Ten years ago today CC went live. I did not allow myself any expectations on how long this impulsive undertaking would turn out or how long it would last; it was just about doing what I loved to do, in the style that felt natural to me. Here we are ten years later, and thanks to all of you—contributors and readers—something quite special has been created. I’m both humbled and proud of what’s transpired on these pages. And I look forward to the next ten years.
Like so many things in my life, deciding to start CC was a rather hasty (read: impulsive) decision. I had left TTAC rather unhappily but necessarily on the morning of January 20, 2011. My intention was to walk away and focus on my other life activities. But then I decided otherwise, spurred on in large part by comments on that post. By 11PM I had secured the domain for curbsideclassic.com and was planning the new site, which went live on February 13th.
I would like to express my profound appreciation to all of the contributors that have added so much to the content and archives here. I’m reluctant to give any names here, as there have been so many, and I will undoubtedly forget some. You know who they are, and were. Some of them have created masterworks of astonishingly high quality; as good or better than in any fine book or magazine. All of them have been inspired to give their best. This is the greatest success of CC, and the one that is most moving to me. I have been humbled, astounded, inspired and most of all, educated by you.
I am indebted to you all—contributors and commenters—for my continuing education. Ultimately, that is the greatest gift of all—to each other—to expand our horizons and knowledge; and not just in automotive history.
My decision to open the site to contributors was an essential element, as I felt gratitude for having been allowed to find my voice at TTAC, something I had dreamed of doing as a kid. The internet has a very large dark underbelly, but it has also opened infinite opportunities for self-expression. And there’s few things more gratifying than to see individuals find their voice.
The whole notion of accepting reader contributions goes back to TTAC, in February of 2010, when David Saunders emailed me the pictures and text for a CC submission for this 1966 Vauxhall Epic, a car and brand that was never sold in the US and was quite unfamiliar to me. I had not even pondered guest CC’s up to that point, but David’s submission opened my eyes to the vast possibilities of readers from all over submitting their CC finds and writing them up. So here’s a special thanks to David for being our first CC contributor, before we ever started the new site. And of course David not only became a very prolific contributor here, but is also our tech-meister, without whom we wouldn’t still be humming along so smoothly.
One of the harder aspects of the job is seeing some long-time contributors leave, but I’ve learned to accept that it simply happens, for a number of reasons. Their contributions will continue to be appreciated here for a long time to come.
The same applies to visitors and readers: some of you have been here from day one, others have come and gone. That’s undoubtedly also for a number of reasons, including my sometimes acerbic style; my apologies for those that have been offended.
Here’s a few key stats as to what 10 years of CC represents:
Posts: 16,588 (5,512 by yours truly)
Comments: 678,756 (not counting spam/trash)
Page Views: 75 million
New/Unique Users: 17.5 million
To commemorate our tenth birthday, I’m going to be re-running some posts from the first few weeks. A few key milestone posts will run today, and then there will be some random ones in the next week or so, re-running on the same date ten years later. They’re not all brilliant, but they reflect our beginnings here.
Thanks again for your continued support, readership and contributions. It’s deeply appreciated, and it’s what keeps me going. I look forward to our 20th birthday!
It really doesn’t seem like ten years. CC is my first port-of-call each morning, and has made retirement easier. My only worry is that you might run out of classics !
Thank you, so much Paul.
Curbside Classic is the first site I view every day, too. I thought that I was a pretty serious “car guy”, but I’m amazed at the things that I learn daily thanks to you, the contributors, and the commenters. Paul, thanks for your efforts to keep this site alive and thriving.
Thank you Paul. I appreciate all your posts and the posts of others. I love the diversity of the cars from the US and around the world. Also in learning the details of the ownership of cars and how the cars were created.
I am amazed coming from New England the condition of some of the older cars in Pacific Northwest. Cars that are no longer seen in here because they turned to rust a long time ago. Appreciate CC and I check it out several times a day!
The late, great Stirling Moss once said; ‘The best classroom of all time was about two car lengths behind Juan Manuel Fangio.’
