In the seventies, my family owned a Gremlin long before it was cool to be seen in one. As a result, I developed an appreciation for the oddly-shaped AMC subcompact during a period when many folks were just laughing… more»
Sedans
Patina Wrapped Driver! 1964 Oldsmobile Jetstar 88
Over the years, Oldsmobile sold a large number of automobiles with the 88 name (sometimes referred to as Eighty-Eight). The most commonly used moniker was the Delta 88, but the Jetstar 88 was also in the mix for three… more»
Former Cop Car? 1962 Chevrolet Biscayne
Debuting in 1958 (and continuing through 1972), the Biscayne was Chevrolet’s least expensive full-size automobile. With the barest of creature comforts, the Biscayne was popular with fleet purchases, such as for taxi cabs and police cars. That would explain… 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»
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»
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»
Is It GT Equipped? 1968 Ford XL
When I consider full-size Fords, as I have opined before, the ’66 and ’68 editions, such as this ’68 XL two-door hardtop, are my favs. The seller of this “Cool Cat,” as Ford referred to it in their ’68… 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»
63k Miles? 1972 Buick Electra 225 Custom
Some old-line Buick fans must have been upset when the marketing folks from Flint decided to axe the venerated “Roadmaster” moniker and replace it with “Electra” in 1959. Electra? Agamemnon’s daughter? Orestes’ sister? Regardless of its attachment to Greek… 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»
Four-Speed Equipped: 1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
If you are a car fan with any kind of collection at all, you have a list. Actually, you have several: the first list is populated by cars you’d own if you had all the space and money in… more»
















