Survivor Cars

Not all barn finds are rusty! Here are the very best unrestored classics:

A Big Visual Statement! 1985 Rolls-Royce Corniche

Nothing says “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” like a 1985 Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible. Of course, you have to exclaim it with a low, thick voice like you’re about to hock up a wad of caviar, but I’m digressing…. more»

Restored Toronado: 1991 Oldsmobile Trofeo

Is there a new (2025) two-door luxury coupe made by an American car company? I can’t think of one. The last two-door Cadillac was the 2019 ATS and CTS, and 2019 was six years ago already, pre-covid, pre-everything, it… more»

Big Toothy Grin! 1955 DeSoto Firedome

DeSoto was more than a 16th-century Spanish explorer and conquistador (Hernando de Soto). It was a division of Chrysler Corp. from 1928 to 1961. Positioned between Plymouth and Dodge, it was a viable make until the late 1950s. Chrysler… more»

32K-Mile Luxury Roadster: 2004 Cadillac XLR

Convertible, luxury car, or sports car? Or, all three? How do you define a Cadillac XLR, or how would you explain it to a Martian visiting the Earth to decipher American vehicles from the 2000s? The seller has this… more»

A Cut Above: 1977 Cadillac Seville Renaissance Edition

Let’s add one more niche vehicle and another coach builder to our repertoire of obscurities: this 1977 Cadillac Seville was altered by A. H. Hotton Associates (AHA), originally headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Called the Renaissance, Hotton’s creation added… more»

Original Size: 1977 Buick Regal Landau

The 1977 Buick Regal is one handsome car. Big, perhaps, but stylish. Downsizing, you Barn Finders likely know, came to American car manufacturers in this year, but starting with various lines’ full-size models. The Regal was still “old-sized.” The… more»

Four-Speed Survivor: 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix

Claiming to be the first of anything is fraught with peril, but I imagine few will argue with the assertion that the four-seat Thunderbird created the personal luxury field in 1958. Sure, cars like the Continental Mark II of… more»

A Real Survivor: 1979 Pontiac Tenth Anniversary Trans Am

Special edition and anniversary edition cars seem to be the most collectible models for many cars. Pontiac has produced several special editions from the 50th anniversary Limited Edition Trans Am in 1976 to celebrate Pontiac’s 50th year of production… more»

Second Owner: $13,000 1972 Ford Maverick

Somehow, 53 years have trickled by, and I’m not sure how that happened. I seem to remember 1972 as if it were just yesterday. Well, maybe not that vividly, but I certainly remember parts of it. This 1972 Ford… more»

Captive Import Survivor: 1977 Dodge Arrow

While Ford and General Motors rolled out their own subcompact cars in the 1970s, Chrysler opted for badge-engineered imports instead. One example was the Plymouth Arrow, which was a Japanese Mitsubishi Celeste in disguise, sold in Canada as the… more»

Driver-Quality 327 V8: 1966 Rambler Ambassador

The Ambassador was American Motors’ fanciest passenger automobile from 1958 to 1974. In the first half of the 1960s, it was more like a swanky Classic that rode on a mid-size platform in 1963-64. But for 1965-66, AMC would… more»

Quirky Survivor? 1961 Dodge Lancer 770

Dodge joined the hot U.S. compact car movement in 1961. While Ford, Chevrolet, and Plymouth all had fresh designs in 1960, Dodge had a quicker solution. Their entry was a badge-engineered version of Plymouth’s Valiant called the Lancer with… more»

Sentimental Value: 1991 Cadillac Brougham

“My Dad’s car. He loved it. I hung on to it because of its sentimental value, but I do not really have the space for it in my garage,” is how the listing for this 1991 Cadillac Brougham opens…. more»

Survivor Truck: 1975 Ford F-100 Custom, 79k Miles

By the mid-1970s, Ford’s F-Series trucks had already earned their reputation as dependable workhorses, but the sixth-generation models (1973–1979) brought a more refined design that balanced rugged utility with everyday usability. This 1975 Ford F-100 Custom, listed for sale… more»

Restored Fleetline Series: Oliver Series 77 Orchard

Much as the pork industry used the slogan, The Other White Meat beginning in 1987, to tout its “healthy” white meat as compared to chicken, Oliver tractors are often considered the other green tractors. John Deere almost had a… more»

Cheap Wheels Survivor: 1974 Ford Maverick

The Ford Maverick was the successor to the company’s first compact, the Falcon. As it had done with the Mustang, Falcon underpinnings were also under the new econobox, which debuted five years to the day after Ford’s pony car…. more»

Barn Finds