American Classic Cars

Get alerted of new American finds:

Mellow Yellow: 1964 Buick Wildcat Convertible

Boy, you could call this big 1964 Buick Wildcat “Old Yeller”! The very ouvert finish, which appears to be Sunburst is even more pronounced by this Wildcat’s outsized 219″ stretch riding on a 123″ wheelbase – just the length… more»

Ran When Parked: 1968 Ford Galaxie 500

As NASCAR’s aero battle heated up for model year 1968, Ford yoked the full-sized Galaxie off the track in favor of a new fastback mid-sized called Torino. Aerodynamics influenced the overhauled Galaxie too, and the front of this 1968… more»

American Icon Serial Number 001: 1954 GMC Scenicruiser

While there were serious issues to deal with in the America of the 1950s, there was also a sense that it was a country on the move.  Cars were getting larger, sleeker, and faster.  The passenger aviation industry was… more»

Supercoupe? 1976 Oldsmobile Starfire SX 5-Speed

Oldsmobile brochures touted the 1976 Oldsmobile Starfire SX as being a “Sport Coupe” and “Supercoupe” and this V6 five-speed example looks like a nice project car. The seller wasn’t sure if this was an SX or GT, but a… more»

Garaged 40 Years: 1969 Plymouth Valiant Signet

The ol’ thumb-covering-the-license-plate trick… (in my best Maxwell Smart voice) (too obscure?). I wish sellers could figure out a better way to cover their license plates, but when it comes to online vehicle photos, in general, we seem to… more»

Buried Project: 1969 Plymouth Barracuda Formula

The Ford Mustang is credited with starting the “pony car” movement in 1964, but the Plymouth Barracuda beat them to showrooms by 17 days. Just as the Mustang was based on the Falcon compact, the Barracuda had its roots… more»

No Reserve Donation: 1984 Chevrolet Corvette

I wasn’t even seven years old when the 1984 Corvette was introduced, but even at that tender age I knew that it was a big deal. A few years later, I borrowed Michael Lamm’s book titled The Latest Corvette… more»

Slant-Six Survivor: 1973 Plymouth Scamp

In 1971, Plymouth added the Valiant Scamp to its roster. It was their version of the Dodge Dart Swinger hardtop coupe. In return, Dodge picked up the fastback Demon, their variant of the Plymouth Duster. Though not as popular… more»

SHO Enough! 1990 Ford Taurus With Parts Car

The late ’80s weren’t the best of times for domestic cars, especially if hot-footin’ it was your goal. Sure, there were models available that had a reasonable pretension of go-fast behavior but they weren’t unique or really specialized in… more»

BF Auction: 1981 Ford Bronco 4×4 Free Wheeling

Purchasing a classic that recently emerged from hibernation is sometimes a gamble, but that isn’t the case with this 1981 Ford Bronco 4×4 Free Wheeling. The current owner worked through a meticulous revival process that will allow the winning… more»

Rebuilt Grocery Getter: 1974 Ford Pinto

The Pinto was Ford’s first entry into the subcompact car market which was dominated by the imports going into the 1970s. The Pinto was in production from 1971 to 1980 and would spawn the Mercury Bobcat along the way…. more»

U.S.-Built Drop-Top: 1985 Renault Alliance

American Motors was never flush with cash, but times were particularly tight in the late 1970s and early 1980s. AMC wasn’t “big enough” to be saved like Chrysler, who was the beneficiary of a mega loan by the U.S…. more»

BF Exclusive: 1972 Ford Mustang Convertible

In 1972, Ford referred to its line of Mustang models as “Sports Compacts,” even though they were anything but compact compared to the earlier models and were the largest Mustangs, at least in length. They came in three body… more»

Factory Tri Power: 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS

The Chevrolet Impala got a redesign on the B-Body platform for its third generation beginning in 1961, and for the first time, a Super Sport option became available, corporately known as the RPO-240 package.  Unfortunately, it’s one of those… more»

Hugger Orange Project: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet built and sold nearly a quarter-million Camaro “pony cars” in 1969. While the styling was crisper than in 1967-68, the automobile had a 15-month production run due to the all-new ‘70s being delayed. This ’69 began life with… more»

Museum Quality? 1984 Dodge Rampage

Smaller pickup trucks grew to be popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Dodge created the Rampage in 1982 to compete with the VW Rabbit Sportruck and Subaru BRAT in the subcompact space. It was a unibody pickup that was… more»

Barn Finds