Russ Dixon

About Russ Dixon

Semi-retired logistics marketing professional with 30+ years of writing experience. Old car enthusiast.

W-30 455 V8: 1974 Oldsmobile 442

General Motors went all-in on mid-size muscle cars in 1964/65. That included the pioneering Pontiac GTO, Chevy Chevelle SS 396, Buick Gran Sport, and the Oldsmobile 442 (aka 4-4-2). Though cars bearing the 442-brand continued to appear through 1991,… more»

Older Restoration? 1959 Edsel Ranger

The Edsel was an expensive experiment that ended up costing Ford Motor Co. hundreds of millions of dollars. And that’s in 1950s valuations. It was a new car line that was quirky at first, but proved that it was… more»

Package Deal: Trio of Chevrolet El Camino “Utes”

The El Camino was Chevrolet’s answer to the Ford Ranchero. Both initially were station wagon-based pickups that enjoyed long rear-wheel-drive runs. The El Camino was in production in 1959 and 1960, then took a break until 1964, when it… more»

Daily Driver 289 V8: 1965 Ford Mustang

Growing up in the 1960s was a great time – at least in terms of the automotive landscape. One of the most exciting debuts of the decade was the 1965 Ford Mustang, which was so successful that they built… more»

20k-Mile Carport Find: 1959 Chevrolet Impala

For the second year in a row, the 1959 Chevrolets were all new cars. They were long and lean in appearance with “batwings” in the back, all supposedly because of the success of Chrysler’s Space Age “Forward Look” cars… more»

Under Dash Tunes! Grand Boss FM/8-Track Player

Those of us who had our first cars in the 1970s probably had some kind of aftermarket sound “system”. I’m not talking about a fancy integrated stuff with Bose speakers. I mean a factory AM radio in the dash… more»

Fender Bender: 1972 Ford Mustang Grande

Due to competition and a changing market, sales of the 1972 Ford Mustang were a far cry from its heyday in 1966. Production was off by 80%, and demand didn’t improve until the car was reinvented as a subcompact… more»

60k-Mile Cruiser: 1962 Studebaker GT Hawk

The 1962-64 Gran Turismo (GT) Hawk was the last iteration of the Studebaker Hawk, which dated to 1956. Depending on your tastes, it may have been the most attractive of the lot with its formal roofline and upright grille,… more»

Stored 60 Years: 1954 Ford Crestline

Ford’s top-of-the-line model for 1952 to 1954 was the Crestline. Sources indicate that the Fairlane didn’t replace it until 1955. So, we’re not sure why the seller is calling this a ’54 Fairlane. In any event, it’s a 4-door… more»

Former Estate Sale Project: 1957 Ford Fairlane

Ford redesigned its passenger cars in 1957, providing for a lower, longer, sleeker look. That, combined with Chevy’s products being in their third year, Ford was able to capture the top spot in sales for the first time since… more»

84-Mile Hemi Restoration: 1966 Plymouth Satellite

With the refresh of Chrysler’s B-body cars in 1965 as intermediates rather than full-size substitutes, the Satellite debuted. It was an upscale version of the Belvedere and would compete in the mid-size field through 1974. The seller has fully… more»

Farm Find: 1961 Chevrolet Corvair

While Ford entered the compact market in 1960 with a conventionally engineered small car (the Falcon), Chevrolet elected to go the route less traveled. Enter the Corvair with its rear-mounted, air-cooled engine that was a nod to the imported… more»

2 Engines: 1965 Pontiac GTO Project

Pontiac executives knew they had something special on their hands at the end of 1964. Instead of selling an anticipated 5,000 copies of the new mid-size GTO muscle car, they had found more than 32,000 buyers. And the jubilation… more»

Rare Tri-Power 4-Speed: 1966 Pontiac GTO

The 1966 model year was the breakout season for Pontiac’s GTO. Finally, a series of its own, the GM division sold 97,000 copies of the GTO that year, a number that would not be bested. This ’66 GTO has… more»

W-30 350 V8: 1979 Hurst/Olds 61k Miles

Between 1968 and 1984 (sporadically), Oldsmobile offered eight model years of a low-production muscle car that included the Hurst shifter and name. The 1979 edition was the first outing where Oldsmobile built the car 100%. This ’79, one of… more»

427 V8 Beast? 1969 Chevrolet Caprice

Chevrolet introduced the Caprice in mid-1965 as a competitive match to Ford’s new LTD. Like the LTD was an extension of the Galaxie 500, the Caprice had the same initial relationship with the Impala. It was popular enough to… more»

Barn Finds