Charge Cars was founded in 2016 and its first project is now available. Without the manufacturer mentioned, the London-based company has for order 499 of its bespoke "The '67 By Charge Car."

Created individually and built like the original Ford Mustang but electric and built from the "ground up," the '67 is on display during the LA Auto Show.

Bill Morse, a marketing spokesperson for the London-based company is the first of my three guests during the opening day of the 2022 LA Auto Show.

The '67 by Charge Car presented at the LA Auto Show. All images © James Raia/2022.

While co-host Bruce Aldrich remained in Sacramento to produce the episode, I traveled to Southern California for the first major auto show of the season.
LA Auto Show: Bespoke Icon Stuns
A former actor who has worked with several manufacturers, Morse discusses the new company, now six years into its build process.

Morse details the long process of making each vehicle, some of which have already been purchased before they've been made. The '67 By Charge Car vehicle features an impressive list of specs and a hefty price.

 

Hagerty had a low-key presence at the 2022 LA Auto Show, but the 1994 Ferrari 248 stood out and it was fun to drive.

Charge Cars uses a snowflake as its cars' badge, with Morse explaining "each car is slightly different, "like a snowflake."

LA Auto Show: Hagerty Goes Vintage

Morse said Charge Cars has two other iconic cars planned but wouldn't name the choices. "If I told you, it would bring a smile to your face."

Jeremy Malcomb works for Hagerty, the Michigan-based automotive lifestyle and membership company, specializing in vintage cars. Hagerty had a low-key presence at the auto show. But its booth has prominently situated the front of the main entrance to the show and it had two vehicles available for test drives, including a 1994 Ferrari 248.

Pizza Hut uses a small fleet of ElectraMechannica vehicles for theSOLO's convenience and EV efficiency. Three of the company's vehicles were showcased at the LA Auto Show.

With Jeremy as my guide and front-seat passenger, I drove the Ferrari on a two-mile loop around the city streets near the convention center. Later in the day, Jeremy was my second guest and we talked about the increase in vintage car values. The Ferrari I drove, cost about $100,000 new and it's now also worth about $100,000.
LA Auto Show: Ferrari Cruises Downtown
"Certainly, it was probably the cheapest Ferrari at the time, it's a mid-engine V8, a gated manual transmission, a great receipt for a much-loved car," said Jeremy. "Today, they've been widely considered a great place to start if just you're getting into Ferraris."

Jeremy and I also discussed the market-wide increase in vintage car prices and Hagerty's ride-share program, Drive Share. Owners from around the country list their collectible cars for rent.

ElectraMeccanica is a Canadian-designed and manufactured single-seat electric vehicle called the Solo. It's considered an enclosed motorcycle.

Ingeniously designed to be sleek, fun, easy-to-charge, and earth-friendly, SOLO transforms your daily routine with its maneuverability, a top speed of 80 mph, and up to 100 miles of range on a single charge.

The company, which debuted last year at the LA Auto Show, presented its update this year and it's my third segment. ElectraMeccanic had three vehicles on display, including one wrap for a Pizza Hut franchise. Its one commercial application that's been a success for the convenient, about-town little machines.

The Weekly Driver Podcast encourages and appreciates feedback from our listeners. Please forward episode links to family, friends and colleagues. And you are welcome to repost links from the podcast to your social media accounts. The idea of more eyeballs on more content works for us.

Support our podcast by shopping on Amazon.com. A graphic display at the bottom of the post links to automotive selections of the onlin...