Yesterday we looked at some GM cars I saw on my visit to Arizona Auction Week in and around Scottsdale, with a focus on cars in excellent, unrestored, original condition. There were quite a few to be found at the auctions, including some I’ve not included in an attempt at some degree of brevity as I’ve tried to pick the cars which CC readers would be most interested in. Today we’ll look at some Fords, Toyotas, and Datsuns.
Who is that manic mechanic? Looks like Dusty Hill, but that’s sadly unlikely.
At first I didn’t think too much of this 1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone with non-original wheels and cheesy fender engine call out. Then I read the window placards and it made more sense. Those decals (not original) are exactly the type of thing you would see on a drag racer in the 1960’s, which is what this car was. The original owner drove it for 3 years, then drag raced it for 5 years, then stored it in apparently favorable conditions for the next 49 years until it was sold last year.
The new owner did a mechanical refurbishment, rebuilding the original engine, transmission, new exhaust, brakes, wheels and tires. Reading between the lines, was a blown engine the reason it was parked for 49 years?
Engine is an A-code 289, originally making 225hp. We can probably assume it was not at all stock in its drag racing days. The seller doesn’t give much engine detail other than it sports aluminum heads.
It only has 34k miles, added 1/4 at a time. The interior is all original except for recent carpet replacement.
The paint is original, in a very 60’s turquiose. Personally, I would rather see it with its original wheels or 60’s vintage mags. No word given if those were included with purchase. XR7matt (whose name indicates he would know) points out these 67+ Mercury wheels are at least period correct if not 1965 correct. $30,800
Any Shelby is special. Even more special is one in very good, unrestored condition like this 1968 GT350 .
The specialness is especially special when the car belonged to Carroll Shelby himself. The story is that Shelby saw this car in 1996 and he was so taken by its clean, original condition and color that he bought it from the original owner and kept it for the rest of his life.
Ironically, unlike seemingly every other Shelby in existence, this one is not signed by Carroll Shelby.
It’s a little less than perfect now, but still pretty darned nice for its age.
67-70 Shelby interiors look more Mercury than racecar. Unlike in 1965-66, the 1968 GT350 was certainly no racer. More like a grand tourer, with the big gun muscle reserved for the GT500, the small-block GT350 had a lighter front and more balanced handling.
Shelby’s chili was just a little bit spicier. The engine is a 250 hp 4-barrel 302, with slightly higher compression (10.5:1) and a 30hp bump over the Mustang’s version. And of course the engine looks cooler.
$231,000 (this much specialness doesn’t come cheap)
Any Mustang, even a rare-option high-performance one, is quite a common thing to see at Barrett-Jackson. I count an even 100 Mustangs of all stripes listed at B-J 2023. Less common is one in excellent, unrestored condition, like the 1969 Mach I Super Cobra Jet that showed up. It has just about every performance option in the catalog, plus several dealer-installed items like a Hurst shifter and the side pipes.
What’s most interesting to me is that until 2022, this was also a one-owner car that appears to have been coddled like a newborn for over 50 years.
In all those years, it covered 35k miles, though that seems to have most all been in its first 6 years as the seller states it hasn’t been registered since 1975! I’d like to know the story behind that. Another retired drag racer stashed in a garage like the Cyclone? Original paint and interior are super clean.
Barrett-Jackson’s seller-provided engine pic is blurry but still clearly shows this is no restored trailer queen, but rather an exceptionally attractive time capsule. The Cobra Jet was a 428c.i. first available mid year 1968. It became Super when equipped with the ram-air shaker intake and some internal beefing up, officially underrated at 335hp, but probably more like 360. $110,000, which is a lot of money, but if you really wanted to convert your fortune into a 69 Mustang, you could have gotten one of the three 69 Boss 429’s on offer that went from $374k up to $605k for a mint unrestored car similar to this Mach I.
Rounding out the Fords, you may enjoy looking at a pretty first-year 1966 Bronco. There was a herd of Broncos at Barrett-Jackson, 35 1966-77 models, which makes sense because it seemed like I saw a Bronco around every corner. Custom Broncos are so common, they’re like background noise and I mostly stopped noticing them. The stock ones I noticed, mainly because there were only two completely stock examples (the other a very well-preserved 1976).
