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Mike Spinelli

@mikespinelli

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Found these NYC shots from the /DRIVE days of a gorgeous '76 930 in the rare and minty Ice Green Metallic, one of the best colors of the era. Although these are similar, the color changes dramatically in tone depending on the lighting, from pastel to a shimmering silver-green in the sun. by @mikespinelli

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2 months ago

Once upon a time, I was a young magazine nerd. I was obsessed with Hot Rod and then Omni, Thrasher, Ray Gun, and Wired. I prowled Mondo Kim’s for obscure zines and even built a collection of CD-ROM mags that never had a chance.

I started dreaming about a new sort of car magazine. It would have daring, eye-popping art direction and vivid articles that exploded off the page. By the time I got around to doing anything about it, the world had moved on. Jalopnik was the best I could do.

(Later on, thanks to @BrianScotto, we got pretty close with 0-60, although we didn’t have the resources to go crazy with the art direction.)

BUT FINALLY, in 2026 — a million fuckin’ years later — the latest @roadandtrack issue is the precise magazine I had in my head, right down to the out-of-control illustrations — and I’m extremely proud to have written the kind of article I’d always imagined doing.

Better late than never! Well done, everyone.

Pick up a copy. It’s worth it. by @mikespinelli

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4 months ago

taken in New York International Auto Show by @mikespinelli

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7 months ago

What do Jalopnik, The Drive, and Motorsport Network all have in common?

They’ve all had Mike Spinelli driving content, channeling a passion for cars that started with gray market BMWs and drag races in high school.

But how did Mike go from high school obsession to 21 years writing and producing some of the most exciting automotive and motorsport-inspired projects for such big name media companies?

Read our latest FanAmp Fast Lane to find out which roads he took and his best advice for those following in his tracks! by @mikespinelli

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a year ago

Why was Group X-Body banned? Wrong answers only. by @mikespinelli

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a year ago

(Not shown: some miniature Ray Winstone in a newsboy cap poking me in the ribs to try and get up front.) @scuderiaferrari @24heuresdumans by @mikespinelli

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2 years ago

Today’s office. by @mikespinelli

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2 years ago

Damn! The mighty @photodre was a finalist for an American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) award in the category of Best Service and Lifestyle Story for our “High Plains Dragster” piece for @roadandtrack (Vol 19). Shot on film, with Badlands vibes all over the place, the photos for this are why I’ve always loved tagging along with visionary photogs on assignments. Congrats Dre! You brought so much storytelling and atmosphere to this piece, truly elevating it to a level I thought wouldn’t be possible in the modern magazine world. [Link in bio.] by @mikespinelli

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3 years ago

Happy 20th anniversary to that time DaimlerChrysler offered a Viper V10-powered Dodge Tomahawk concept “replica” in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book for $555,000. Did anyone buy one? Dunno. Have to ask @jaylenosgarage. by @mikespinelli

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3 years ago

Hey! The new @roadandtrack mag is out and I'm really, really psyched to have these two pieces in it. The first is a look back at the Caesar's Palace Grand Prix of the early 1980s, which had me digging through newspaper archives and chasing down first-hand accounts of what was either one of the jankiest or one of the best Grands Prix ever (maybe both).

For the second feature, the mighty @photodre and I traveled to Casper, Wyoming to check out the local no-prep drag racing scene, where we met @joey_anton and others in the Wyoming no-prep crew, some of whom are vets of @stoutlaws, plus tons more great people including @_spencerbernard__058_ who helped me immeasurably in wrapping my head around the Casper scene, the low-key cowboy renaissance genius @coltonsmithey, plus @hot.rod.sam, @tf_boostedchevy2 (sorry I missed you), and the rest of the local heroes of the scene, which if you didn't know is popping off 24/7.

Dre came back with rolls of epic stuff on film in B&W and color, reminding me how much I miss hitting the road with a great photographer to chase a story, and getting to see it through their eyes, and then also getting to hold it on paper. If you're not a subscriber, go pick up this issue or just subscribe already. The mag's always filled with gold. by @mikespinelli

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3 years ago

People have been asking me what the fuck am I doing these days. I figured a short filmstrip is in order. Here goes:
1.) Here I am in the yard sending a DM to @therealzackklapman. I am wearing glasses. The sun is strong. 2.) Whoa! There’s a great sale on Nick’s weird-ass ice cream! 3.) I need new nibs for my Monteverde Engage pen. I’m going to try “light” this time. 4.) Showing a friend the relative size of my anorak. 5.) I took a train out to see @jfmusial and work on a documentary film we’re doing with @tangent_vector. More to come on that. 6.) I take walks. Here’s a place I walked to. 7.) I started a book. 8&9.) I went to a no-prep street race in Wyoming and the article is coming out in the next issue of @roadandtrack. It’s nice to be able to write things for print, with photo spreads and whatnot, which is my favorite thing to do. by @mikespinelli

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3 years ago

Midjourney doing its best Bill Mitchell impression, designing alternate-reality Caddys in parallel 1970s NYC universe. by @mikespinelli

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3 years ago