Russ Dixon

About Russ Dixon

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

Downsized Survivor: 1985 Pontiac Bonneville

The Bonneville was Pontiac’s largest and most luxurious automobile throughout the 1960s and 1970s. But lagging sales caused Pontiac to cancel its big cars in 1982, and the name was transferred to the smaller LeMans platform instead. This rear-wheel-drive… more»

‘Cuda 340 Clone: 1970 Plymouth Barracuda

The Plymouth Barracuda was all-new in 1970, and buyers responded by scooping up one-third more copies than they did in 1969. The ‘Cuda performance model represented about a third of the overall production. The seller’s car began life with… more»

Hip Small Pickup: 1997 Ford Ranger Splash

In the 1970s, Ford imported Japanese pickups to compete in the small truck market. By 1982, they decided that demand was sufficient to warrant a U.S.-built pickup in that space, and the Ranger was born. It was popular, along… more»

Freshly Restored: 1955 Pontiac Star Chief Safari

The 1955-57 Chevrolet Nomad is iconic, perhaps for the styling and also because of its low production numbers. But many will forget that Pontiac also offered a “sport wagon” at the same time, using the same body, the Safari…. more»

Unfinished Drop-Top: 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL

Ford introduced the Galaxie 500 XL in 1962 to compete against the Chevrolet Impala Super Sport. The XL designation stood for “Extra Lively,” so the car was a combination of sporty looks and tasteful luxury. Like the Chevy SS,… more»

Driver or Project? 1966 Plymouth Valiant

The Valiant was Plymouth’s compact entry from 1960 to 1976. The first generation was quirky in appearance and was sold through 1962. Things improved for the second round from 1963 to 1966. That’s when the seller’s 2-door sedan was… more»

Too Many Doors? 1969 Buick Skylark Custom

Buick’s A-body intermediates in the late 1960s comprised the Special, Skylark, Skylark Custom, Sport Wagon, and Gran Sport. The Skylark Custom was for those buyers who wanted more pizazz than the Special and Skylark offered, without the performance of… more»

Choo Choo Convert: 1985 Chevrolet El Camino SS

The Chevy El Camino enjoyed a long and healthy run (1959-60 and again from 1964 to 1987). It was a car-based truck often referred to as a “gentlemen’s pickup.” In the last five years of production, Chevy commissioned Choo… more»

1 of 204: 1974 Dodge Charger SE 440 V8

The “Dodge Rebellion” was a late 1960s advertising campaign designed to position Dodge as the performance arm of Chrysler Corp. That included the Charger, which was new in 1966. By 1974, when the seller’s car was built, the muscle… more»

Attention Galaxie Fans! Huge Stash of 1968 Fords

Most automobile collections focus on a specific brand or model. In the case of the seller’s lot, it’s not only a single manufacturer, but all the cars in the group are from the same model year. In this case,… more»

Before The Mustang: 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint

The Falcon Sprint was something of a dry run for the Ford Mustang. It came with a V8 engine and bucket seats like the Mustang, though it was a bit less stylish. And sold in far smaller numbers. The… more»

Nailhead V8 Project: 1964 Buick Wildcat

The Wildcat was a mid-range full-size car sold by Buick from 1963 to 1970. Its name, taken from some 1950s concept cars, implied performance, and nothing smaller than a 401 cubic inch V8 was offered. The seller’s ’64 coupe… more»

Rockette Aluminum V8! 1962 Oldsmobile Cutlass

In 1961, General Motors introduced a series of “senior compacts” under the Buick, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile brands. For the latter, the car was dubbed the F-85 (after a jetfighter), and the Cutlass was the top trim level. Three years… more»

Machine Shed Find: 1968 Dodge Charger

The Charger debuted in 1966 as part personal luxury car, part muscle car. Sales were lukewarm based on the then-current B-body platform. But when all the B-bodies were redesigned in 1968, sales of the Charger exploded. It became a… more»

Wildcat 375 V8: 1966 Buick Skylark Project

The Buick Special/Skylark began as a “senior” compact in 1961. In 1964, the cars – along with similar compacts from Pontiac and Oldsmobile – were promoted to mid-size automobiles. The cars received a styling refresh in 1966, and a… more»

Cheap Wheels Running Project: 1961 Comet

The Comet compact was originally intended to be an Edsel product, so Mercury took the car under its wing when Edsel went “sneakers up.” The 1960 and 1961 Comets had no parental badging but officially became a Mercury in… more»

Barn Finds