This was actually the least expensive first-gen Bronco there, by a good margin. The custom ones mostly sold north of $100k and a couple over $400k! You can start to see how the humble original condition examples like this one get to be endangered species, rather like the 67-72 Chevy shortbed we saw yesterday.
There wasn’t a lot of information given about this tame wild horse. Odometer reads 85k. The interior is very clean and the upholstery is definitely original. The paint looks like vintage lacquer with no signs of repaint, but the seller doesn’t explicitly state it’s original. The truck looks great and you would really know you’re driving a truck as you row the three-on-a-tree through its gears. A column-mounted manual was the only transmission in 1966.
And you’ll have a lively time with the optional 200hp 289. $41,800
From one 4×4 with a cult following to another. A 1970 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser in original stock condition is always a welcome sight. This was surprisingly at RMSotheby’s, one of only two trucks (the other a 2002 MB G500) if you don’t count the 75 Westfalia next to it. B-J had 5 FJ40s and a few other FJ varieties, but this was by far my favorite.
Bone stock; unrestored; charm seeping from every pore. It’s in very good condition, but has enough wear and patina to show it has spent a fair amount of time trouncing around the desert Southwest.
This one also has a column-shifted 3 speed. Odometer reads 65k. This smallish vehicle has seating for 7 friends, as long as they are all comfortable disregarding Covid-19 messaging.
The seller states it was originally from Arizona, which makes the air conditioning a sensible addition. $64,960
Among the greats of the early 80’s, forever damned with faint praise, belongs a 1983 Datsun 280Zx 2+2, looking very well cared for over its 49k miles.
I had some glare issues with the low, late afternoon Arizona sun at MAG, so here is a better picture off the website with a nice hood-down view.
It seems 280ZX’s aren’t setting the collector car market on fire. MAG had this one and a less-nice 1981 2+2, neither of which sold, and a next generation 1984 300ZX 2-seater, also with 49k miles but not quite as sharp, that sold for $8,100. I think maybe the 2nd and 3rd generation are the Rodney Dangerfields of Z-world.
There are reasons. The beloved 1970-78 1st gen Z’s were more purely sports cars. That began to change with the 1974 addition of the 2+2 model, then the 1979-89 models became more comfort and luxury oriented. Of course, almost all malaise era cars lag in collector market cred and Z’s were beset by the typical power limitations, though the addition of optional turbocharging in 1981 helped. The introduction of the twin-turbo 1990 300ZX was seen as a return of the Z to a performance-oriented sports car, with some healthy collector interest seen at B-J.
None of the Z’s on offer at MAG were turbocharged, which may have something to do with the non-turbo bidding. The 2.8L L6 made 145hp in base form, turbocharging bumped that up 35hp. With a turbo and roughly 3,000lb of weight to push around, performance wasn’t blinding but was competitive at the time (0-60 ~7.4sec). High bid $16,500
The only 1st gen Z-car at any of the auctions was a sharp and tidy 1976 280ZX 2-seater sold at B-J. It was a one-owner car in original condition, mileage not given. It got more respect than the 2nd and 3rd gen cars at MAG, apparently, selling for $29,700.
Bidding was turbocharged for Toyota’s performance coupe. B-J had five classic Supras, though nothing pre-1994. Bucking the impression I have of the world of Supras, three of the five were in stock condition while only two were Fast And Furious recreations.
The 1997 Toyota Supra 15th Anniversary Limited Edition was parked next to a matched mate. This one had 65k miles and sold for $145,200, while its doppelganger had 52k miles but had reportedly been in an accident, so it sold for “only” $110,000.
All the stock Supras got swanky indoor tent billets.
The Supra may have started as a response to the popularity of the Datsun Z cars, but by the time of the 94-98 Mk IV, it had far eclipsed it in the minds of many. The Mk IV is perhaps still the most attractive performance car to ever come out of Japan. That’s debatable, but the stratospheric prices they command testify to the popularity of that perception.
