WHAT IS THIS SITE ABOUT?

Ate Up With Motor provides in-depth history and commentary on interesting cars and the people behind them. We primarily focus on older cars, but we may occasionally talk about newer models if they're interesting enough. (Click here for more on what we consider interesting.)

The site is NOT:

• A consumer site for new- or used-car buyers
• A news site talking about the latest models and developments in the automotive world
• A technical resource for restoring or repairing old cars.
• A source for parts, or for buying or selling cars.

Our goal in each article is to explore where each car came from, who designed it, why it was designed the way it was, how well if worked (or why it didn't), whether it succeeded or failed, and what lessons we can take from it.

WHY IS THE SITE CALLED "ATE UP WITH MOTOR"?

Back in 1977, stock car driver Darrell Waltrip said of his Chevrolet Monte Carlo, "Bertha," that it was "jes' all ate up with motor." After writing about cars and automotive history in various forums for several years, we needed a name, and we thought it was catchy.

WHERE DOES YOUR INFORMATION COME FROM?

The information for each essay is drawn from a variety of books, periodicals, and online sources, most of which are specified in the "Notes on Sources" section of each article. We make an effort to be as accurate as we can, so if you note an error, let us know and we'll look into it. If you make a correction, we may ask for your sources -- and we may or may not incorporate suggestions we can't verify, or that are solely matters of personal opinion. A fair amount of conventional wisdom on automotive history is based on PR spin, assumption, rumor, prejudice, or wishful thinking. Just because something is written down doesn't make it true.

WHERE DO YOU GET PICTURES? ARE THESE YOUR CARS?

Most of the photos here are of cars we've seen and photographed in the Los Angeles area. They aren't our cars, and we can't necessarily tell you who the owners are or how to contact them. Others are used with the permission of the photographer, or public domain or Creative Commons images.

Unless otherwise specified, the photos are © Aaron Severson.

WHY DO YOU WRITE ALL THIS STUFF?

People sometimes ask we're so interested in cars. This is not necessarily a neutral question -- we have a fair number of friends who disapprove of cars on political or environmental grounds, or who just consider automotive stuff a little déclassé.

A lot of gearheads have an intense, emotional relationship with a particular type or genre of cars, the same kind sports fans have with their favorite teams. We do not. Some enthusiasts are collectors, restorers, or amateur hot rodders. We are not. Many are driven by nostalgia, and the desire to capture (or recapture) the things they loved when they were 16. We are not. While there are cars we might like to own one day, the list is smaller than you might think, and it's not high on our list of priorities.

To us, cars are primarily a fascinating sociological phenomenon. The auto business is an industry that spans industries -- intersecting everything from manufacturing and design to finance and high technology -- and it serves as a bellwether of the larger social, economic, and political trends of the time. Cars occupy a unique social position. They're driven by fashion and novelty like consumer products, but manufactured and purchased like durable goods, and they carry heavy connotations of class and status. You can tell a great deal about someone by the car they drive, and even more by the cars to which they aspire. For the same reasons, you can tell a great deal about an era by its cars: its fads and obsessions, its anxieties and its dreams. Cars are clay in which the forces that shape our history leave their fingerprints very clearly.

We're not here to justify or defend the existence of the automobile. The rise of the auto industry has had profound social and environmental consequences, many of which (such as the use of tetraethyl lead in gasoline) are very difficult to defend rationally. As we've written here before, interest does not necessarily connote approval. We do believe, however, that it's important to remember that nothing happens in a vacuum, and blindly disapproving of something without considering its context -- or why and how it came to exist -- is a perilous endeavor. Whether or not you approve of them, cars are an enormously significant social, historical, and economic phenomenon, worthy of study.

We have no sacred cows, nor any prejudices based on make or nationality. (We do have a strong prejudice against trucks and SUVs, so you're unlikely to see articles about the latest Jeep or Land Rover.)

WHO WRITES ALL THIS STUFF?

Unless otherwise noted, all articles here are written by (and copyright) Aaron Severson.

ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH ANY COMPANY OR AUTO MAGAZINE?

No. We write and publish these articles ourselves. We are not affiliated with any automaker or automotive business. In the event we receive any payments or in-kind gifts for content (for instance, if we receive a free copy of a book to review), we will so indicate in the applicable article.

CAN I LINK TO YOUR ARTICLES ON MY SITE? CAN I USE YOUR CONTENT OR PHOTOS?

We're happy to have links to the articles. We would appreciate it if you could let us know, either in a comment or via e-mail -- we're always curious to know who's reading the site.

However, you may not do any of the following without our explicit written permission:

• Use any of our photos (other than public domain or Creative Commons images)
• Reproduce the articles, in whole or in part, other than brief quotations with appropriate attribution
• Hotlink to any images or other content on this site.

We would be open to reprinting or mirroring the articles or photos on other sites, if you obtain permission in advance. If you would like to discuss reprinting any of our articles or photos, you can contact us via e-mail at aseverson (at) ateupwithmotor (dot) com.

CAN I SUGGEST A TOPIC FOR AN ARTICLE?

Sure. You can feel free to either leave a comment here or sent us an e-mail to aseverson (at) ateupwithmotor (dot) com.

CAN I CONTRIBUTE OR DONATE TO THE SITE?

Click here for more information.