Cars We Love & Who We Are
More than the polished parts and hard to find pieces, the special interest vehicles people collect embody the character of each owner. “Cars We Love & Who We Are” profiles individual special interest vehicles and the proud owner committed to its preservation.
Conversations with People We Value
Talking with skilled professionals who support our passion for collectible automobiles.
Roads We Remember
Some roads discovered far from home reward us with a once in a lifetime driving experience. Others are old friends revisited to elevate our spirits and celebrate the joy of life behind the wheel.
In Search of the 7th Royale Series – All the Episodes Here
Cars We Love & Who We Are #65
A fabulous race prepped 1930s Bugatti Royale had been unearthed in Estonia in 1986. For forty-five years it quietly sat secretly sequestered in a barn on the farm of Mihkel Oja’s just deceased father Jaak Oja. It’s discovery has inspired the grieving Oja retinue from America to devise a wild scheme to smuggle the car out of Estonia. Because they envisioned an independent Estonia in the not too distant future, their intention called for selling the Bugatti in the west to fund an Estonian technical trades academy. It would serve as a magnificent memorial to honor the patriotism of Mihkel’s deceased parents. At the same time sneaking this “Mona Lisa” of vintage cars out from under the repressive Estonian communist government’s nose would serve to celebrate Jaak Oja’s antipathy to Estonia’s communist regime.
In Search of the Lost 7th Royale Part 3 (Episode 17- The Best Laid Plans)
ESTONIA 1986
All men selected by Valentina to bring the Bugatti plan to life, called themselves the “Forest Brothers.” The name would honor the roughly thirty thousand native Estonian men who in WWII chose not to submit to the Germans nor subsequently the Russians. These thousands of men instead armed themselves and melted into the dense Estonian forests. From then on, these Forest Brothers conducted a brutal guerilla war against first the Nazis, then the Soviet occupying forces. They continued to fight for years even after the end of the War.
WWII Forest Brothers
Viktor Karmään joined by loyal extended Oja family members Roman, Andrus, Peeter, Aleksander, Margus and Madis formed the core of the new Forest Brothers. In the suppressed but patriotic native Estonian culture the sacrifices of those who came before were held in the highest esteem. Unspoken but understood, these new Forest Brothers, like their WWII namesakes, would give their lives rather than betray a comrade. Not alone, the Forest Brothers had the support of women from the extended Oja family; all no less dedicated than their brethren. Olga, Katrin, Marina, Helen and Elena would call themselves the Forest Sisters. Together as a clandestine assemblage of righteous co-conspirators, they formed a resourceful and fearless ad hoc network dedicated to a single purpose. They would make Mihkel Oja’s plan a reality. Consisting of craftsmen, local police, dock supervisors, port administrators, town officials, loggers, […]
Cars We Love &Who We Are #64
The passing of Jaak and Ann Oja, Mihkel’s parents, triggered a domino effect of unforeseen events including the discovery of a priceless Bugatti Royale unknown to the world and hidden for almost 50 Years on the Oja family farm in Estonia. This whirlwind of death and discoveries blurred Mihkel’s daily life turning it into a vivid jumble of lives past, present with a future tracking towards a very dangerous tomorrow. With the backing of a supportive team of family members, Mihkel had decided to surreptitiously spirit the unique Bugatti out from behind its Iron Curtain captivity. Meanwhile, over 1000 miles away fate stood poised to unleash the obsessive desire of a second suitor.
In Search of the Lost 7th Royale Part 3 (Episode 16- Bugatti Royale Resurrection)
ESTONIA 1986
Like a soothing balm to relieve the pain of his parents’ death, the idea of absconding with the Bugatti brought peace to Mihkel’s otherwise anguished mind. Successfully bringing this ultimate barn find to market in the west could fund the Estonian technical school that would honor his parents. Mihkel understood the odds did not favor success. His team possessed a very limited time window in which to carry out this crazy gambit. The schedule for Valentina’s Estonian folk dance tour would soon draw to a close. Mihkel with his cover as part of John Taylor’s research team enjoyed a bit more flexibility, but not that much. Dawdling had no place in executing the plan. Mihkel felt evermore uneasy courtesy of the tightening grip of a dwindling time line that threatened to thwart any escape. While Mihkel had gambled his life against the odds before, now he had included his loved ones in the dangerous game all would be playing.
With the basic plan set and Mihkel at the helm, each member went into action. Valentina immediately plunged into mobilizing the trustworthy support team needed to translate the plan into reality. She drew only from the close knit but expansive ranks of trusted Oja family members. She deftly allocated Mihkel’s stash of American hard cash. Highly prized American greenbacks would play a critical role in greasing the, at times ill fitting, moving parts of the team’s rough-hewn plan. The team’s intended actions functioned far past any grey area
Estonian Communist Party First Secretary, Karl Vaino (left) […]
Cars We Love & Who We Are #63
After forty-seven years Mihkel’s life had come full circle. He had surreptitiously returned to his Soviet occupied Estonian homeland. His mother’s death had abruptly and painfully tore open an aching void, long repressed, that had been gouged out by his separation from his parents. He felt compelled to return home to reunite with his elderly and, now, widowed father; Soviets be damned. He knew precious little time had remained for him to do so. Upon Mihkel’s return home his father would pass on a long held secret as his time ran out.