No-nonsense 90’s style interior was unblemished. Both cars had 6-speed manuals.
If don’t want black and you have a few extra dollars in your pocket (or approximately the price of a very nice new car), there was a truly top-shelf 1998 Turbo Targa in Quicksilver with 18k miles. That one set the winner back $187,000
The optional 3.0L twin turbo L6 made 320hp and 333 lb-ft, which was fantastic in 1994. These days it’s only so-so, but that doesn’t diminish people’s enthusiasm for these beautiful cars. The engine is considered to be fairly easy to massage large amounts of extra power out of, making the Supra an early favorite of Rice Rodders and making the values of remaining unmolested examples unreasonably high.
Last in this article, but not in the hearts of many CC readers, was a mint 1981 Toyota Celica GT at MAG. Not that I see them anymore, but they used to be fairly common and this is the nicest one I’ve seen since the 80’s.
Stated to be a one-owner from the state of Oregon, a land said to be kind on cars, the Celica had 94k clearly well-cared for miles on it.
Toyota’s cloth upholstery has proven durable, though if I’m being honest, it somehow doesn’t look all that inviting. It still has its original cassette stereo, with 6 band graphic equalizer. Classic period high tech!
The minty goodness of this car extended into the engine compartment. 1981 was the last year for the second generation Celica and received a slightly larger 97hp 2.4L L4 (R22) that continued into the Celica’s next generation. It was the final iteration of the R engine family first used in 1953. In 1983 it would gain electronic fuel injection and be used in trucks through 1997. $11,880
Stay tuned for more great cars to come soon!
If you enjoyed these articles and you are looking to squander even more time, you might check out my 2018 articles. They follow the same format of cars carefully curated for the CC reader, with multiple pics of each, and augmented by my inane super insightful commentary.
Auction Classics: Scottsdale 2018 Carvana – the lead article is much like today’s of improbably well-preserved original cars, scroll to the end for a master list of the whole series.
Thanks for these posts, Jon! It’s always interesting to see what shows up at auctions and what the cars go for.
I definitely recommend attending an auction like this, as it is a different environment than a car show, and for most cars, you can inspect them – sit in them, etc. It’s a good way to see if you really like how a car fits you (or doesn’t). Plus you can learn a lot about vehicles of all types depending on the size of the auction.
One of the defining features of the 21st-century auto trade is the disappearance of both the larger American “personal luxury” coupe and the corresponding smaller import “sporty coupe” variant typified by the Toyota Celica. I tend to believe the Celica was Toyota’s largest profit center for most of the 1970’s and most of the 1980’s, then the Camry took over. Honda had the Prelude, Nissan had the 200SX. That market segment is basically gone now, just like the Olds Cutlass and competitors are.
I always thought these were less appealing stylistically than the previous generation Celica, though they are probably a lot better cars.
Interesting batch, thanks for showing us some of the less seen auction week finds.
I really like that stock Bronco. Sadly, like several other types of vehicles they all get modified so that an original one really stands out.
Here’s the problem I find with auctions – you have a great Toyota Supra in black with chrome wheels and it’s the anniversary edition to boot, so you’re confident there’ll be all the demad for it…and then there’s a literally identical one sitting next to it and crossing the block the same day. Sure, both sold, and both did rather well (without knowing the market for them), but would either of them done FAR better if the other wasn’t there? That’s just a fail on the part of the auction house to accept them both, it does the sellers absolutely no favors to split the bidders like that.
Beyond that little rant, another good collection here Jon, and my father would be rolling over in his grave if he could see basically the twin to his commuter back in 1985, in his case a ’79 Celica ST notchback, but in that same hideous hearing aid beige color selling for $12k. He’d also note that after likely hours or days of cleaning, waxing, vacuuming, armor-alling those black bumpers, the seller still managed to install the passenger headrest backwards. Actually he’d get quite a chuckle out of seeing “his” car at B-J, never mind the likely hordes of VW buses not that different from his selling for house money.
Nice catch on the headrest! Maybe their partner didn’t wash their hair often enough?
HaHa! That headrest mixup was funny, but they turned it around for the auction. The picture was owner supplied off the MAG website.
