Rat Rod Wagon? 1958 Pontiac Chieftain Safari

From 1955 to 1957, the Safari was Pontiac’s equivalent to Chevy’s Nomad, a “sport wagon”. That concept didn’t go over from a sales perspective. So, when that body style was dropped, the Safari was added as a tagline to… more»

Drive While Fixing: 1971 Pontiac LeMans Sport

The LeMans Sport may be a nameplate only remembered by Pontiac gurus. It was a sub-model offered by Pontiac in 1970 and 1971. It might be considered a bridge between the ordinary LeMans and the GTO muscle car. Bucket… more»

Once-Plum Crazy Project: 1970 Dodge Super Bee

The Super Bee muscle car had a short life span compared to some of its competitors. It arrived in 1968 as a variant on the B-bodied Coronet and was gone after the 1971 model year. It was Dodge’s version… more»

Parked For 20 Years: 1969 Dodge Charger Project

The Dodge Charger was not an instant success. Introduced in 1966, sales were somewhat mediocre in its first two years (average: 26,566 units). Then the Chrysler B-bodied intermediates got redesigned in 1968 and the average grew to 74,861 Chargers… more»

Red, White & Blue: 1970 AMC AMX 343 V8

American Motors was always known for stretching a dollar (or in the case of the AMX, shrinking it). When the Javelin pony car was introduced in 1968, AMC took 12 inches out of the wheelbase and created a 2-seat… more»

Non-Running Pony Project: 1966 Ford Mustang

The 1966 model year was a banner one for the hot new Ford Mustang. 607,000 units were produced in ‘66, a record that wouldn’t be beaten. A lot of them came equipped with a 200 cubic inch inline-6 and… more»

Pre-AMC El Camino? 1951 Hudson Hornet

The Hornet was a full-size car initially built by the Hudson Motor Car Co. from 1951 to 1954, after which the company merged with Nash-Kelvinator to become American Motors. The early Hornets had a “step-down” design which means the… more»

Same Family Since 1977: 1960 DeSoto Adventurer

DeSoto had been a Chrysler Corp. brand since the 1920s. But by the 1950s, it was getting to be too much like a Chrysler for buyers to tell the difference. So, in late 1960, almost a year to the… more»

Ran When Parked: 1965 Plymouth Fury III

For the 1962-64 model years, sales of Plymouth’s full-size cars had been hampered by a strategic Chrysler error. They had been downsized to the B-body platform because the scuttlebutt was what Chevrolet was doing. That proved incorrect and they… more»

Out in the Woods: 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

The Mercedes-Benz 190SL was the little brother (or sister) to the 300SL and was built in Germany between 1955 and 1963. It was a 2-door roadster (a convertible available with an optional removable hardtop) with a just twist of… more»

One Owner Engine Upgrade: 1973 Plymouth ‘Cuda

When the Plymouth Barracuda was redesigned in 1970, the ‘Cuda version stood for performance. The ‘Cuda engine choices were a 340, 383, 440, and the 426 Hemi. But the focus changed in 1972 as rising insurance premiums had buried… more»

Breaker, Breaker: Smokey and the Bandit Automobilia

If you were a male growing up in the 1970s, like me you were no doubt a fan of the Smokey and the Bandit movies (or at least the first one). The good old boy flick starring Burt Reynolds… more»

Woodie Roller: 1952 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe

In its heyday, the wood-bodied station wagon (aka “woodie” or “woody”) was something of a status symbol. The body was made of real wood, which meant a lot of handwork was required, which also made them expensive. Chevrolet’s last… more»

Mystery Field Find: 1969 Pontiac Firebird

The owner of the subject car has passed away and his widow needs to sell this forgotten automobile. She doesn’t know what it is, but from the limited photos, the vehicle appears to have once been a 1969 Pontiac… more»

Halloween Special! 1965 Cadillac Superior Hearse

For more than 70 years (1909 to 1980), Superior Coach Corp. was a major player in the construction of ambulances, hearses, and limousines. Many were based on chassis supplied by General Motors, especially those from Cadillac. Just in time… more»

Built In Germany: 1972 Capri by Mercury

The Capri was a sporty small car built by Ford Europe in the 1970s. It was sold there as a Ford, but when it was imported to the U.S. it was offered by the Mercury Division without any corporate… more»

Barn Finds