Oval Window Barn Find: 1956 Volkswagen Beetle

The VW Type 1 (or Beetle or Bug) is one of the most produced automobiles of all time. Between 1938 and 2003, worldwide production reached 21.5 million units. It takes a real Beetle expert to tell most Bugs from… more»

Is the Circus in Town? 1949 Crosley Clown Car

Crosley Motors was the upstart automaker that began before World War II, took a pause, and struggled into the early 1950s. They’re mostly remembered for creating several variants of microcars that included a small pickup and an open-air roadster,… more»

West Coast Woodie! 1954 Mercury Monterey

The Monterey, named after Monterey Bay, California, was the mainstay of the Mercury lineup from 1950 into the 1970s. The only station wagon that Mercury would offer in 1954 was based on the Monterey and it was marketed as… more»

Drop-Top Project: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

In 1970, Chevrolet built 635,000 automobiles in the Chevelle family, which included the El Camino and the new Monte Carlo. But just 7,000 were Malibu convertibles with a V8 engine. That’s how the seller’s Chevelle started life, but its… more»

Unfinished Business: 1972 De Tomaso Pantera

Pantera in Italian stands for “panther” and that’s the name that De Tomaso gave its new mid-engine sports car in 1971. The cars had power supplied by Ford and they were sold by Lincoln-Mercury dealers in the U.S. through… more»

1972 Chevrolet Nova SS 350 4-Speed

The Super Sport was the performance side of the Chevy Nova in 1972. An L48 350 cubic inch V8 was the only powerplant offered and 12,309 copies were delivered. We don’t know the split between manual and automatic transmissions,… more»

52k Mile Survivor: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon

Without the financial resources of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, upstart American Motors was always willing to push the envelope. One example came in the form of the Eagle in 1980, the industry’s first “crossover” vehicle. Borrowing from the… more»

Ran When Parked: 1927 Ford Model T Pickup

The Ford Model T was one of the first and most successful production vehicles. Launched in 1909, nearly 15 million copies were built before it was retired in 1927. Their affordability was key to the Model T’s success, and… more»

Rare Color: 2009 Mini-Cooper S Turbo Drop-Top

The Mini-Cooper arrived on the automotive scene in 2000, a product built by BMW but marketed separately. Several variants would emerge, including the Mini-Cooper S as a convertible with a supercharger at first, replaced by a turbocharger later. The… more»

Running Convertible Project: 1967 Oldsmobile 442

The 442 debuted in 1964 as Oldsmobile joined others in the GM stable in the mid-size muscle car market. It was an option on the Cutlass until 1968 when it finally became a series of its own. 442 or… more»

Loads of Patina! 1953 Chevrolet 3100 Half-Ton

The 3100 was part of Chevrolet’s Advance-Design Series launched after World War II. The same trucks were marketed as the New Design at GMC. The first was available in June 1947, and production continued into early 1955. The 3100… more»

Still in the Barn: 1964 Chevrolet C-10 Pickup

The C/K Series of GM pickups debuted in 1960 with versions of both offered by Chevrolet and GMC. The “C” designation simply meant 2-wheel drive while “K” stood for 4-wheel drive. Across four generations, these popular trucks were available… more»

Rare Sportwagon: 1974 Chevrolet Corvette

Chevrolet never manufactured a station wagon or “shooting brake” version of its popular Corvette sports car. But Corvette enthusiast John Greenwood did, mostly as kits to be installed by others. They were based on the popular C3 Corvettes of… more»

Cheap Wheels Project: 1966 Ford Galaxie 500

In the 1960s, the Galaxie 500 was to Ford as the Impala was to Chevrolet. The Galaxie was Ford’s biggest-selling full-size car throughout the decade and competed head-to-head with the Impala every day. The cars were redesigned in 1965… more»

Solid Survivor: 1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner

The Starliner was a beautiful 2-door hardtop offered by Studebaker between 1953 and 1955. Styled by designer Raymond Loewy, the Starliner would serve as the inspiration for the Hawk iteration of sedans and hardtops built between 1956 and 1964…. more»

Black on Black: 1959 Chevrolet Corvette

“America’s Sports Car” – the Chevrolet Corvette – went into the 1959 model year largely unchanged. It sprouted quad headlights the year before and several versions of the 283 cubic inch V8 were offered to power the hot little… more»

Barn Finds