Is is too presumptuous to compare we contributors to Moss? Not at all. I am a professional writer, and yet my craft has improved immeasurably by learning from Paul Niedermeyer, to say nothing of my automotive writing. Others who contribute might not have that professional background, and yet many, many of us have produced work for CC to a standard acceptable at any automotive site. Thanks to an extraordinarily high level of editorial guidance, and article after article by Paul as example.
Nor is it a stretch to compare Paul to Fangio. The greatest driver of all time (IMhO) was such because he could jump into any car and win the race. He won five world championships for four different makes. As it is with Paul. He can tackle any automotive subject; be it technical, historical, contemporary, aesthetic, ethnic, you name it, and present the compelling argument. Fangio didn’t win every race, nor does Paul win every time. But his strike rate is, again, comparable to the very best.
CC is a testament to this great man. 10 years is a lifetime in our digital age, and yet here we are continuing in this attenuated, very special moment in time. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be a part of this.
Thank you Paul.
Long time no read, Andreina sensei!
Very nicely put, Prof A.
Well said, Don, as always.
Marvellous analogy.
Thank you Paul, and congrats. There exists no more a complete history of automotivedom than right here. Been a fun ride.
Thank you, Paul, for one my daily reading joys! I have been and continue to be amazed by the breadth and quality of automotive knowledge that is displayed on the site. I consider one of the highlights of my automotive experiences was to have met you in person at the 2016 Nashville get together! Congratulations on this milestone! 🙂
Congratulations Paul and thank you for a great website! I haven’t been here from the beginning and I don’t really recall how I stumbled on the website, but I glad that I did. I will echo the sentiments of others that this website has gown to a treasure trove of truly excellent automotive literature. I have learned a lot and continue to learn from this website. I also am thankful for the opportunity to be a contributor, fulfilling my long-lived dream to be an automotive writer. I am looking forward to the next ten years.
Congratulations, Paul! I had been reading you at TTAC and remember when you left. My TTAC visits tapered off fairly quickly (removed the bookmark not long after), and you were gracious enough to feature my first contribution in December 2011.
The ride has been fun and educational, and I always look forward to seeing what’s around the next bend.
I just gave that VW bus article a read and a comment. Nicely done, and preserved here at CC for history.
Congragufreakinglagutions! ✨ Appreciate the daily distraction and interesting nuggets of vehicle randomness you provide
I can’t remember HOW I stumbled across CC…. I think it was about eight years ago and I ran across it during one of those down-the-rabbit-hole internet dives one does when one is trying to avoid work or something else they don’t want to do. I was hooked. I immediately bookmarked it. I come back several times a day to see what’s new or reposted from your past. I’m happy to pay for a subscription – and not just because I want to avoid all the ads. I want to support a website that’s become a part of my daily routine.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to CC, and thanks to all the contributors!
I cannot believe how quickly ten years have passed. I still remember the sinking feeling I got when I saw that you were leaving TTAC and the relief I felt when my favorite feature from that site popped up in a new stand-alone form.
My own milestone anniversary will hit in May, which will commemorate an odd batching of coincidences that landed me here with a byline. I now see those early efforts as cringeworthy, but they were a start into something that has become one of the great joys of my life. So please feel free to take a victory lap – you have built something special here.
Congratulations Paul, and everyone who makes this such a great place! This is by far my favorite site on the ‘net and is something I really look forward to reading each and every day. The amount of variety and knowledge put into the articles, car related or not, is something that is quite special. I’m now on the constant lookout for curbside classics everywhere I go and sometimes get pretty excited over spotting some of the most mundane and forgotten vehicles on the road. Keep up the great work!
I can’t believe it has been a decade too! Congratulations on achieving this classic milestone – like others – Curbside is the first site I open in the morning and my all time favourite. I’ve learned tremendously about specific brands, models and technologies that I never would have discovered elsewhere – this site has definitely displaced what the car magazine industry used to serve – so much deeper and more objective content. Special thanks to all the contributors who have shared their posts, COALs and comments.
I can’t believe it has been a decade too! Congratulations on achieving this classic milestone – like others – Curbside is the first site I open in the morning and my all time favourite. I’ve learned tremendously about specific brands, models and technologies that I never would have discovered elsewhere – this site has definitely displaced what the car magazine industry used to serve – so much deeper and more objective content. Special thanks to all the contributors who have shared their posts, COALs and comments.
