Curbside Classic: Mazda RX-7 FC3S – Middle Child Syndrome
– Posted on October 8, 2026
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Vintage R&T Review: 1972 Capri 2600 V6 – “Our Enthusiasm For This Engine Is Almost Unbounded”
– Posted on October 8, 2026
(Updated 10/08/2026) It’s easy to forget what an impact the Capri made in the US, never mind the huge one in Europe. It filled a perfect hole, an affordable European sporty coupe that both the general public and genuine enthusiasts embraced. The Capri quickly jumped to the #2 selling import in 1969, ousting the Opel Kadett. It offered lively performance (with the 2.0 L four), crisp handling and a quality feel. But Ford was ready to up the ante in 1972, with a 2.6 L Cologne 60 degree V6. The result was more of the same.
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1950s Chevy and GMC Trucks: Worn Workhorses by the Road, Captured by Ralf K
– Posted on October 8, 2026
Every so often, we have to revisit the sad beauty of old workhorses left unrestored and found just as they are, with decades of patina telling their story. Few vehicles make such photo-friendly subjects as GM’s Advance Design trucks—or New Design, as the GMC versions were called. And it’s even more of a treat when the images come from CC Cohort regular contributor Ralf K (Don Kincl).
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1950s Ford Dealers: Vintage Lots, Showrooms, and New Fords
– Posted on October 8, 2026
Today’s gallery of vintage dealers pays a visit to Ford in the late 1940s early 1950s. Most of these images date from 1950 to 1952, capturing Ford dealers, their lots, and plenty of shiny new Fords at the height of the “shoebox” era. The 1949 generation was a big deal, ushering in Ford’s first truly postwar design and setting the tone for the early 1950s. There are also some 1951 Ford trucks in the mix, adding some variety to today’s display.
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My 1999 Honda Accord EX coupe — Honda Excellence in a More Satisfying Package
– Posted on October 8, 2026
Although I almost immediately considered leasing my 1995 Honda Accord LX coupe a mistake — and still do — I had no such regrets about replacing it with another Accord coupe. Except one. More on that later.
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1964 Pontiac Catalina Ventura: When Choosing A Favorite Big Pontiac, Why Not A ’64?
– Posted on October 8, 2026
Twenty-five years ago, I was entering my mid-twenties and hell bent on finding a Pontiac Catalina two-door hardtop. Youth is filled with hope, but there were plenty of hitches in my scheme, not the least of which being that I was broke and living with my parents. Another was deciding what model year I liked best, and this may have been a taller hurdle than the first. One thing I knew is that I didn’t really like the 1964 Catalina, and looking back, that just doesn’t make any sense.
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Classic CARmentary: 1999 Volvo S80 T6 Sedan — Volvo Goes Beyond the Box
– Posted on October 7, 2026
This was Volvo’s bold step away from the boxy shapes that had defined the brand for decades, and back in 1999, the sleek new S80 looked like a very different kind of Volvo. It was also a very good car, even if it wasn’t particularly my kind of car. Volvos have never been the cars that leave the biggest impression on me (Sorry), but I still remember the 1999 S80—and oddly enough, it’s the stereo I remember most. It turned out I wasn’t the only one who remembered it.
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Curbside Classic: 1973 Ford Ranchero Squire – The Pickup Car Goes Luxury
– Posted on October 7, 2026
(Updated 10/07/2026) Car-based pickups will always cause me to look twice… but one with fake wood trim? Well, that’s enough to slam on the brakes and take some pictures. Which is just what happened when I came across this 1973 Ford Ranchero Squire. This is perhaps the quintessential odd vehicle… straddling the line between car and pickup, though really neither, but then donning the Di-Noc woodgrain trim then popular with large station wagons. Even its name is a mixture of disparate elements. Ranchero – a Spanish (and southwestern US) term for a rancher – combined with Squire – an English country gentleman.
