This week we have a special interview that was recorded LIVE from the auction floor interview at MECUM in Houston Texas. Our intrepid producer Bernie McPartland caught up with TV personality and voice of MECUM Auctions on The MotorTrend Network, John Kraman. To say John has been in the car business a long time does little to explain just how long. This was an insight into what has become the biggest collector car auction company in the world, all told from the catbird seat!

FEATURE INTERVIEW Mike Spagnola - SEMA: Mike Spagnola This week I spoke to Mike Spagnola, President and CEO of SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association). It is always fun to meet for the first time, especially people who are helming something important to you. This was my first interaction of any kind with Mike, and my immediate takeaway from the discussion was that SEMA is in good hands (and a bright future) with his leadership! Mike has been involved with automotive his whole...

Rick Schmidt - Ask Rick: It is April and time for another riveting Ask Rick segment where I ask him the tough questions! This is the month of change where we transition from winter to spring. Out with the old and in with the new! It is time for the winter states to start getting out your projects and making them ready for car shows and tours. I look forward to seeing you at some of these events. Rick's Take on the California Emissions Mandate: Back in 2022, California released a mandate to...

This week I spoke to Tom Scarpello, President and founder of Revology in his facility in Orlando Florida! Revology is seemingly doing the impossible; creating a profitable company that survives (and thrives) by bringing a single classic Mustang platform into a 21st Century as a capable daily-driver by modern standards. There are a few other companies doing things like Revology, but to my knowledge this is the only company striving to be good at the "boring" stuff like reducing wind noise,...

This week I spoke to Jono Shaw, President of Hemmings Motor News, to find out more about the new buying service called the "Frictionless Marketplace." For anyone who has bought a car online sight unseen it can be a little unnerving when you "win" the auction and are then left to figure out how to get the car legally, safely, and paid for without the fear of getting completely ripped off. To put it bluntly, this service is meant to put some teeth to the "wild-west" that has become common in...

TMCP #570: 15 Year Anniversary Throwback - The Time I Met Mike Finnegan and Launched a Show about the Dukes of Hazzard!

Rick's Take on the Presidential Election 2024: Every four years we experience a Leap year and another round of picking a new president. With this event comes another round of presidential ads, throwing of mud, and an substantial amount of finger pointing. I have heard many times in the past from suppliers regarding their outlook on the future around an election cycle and many will stop any unnecessary spending based on the uncertainly of the outcome of an election. Some will even cut out...

TMCP #568: Jason Forgey, the NC944er - Everything You'll Ever Need to Know to Own, Restore, and Upgrade the Porsche 944!

TMCP #567: 15 Year Anniversary Throwback - The Time Jeff Allison Built My Chevelle For Free!

ASK RICK - Muscle Cars At Mecum Bringing Big Money, The Best ROI is on "Junk", and we own a Porsche 944!

This week I have the pleasure to talk to long time friend of the show, Jason Engel. At SEMA 2023 I learned that Jason had entered the consulting business and was also he representative to vet licensure requirements for Shelby! What was he consulting in, specifically? Well....consulting in the entire process of owning, operating, producing, marketing, and leading a production car business where the production car is unique to the business itself. In addition, it might be a car that needs to...

It is hard to believe that in May of 2024 it will have been fifteen years since I carved out a hole in my basement and started recording this podcast! Many listeners have tuned in and followed along as I met people from all across the automotive world and simply asked the questions we all wanted to know about business and cars. I had no idea that 15 years later I'd still be in the business, nor did I have a clue what a life defining thing this would become. In a nutshell, this podcast (and...

ASK RICK - 2024 New Years Business Goals; How to Get the Best ROI for Buying and Selling at the BIG January Auctions!

TMCP #562: The 2023 Christmas Show: Feature Interview with Santa Claus - Alternative Fuels, Electric Sleighs, and How to Get on the Nice List!

Welcome to the first ever show from the streets of Chicago at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show (MCACN). Ryan Brutt, the Auto Archeologist himself, brought out man Scotty Stap into the event to get a deeper look at what has become the premier annual muscle car event in the country! MCACN is a unique show in that both original, unrestored, barn find, and rare/oddball unique muscle cars are curated along with barn finds, specialty restoration parts suppliers, and everything in between!...

TMCP #560: Ask Rick - Long Term Employee Retention - Niche Restoration Parts Being Discontinued - Classic Car Investment VS The Stock Market

TMCP #559: SEMA Show 2023 Special #2: Ron Francis Wiring, Scott Bowers Goes Racing! - Cam Douglas, OPTIMA Series - Chris Douglas, CEO of Edelbrock Group:Racing and When to Move on to the Next Level -Wayne Perdue, JEGS, 35 Years of Speed Parts - Rick Love, Vintage Air, New Fox Body Mustang Systems!

TMCP #558: SEMA Show 2023 Special #1 - just for car builders! Roadster Shop and Aeromotive BIG Future Plans - Superformance Celebrates30 Years of Cobras - E-Musclecar Electric Muscle Conversions - TV's Chris Jacobs and Finale Speed - Jason Engel: Consulting in Shelby Licensing

TMCP #557: Ask Rick - Thanksgiving 2023 - EV's Are Slowing Development - and SEMA 2023 Winners!

Dan Kahn is a well known name in the automotive PR and marketing world and Kahn Media is (in my opinion) is the leader in that space.  I've known Dan for years and have always found him to have a great understanding of our industry as well as the ability to read the tea leaves on what's coming next. Long time listeners will remember our time together on a podcast called "Cars for a Living" and I asked him to return today for a "crystal ball plus the state of the nations" type discussion in...

It's once again is the quarterly Pro-Touring Update, Presented by Ron Francis Wiring, and starring Mr. Larry Callahan! Technically this is the 3rd quarter update, but with the schedules of events (and the possibility of something special in the first weekend of Oct) we needed to push it back a couple of weeks. I'm happy to say that the gamble was worth it! The focus of this update - as always - is to stay on the inside scoop of what is going on with Larry and The Pro-Touring community as well...

It is now October so be on the lookout for ghosts and ghouls at Halloween. This is time for costume parties, trick or treating, and another riveting Ask Rick segment were I ask him the tough questions that not everyone wants to hear! As always Rick delivers sage advice and wisdom founded in years of buying and selling classic vehicles. In this episode we waded into the topics spanning from "how do I store my classic vehicle" all the way to "how do we fix our broken governmental system." As...

  FEATURE INTERVIEW: 2023 Holley Moparty Special! This special bonus episode on The Muscle Car Place is brought to you live from the Holley Moparty 2023 event at the Beach Bend raceway (and amusement park) facility in Bowling Green Kentucky! All of your favorite show hosts and co-hosts loaded up and drove out to the birthplace of new Corvettes and the global headquarters of Holley Performance Products to see the fourth annual gathering of Mopar enthusiasts. Many old and new Dodge,...

It is September and football is back!!! It is also time for another riveting Ask Rick segment were I ask him the tough questions that not everyone wants to hear. As always Rick delivers sage advice and wisdom founded in years of buying and selling classic vehicles. When it comes to cars as investment, possibly a with a great ROI, Rick has strong opinions and advice here. Can it be done? Short answer; yes! Should it be done? Long answer......maybe. As with all things, it depends what you...