Can it really be ten years? Time does indeed fly by.
My discovery of CC came about in November 2011. Then, sometime in early 2012, Paul had an informal solicitation for submissions. Impulsively, I submitted something and…Paul ran it! I will echo JP’s comments as some of my early stuff is cringeworthy. It’s likely a good thing I didn’t use my real name at the time.
Many thanks to Paul for willingly running what I have written and for his continued dedication to the site. CC has been a terrific part of my life for nearly nine years; may it continue to bring enjoyment to others for many more.
Jason, to build on this, my thought is that writing for CC has been a growth experience for all of us. We may have started at a certain place and gotten better or found our respective specialties, but there was value in all of it, even as we have progressed.
Agreed.
Prior to CC the extent of my writing was primarily work documents making a case for what I wanted. I had pretty good success.
Since CC, that has only amped up. I now get nearly everything I want as my further grasp of the language helps with convincing others. Plus it helps with various other elements of my job, so it’s a win-win.
I also sense that some of us contributors have rubbed off on each other to a degree, which is also good.
Thank you so much Paul. I don’t recall when I started following CC, but it has been on my list of “check everyday” sites for years. Always insightful, educational and lightyears away from sites glamorizing trailer queens and other museum pieces. Keep up the good work !
Found this site by accident when reading about Studebaker Larks and then realised it was daily and packed with petrol-head nirvana articles. Good to know I’m not alone in noticing the cars first in every film and every street. Without question the best older car site on the net!
Paul, could you do a post celebrating the top 10-25 posts in terms of readership/clicks or comments? Maybe a reader submission of their favorite articles?
For me, your epic study of the 1962 Dodge/Plymouth series stands out the most. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/automotive-design-history-1962-plymouth-dodge-brilliant-blunder-or-suddenly-its-1977/
But equally your assessment of the 1949 Plymouth wagon’s packaging foreshadowing modern vehicle packaging preferences really stood out in my mind. https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/history/mini-comparison-1949-plymouth-suburban-wagon-and-2017-toyota-rav4-almost-identical-dimensions/
Ten years… Can’t wait till CC gets to driving age. They grow up so fast. 😁
You created something truly special on the web, Paul. It’s an honour to write for this great site and a pleasure to discover new stories, facts, views, memories, people and vehicles every day.
Thank you Paul for creating this and keeping it alive all these years, and congrats to all the writers, photographers, commentors and readers.
Thanks for the incredible international deadly sin series! Every one of those was an absolute treat.
I “only” discovered CC a little over 6 years ago, after stumbling across a post on a Chevy Lumina one idle Friday afternoon while talking to a friend of mine about his own Lumina. Shortly afterwards, I went back to CC and checked out lots of other articles, and was amazed by the quality of both the analyses and commentary. Several months later, I took the plunge and submitted an article about my own ’95 Thunderbird… it’s hard to believe I’ve been reading, commenting and writing for 6 years now!
Like others above, I’m greatly indebted to Paul for creating this forum and community, which remains a unique outpost in the often-turbulent world of the Internet. I can’t wait to see what the next ten years brings!
Wow, what a long, strange trip it’s been. Congratulations of course, and even more so thank you for keeping it going and sticking with it, even on those days or stretches when events conspire to bring you down, I know how difficult it can be. It’s better than ever now, and the voices from all over the globe (as well as new friends from all over the globe), make it by far my favorite destination on the web, and one I check back in to numerous (countless?) times daily.
Sincere thanks to all, esp Dr Dr Dr Prof N, without whom, etc. Always know it is worth your while, sir, and much appreciated.
One unique quirk of this place which cannot pass unmentioned is that it’s the only site I know of on the net where I bother to read the comments. For a topic that is so entwined with history and politics and one that is so emotive for its adherents, there’s practically no high-pissing, a testament not only to the management but also the ethos that the place clearly promotes.
Happy tenth. Please accept the small token of my appreciation below.
So awesome to read this, this morning. CC is something that brings me so much (I’ll just use the word) joy. Thanks, Paul, for making the leap of faith to get this whole thing started, and for letting me (and all of us) be a part of it. I honestly can’t thank you enough. It sometimes almost feels like therapy to share my thoughts on cars and other things.
