Field Find: Flock of Austin Americas

Here’s a British saloon that you don’t see every day: the Austin America – or rather, a bunch of ’em. There’s a good reason for that – not seeing one every day, that is. The Austin America was derived… more»

Low Mileage Survivor! 1987 Porsche 944

This story is about the 944, I promise. But first, we have to talk about the 924, because it was important to the later car’s story. The 924 was a front-engined, water-cooled, four-cylinder car, designed to replace the 912… more»

Ready to Roll: 1974 MGB GT

While the MGB roadster hogged the limelight, the pretty Pininfarina-designed GT was the workaholic of the family. Introduced four years after the roadster, the GT was originally designed at Abingdon to satisfy customers who wanted a less noisy, more… more»

One of Forty-Two: 1988 Alpina E28 B7 Turbo/1 Katalysator

Before we launch into a description of this very special Alpina, let’s dispense with a prevailing controversy around why and how this car is listed on eBay and the seller himself, prompted by questions about the BMW M3 EVO… more»

Ponton Project: 1957 Mercedes 220S

Pity the poor W180 sedan: while its brethren the coupe and the cabriolet leap to successively higher highs on the price scale, the sedan is mired in the mid-teens. Those of us who favor orphans of all ilks –… more»

Low Miles, Long Ownership: 1983 Porsche 911SC Coupe

\ In the late 1970s, Porsche was planning to sunset the venerable 911 in favor of its front-engined 928. But one last iteration would grace the streets before the 911’s discontinuation: the 911 SC. Arriving in 1978, the new… more»

All Stock Except Exhaust: 1986 Ford Mustang GT Convertible

Ford began development of the Fox platform in 1973. Designed to accommodate downsized versions of several Ford cars, its first job was carrying the Fairmont. But a priority for Iacocca was correcting the sins of the Mustang II, so… more»

Low Miles! 1980 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

The 1976 revival of the Biarritz trim package for Cadillac’s Eldorado established a luxury niche not seen since the 1960s, and then only on Cadillac’s wildly expensive convertible. Loaded with power accessories, classy cosmetics, and comfort options, the Biarritz… more»

Stored Forty Years: 1964 Citroen DS19

André-Gustave Citroën was an exceptional innovator, stirring together inventions from other visionaries to create singular cars. Citroën himself was Dutch and Polish, but the family settled in Paris in 1873. Trained as an engineer, he made armaments during WWI…. more»

Ready for Finishing: 1983 Ford EXP

Here’s a niche-y corner of the collector car world: Ford’s Escort-based “sport” coupe, called the EXP, or if you were a Mercury fan, the LN7. The EXP was an effort by Ford to downsize in the wake of fuel… more»

Barn Resident: 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL

Thinking about the SL class of Mercedes-Benz is a “forest versus trees” exercise. The roots of the entire series began in 1954 with the spectacular Gullwing coupe. The 190 was next – thanks to Max Hoffman’s vision; then the… more»

Bertone Masterpiece: 1959 Fiat-OSCA 1500 Aerodynamica Berlinetta

Fiat began its earnest pursuit of aerodynamic designs in the 1930s. Using mechanical platforms developed for more pedestrian cars, the company either styled its creations in-house, or outsourced work to coachbuilders. Occasionally, the impetus reversed, and coachbuilders purchased Fiat… more»

Future Classic? 1976 Chrysler Cordoba

Anyone of a certain age will recall Ricardo Montalbán, in his resonant accent, reminding us of the Chrysler Cordoba’s “fine Corinthian leather” upholstery. But before Montalbán serenaded us, Chrysler had introduced the Cordoba as a Spring Special trim version… more»

“Personality Issues”: 1979 Fiat X1/9

Bertone designed dozens of more illustrious cars than the X1/9 – including the Lamborghini Countach, Alfa’s Giulietta Sprint, and the Lancia Stratos – but none more ubiquitous in the US than this little wedge-shaped Fiat. About 60% of production… more»

Upgraded Engine: 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Speciale

Alfa’s Sprint Speciale punched above its weight on several metrics. While the 1900 series gave Alfa a toehold in the mass market – where success was a must if the company was to recover from the war – the… more»

Nearly New! 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT

Have you ever purchased a new or nearly-new car and socked it away, driving it so sparingly that it accumulated only a few thousand or even hundreds of miles in years? This Pontiac Fiero GT is just such a… more»

Barn Finds