Russ Dixon

About Russ Dixon

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

S-Code Project: 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Ford restyled its popular Mustang for the second time in 1969, and added a new performance model, too. That addition was the Mach 1, and it would go on to account for a quarter of Mustang sales that year… more»

First Time Up For Sale: 1968 Cadillac Eldorado

Cadillac reinvented the Eldorado in 1967. It continued as a personal luxury car, but now with front-wheel drive like the Oldsmobile Toronado from the year before. It would remain a Cadillac fixture for the next 35 years. The 1968… more»

One of 1,450: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro

This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro seems to have been in the same family since new. It was passed down from the uncle to the father and now to the seller and could have been in storage for up to 35… more»

Diesel Power! 1980 Cadillac Seville

The Cadillac Seville was introduced in 1976 so the company could appeal to a wider range of buyers (the DeVille tended to attract an older crowd). To improve fuel mileage and maybe lure Mercedes owners, the car came with… more»

Numbers-Matching: 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

In 1962, Ford introduced a mid-size automobile with Fairlane badging, sandwiched between the compact Falcon and full-size Galaxie. General Motors followed suit in 1964, and Chevrolet added a new product line called the Chevelle. It was instantly popular and… more»

24k-Mile Original: 1950 DeSoto Sedan

Like all other U.S automakers, DeSoto car production stopped from 1942 to 1946 to shift resources to the war effort (WWII). When it resumed, the 1946-48 products were warmed-over pre-war offerings. DeSoto’s first post-war redesign was in 1949, so… more»

V8 Convertible: 1963 Ford Falcon

During its first three years (1960-62), the Ford Falcon was largely just an econobox. But the car “grew up” in 1963 with the addition of hardtops, convertibles, and a V8 engine (previously just inline sixes were available). The seller… more»

Parts Car 2-Pack: Pair of Maserati Quattroportes

Dating back to 1963, the Maserati Quattroporte was a full-size luxury sedan built in Italy. The fifth generation was produced from 2003 to 2012, and the last of the last were built in 2023. In the U.S., they were… more»

Faux Wood Survivor: 1972 Ford Pinto Squire

In 1971, Ford’s entry into the subcompact market was the Pinto. Previously, it had been dominated by imports like the VW Beetle. Chevrolet also rolled out the Vega at the same time, but the Pinto would outlast it (1980… more»

Dusty Desert Find: 1962 Chrysler Newport

From 1961 to 1981, the Newport was Chrysler’s entry-level full-size car. But because it was a Chrysler, it was far from a basic automobile. In 1962, the 361 cubic inch V8 was the standard engine, and we assume that’s… more»

Weather-Worn: 1978 Pontiac Grand LeMans

The LeMans spent 20 years as Pontiac’s mid-size automobile, giving life to the GTO muscle car in the middle of the 1960s. It was given a luxury model in the early 1970s, appropriately dubbed Luxury LeMans. In 1975, they… more»

Restorable Wagon? 1960 Studebaker Lark VI

By the end of the 1950s, things were looking bleak at Studebaker-Packard. Their merger in 1954 didn’t produce the desired results, and the Packard brand was gone after 1958. A temporary reprieve came in the form of the new… more»

Weekend Cruiser? 1969 Buick Skylark Custom

Buick offered four versions of their mid-size cars in 1969: Special Deluxe, Skylark, Skylark Custom, and Gran Sport. And within this group, only the latter two offered the car as a convertible. 6,552 Skylark Custom drop-tops were produced that… more»

Patina and a 409! 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne Wagon

It’s a safe bet that the majority of 1962 Chevy Biscaynes were sold with either an inline-6 or a small-block V8. And the 409 big-block V8 could be ordered for any one of them. But the number of Biscayne… more»

Older Restoration: 1953 Studebaker Champion

From 1939 to 1958, the Champion was the “bread and butter” car of Studebaker, which meant it appealed to budget-minded buyers. In 1953, the Champion differed from the Commander in that it used an inline-6 while the latter came… more»

Barn Bound Nine Years: 1996 Ford Escort

The Escort was Ford’s successor to the Ford Pinto. As such, it was produced as the company’s first “world car” from 1981 to 2003, sharing a lot with its Ford of Europe counterpart. This 1996 edition wears LX trim… more»