When you said: “The internet has a very large dark underbelly, but it has also opened infinite opportunities for self-expression,” the voice in my head immediately said, “This.“
You’re exactly right, Joe. Aside from the therapeutic quality of sharing one’s thoughts and adventures, it’s nice to simply discuss shared interests. I don’t know about everyone else, but my life isn’t exactly bursting at the seams with people who want to talk about cars all the time (or a lot of other things I’m interested in, for that matter). Just swapping stories with people who understand and enjoy what you’re talking about is a checkmark in the “pro” column of the internet in general and CC in particular.
Happy birthday and congratulations! Thanks for all the hard work and making this happen. Here’s to the next decade, when we will all be….10 years older (hopefully).
Congratulations, Paul, and thank you for making this site that is my favorite place on the web…a place of automotive zen. Big ups to all the contributors. I have learned so much over the years of reading this site (can’t remember when or how I stumbled across it). Such a collection of unique writing styles, fine photography, and different perspectives. Looking forward to the next 10 years.
Thanks, Paul, for running such a great site!
I don’t really remember when I discovered CC, but the first articles based on Cohort photos of mine ran in the spring of 2006, and I’d been on the site for probably at least a year. I already had a Flickr account, so posting to the Cohort was easy enough. I’m pretty sure I was aware of CC before I was aware of TTAC.
I may have said it before, but I appreciate the civil tone of the comments.
Congratulations Paul and everyone. This continues to be a much appreciated community and my first page check in the morning.
Any plans for a 10 year celebration event later in the year??
This site has brought me joy many times in the last 10 years. Joy can sure be hard to come by sometimes. So: thank you, Paul and everyone who’s made this site what it has been and is.
Happy Birthday CC. The server filled the root partition this morning and corrupted the database. I was able to bring it back but apologies for the interruption in service.
Wow – ten years! I only discovered CC about seven years ago following a link from a model car message board from one of their resident automotive history gurus. Many well-meaning people will link to sites that are almost inevitably banal, but this time I followed the link and discovered the best automotive site on the web!
Like others have said, it’s my first port of call in the mornings. Some days I discover a rabbit-hole from which I emerge several hours later. We have some outstanding writers. I used to think So-and-so should write a book, then I realized that what we have here is in many ways the 21st century equivalent of a book; an anthology with a marvellously-capable team of writers, editors, and commenters, who manage to make the most unappealing subjects interesting.
Well done all, and keep up the good work!
Congratulations on ten years of excellence in automotive journalism! I discovered CC in 2016 through a random internet search and quickly became a devoted reader visiting the site nearly every day. I commend you on establishing and maintaining high standards and I really enjoy the quality of much of the writing, which has become increasingly scarce in the old line car magazines. As others have noted, CC’s comments sections are one of the few worth reading, being respectful and civil and kept free of personal invective and political bomb-throwing; thank you to the ever-vigilant moderators. Last, I really enjoyed meeting Paul and many other contributors at the 2017 Detroit meetup, and you should be proud of the community you have created. May the next ten years bring you ever greater success!
Good point. I don´t find in the printed media the quality of research I find here. I know the print media have less space but the lack of imagination is inexcusable.
I know I will find something worth reading every day here.
You’ve written 5,512 posts? That alone is astounding (1/3 of the total)!
17.5 million unique users? That’s 5% of the U.S. population!
Ditto to what everyone else has said–the site is GREAT!
That number should not be taken at face value. There’s various things that can skew it. If a person comes to CC from two different devices in a day, Google counts it as two users. And there are issues with cookies and privacy that affects it.
Thanks Paul and all contributors for a fantastic website.
Thanks so much Paul for starting and maintaining CC. I followed you from TTAC, and it’s been quite a ride! Thanks also to all the contributors, photographers, and commenters.
Now that I’m retired, I sometimes spend a couple of hours per day on this site, such a pleasure. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned!
Congratulations and well done. I would like to compliment the quality of the articles and the enthusiastic scholarliness. It´s very cheering and I have learned a lot from the articles and comments. In an age of grumpy rudeness, CC stands out for the good natured quality of the writers and the readers. So, well done Paul and thank you for this super resource and thank you also to the people who have contributed.
