founded in 1906 in Turin, Italy, Lancia built a reputation as a company that looked at car building differently.