151

Curbside Classic: 1988 Chrysler Fifth Avenue – The Volaré That Fell Out Of The Brougham Tree, And Hit Every Branch On The Way Down

By
– Posted on October 11, 2026

8-04-2013 031

(Updated 10/11/2026)    Okay you guys, fair warning: there will be no Saabs, no air-cooled VWs, no Volvo 240s, Triumph Bonnevilles, BSAs, Goggomobils or Toyota Supras in this post. No, this CC is a paean to my Brougham-centric psychosis. I will stand in front of you all, and say thus: I love Chrysler Fifth Avenues. Yes, yes, I am well aware that they are based off of the recall-tastic Dodge Aspen/Plymouth Volaré. I will nod my head and agree with you if you say these Fifth Avenues were the worst kind of lipstick on a pig. I know they were the antithesis to smooth and linear VW Jettas, Honda Preludes and Saab 900 Turbos that also occupied the decade with these mini-me Broughams. But, I do not care. I still like them. Should you share the same affliction, join me, as we delve into the depths of the origins of these Parthenon-grilled, Landau-roofed, poof-tastic interiored Mopar Broughams.

Read the rest of this entry »

27

Vintage R&T Review: 1972 Toyota Crown 2600 (S60) – There’s Some Very Good Reasons The Crown Failed In The US

By
– Posted on October 11, 2026

T 1

(Updated 10/11/2026)        The failure of the Crown in the US market has been hard for many to grasp. If the Corona and Corolla and all the other Toyotas were so red hot in the US, why was the Crown such a flop? And it’s not just that the S60 had a weird front end, although that undoubtedly pushed it over the edge and Toyota cancelled it in the US after just two years.

The reasons are elucidated in this review. R&T did not pull their punches either; they panned it. It was inferior in just about every respect compared to say a Chevy Nova. And quite so in some.

The problem was that although the Crown felt very “American” it wasn’t designed for the US. It was a big, prestigious sedan in Japan, despite its severe dynamic limitations. That didn’t matter there. Toyota eventually figured it all out, with ever better Cressidas that paved the way for the category-killer Lexus LS. But that was still a way off in the future. In 1972, Toyota would just have to put up with a rare black eye.

Read the rest of this entry »

6

A 1970 American Motors AMX and Other Finds From The CC Cohort

By
– Posted on October 11, 2026

55567236048 3778212844 k

It’s time to catch up with the latest Cohort finds from our contributors. We’ll start with what may be the rarest of the bunch by original production numbers: a 1970 AMX spotted by nifticus392. This was the final year for AMC’s unusual two-seat sports car/muscle car hybrid, and the rarest of the 1968–1970 models, with just 4,116 built.

Read the rest of this entry »

6

Pretty Rad: Truckloads of 1980s Firebirds and Camaros

By
– Posted on October 11, 2026

Captura de pantalla 2026 09 29 15.30.00 copia

Here’s a rad image. Fresh and fly. Sorry, it’s hard to resist the ’80s slang with today’s photos, but if you lived back then, these were the cool wheels to have if you were into GM’s youthful offerings.

There’s no date attached to this image, but the aero kits suggest these Camaros and Firebirds hail from the late 1980s, perhaps the early ’90s. We do know the photo was taken in Southern California, with the cars riding aboard a PMT truck based in Van Nuys.

Read the rest of this entry »

9

Cruising the “Lemon Orchards”: Our Family’s Second-Hand Cars

By
– Posted on October 11, 2026

Captura de pantalla 2025 05 30 11.43.23

Text kindly submitted by Cal Sexmith. All images sourced from the web.

In previous stories, I’ve written about Dad’s cars and our family’s station wagon years. This time, we’re looking at the other cars that came and went in our family’s driveway, beginning in the mid-1960s, when some of our neighbours began buying second cars. Unlike many women of the era, my mother drove, having learned to do so at the age of nine while growing up on a farm. With two drivers in the family but only one car, Dad decided in late 1964 that it was time to find Mom a car of her own.

Read the rest of this entry »

18

1998 Mercury Mystique LS: A Rare Survivor Of Ford’s Biggest ‘90s Disappointment, Still On The Road

By
– Posted on October 11, 2026

1998 Mercury Mystique LS 1 scaled e1791657134430

The Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique are well known in this community as Ford Motor Company’s $6 billion replacements for the ancient and unloved bargain-basement Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz.  Despite their impressive driving dynamics, it has been said that the blobish styling, cramped interior, questionable quality, high price, and nebulous placement in their respective lineups doomed them from the start.  However, over 1.3 million were sold in their six-year run.  So why did it take me literally months to find one in the wild once I set my mind to it?