Thank you Paul, and to each and every writer and photographer, past and present! I pretty much have CC open in a tab at any given time every day. I don’t exactly remember exactly how I discovered Curbsideclassic but I want to say it was sometime in 2012 and possibly as simple as stumbling upon it in a Google search. I too found out about CC before TTAC, though I did subsequently seek some of Paul’s articles that weren’t transferred over from there, but never signed up. I genuinely think this is the most interesting automotive related site on the internet, the history, the realistic and relevant reviews, the unique personal perspectives of the writers and commenters, the nostalgia and the challenging of nostalgia, busting myths, discovery and hypothesis, and of course the cars on the curb it all stems from is unparalleled. As an enthusiast it’s like pursuing a masters degree in the automobile. Plus the comments have been an amazing forum for consistently constructive discussion and debate, and great fun for things like wordless outtakes, and it’s all so user friendly.
Congratulations on the first ten years, Paul. I found the site by accident around 2015, I think, and soon it was a daily ‘must see’. I’m still not able to tell all the myriad GM B bodies or Chrysler K cars apart, but I do enjoy the variety. And then there’s all the other makes aound the world that have been found and explored. Magic.
Wow, 10 years. Sure doesn’t seem like that long. I don’t stop by that often anymore and haven’t commented in ages but I did want to say Happy Anniversary!
Congrats Paul et al! Followed you over from TTAC and remain amazed with your and everyone else’s tremendous contributions. About once a year I reread the Deadly Sins; the lack of humility involved with each Sin truly vexes me.
Once the air (literally) clears, making a CC meet-up in on my bucket list.
Thanks for everything.
Congrats to you and your copilot/coeditor in the picture!
I always had old crocks to play with and one of the hardest parts of getting I’ll was moving to an apartment and struggling to keep one car on the road on a disability pension.
Thru CC I can still enjoy that life vicariously.
I am a relative newcomer, so I remember how I first discovered it. In 1968 I bought my first car, a 1965 Austin 1800. They were never that popular, so there isn’t much written about them, but about a year ago I was looking around the internet to see what I find and I came across the posting by Roger Carr and I was hooked. As someone mentioned above, I always thought that I was very knowledgeable about cars, especially obscure European makes, but I have learned a lot here. I also enjoy the technical articles about engineering and manufacturing considerations in auto design, especially engines. Thanks to everyone for their efforts.
Thank you all for the very kind comments. Just got back from a long hike in the cold rain, and this is warming me up very quickly. 🙂
Now back to work…
Without CC I would surely not have finally kicked my addiction to certain vehicle-specific web boards. That was a yearslong habit that was increasingly bad for me and others, but I couldn’t make any of many quits endure until I channelled my recreational-writing-about-cars energies into this site instead. Much better!
Here’s to another decade!
Happy birthday to CC! I honestly never thought I’d turn auto blogging into a career, but now that it’s happened, I don’t think there’s any other place I’d rather be. And I have CC to thank for it.
Thanks Paul, and to everyone else who contributed to Curbside over the years. It’s such a great community and I’m happy to be a part of it.
Well this was to be the first post I would read in the morning at 8 am but I kept getting timed out so I had to pass as I was due aboard the USS Hornet for volunteer work. Now home and I can now read what Paul had to say. I can’t recall when I came across the site but it was probably because I was either googling concerning my F100, Polara, or Park Lane. I do remember not really reading it that often back then. Mostly it simply slipped my mind but eventually it became habit everyday. Not the first site I look at but the second. I look at Jim Gray’s site first because it takes a few minutes to read while CC takes much longer. Congratulations to Paul and his creation.
Thank you Paul for all your openness and stewardship. Hard to start my date without CC and community of automotive brethren who see things a little different and have given light to all of us.
I came across CC in 2015 when googling for old car photos. I found on CC a treasure trove of the cars we grew up with, owned, drove, cursed at, loved, and saw driven away or on the back of a hook when they left our care. To have the gift of as you said, writing something that you yourself would want to read, is fantastic. I visit our site every single day, and gain from it, great enjoyment.
Congrats on ten great years and many more decades ahead!
Congrats on CC’s tenth birthday, Paul. Thanks for all the hard work over the years in producing this great site.
