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The One-Year Garage: 1960

The One-Year Garage: 1960

Bring a Trailer Podcast Apr 02, 2026 78 min
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About this episode

1960 gets treated like a transitional “no man’s land” year—halfway between 50s excess and early 60s compact change—while the hosts connect the dots to politics, pop culture, and motorsport. They debate the era’s confidence, Cold War tension, and even the Federal Highway Act’s impact on car design. The main fun is the one-year garage picks: Porsche 356B, Abarth/Zagato and Aston DB4 (with GT ambitions), a 300 SL roadster daily, oddball wagons, DS19 hydropneumatics, Land Rover 88, VW transporter, and a Le Mans-winning 250 short-wheelbase Ferrari wildcard—plus a Riva wooden boat closer.

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Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Concept

Tail fins were kind of reducing in size

"Tail fins were kind of reducing in size and some new designs were on the horizon but weren't here yet."

Tail fins were a signature styling feature of late-1950s American cars, and by 1960 they were shrinking. That change is a useful visual marker of how quickly design trends were evolving during that era.

Concept

muscle car era

"Like muscle car era and even like a galaxy from 63 is so fabulous and back to huge again. That confidence and drag strip and all that sort of stuff."

“Muscle car era” is a time when American cars were built to be powerful, especially for fast acceleration. It also connects to drag racing culture—cars were judged by how quickly they could go fast in a straight line.

Concept

drag strip

"That confidence and drag strip and all that sort of stuff. I think maybe if it was a confidence thing that went away, I would still say the 60s, even though it's tumultuous, there was still in design of these type vehicles,"

A drag strip is a race track for straight-line speed. Cars compete over a short distance, and the goal is usually to get off the line quickly and accelerate fast.

Concept

Formula One

"[409.2s] No British invasion yet, though. [410.6s] Not really in cars either. [412.2s] We'll get to that in a minute. [413.5s] Formula One, a little bit of British invasion."

Formula One is the highest level of international race car competition. Teams race on a schedule across many tracks, and the cars are specially built for racing.

Term

mid-engine

"[420.7s] Jack Brabham was the champion in a Cooper, [423.5s] the early mid-engine Cooper, a T53. [426.1s] But there were still front-engine cars in 1960."

A mid-engine means the engine is placed closer to the middle of the car instead of the front. That can make the car feel more balanced and easier to control in corners.

Concept

Le Mans in 1960

"But the thing that was the most exciting for me was Le Mans in 1960. We always talk about Le Mans. This is as sick as it gets."

Le Mans is a famous 24-hour race in France. Cars have to keep running for a whole day, so it’s a big deal for proving which cars are truly fast and reliable.

Car

Ferrari 250

"This is as sick as it gets. So Ferrari 250 Testarosa's with the closed bodywork, not the op..."

The Ferrari 250 GTO is a very famous classic Ferrari sports car. It’s known for being a top racing-era model and is highly collectible today. People talk about it because it’s considered one of the best of its kind.

Term

daily driver

"[499.5s] Daily driver. [500.3s] There it is. [500.7s] Abarth, Porsche, as your family hauler."

A daily driver is the car you actually use all the time. It’s meant to be dependable enough for normal driving, not just for shows or occasional trips.

Concept

1960 Le Mans

"[518.8s] I love reading about that. [519.8s] I got really sucked down the 1960 Le Mans Wikipedia page. [524.9s] Here's a little sidebar."

Le Mans is a famous 24-hour endurance race in France. The “1960 Le Mans” part means they’re talking about what happened in that specific year’s race.

Concept

hot rodding

"Another cool thing about this era that that makes me think of is like hot rodding and the American stuff you and I like."

Hot rodding is the American tradition of modifying cars for performance and style, especially in the mid-20th century. The speaker uses it to frame the era’s culture and how it overlaps with European racing.

Concept

Indy 500

"And so you'd come over and race the Indy 500. And a lot of the great drivers couldn't qualify at the Brickyard."

The Indy 500 is a huge race in the U.S. held at Indianapolis. It’s a big deal because it attracts top drivers, and getting into the race (qualifying) can be very competitive.

Brand

Toyota

"But it's still before a large invasion of European cars. This is still like, there's not a ton of options in 1960 for imports. For Japanese cars, basically. Japanese, they made cars, but it'd be interesting to look at Toyota history..."

Toyota is the Japanese automaker being mentioned. The discussion is about when Japanese cars started showing up for regular U.S. buyers.

Brand

Toyo Pet

"...it'd be interesting to look at Toyota history and Toyo Pet and all the weird stuff and if it had actually landed."

Toyo Pet is an older name tied to Toyota’s early days. The host is using it to talk about how Japan’s car business developed before today’s Toyota brand was common in the U.S.

