(first posted 11/13/2018) Spotting this X1/9 at a Walmart parking lot took me by surprise, especially when I took a closer look. It’s a genuine beater, which is not how one typically sees X1/9s these days. They’re usually in the hands of devoted owners who pamper them, and appreciate their qualities. Well, that’s not to say this ones owner doesn’t appreciate its qualities, but it’s certainly not pampered.
Well, sorta. Paul posted a few years back about wanting to find an end-of-the-line 1957 Nash Ambassador; is this 1956 close enough? If so, let’s give EricClem a big cyber hug for this minty-green gift. But in the case this fails to cut the mustard, let me preemptively say, we’re very disappointed. Don’t come back until you find a proper ’57, and while we’re young, please!
Since the other Pinto CC is a first year 1971 model hatchback, and so epitomizes the Pinto’s beginnings, it seems appropriate to bookend the Pinto’s long run with a late-model wagon or two, especially since that wonderful late-seventies era was so colorful. These two bright little wagons are still adding cheer to our foggy days here, but sadly I haven’t yet found a retina-busting Pinto Squire or Cruising Wagon. We’ll just have to dig some out of the web, because no survey of Pinto wagons would be complete without them, but put on some shades first. Read the rest of this entry »
Text by Patrick Bell.
Thomas Jefferson Goad (1885-1970) began his journey in the automobile business in Mineral Wells, Texas around 1908. He expanded to the surrounding counties and in 1924 moved to San Antonio, where he opened a Cadillac-LaSalle dealership. Sometime before World War II he also opened an Oldsmobile-Cadillac shop in Austin. He actually had two, but I could not determine if one succeeded the other or if they were two separate stores; they were only about 1.2 miles apart. Information is scarce and sketchy, but with some digging I found bits and pieces that I have put together as best as I can to go along with today’s images.
Well, looks like it’s time for another collection of bits and bobs from the Land of the Rising Sun! Might as well throw ourselves in the deep end with a 2nd gen (2001-04) Mitsuoka Ryogi. Hope that didn’t frighten too many of you. Do read on, it gets better.
This 1961 Studebaker Hawk is a rolling farrago of contradictions: awesome yet pathetic; innovative yet obsolete; bold yet old; unusual yet all-too familiar; fast yet not competitive; exciting yet sad. I could go on, but let’s just say this is the most unusual and eccentric American car of 1961, and by a healthy margin. That alone makes it very compelling, if unusual and eccentric is your automotive thing. It is mine.
The fact that this one has a supercharger makes it even that much more compelling.
(first posted 4/5/2013) OK, I cheated. Given the way the car is sitting, I obviously didn’t find this CC parked street-side, and I did pose it for pictures. This truck used to belong to me, and I recently borrowed it as temporary transportation. I’ve always found the Rodeo’s history interesting, so I captured some images and fired up the word processor. Read the rest of this entry »
I have always held the Pontiac Firebird in high esteem. Many of us in our forties were born into an automotive landscape that had always included a Firebird in various forms throughout the years: affordable base coupe, vaunted Trans Am, formidable Formula, limited-run GTA, and posh Esprit (replaced by the S/E with the third-generation models). The newly restyled ’79s had set an all-time sales record for the model, with over 211,000 sold, the bulk (over half) of which were top-spec Trans Ams. The Firebird was, at one point, a very popular car.
Here’s one rather sinister-looking find. It’s a creature-like automotive creation since its inception, and even more so in its current condition. A ’61 Imperial (Trim level? Crown or LeBaron? Your guess is as good as mine), composed of how many discarded Imperial bodies? A couple, at least. A Frankenstein of a find, waiting to be brought back to life in Crickadle, England, and posted at the Cohort by Nathan Williams.
Walking and biking the streets of my California hometown continues to reveal an unending variety of curbside finds. In the past, I’ve looked for themes of commonality, or contrast, but today I’ll just document the variety. All of these photos were taken in the past year, and most just a short unpowered distance from my house.
Text and photos by Steve Lenius.
When I was younger, I had an elementary school principal who owned two Model A Fords, one a car and one a Model AA pickup. My family also had friends in Pennsylvania who had a beautiful Model A with a rumble seat. I am lucky enough to have a picture of some members of our families riding in that Model A, but I’m not nearly as familiar with the once-ubiquitous Ford Model T, so it was a pleasure to have a nice-looking 1925 example cross my path recently while traveling — a chance encounter with a 100-year-old car.
1970 Pontiac GTO 455 / Mecum Auctions
For 1970, GM senior management finally rescinded the corporate policy that limited intermediate-size cars to engines no bigger than 400 cubic inches. Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac wasted no time in offering their big 455 cu. in. engines in their hot midsize Supercars. However, when Car Life compared a 1970 Pontiac GTO with the new Ram Air 455 to one powered by the existing 400 Ram Air engine in April 1970, they found that the car with the biggest engine wasn’t the fastest.
(first posted 4/7/2013) We’ve just seen a diesel powered Corolla so how about a more conventional diesel powered Toyota? While still rare, this diesel-powered third-generation pickup is probably a less surprising recipient of a diesel engine than a small hatchback. There is one thing I did find puzzling about it besides its pristine looking condition though …
This was the first real Mercedes sports car of the 1960s. Without doubt, M-B had designed some fine postwar cars, and the Fintail was quite modern (well, except for the…fins). In 1961, Mercedes sent the finned look packing, starting with the W111 coupes and cabriolets, which reflected a clean, linear, and very modern design language. Meanwhile, the 300SL and 190SL were getting long in the tooth, and Mercedes decided it was time to apply Paul Bracq’s classic lines to their roadster. And here it is. The Pagoda. The W113.
Text by Patrick Bell.
Our gallery today is a small collection of transit photos from a known source. These are part of a much larger collection (1,656 images) that is housed at Cornell University and is titled “U.S. President’s Railroad Commission Photographs 1960-61”. Today’s featured images are of a Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (better known as the Milwaukee Road) car lot and some of their equipment. The location was apparently not recorded, and these photos were not submitted to the Commission, yet were retained for the collection.