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1962 Mazda R360 Coupé – Start Small
– Posted on October 7, 2026
Any well-known carmaker’s first car should always be a cause for celebration. Many are too old or rare to be readily encountered on the street, of course. It’s not exactly convenient to drive an Oldsmobile Curved Dash or a 1904 Rolls-Royce in today’s traffic. This tiny oddball is just serviceable enough to be out and about 60-plus years after it rolled off the production line, enabling us to get up close and personal with the very first Mazda car.
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1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible: A Three-Speed Stocker Reminds Us Why Everybody Loves ‘Em
– Posted on October 7, 2026
Occasionally, I’ll find a 1955 Chevrolet that makes me stop and reappraise why it’s probably the best thing General Motors ever made. Too many are lowered, repowered, billeted, and otherwise modified, and while I understand the appeal, it’s not my thing, so I walk right on by. But a stock Bel Air Convertible? Really stop and look at it again: It’s perfect. Harley Earl and Company didn’t get a line wrong, it’s the perfect size, and it’s powered by the first edition of the legend, the 265-cubic-inch small-block Chevy. There’s not much to not like, and this one is being auctioned on Cars & Bids in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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My 1994 SAAB 900SE Turbo – Oops! We Can’t Be Right Every Time
– Posted on October 7, 2026
My Alfa Romeo 164 3.0V6 Lusso was approaching 100,000 miles and my wife now had an Alfa 164 Twinspark as well. My 30,000 miles a year needed something reliable so at last, as there was a dealership near my office, maybe it was time to buy a SAAB. After all, the long in the tooth classic 900 had recently been replaced by the all new NG900 series.
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Vintage Review: 1976 Buick Riviera – “Once Big, Flashy, Fast And Unique, It Is Now Simply Big”
– Posted on October 7, 2026
Buick’s 1971–1973 “Boattail” Riviera has always been controversial, but its 1974–1976 successor remains a non-entity, a car you could easily forget had existed at all. That’s not just a latter-day judgment: Back in 1976, Road Test tried the bustleback ’76 Riviera and found it an undistinguished big coupe that seemed to have suffered “a detuning of the personality.”
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Curbside Find: 1980 Toyota Corolla Tercel – A Definitive CC
– Posted on October 6, 2026
(first posted 10/6/2014) Say hello to the Tercel from Hell. As this old California plate indicates, it’s been in use for a very long time, and as all this rust shows, it’s been running around Bloomington–or outside California, at any rate–for quite a while. I’ve seen this car driven regularly since moving here over a year ago, so I have to imagine its owner just sends payment to the California BMV regularly and its registration is current. Or, our local cops are missing out on an opportunity to fine someone. Maybe, like me, they wouldn’t have the heart to impound the thing.
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In-Motion Classic: 1976 Chevrolet El Camino – Try Everything
– Posted on October 6, 2026
(Updated 10/6/2026) It seems like a fairly common thing for specific makes and models of vehicles to be associated with certain products. The combination that comes immediately to mind is Red Bull energy drink and the modified Mini Coopers that were used to promote it. I’m not sure if Chicago had a higher concentration of these Minis than other cities, but for a while, it seemed as though these Red Bull-mobiles were everywhere for a while, giving “wings” to people in the form of free cans of this beverage being handed out by peppy youth.
When I had first moved to the Second City in my late twenties, I was doing the whole Red Bull-and-vodka thing at night on weekends before learning that drinking that really bad-for-you combo was like setting off a bomb in one’s heart. I have had the occasional energy drink in recent years when on a long-distance drive somewhere, but that’s usually about it. With all of that said, I feel that Red Bull chose wisely when selecting these perky Mini Coopers as a promo tool.
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A Classic Shipping Container Combination – DAF in Full
– Posted on October 6, 2026
My personal favorite of the 2026 ‘Heart For DAF Days’ event, held on October 3 and 4, must be Cattoor’s DAF truck and trailer combination. Sure, the classic stand-alone tractors were really nice, but nothing beats a complete big rig; as if the driver can leave the virtual adjacent truck stop diner any minute to continue the business trip.
The fact that both the straight truck and the full trailer were built by the same manufacturer was the cherry on a large and tasty cake.