Unknowingly, Mihkel’s return would create a calamitous collision of men and machine set in motion decades earlier at the start of WWII.
In Search of the Lost 7th Royale Part 3 (Episode 15- The Ultimate Barn Find)
ESTONIA 1986
With his strong and weathered hands clutching his favorite photo of Ann to his chest, Jaak Oja’s last wish had been granted. He had passed in his sleep. Adorned with a gentle smile, Jaak’s last expression in life spoke to the peace experienced as he reunited with his beloved Ann. Mihkel cried. He cried for the loss of his father. He cried for the loss of his mother. He cried for the lost years apart from his parents, family and homeland. He cried for the loss of comrades in arms. He cried for the loss of his country to tyranny. He cried the tears that had been stored for half a century behind a dam of stoic determination to survive no matter the pain or hardship.
The loss of Ann and then Jaak Oja served up a brutal one two punch for the loyal and large Oja family in Estonia. The emotional gathering of the grieving Oja kin served to bring Jaak’s son Mihkel and grandson Jack close to the bosom and deep into the heart of the close knit, patriotic and loving Oja clan.
Amidst the tears they allowed themselves to laugh. One topic that generated great laughter and pride at beating the system centered around the packages of rags sent to Jaak and Ann Oja from America. These rags mixed in with other low value items usually made it past the Soviet customs agents. Inspectors accustomed to stealing the good stuff viewed the contents unworthy of pilfering. However, these rags included left or right pant legs of American blue jeans. The […]

Here’s this week’s question:
What title made Linda Vaughn famous?
Answer to last week’s question:
For a car with a 4:11 rear end, what does the “4:11” describe? – For every one revolution of the rear wheels the drive shaft turns 4.11 times
About the blogger
Burton Hall has written for an automotive client list that includes Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Peugeot and Volvo. He has also written for The Washington Post, AutoWeek, Corvette Monthly, Jaguar Magazine, BMW Magazine, Hemmings.com, Hagerty Magazine and numerous auto restoration buff books.
He is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians and the Historic Vehicle Association.
As a classic car hobbyist, He owns a 1961 Corvette that he bought in 1967, a 1953 Jaguar XK120MC Drophead Coupe that he restored after finding it in a barn in 1980, an original 1953 Golden Anniversary Ford F100 pickup that he purchased from the original owner and a 1951 MG TD that presently serves as a planter and centerpiece in his garden. All are great drivers, except the MG which has a few bugs.
RECENT POSTS
05/01/25 – In Search of the Lost 7th Royale – (Part 3, Episode 16 – Bugatti Royale Resurrection)
04/17/25 – In Search of the Lost 7th Royale – (Part 3, Episode 15 – The Ultimate Barn Find)
04/09/25 – In Memoriam – Driving My Sister to Mobile
03/20/25 – In Search of the Lost 7th Royale (Part 3, Episode 13 – Return to a Heart of Darkness)
02/20/25 – In Search of the Lost 7th Royale (Part 2, Episode 11 – A Wounded Bird Points the Way)
02/06/25 – In Search of the Lost 7th Royale (Part 2, Episode 10 – Harrowing Escape into an Unknown Future)
01/23/25 – In Search of the Lost 7th Royale (Part 2, Episode 9 – Priceless Bugatti Lost in the Fog of War)
01/10/25 – Automotive Crimes and the Man Who Solved Many of Them, Talks AirTags, Fobs and Much More Pt. 2
12/04/24 – Jaguars Trans-formation into the New Coke of Automobile Re-branding
11/21/24 – New York City Automotive Crimes and the Man Who Solved Many of Them Pt 1
10/20/24 – The Charming Terror of Driving on Ireland’s Back Roads
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05/18/24 – Loving but Leaving the Blue Ridge
03/28/24 – Collectible Car Fair for Kids and Teens
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02/29/24 – Betraying the Brand or Smart Business? Part II
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02/01/24 – The Black Adder VI, An Outrageous Hot Rod Bentley
01/18/24 – Defining Collectible Car
11/23/23 – Amish Buggies, Where Worlds Collide but No One Crashes
11/09/23 – An Old Car Guy Goes Face-to-Face With Facebook Marketplace
10/26/23 – What’s a Burton
10/12/23 – Carvana Confusion – Dude Where’s My Car?
09/28/23 – Mobility Matters – Navigating life in a wheelchair
09/14/23 – MG Shatters Records on Hitler’s Salt Flats in the Shadow of WWII
08/17/23 – In search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 8)
08/03/23 – In search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 7)
07/20/23 – In Search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 6)
07/06/23 – In Search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 5)
06/22/23 – In Search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 4)
06/08/23 – In search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 3)
05/25/23 – In Search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 2)
05/11/23 – In Search of the 7th Royale (Part 1 – Episode 1)
04/27/23 – Charlie Ross, Gooding’s Master of the Auction Rostrum
04/13/23 – Trapped by a Forest of Trucks
04/03/23 – Hundred-year old Bulldog, Beloved but Doomed?
