Cox Gets Sneak Preview of Spectacular Mustang Collection

Cox Gets Sneak Preview of Spectacular Mustang Collection

. “The Kenny and Marilyn Newcombe Mustang Collection is one of the finest collections of Fox body Ford Mustangs I’ve ever seen,” Mecum co-host Stephen Cox said after reviewing the cars last week in Atlanta. “Leave it to the Mecum crew to consign a historic collection of this importance. They’ve found something pretty special.” Ford manufactured what is now called the “Fox body” Mustang from 1979 through 1993, making it the longest running generation of Mustang to ever grace the roads. The Euro styling appealed to early 1980’s car buyers, and the powerful 235 horsepower 5 liter engine appealed to Read More

The Birth of the Fox Mustang

The Birth of the Fox Mustang

Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance They won’t get any cheaper than they are right now. Ford’s famous Fox Mustangs, built from 1979 through 1993, are now at the bottom of their value curve. The Fox Mustangs derived their nickname from the 1978 Ford Fairmont, which had been internally designated as the “Fox Project” within Ford’s management and design teams. Since the Mustang borrowed the Fairmont’s platform, the “Fox” name was naturally adopted for the 79-93 Mustangs within Ford and eventually by the public as well. Ford president Lee Iacocca had overseen the design of the original Mustang Read More

This Is The Best Buy in Muscle Cars Right Now

This Is The Best Buy in Muscle Cars Right Now

Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance A sharp 1970 Chevelle LS6 can set you back $75,000 or more. Same for a Boss 302 Mustang. A 1969 Plymouth GTX 4-speed can run over $40,000, which is still not affordable for many car enthusiasts. You don’t even want to know what freshly restored Dodge Daytona would cost. The plain fact is that most fast sports cars from the peak of the muscle car era remain beyond the reach of the average working man. But there is one exception. What if you could buy a name brand muscle car from the Read More

Cox Wins From Last Spot on Starting Grid in Super Cup Title Chase

Cox Wins From Last Spot on Starting Grid in Super Cup Title Chase

  From Global Media, Midvale, Ohio (June 4, 2017, photos Nelson Skinner/Global Media) – Stephen Cox charged from last place on the grid to win the second of Saturday night’s Skipco Auto Auction Twin 50s presented by United Tire & Service at Ohio’s Midvale Speedway, the first stop on the Super Cup Stock Car Series national tour. After his STA-BIL 360 Performance / McGunegill Engine Performance #21 was sidelined with mechanical issues earlier in the day, Cox jumped into the #7 Codie Rohrbaugh Racing machine when driver and pole sitter Larry Berg graciously gave up the seat. Cox, who set the official Read More

TRIUMPH SQUARE BARREL: From WWII Bomber to Grand Prix Winner

TRIUMPH SQUARE BARREL: From WWII Bomber to Grand Prix Winner

Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance Triumph took the world by storm in 1938 by introducing its Speed Twin, the first of the great British parallel twin street motorcycles. But their enthusiasm – and sales – were cut short by World War II, which began the following September. Triumph engineers quickly adjusted to wartime production by re-designing the Speed Twin’s excellent 500cc power plant for military use as a portable generator. The cylinder heads and barrels were cast from aluminum and the generator’s operating temperature was kept in check by connecting an external fan to the engine’s tin, Read More

PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: The Car That Richard Petty Built

PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD: The Car That Richard Petty Built

Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance It has been claimed that Plymouth’s legendary winged muscle car, the 1970 Superbird, was the brainchild of NASCAR champion Richard Petty. The rumor has been around for decades but I’ve never found anyone with first-hand knowledge who could absolutely confirm or deny that the car’s origins truly began with The King of Stock Car Racing. But opportunity knocked two weeks ago when Petty was in attendance at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida, which I co-host for NBCSN. I found him relaxing backstage late in the show and hollered, “Hey, King!” Although Read More

RACING’S GREATEST UPSETS: Trans Am’s 1966 Pan-American Endurance Race (Part 1 of 3)

RACING’S GREATEST UPSETS: Trans Am’s 1966 Pan-American Endurance Race (Part 1 of 3)

October 5, 2016
Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance
 
 
On a hot summer afternoon in late August 1966, the telephone on John McComb’s desk rang.
 
On the other end was automotive design engineer Chuck Cantwell of Carroll Shelby’s legendary racing shop, calling with the surprising news that Shelby had a Mustang Group 2 racecar for sale.
 
McComb was delighted since his prior inquiries at Shelby had been met only by rejection. He had raced MGB sportscars for years but his first taste of Ford V-8 power came while driving Peter Talbert’s notchback Group 2 Mustang earlier that summer in the Trans-Am event at St. Louis. McComb and Talbert were leading the race until an exhaust pipe came loose, forcing them to settle for third place.
 
But McComb was already hooked. The car was more powerful than anything he’d ever driven. He wanted one of those Mustangs.
Cox Vacates Points Lead; Returns to Mecum on NBCSN

Cox Vacates Points Lead; Returns to Mecum on NBCSN

June 6, 2016   It's a tough pill to swallow, but Codie Rohrbaugh Racing driver Stephen Cox will miss the June 18 event at Columbus Speedway and give up the lead in the Super Cup Stock Car Series championship points race. Instead, he will rejoin Scott Hoke, John Kraman and Bill Stephens to co-host NBCSN's coverage of Mecum Auctions from Portland.   “We knew this could happen, and there was never any question what my choice would be,” Cox said. “Mecum is my top priority and I'm happy about that. I've had to walk away from several possible championship titles Read More