Read the rest of this entry »

74

Curbside Classic: 1959 Rambler Custom Six – The Prophet

By
– Posted on October 10, 2026

CC 236 020 1200

(Updated 10/10/2026)      Hindsight is 20-20 vision. And with that acuity, seeing the Rambler’s historical significance is easy: it was the St. John the Baptist of cars, crying in the wilderness of obese bat-winged barges: Repent ye, for the kingdom of Toyota is at hand!. Read the rest of this entry »

15

Classic CARmentary: 2000 Dodge Neon ES – More Refined, But Still Missing Something

By
– Posted on October 10, 2026

2000 Dodge Neon ES press release photo

(Updated 10/10/2026)      In my review of the Chrysler Cirrus, James noted, “I don’t really get all the hate for the second gen Neon.”  I’m not sure I can explain it, either.  I loved the original Neon.  It was cute and fun even if it wasn’t all that refined or reliable.  To me, this generation wasn’t cute or fun (except maybe in SRT-4 guise).  While it was more refined than the original, it wasn’t as refined as the competition.  Given that, what did it really have going for it?  

Read the rest of this entry »

11

1960s Toyota Stout by Ralf K: A Rare Toyota Pickup Waiting for Its Second Act

By
– Posted on October 10, 2026

55540329506 dc5d2291fa k

Long before Toyota pickups became commonplace, there was the Stout. This 1960s example was recently spotted in a Washington driveway by CC Cohort contributor Ralf K (Don Kincl). It looks a little rough, but apparently it’s destined for a second life as a restomod.

Read the rest of this entry »

8

1967 Buick Skylark: Big Little Car — The Mid-Size Buick With Full-Size Ambitions

By
– Posted on October 10, 2026

CC 235 020 1200 level

You’d be forgiven for thinking this actually is a full-sized Buick. Although Buick jumped whole-heartedly into the compact ring in 1961, it didn’t take long for them to realize that what Americans really wanted in a small Buick coupe was a not-so-small Buick coupe. So within just six years, the little 1961 Special grew into the biggest “mid-sized” GM coupe ever. And its designers did everything to make it look even bigger yet. The slightly littler big car. Read the rest of this entry »

13

1984-88 MAN “Americana” Urban Transit Bus – Promising Start, Quick Exit

By
– Posted on October 10, 2026

norta man100 canalandcarondelet 1986 crscholes

Several German bus manufacturers have tried in the past to crack the North American bus market.  While having some success with intercity and touring coaches, they haven’t been able to establish a long-term presence with their urban transit models.  We’ve reviewed Neoplan’s attempt here.  Now let’s look at MAN’s somewhat more limited and abrupt endeavor in the Eighties – the MAN Americana.  Read the rest of this entry »

12

1963 Mercury Comet V-8 Sedan: “For Better Or For Worse, Something Different Under The Hood”

By
– Posted on October 10, 2026

Right front 3q view of a 1963 Comet four-door sedan

The compact Comet, the bigger, plusher version of the Ford Falcon, was Mercury’s only real hit in the early ’60s, appealing to buyers who wanted a slightly more upscale smaller car. In mid-1963, the new 260 cid V-8 became optional on the Comet, but consumer testing publication Consumer Reports thought the V-8 spoiled the Comet’s handling and economy, turning a pretty good compact sedan into a distinctly compromised one.

Read the rest of this entry »

31

Curbside Classic: 1968 Toyota 1600GT-5 – Corona Con Tequila

By
– Posted on October 9, 2026

IMG 20200930 091038 copy

(Updated 10/09/2026)         This car was one of the nicer surprises I’ve had this year. The Fiat Abarth, the Renault Gordini and the Mini Cooper all had a Japanese cousin, and I never knew about it until I happened to meet one a couple weeks ago. One big difference is that Toyota did all their specials in-house, so unlike all these snooty European double-barreled sports cars, this Japanese one has a deceptively short moniker. Another difference is in size and prestige, which are both a bit bigger in the Toyota 1600GT’s case.

Read the rest of this entry »

80

Curbside Find: 1985 Olds Cutlass Supreme Coupe – Once There Were Millions Of These Everywhere

By
– Posted on October 9, 2026

CC 426 043

(Updated 10/09/2026)       And now it’s an occasion to see one on the street. It was America’s sweetheart for such a long run, including several stints as the best selling car in the land; the Ford F150 of its time. And here’s one survivor, the first I’ve seen in a while, so it must be honored, even if we’ve given it full honors before.

Read the rest of this entry »

23

First Gen Renault Twingo Collection – In The Happy-Go-Lucky Zone

By
– Posted on October 9, 2026

Renaultoloog Meeting & Markt 2026 - First gen Renault Twingos - 1

Quite a few young, light-hearted Twingo owners showcased their little Renault cult classic at the recently held, 2026 edition of the ‘Renaultoloog Meeting & Markt’ in the south of the Netherlands. Some in an incredible, original condition and many of them were heavily personalized (I’m referring to the Twingos, of course). In that regard, the first gen Twingo now falls in the same category as the good ol’ Citroën 2CV. I just let the pictures speak for themselves.

Read the rest of this entry »

Older Entries

Copyright 2011 - 2026 Curbside Classics. All Rights Reserved.