I first found CC around 2014 I think, it has taught me so much and not just about cars, I think it has helped me in how to communicate and get to the truth about things and not rely on often repeated storys that end up just being myths.
So thank you very much Paul your work is much appreciated, and of course congratulations.
Congratulations Paul! It was your voice that made CurbsideClassic what it is. I’ve been a follower since your TTAC days, and haven’t missed a daily viewing. I always enjoy your Eugene comments and photos, they being back fond memories of growing up there. I’m looking forward to some kind of CC reunion again in the Whiteaker neighborhood.
Has it been 10 years already? I’ve been avoiding internet in general for a while now, too much twisted material out there. Need to get back into the CC habit, always a great refuge for car absorbed people such as myself.
Thanks for keeping the wheels turning at CC.
Congratulations Paul, What a great site this is, Very educational, Informative, Educating.
I have been making my daily read since 2013. Keep Up The Great Work !
Aloha
Happy Tenth Birthday! Paul, thank you for all the work and fostering a collaborative culture here at CC. I’ve enjoyed this from the start.
Congratulations, Paul, for the greatest automotive-related site out there! I remembered reading lot of your articles in TTAC and jumped to CC when after you left TTAC and established the CC.
What I appreciate the most about CC is how diverse the articles are and how courteous and enthusiastic the readers and guest contributors are. I always learn the new things and see the old or familiar things in new or different lights.
As Daniel Stern has mentioned earlier in the comment section, I had to put up with unsavoury and ridiculous people in the newsgroups and bulletin boards in the past. I yearned for the high quality discussions amongst the commentators and contributions from the readers. CC fits the bill perfectly.
I do enjoy the technical articles about automobiles and technologies, including the extensive dissertions on engines and such, from Paul and others. Not to mention the lively discussions and bandyings about the different opinions and perspectives.
I look forward to the next ten years and beyond!
Congratulations to all who make this site so great
Top quality writing by the contributors separates this website from the others. It’s a pleasure to read.
I just wanted to pointed out and reiterate that of the various contributors over the years and at present, very, very, very few of them have any formal writing training whatsoever beyond whatever was taught in high school and (for some) in college as incidental courses, rarely by choice. Many/most others have no kind of formal engineering background or training either. For the vast majority, this is the first time anyone else has read anything they’ve written.
It’s just people thinking about something that interests them and either putting their thoughts to paper and/or researching other sources to put it all together. That’s it, no special skill or qualification needed in case anyone else is interested in seeing their name (be it real or their screen name) in print. And notably a few have actually gone on to make it their profession with this as their starting point.
Paul, thanks for ten years of great writing, interesting topics and willingness to accept others’ opinions and interests. Not many sites will cover the GM Deadly Sins, the in-depth history of the VW Beetle, the context of the Corvair, the Hillman Super Minx, some intriguing and interesting personalities, and anything in between all in one place, with the respect given by CC and contributors and readers to all these subjects, and then cover old aircraft, trains, ships and road trips…..
A daily must view for me, and has been for several years. And thanks for letting me contribute too.
Here’s to ten more years!
Thank you Paul for founding this wonderful site and keeping it going and accepting my contributions! Thank you to everyone else who contributed and comments and makes this site so educational, entertaining, and engaging. As several people have said, this is a first read every day for me. I have spent thousands of hours over the last ten years reading this and not a single minute has ever been wasted.
Ten years already? Were we really that young when it started?
In a comment to Paul on that TTAC post, I wrote that lots of people know how to build houses, whereas very few know how to write about cars the way he can. I was pleased and gratified when the comment hit home!
Paul, it’s still true today that one can pick out one of your articles without looking at the byline, thanks to the authorial voice and the often-detailed research. And you call yourself “acerbic” which may be true for all I know, but I don’t recall you ever saying a bad word about people you have worked with (which is in contrast to certain other mean-spirited automotive writers on the web). Your essential kindness, as well as keeping CC free of politics, are qualities that have kept the site going and will for a lot longer.
Congratulations on a decade of Curbside Classic!
I’ve submitted a few articles over the years, and while they’re mediocre by site standards, seeing my words “in print” is one of my proudest accomplishments. Paul made that happen, and I’ll be forever grateful.