03/16/23 – Read the car, not the book and other words of wisdom that pave a path to Pebble Beach
03/02/23 – Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda with one of America’s most important cars
02/16/23 – A Silver Ghost story. Real or Fake. You decide.
02/03/23 – Fanfare for an uncommon man. A decorated soldier passes at 98.
01/19/23 – Dr. Fred Simeone’s Mona Lisa car legacy. Part 2. Fascinating backstories of cars he preserved.
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11/24/22 – How to manage down a classic car collection
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09/15/22 – Visiting a community built for car enthusiasts
09/01/22 – Reaching the heights of her dreams on the wings of a deHavilland Beaver
08/18/22 – 35 Below, 16 Dogs, 13 Days. Angie tackles Alaska’s Iditarod.
08/04/22 – Let’s create a Concours d’Elegance. OK…How?
06/23/22 – Does original matter anymore?
06/09/22 – Judged the 32 most historically significant cars in America. Do you agree?
05/26/22 – Hagerty automotive heritage dream conference. Gone for good?
05/12/22 – A Devin’s 47-year journey from scrap heap to Pebble Beach
04/28/22 – Hot Road Missionary and his monster machines
04/14/22 – The monster truck that nearly crushed Volvo
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03/17/22 – Mr. Thomas’s forest of old Porsches, VW buses and more
03/03/22 – Taking the Skyline Drive to explore the dusty attic of Virginia car culture
02/17/22 – Return of the Zipper King
02/03/22 – Karaoke, Elon Musk’s new weapon to fight driving doldrums
01/20/22 – When blue highways turn white
01/06/22 – Blue highways, back roads – If not now when?
12/09/21 – Hot rod love, family style
11/25/21 – Cars & Caffe’s Tony Boniello is always looking to brew up something new
11/11/21 – Randy the Rodfather and his Green “T” hot rod
10/28/21 – Provenance – Uncovering your car’s backstory
10/14/21 – Comparing classic car sales platforms
09/30/21 – Evolution of the new car brochure (Part II)
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09/02/21 – The man they trust to rebuild history
08/19/21 – Bring what you love
08/05/21 – Exploring our power within
07/15/21 – Evolution of the new car brochure (Part 1)
07/01/21 – The sputtering Mosquito and the Virgin Loretto
06/17/21 – Raymond Loewy’s 1970s Soviet world car adventure
06/03/21 – 90 GTOs, 30 Corvettes and counting
05/20/21 – An inspired venture to preserve American craftsmanship and vintage Airstream trailers
05/06/20 – When the find is the barn
04/22/21 – Man Cave Garage Sale unmasks Covid boredom
04/08/21 – The odd couple in Vinny Plotino’s garage
03/25/21 – Lemans 1978 – A young man’s memories
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02/25/21 – Jaguar Archive – Preserving the soul of the brand
02/18/21 – Carried away by Bring a Trailer
02/11/21 – Hollywood dentist Dr. George Schweiger’s fantastic stable of future classic car rentals
01/28/21 – And then, Nuccio Bertone signaled for his personal Miura
01/21/21 – Behind the wheel of a time machine
01/14/21 – Wurst Kase Motorsports
01/07/21 – Singing the CarGurus no title blues
12/24/20 – Rebuild it and they will come – The life of Carburetor Steve
12/10/20 – A Volvo Christmas Classic – “It’s a Vunderful Life”
12/03/20 – Carnucopia II – Classic Car Food Drive
11/26/20 – Vintage Cord binds father and son
11/19/20 – NY Route 9D – A sure cure for Covid boredom
11/12/20 – Confessions of a demolition derby survivor
11/05/20 – Sons of Danger – Mad Men on wheels
10/29/20 – VW Bug restoration is no joke. Ask Jerry Seinfeld
10/22/20 – Guatemala and back in a Karmann Ghia
10/08/20 – A classic Corvette and a soldier’s old letters connect to a kid brother’s memories
10/01/20 – American Pickers meets Hunger Games on a country road
09/24/20 – Crash course for an underage driver
09/17/20 – Playboy Bunnies in the rearview mirror
09/10/20 – The journey is the reward
09/03/20 – More than the next chapter, it’s the next book – Life 2.0
08/27/20 – Old School Larry
08/20/20 – In celebration of a life off the leash
08/13/20 – Asleep at the wheel – Rest Stop Recovery
08/06/20 – Rt. 17A – A sweet ride to Sugarloaf
07/30/20 – What’s a”Vineyard truck?”
07/16/20 – The woman picks up where the girl left off
07/09/20 – When time and other things stand still
07/02/20 – Drive-In movies, Back to the future
06/25/20 – Mystery of the vanishing Indian Motorcycle sign
06/18/20 – Dagavar’s Jaguar, the truth at last
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05/21/20 – CARnucopia
05/14/20 – Collectible Car Culture in a Pandemic
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