Concept

sports car

"The five categories that each of us will be picking from are sports car, daily driver, truck 4x4, family hauler, and wild card."

A “sports car” is a car made to be fun to drive. It usually focuses more on handling and driving feel than on hauling people or cargo.

Concept

wild card

"The five categories that each of us will be picking from are sports car, daily driver, truck 4x4, family hauler, and wild card."

A “wild card” is a pick that doesn’t match the other categories. It’s there so someone can choose something unexpected.

Term

lot numbers

"[872.5s] Oh, do you have lot numbers? [873.9s] Yep. [874.1s] Okay, I do too."

Bring a Trailer uses a lot number to identify each auction listing. It’s like the car’s unique ID in the sale.

Car

1960 Abarth 750 Cestriere by Zagato

"And it is a 1960 Abarth 750 Cestriere by Zagato. And actually I worked on this car when it came in."

This is a 1960 Abarth performance car called the 750 Cestriere, and it was built with a special body by Zagato. Zagato is famous for making lightweight, race-inspired designs. The episode is basically saying this car is a cool piece of racing history.

Car

DB4

"Ask DB4 always way up on my list. Have never owned one. Got to drive one of a somewhat, you know, famous, awesome BAT user, Don Rose."

“DB4” is a classic Aston Martin model. It’s a stylish, old-school sports/GT car that people love to drive.

Company

BAT

"Got to drive one of a somewhat, you know, famous, awesome BAT user, Don Rose. Shout out to Don Rose."

“BAT” stands for Bring a Trailer, a website where people auction cars and car fans hang out. It’s basically the source of that “famous BAT user” reference.

Car

Mercedes 300 SL roadster

"Anyway, what's that going to be? That's going to be a Mercedes 300 SL roadster. I'm closing tabs as you guys peel them off"

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster is a famous classic Mercedes. It’s the kind of car people dream about owning, and the speaker is joking about using one as a daily.

Term

hard top

"And with a hard top in particular, they're just about as good looking as a Gullwing. You don't get the cool Gullwing door."

A hard top means the car has a solid roof. The speaker is talking about how the look changes when you choose a hard roof version.

Car

Toyota 2000 GT

"That and Toyota 2000 GT."

The Toyota 2000 GT is a classic 1960s Toyota sports car. People talk about it because it’s not just a pretty car—it was built to drive well, and it became a big deal for Toyota.

Term

double overhead cam

"And I mean, 1290 double overhead cam and these cars are pretty classic. I don't think you can really go wrong."

Double overhead cam means the engine has two camshafts up top controlling the valves. That can help the engine make power, especially when you rev it.

Concept

Lot 168872

"in Ozark, Missouri, which is like the town version of this car, right? It's just like perfect middle of the country, awesome, not that far from where it originated in Motor City. Lot 168872."

“Lot 168872” is basically the car’s ID number in the auction. If you look up that lot number, you can find the exact same car listing.

Term

Color matched wheels

"Like it's not modified in any way. Color matched wheels, all that stuff."

That means the wheels are painted to match the car’s color. It’s a visual detail that makes the car look more original and put-together.

Concept

title

"...which has a great name on the title, which is Confusing Name, 1964 Country Sedan."

They’re talking about the car’s title paperwork. If the title lists the car in a confusing way, it can make it harder to confirm what the car really is.

Brand

Citroen

"I also love that Citroen was making this, which was probably one of the, at the time, most advanced chassis and body design."

Citroën is the car company that made both the advanced DS and the super simple 2CV. Here, they’re praising Citroën for being innovative with how the cars were built.

Car

Citroën 2CV

"...the fact that they're making this at the same time is the 2CV, which is like just the most bare bones car I think you could ever buy."

The Citroën 2CV is a very simple, no-frills car that was designed to be affordable and practical. In the conversation, it’s used as a contrast to the more advanced DS.

Term

single spoke steering wheel

"That's single spoke steering wheel? Yeah, single spoke."

It’s a steering wheel where there’s basically one main bar/spoke connecting the wheel to the center. It looks unusual and changes how your hands sit while driving.

Concept

4x4s

"But yeah, just like the field for options for 4x4s in this time. Like what?"

A 4x4 is a car or truck where power goes to all four wheels. That helps it grip better when roads are rough, muddy, or snowy.

Brand

Land Rover

"Well, so Land Rover. Celebrate it. Sure, they wouldn't want to burn one with an effigy of the queen on it."

Land Rover is a car brand famous for making off-road vehicles. The hosts are saying these trucks were built to last in tough conditions.

Concept

modern V8

"Family hauler Bentley S2 Moliner with a modern V8."

“Modern V8” means the car has been fitted with a newer V8 engine instead of the original one. People do this to make the car easier to drive and maintain. But collectors may judge it based on how correctly it was done and whether it keeps the car’s original character.

4 cars featured

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