Past Gas

Latest Episodes:

S2 Ep3: The Golden Era of JDM: Honda Hacked The Gas Crisis Apr 14, 2026

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This week, we're exploring how Japanese automakers fared during the gas crisis of the early 1970's. What led to them being in the right place at the right time? How did they expand across the globe so seamlessly? And what makes Honda's CVCC engine so revolutionary for the time? All of this and more on this week's episode.

S2 Ep2: The Golden Era of JDM: Japanese Grand Prix Apr 07, 2026

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In this episode of Past Gas, we're diving into the first ever Japanese Gran Prix, and how it shaped motorsport from that day on. How did Japan's cars do against Europe's elite and experienced Formula teams? Which companies competed? And what did they learn from the first Gran Prix that they took into development for road cars? All that and more in this episode!

S2 Ep1: The Golden Era of JDM: Prologue Apr 06, 2026

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In this season of Past Gas, we're exploring the origins of Japan's Golden Era of Cars. How did Japan bounce back from the devastation of WWII? What made their economy so strong? And when did their sports cars become the icons we know today? All will be explained in this 12 part series, stay tuned!

S1 Ep319: How Ferrari Survived Ford, Fiat, and Fate Dec 22, 2025

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Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [https://bit.ly/3Kj2XLO] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.
Thanks to Hankook for sponsoring today's video! Click here [https://bit.ly/44f5Sgl] to learn more about Dynapro tires!
Thank you EveryPlate for sponsoring this episode. Try EveryPlate and get $2.99 per meal on your first box, plus free steak for a month. Go to https://everyplate.com/podcast and use code gassteak to claim your offer.And thank you Underdog Fantasy for sponsoring this podcast. Download the app today and use promo code GAS to score $75 in Bonus Entries when you play your first $5. Must be 18+ (19+ in Alabama & Nebraska; 19+ in Colorado for some games; 21+ in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Virginia) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. See https://assets.underdogfantasy.com/web/PlayandGetTerms_DFS_.html for details. Offer not valid in Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org. In New York, call the 24/7 HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or Text HOPENY (467369)This week, in the season 1 finale of Past Gas, we finish the story of Enzo Ferrari and the era that turned the Prancing Horse into a global obsession: the iconic 250 GT and 250 GTO, the tragedies that haunted Ferrari racing, the moment Ford tried (and failed) to buy Ferrari, and the final thunderclap of Enzo’s reign: the Ferrari F40.
Thanks to all of our listeners, we will see you in 2026!

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S1 Ep318: Ferrari Borrowed Its Most Famous Symbol Dec 15, 2025

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Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [https://bit.ly/4mgo1jE] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.

Thanks to Indeed for sponsoring this episode. Listeners of this show will get a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to help get your job the premium status it deserves. Go to ⁠https://indeed.com/PASTGAS⁠ right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.

Also thanks to Aura Frames for sponsoring this episode. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/GAS. Promo Code GAS

This week on Past Gas, we’re diving into Ferrari — and the surprising, emotional origin of its most famous symbol. The Prancing Horse didn’t start with Enzo Ferrari, or even with cars at all. In Part 1 of our two-part season finale, we trace the logo’s roots back to a World War I Italian flying ace, and the chain of events that turned a wartime emblem into the most iconic badge in automotive history. From Alfa Romeo and early racing to Enzo Ferrari’s rise as a team manager, we explore how Ferrari built its identity long before it ever built a road car.

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S1 Ep317: How Japan’s Fastest Cars Were Built in a Cowshed Dec 08, 2025

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Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [https://bit.ly/4n4xlrY] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.

And thanks to Hankook for sponsoring today's video! Click here [https://bit.ly/4nsAXo6] to learn more about Dynapro tires!This episode is also brought to you by Aura Frames. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/GAS. Promo Code GAS

This week on Past Gas, we’re telling the unbelievable story of how HKS went from wrenching in a shed on a dairy farm to building some of the fastest cars Japan has ever seen. From early turbo experiments to the 300-km/h Celica, the outlaw Zero-R, and record-smashing time-attack monsters, this is how a tiny team under Mount Fuji ended up reshaping JDM and motorsport forever.

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S1 Ep316: The Tire Problem That Created Drifting Dec 01, 2025

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Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [https://bit.ly/4mVSVPj] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.

And thanks to Aura Frames for sponsoring this episode. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/GAS. Promo Code GAS

This week on Past Gas, we’re telling the story of Kunimitsu Takahashi — the motorcycle phenom who survived a near-fatal Isle of Man crash and came back to dominate Japanese touring cars in the Skyline GT-R. His aggressive, controlled power-slides, born from the limits of bias-ply tires, helped shape the driving style that inspired Keiichi Tsuchiya and drifting as we know it. From volcanic hillclimbs to Nissan’s “Three Crows” era to delivering Honda a GT2-class win at Le Mans, Takahashi’s career defined multiple eras of motorsport and left a legacy that still echoes across racing and drift culture today.

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S1 Ep315: What Ever Happened To Pininfarina? Nov 24, 2025

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Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [https://bit.ly/463GZoO] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.

This week on Past Gas, we’re telling the story of Pininfarina — the small Italian coachbuilder that became the world’s most iconic design house. Before their name appeared on Ferraris and Peugeots, Battista “Pinin” Farina was just a kid in his brother’s shop dreaming bigger than Detroit. From turning down a job offer from Henry Ford to creating the MoMA-worthy Cisitalia 202, Pininfarina quickly rewrote the rules of car design. And after one legendary lunch with Enzo Ferrari, they’d go on to shape nearly every iconic Ferrari for the next six decades.

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S1 Ep314: How a Racing Loophole Made Tom Walkinshaw a Legend Nov 17, 2025

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Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [https://bit.ly/3VhqAH3] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.

Also thanks to Hankook for sponsoring today's video! Click here [https://bit.ly/3ZWwwYL] to learn more about Dynapro tires!

This episode is also sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/PASTGAS and get on your way to being your best self.

This week on Past Gas, we’re diving into the unbelievable life of Tom Walkinshaw — the Scottish farmer-turned-racing powerhouse who built one of motorsport’s greatest empires. Before he became the mastermind behind Jaguar’s return to Le Mans and Holden’s dominance at Bathurst, Walkinshaw was just a tough kid from Midlothian hustling his way up the racing ladder. From controversial disqualifications in the British Touring Car Championship to pushing homologation boundaries with Holden, Walkinshaw earned a reputation as the guy who’d do anything to go faster.

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S1 Ep312: The Million-Dollar Porsche That Got Its Maker Killed Nov 10, 2025

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Thanks to Allstate for sponsoring today’s episode! Click here [https://bit.ly/4gmCSHD] to check Allstate first and see how much you could save on car insurance.

Also thanks to Hankook for sponsoring today's video! Click here [https://bit.ly/3GjjL3S] to learn more about Dynapro tires!

This week on Past Gas: one of the most insane tuner stories ever told. In the ’80s and ’90s, Gemballa turned Porsches into wild, million-dollar supercars for sheikhs, rappers, and rock stars. But behind the gold interiors and Testarossa body kits was founder Uwe Gemballa, a perfectionist whose obsession with luxury led to his disappearance — sparking one of the automotive world’s strangest mysteries. How did a man who built the wildest Porsches on Earth simply vanish? And how is his son rebuilding the brand today?

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