Ralph Kalal is an automotive historian, author, and lifelong automobile enthusiast. A member of the Society of Automotive Historians, he served as author and editor of the Wisconsin chapter’s quarterly publication. During his tenure, the publication annually received the Golden Quill Award from Old Cars magazine, recognizing excellence in automotive enthusiast publications.

Well-versed in automotive systems and mechanics, he is the author of Car Care for Car Guys, a do-it-yourself automotive repair guide published by CarTech. His ability to explain complex automotive diagnostic and electronic systems in understandable terms led to a series of technical articles for Innova and served him well during more than fifteen years in the online automotive parts industry.

But at heart, he’s the quintessential “car guy.” As a child, he could identify automobiles by year, make, and model. During college summers, he worked as the new-car lot attendant at his local Chevrolet dealership, which happened to hold a Yenko franchise. The lot was filled with SS396s, Z28s, and even a 427 Yenko Nova. Years later, he fulfilled a childhood dream with the purchase of his first Corvette, a 1989 C4. The enthusiasm hasn’t faded. Today, he and his wife drive a 2023 Corvette 70th Anniversary Edition and are graduates of the Ron Fellows School of High Performance Driving.

Through Automobile Chronicles, he explores the people, companies, innovations, and events that shaped the automobile and the industry surrounding it.

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