I once started an article on Ford N Series trucks, didn’t get it finished, and eventually saw it pop up—Paul had fleshed it out beautifully, and was gracious enough to leave my name in the byline.
A few years later, my business partner and I acquired an N600. Upon arriving home with it, his father had a huge grin on his face and adopted the truck. He mentioned to us that he’d found a great article on the internet about the N Series—it was my (and Paul’s—-mostly Paul’s) CC article! Made for a great memory. Since then I’ve acquired….more N Series. Follow-up article if I ever get around to it!
So yes, congratulations, and thank you Paul!
Of the sites I check every day, CC is the last because I know it will always be a good read. I found it to be one of the best parts of a sometimes sketchy TTAC and was delighted to see CC on its own site.
Paul, your openness, energy and just plain wisdom are apparent in your posts and in everything CC is. The variety of contributors is great. It’s not just one man’s rant (I don’t mean that the way it sounds, Paul). Everybody is readable and informative. I read just about everything – except for the motorcycle posts and some of Johannes’ heavy equipment pieces. A man has to have standards, after all.
Kudos to Paul and all of the contributors for a job well done. The amount, variety and quality of content is nothing short of amazing. I learn something new every day. And, a shout out to the commenters as well. With few exceptions (and they tend to disappear quickly) the commenters are polite, respectful and tolerant of other opinions. Unheard of on social media today.
I really liked your work at TTAC and was very happy that you brought your talents here. I had great fun bomb throwing and breaking stuff at TTAC, and I needed to grow up. Thank you for putting up with me. I’ve always respected your work and I felt honored getting my contributions posted on your site. The contributors here are awesome and fun. It’s been great meeting some of them.
You’ve taught me a lot about a lot of things. And all of it has been appreciated. Thank you very much. Ten years. Wow. Congratulations.
I’m late to reply but I have to chime in and say how much this site means to me, and how grateful I am to you, Paul.
I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without your help, and all the years I wrote for this site have helped me immensely in getting into automotive journalism.
I mightn’t contribute as much nowadays but no doubt I will again when inspiration strikes. And I’m often directing people to this site as it’s surely one of the greatest repositories of automotive historical knowledge on the internet. Hell, I’ve never come across another site that comes close.
Way late to the party this weekend, as I’ve been fairly busy, but also that I honestly thought the server was down. I thought I was going to need a bit of David Saunders help myself! It turns out that I just needed to reset my bookmark for CC on my iPad. Operator Error… I’m not really sure how it got corrupted.
Anyway, like so many here have said, this is also my first stop on the Internet every morning with my coffee. The fine writing, the camaraderie, the civil tone, just simply every thing about this site that makes it the best place on the web, is why I come here every day, this past weekend notwithstanding due to my own IT foibles.
Now I have some catching up to do…. Again, Happy Birthday Curbside Classic. Let’s all hope that there will be many many more.
Thanks to Paul and Everyone here who make this site great.
As Rick notes above, my bookmark also got corrupted and I’m recovering from a couple days of withdrawal from CC. In addition to the vast amount of information and analysis, I am continually impressed with the friendly and conflict-free nature of the board discussions. Of course, that’s not an accident; Paul constantly maintains this ethos.
I recently deleted bookmarks for two automotive discussion sites that were totally corrupted by vile, nonsensical political views encouraged by those who run the sites. It is reassuring that such degradation is not going to happen here and that the majority of posters wouldn’t want it even in the absence of Paul’s firm and decent hand.
Thanks to all and now to brew the coffee and enjoy a couple of days of missed posts!
Is it really 10 years?! It seems like only yesterday… I remember finding you on TTAC Paul, and thinking that finally here was someone who consistently wrote interesting and informed articles. I followed you here to CC, and was honoured to be able to contribute in years gone by (before job and life changes, marriage and self-employment ate all of my free time and then some). Today, 10 years later, I still read CC daily; in fact it’s the only car website I read. Why? Because as Tina Turner one sang, CC is simply the best. All the articles, all the authors, are consistently high quality interesting and informative reads. Congrats on the 10 years Paul, and my heartiest thanks to you for your creation, and to the hundreds or thousands of contributors and commenters.
I’m seeing comments I made 9-10 years ago and I’m mot remembering reading that article, I still seem to agree with what I said most of the time!