Curbside Classic -

Curbside Classic: 1989-1992 Nissan Stanza (Bluebird U12): The Shrinking Violet

– Posted on October 14, 2026

(first posted 10/14/2026) Some time ago, Perry shared his thoughts on the first generation of the Nissan Stanza, in a post titled “Queen Dork”. This is the third and final generation, and the kind of car you have to make a concerted effort to notice, given its exceptionally generic styling straight out of an insurance company ad of the times. A cloak of invisibility normally surrounds these cars, and they only become visible on the third Monday of the month. I forced myself to stop and shoot this one, because I truly wondered whether I would ever run into another one again in that rare state. So in case you’ve not seen one exposed in a long while (or ever), here’s your chance. Read the rest of this entry »

Classic CARmentary: 1999 Mercury Grand Marquis LS — Big, Proud, and Ready for a Marauder

Adam Dixon

– Posted on October 14, 2026

(Updated 10/14/2026) Back in July 1999, I drove a Mercury Grand Marquis and came away with an unexpected impression: this big, old-school American sedan was more capable than I’d anticipated. But rather than simply enjoy it for what it was, I couldn’t help wondering why Ford hadn’t turned it into something a little more exciting. Four years later, the Mercury Marauder arrived.

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Museum Classic: 1961 Simca Aronde P60 Ranch – Le Magnifique Wagon Sport

Tatra87

– Posted on October 14, 2026

“Sport wagons” are a weird sort of combo, aren’t they? More roof equals more cargo space, not necessarily better aerodynamics. I suppose the shooting brake was the ultimate expression of this bizarre yet enticing concept, with the likes of Aston Martin, Volvo or Scimitar bringing the sporty element to the fore. But you know who had accidentally figured it out before everybody else? Simca, of all people.

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1960 Rambler American Super: A Cute And Fairly Inexpensive Way To Draw Attention

Aaron65

– Posted on October 14, 2026

As collector cars, I’m not the first nor will I be the last to say that Ramblers aren’t for everyone, especially the “so ugly they’re cute” 1958-60 Rambler Americans (heck, you might as well throw the similar 1961-63 models in there for good measure). But I’m also certain that not everyone wants to drive the same old muscle cars you see at every small-town car event, and this 1960 American Super is for those iconoclasts. It has some idiosyncrasies past the normal Rambler stuff, but it’s painted pink to draw attention and it’s priced at a not-bad-for-2026 ~~$6,500~~ $4,500 on Facebook Marketplace in Franklin, New York.

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My 1997 Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo – A Space Efficient Sports Car

Neil Osborn

– Posted on October 14, 2026

By now it was 1997 and I wasn’t going to be too worried to see the back of my SAAB 900 SE Turbo. The sooner the better as far as I was concerned. Two and a bit years was quite long enough! The question was what to replace it with? With two children, now aged five and one, the only clear thing was that I needed another decent sized hatchback. So I bought new a ’97 Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo. In yellow.

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1972 Ford LTD Convertible: Final Year For The Factory-Built Full-Size Ford Ragtop

Aaron Severson

– Posted on October 14, 2026

GM’s last full-size convertibles expired in 1975 (and the Cadillac Eldorado in 1976), but what about Ford Motor Company? This “Ginger Glow” 1972 Ford LTD ragtop is a late example of the final year of the full-size Ford convertible, a rare straggler offered after most of the company’s open cars had been already dropped.

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Curbside Classic: 1963 Buick Wildcat – I Think I Want To Fight

Laurence Jones

– Posted on October 13, 2026

(Updated 10/13/2026) For all middle children life is hard. And no life is harder in the automotive world than the middle model or trim level. The most difficult life to live is between the bargain entry point and the lap of luxury in any postwar line up. And in a middle brand family, the pressure to thrive is even harder to survive.

