The Tercel sedan, launched in 1980, was born tall. Its high hood hid a longitudinally mounted engine stacked upon a transaxle driving the front wheels. This geometry made reformation into a 4×4 simple. Toyota made that move in 1983,… more»
About Michelle Rand
Despite no genetic predisposition towards cars whatsoever, I somehow became keenly interested in vintage cars, especially British vintage cars, in college. Sold a perfectly good Mazda RX7 with almost no miles (first car) to purchase a 1972 MGB roadster with a LOT of miles so I could have something to work on. Now have a collection spanning most countries and most years.
• For Sale • 8 Comments
Ready for RADwood: 1985 Toyota Celica GT-S Liftback
Better late than never, and better than many. That’s the story of Japan’s pony car, introduced almost six years after Ford’s Mustang. Toyota’s Celica headed straight for American shores, with the same long-hood/short-deck/sports-car feeling that the Mustang served up…. more»
• For Sale • 20 Comments
Recycled Plymouth: 1957 Powell Sport Wagon
I thought I was good at recycling, but I don’t hold a candle to the Powell brothers. Hayward and Channing Powell, of Los Angeles, gyrated through radio manufacturing, then scooters, and in 1955, four-wheeled vehicles inspired by the brothers’… more»
• For Sale • 13 Comments
Head-Turner: 1959 Rambler American Super
Rambler’s characteristic dumpling-esque design is on full display here, with the wheels tucked as far under the body as possible while still allowing a normal guy to change a tire. The American was launched in 1958 into a fast-developing… more»
• For Sale • 11 Comments
MicroCar Project: 1960 Goggomobile TS250 Coupe
This Goggomobile is hitching a ride on a forklift as the seller sets it up for its photo shoot. The little coupe weighs less than 1000 lbs, and it represents the resurgence of post-war Europe as consumers moved off… more»
• For Sale • 16 Comments
For Restoration? 1974 Lamborghini Espada Series III
Marcello Gandini put his prints on many a supercar, from the Countach to the Stratos, the Miura to the Espada. Of this grouping, only the four-seat Espada is even the slightest bit practical. In fact, keep one in good… more»
• For Sale • 6 Comments
Stored for 35 Years: Meyers Manx II
Inspired by DIYers in Southern California who were hacking up VW Beetles to make beach buggies, Bruce Meyers began building his own version – known as Old Red – in 1963. His interpretation employed a monocoque fiberglass body with… more»
• For Sale • 31 Comments
Early Grader! 1937 Caterpillar No. 10 Auto Patrol
Time to wax poetic about one of my favorite topics: construction equipment. Not only is the history of these machines intimately entwined with human progress, but learning how the first guy came up with the first forklift, grader, excavator,… more»
• For Sale • 41 Comments
Formerly Father’s: 1940 Ford Deluxe Coupe
Ford’s styling shift from 1936 to 1937 set its competition scrambling. Headlights melding into fenders, and the fenders themselves snuggling ever closer to bodies – the new interpretation of the vehicle resonated powerfully with buyers. Briggs Manufacturing, a Detroit… more»
• For Sale • 13 Comments
Spinner Grill: 1950 Studebaker Champion
We’re looking at the extravagant prow of a 1950 Studebaker Champion. Whose idea was this anyhow! It reminds me of Little Red Riding Hood saying to the Wolf, “Grandmother, what big teeth you have!” As we all know, that… more»
• For Sale • 31 Comments
Cream Puff! 1971 Ford Pinto Half Hatch
Should we give this Pinto a “best condition” award? Showing only 89,000 miles and with one repaint since new, this well-preserved 1971 “half-hatch” is located in Vancouver, Washington. It’s advertised here on craigslist for $8500. While we aren’t given… more»
• For Sale • 13 Comments
One Owner! 1981 Toyota Corona Luxury Edition
Toyota had a rough start in the US market. Its first export was the Toyopet Crown, sold out of its Hollywood, California dealership – its sole location. But the underpowered and overpriced sedan was not ideally suited for the… more»
• For Sale • 26 Comments
Professional Restoration: 1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner
The glorious 1953 Commander coupe ranks as one of the company’s best designs. Its sleek lines were a sharp departure from earlier Commanders: it lost the humpy bonnet and haunchy fenders of old, and gained a graceful greenhouse. The… more»
• For Sale • 22 Comments
Not a Kit Car: 1988 Pontiac Mera
Kitting out the Fiero as a supercar – let us count the ways. There’s the Miura wannabe, F40s and F50s, a GT40, a replica Testarossa – the list goes on. But this one is not a kit car: it… more»
• For Sale • 15 Comments
Long Term Ownership: 1965 Ford Falcon Deluxe Club Wagon
While early sedan delivery vehicles provided a template for future vans, it was the Volkswagen Transporter – launched in 1950 – that popularized the body style. It still took ten years for the first US-made vans to hit the… more»
• For Sale • 24 Comments
Americana Incarnate: 1915 Republic Two-Ton Truck
This truck is from the most prolific manufacturer you’ve never heard of: Republic Motor, with roots reaching back to 1913. Search the internet for “first truck made in the US”, and you might turn up Autocar, but more likely… more»
