Journal: 5 Instagrammers Worth Following, May 12th Edition

5 Instagrammers Worth Following, May 12th Edition

By Alex Sobran
May 12, 2017

I think there’s a little bit of bittersweetness baked into the photos that compel us—which is not to say there aren’t many more feelings involved—but regardless, if we see the depiction of something enjoyable from a moment that’s already happened, some mild pining, wistfulness, what have you is likely involved. It shouldn’t be a bad thing though, because it’s just like a little heartburn following a satisfying meal. What I mean is, I’m happy for one that so many images are available to show me the moments I miss and those I’ve missed out on. In keeping with that “theme,” I’ve tried to gather a list representing a big geographic spread and a range of styles.

There’s a 911 that’s more or less mapped out Australia and New Zealand, some real-deal American low riders driving just a little bit slower in Japan, as well as a well-used BMW E28 sedan complete with travel companion dog companion in the same country, a talented British photographer capturing a variety of vintage motorsports, and finally, a collection from a bonafide professional’s photoshoots around continental Europe, including what’s probably the coolest gallery of 917 and 512 images I’ve ever seen outside of Le Mans. I hope you enjoy this week’s pic picks. They’re certainly better than my puns.

The people in these weekly groups are at times described as having  some sort of synonym for variety in their photo collections, and because this is a recurring post there are bound to be recurring themes, this week adds another to that camp. Brian Walsh has a portfolio that spans from stills of vintage Ford Escorts to panning shots of your favorite Group C grip machines, which in other words is a pretty broad range in terms of both car and composition. Many of these shots are from events held at Silverstone and other places in England that provide for the distinct atmosphere that might be dreary to stand in, but provides a great contrast to the cars’ loud colors.

Steffen Jahn’s Instagram page is not exclusively Porsche by any means, but the photoset of a certain Gulf-liveried car is a highlight in an portfolio that is full of extremely high-grade material (any image of a 917 chasing a 512 down what looks like a single-lane B-road that goes under a stone bridge is a good litmus test of whether or not you’ve reached critical levels of jadedness). From hyper modern to the half-century-old Italian curves in red, this is a demonstration of the automotive photography’s top level. It’s mind-boggling that only 1,030 people are following this account at the time of writing.

I sure don’t believe that Ralph the cocker spaniel took these pictures as the account implies (and I sure hope he doesn’t try joyriding in his owner’s prominently featured E28 5-Series), but we can all forgive him for stealing credit from the real photographer because dogs don’t understand copyrights. Also because the images make up one of the best accounts I’ve seen that captures the beauty of traveling around Japan in a classic car. There are some grainy nighttime phone snaps included with the ones from a competent camera, but it’s all the better for it because the discrepancies make it feel more like you’re actually there—mountain peak sunrises really do look better than highway tunnels at night after all. Also, if you’ve ever been curious to see what an E30 M3 looks like on steelies, or have just now realized you were, find that and more little gems in here too.

Oh look, more Porsches! Don’t worry though, if you’ve had more than enough Luftgekühlt by now, there’s none of that here. Nor is there an endless stream of slightly different 911s (they did make the millionth yesterday…). The green and orange 911 T/R in these photos is a former race car that was crashed in-period, sold, and then later bought back and restored by the same driver who’d originally binned it decades later. And if the sight of that car hauling its rooftop camping luggage across dirt roads and sprawling scenery alike doesn’t do it for you, maybe his Martini RSR or his S/T will. If you are into vintage 911s, this is quite the trio. I should note that not all of these photos were taken by the accounts owner, but if his friends want to send him the shots to put up for us to ogle and he gives them credit, that’s just fine.

If the idea of Impalas and Monte Carlos pinstriped and airbrushed to the nines being built in Japan sounds like something that might be interesting, here it is. Similar in some ways to the Scandinavian following that’s cropped up around big old American bombs/barges/boats, this is an even wilder juxtaposition between time periods and aesthetics. There’s something really intriguing to me about an immaculate 1993 Cadillac Fucking Brougham that’s two kei cars long on hydraulic suspension and Dayton wire wheels with Japanese plates slapped on the back, and if you agree, there’s a lot more of this Japanese fusion to feast on. This is a big diversion from the standard stuff, but there’s plenty of the that each week so why not try some vintage of an entirely foreign flavor, just to see how it tastes?

If we changed the name of the Petrolicious Marketplace’s Instagram name it’d more than pass for one of our favorite photography-focused accounts, car-related or otherwise. And if you want to see what one would look like on your favorite roads, there are ways to make that happen.

Don’t turn me into a broken record: if you’re reading these words and not following this account, there’s likely no changing your ways at this point. If you do follow us, we sincerely appreciate it, and we promise to keep it coming.

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