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Classic CARmentary: 1999 Nissan Frontier 4×4 SE-V6 King Cab — Ruggedness Over Refinement

Adam Dixon

– Posted on October 13, 2026

(Updated 10/13/2026) Back in July 1999, Nissan’s newly redesigned Frontier was still a fresh face on the compact pickup scene. After 13 years with its predecessor, Nissan went for ruggedness over refinement. The funny part? This version lasted just six years, while the truck that replaced it lasted until 2021.
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The GTO and Its Kin: Pontiac Intermediates in Scale Models

Peter Wilding

– Posted on October 13, 2026

What is an intermediate? On the surface it would appear to be easy to define: something in between a compact and a full-size car. But how did you engineer such a car? Ford’s answer (’62-on) was a stretched and widened compact. Chrysler’s answer (’65-on) was a rebadged downsized full-size car. GM tried a bit of both, and today we’ll be looking at Pontiac’s solution to that question.

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1962 Ford Falcon Futura: A Well-Documented, One-Option Falcon With A 144/Fordomatic

Aaron65

– Posted on October 13, 2026

No Ford Falcon is rare; they were wildly popular when new and that popularity hung on for the entire first half of the 1960s. Some Falcons, however, are so bafflingly optioned (or not optioned) that you have to wonder what the original owner was up to, and this is one of those cars. It’s the “fancy” Futura 2-Door Sedan, which in itself isn’t uncommon at all, but it has exactly one option: the Fordomatic. Buying the bucket-seat Falcon with the base 144 and an automatic was an interesting choice, but here’s evidence that it happened, and it’s up for auction with no reserve on Hagerty Marketplace in Blue Ridge, Georgia.

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1972 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan: A Full-Size Luxury Bargain From Big Sky Country

Aaron Severson

– Posted on October 13, 2026

Talking about “bargains” and “value” in the luxury car league is often a quixotic effort, but back in 1972, the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight gave you a full measure of Detroit luxury for a surprisingly reasonable price. This Montana-registered Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan offers a good sense of what the big Olds had to offer — and for how little money.

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COALers Needed

Rich Baron

– Posted on October 12, 2026

Fall is advancing, but seasons aren’t the only things changing around here at Curbside Classic. Some of our current COALers are nearing the end of their runs, which means it’s time to go hunting for new ones once more. Got car stories to share with the CC audience? Your first car, family cars, memorable purchases, breakdowns, road trips, or that old clunker you just couldn’t part with? We’d like to hear from you.

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Curbside Classic: 1993 Nissan NX1600 – Yokohoma Goes Organic

Perry Shoar

– Posted on October 12, 2026

(Updated 10/12/2026) Ack–another white car! Don’t have my head; I capture what comes my way and it’s truly perplexing how I encounter so many cars of the same color; unfair, even. For what it’s worth, these were actually popular in this color, so maybe it’s not a stroke of bad luck. Actually, finding one of these might be considered good luck, as they’re a rare gem from Nissan’s short-lived early ’90s renaissance.

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Vintage Review: 1984 Ford Mustang SVO – 25 Years Ahead Of Its Time

Paul Niedermeyer

– Posted on October 12, 2026

(Updated 10/12/2026) I have a soft spot in my heart for the Mustang SVO. More precisely, it’s the one Mustang that I could actually have seen myself buying, as my soft spot encompasses its two main qualities: high tech and superb handling. Yeah, yeah; I know the 302 was the better car for 95% of Mustang buyers, but then I didn’t exactly fit the Mustang buyer profile.

The SVO was an attempt to build the Mustang of the future: using high tech to optimize efficiency, by making a turbocharged four as fast or faster than a V8, and by optimizing its handling prowess by all the means available at the time. For that, Ford gets kudos from me. And it did from Road & Track at the time, which was duly impressed, not surprisingly.

Not surprisingly, the SVO sold in very limited numbers, although that was largely by design. But it developed a cult following, and it most certainly predicted the future where turbo-four Mustangs (and so many others) are the norm, not the exception.

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Classic Cars at Work: Vintage Photos Of Industrial Sites — 1950s-1960s

Rich Baron

– Posted on October 12, 2026

Text by Patrick Bell.

Today, we’re taking a stroll through the industrial landscapes of a bygone era, peeking into the parking lots where working people left their cars for the day. What a different world it was: rows of colorful American sedans, with a few imports and trucks scattered among them. Their workplaces provide the backdrop, from heavy industry in full swing to power plants and storage facilities. Together, the cars and their surroundings capture a mix of nostalgia and the busy rhythms of mid-century life.

This was a joint effort, as Eric703 lent his talents in finding the locations and other interesting tidbits on many of these vintage images. Many thanks, Eric!

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