I think often when someone has multiple cars in the auction, they place them next to each other. That is certainly the case with those matching Supras because the descriptions, which are written by the sellers, are almost identical.
The Mercury Comet was a good score for someone not wanting to break the bank. They will likely never touch Mustangs stratospherical price points but get you into that collection at a fraction of the price.
Nice collection. I really like the Toyota Celica; these were nicely put together inside and out and drove like a more expensive vehicle.
One minor nit; the first gen Datsun Z’s ran from model years 1970 to 1978. The only reason I know this obscure detail is because I bought (new) a 1978 280Z in order to get the last year of that original lean and mean design before (as you correctly noted) the Zs ” … became more comfort and luxury oriented …”.
Some would say that 1979 Zs and up were brougham-ized.
Thanks for the correction, I don’t know how I messed that up.
The wheels on the Comet aren’t “modern”, those are Mercury’s styled steel wheels most commonly seen on 67+ Cyclones and Cougars. They even may well be vintage wheels that were restored, not reproductions, since they originally came with silver accents rather than the black this comet is sporting. Either way they’re period correct, something a second owner might have thrown on back in 68, and bonus points being a Mercury division specific wheel
Good point, I hadn’t considered that the wheels may not have been a recent addition. I put your idea into the article.
Do you know if those wheels are chromed over the whole wheel? I notice all the stock ones I see like the Cougar above have trim rings while the Comet doesn’t. What’s the point of trim rings if it’s a completely chrome wheel?
From the factory, no, these were likely rechromed. From the factory the rim was painted black while the styled center was chromed/accented and then joined together, the trim ring was necessary to cover the painted rim portion. Most manufacturers “styled steel wheels” were constructed similarly, including the ubiquitous Magnum 500s.
When restoring them or manufacturing reproductions it’s just more practical to plate the wheel in one assembled piece, and a lot of cars with these restored/reproduction wheels(especially mag 500s) look a bit off from how they did originally as a result. I believe the practice in the past that necessitated the outer rim being painted black was that it was shared with the standard steel wheels destined for wheel covers or dog dishes,
Thanks for the info. I’m thinking the Buick chrome wheels must have been somewhat unusual being fully chromed wheels that just had the center portions painted.
If I didn’t make it clear in the article, the seller did state in an additional info sheet on the car that the wheels are new.
This s how they originally looked
Ye gods, Ive rarely seen such a clean tidy Landcruiser, Ive never seen one with column shift even the early 3 speed models were floorshift here it was 75 when they finally got a 4 speed box and caught up with the competirion.
I was intrigued enough several years ago, to prepare a ‘what if’ Datsun 280ZX ‘Estate’.
It appealed to me then.
It looks kind of like a Lynx Eventer.
You’re right! Never heard of the Lynx Eventer, until now. Always impressed, by the depth of your automotive knowledge!
Brings to mind a Jensen Healy GT
I’ll take the Comet, although I also don’t like those counterfeit B/FX engine callouts on the fenders. Thirty grand is a lot, although it doesn’t sound too bad for such a low-mileage original. Comets seem to be getting hot lately (everything’s obviously getting more expensive). The Bronco’s cool, although those have been off my radar ever since they hit the price ceiling. The Shelby’s beautiful, but I’ve always preferred the ’67 over the ’68, especially the GT350, because it has the K-Code engine. In person especially, however, a ’68 is still really sharp. Still, the idea of someone spending six figures for ANY first-gen Mustang has always been a little weird to me.
That ’65 Mercury Comet Cyclone has made me re-look at its stylistic details again in a new light. Whether or not a high-performance version, the basic Comet two-door really was a distinct-looking car and very attractive. It’s one of the better-looking non-Mustang cars from FoMoCo from around that era, and a cool-looking car in its own right. I especially like the geometric, linear look out back and the stacked round headlights. Lots of Mercury flavor here.
Also love that Celica! I saw one like it on a lot in Las Vegas last October, and like this one, it looked to be in well cared-for shape.
Thanx for this excellent write up .
I hope you’ll consider doing one of the more obscure vehicles next time .
-Nate