One of the “Three P’s” of luxury car manufacture, Packard (along with Pierce-Arrow and Peerless) was best described in one of the big hardcover collectible car books of my youth as a locomotive. Indeed, this 1931 (or, more accurately… more»
BF Auction: 1953 Willys M38A1
It’s a pity that many people who see this Willys Jeep out on the road will think it’s just another CJ-5. Yes, it’s the first of the “round fender” Jeeps and thus the forerunner of that famous, long-running CJ,… more»
1275-Swapped 1960 Morris Minor Convertible
My parents took my wife and I on a tour of southern England back in 2009, and one of the big takeaways from the journey is that I am a sucker for Morris Minors. You don’t see them every… more»
Older Restoration: 1967 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Like many car people, I’ll sometimes watch Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube, and I remember hearing him say (and I’m paraphrasing) that he likes to restore a car to a 10 and drive it down to a 2. While I’m not… more»
Glamour Bird: 1968 Ford Thunderbird
For the most part, there are no refunds, no returns, and no trial periods in the world of classic cars, so if you buy something, it’s yours, even if it’s not quite what you thought you wanted. The seller… more»
Does The Small Mouth Stay? 1961 Triumph TR3A
If you like “Sidescreen” Triumphs, you’ve immediately noticed something wrong with this picture: “Wait a minute! The TR3A had the wide-mouth grille!” Of course, you also know that converting the nose of an early TR is common enough that… more»
BF Exclusive: 1951 Ford Custom Deluxe
I was on vacation with my lovely bride last week for a few days, and before we headed out for our day’s activities, I had the TV on in the background. Since I like old things, I found myself… more»
70k-Mile 1972 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible
My dad decided to put in an above-ground pool in the early ’90s, so for what seemed like a couple weeks, we got to know some pool installers. Occasionally, a guy would just show up to do a short… more»
Two-Owner 1995 Buick Riviera
The Detroit Public Library’s National Automotive History Collection named the final Buick Riviera as “the most collectible car of the future,” and while that prediction may or may not pan out, it’s only fitting that the last of the… more»
BF Exclusive: 1963 Ford F-100 Custom Cab
In 1961, Ford released a new F-100 with an “integral cab and body.” Today, Ford fans call these trucks the “unibody,” but whatever they were called, they only stuck around for three model years. Since the cab and bed… more»
BF Auction: No Reserve 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner
Motor Life magazine summarized the situation at Ford best in their February 1958 road test of a new Fairlane: After an all-new and wildly successful 1957 model, Ford took “a rather unprecedented step” in introducing “a radically facelifted and re-engineered… more»
Does Not Run: 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V
I’m just finishing up a book titled The Lincoln Motorcar: The Complete History of an American Classic, written by the late Thomas Bonsall. Mr. Bonsall came to the same conclusion that many luxury cars buyers of the postwar period… more»
BF Auction: Barn Find 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
As Barn Finds readers, you may be aware that the 1973 cruising film American Graffiti was set in 1962 in Modesto, California (although it was filmed in Petaluma). I wore out my VHS copy as a young teenager in the early ’90s,… more»
Field Find: 1954 Chevrolet One-Fifty Handyman
It’s important to be able to laugh at yourself, even if it’s only to keep from crying. The seller of this 1954 Chevrolet One-Fifty Handyman station wagon says that he “had the engine running until [he] rebuilt the carburetor… more»
Estate Sale Find: 54k Mile 1963 Pontiac Catalina
How many Barn Finds readers categorize periods of their lives by the cars they were infatuated with at the time? I certainly do. Accordingly, this 1963 Pontiac Catalina Sports Coupe immediately transports me to the early 2000s and my early 20s…. more»
BF Auction: 1957 Ford Thunderbird
Of the first-generation “Baby Birds,” the 1957 model enjoyed the highest production numbers (21,380), but that is partially because its production was extended to December 13, 1957. I was reminded of that when I saw a two-page advertisement in… more»
