mod@tech

The Pontiac GTO had a strong advantage: it was both a Pontiac and was a first-mover in the market, inspiring competing brands to bring out their own performance models. However, the GTO also was a victim of General Motors’ success, as GM had instituted several edicts to maintain its stature without the roving eye of the federal government. How the GTO managed to compete with its special mix of strengths while developing some new ones is nicely reflected by this 1969 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV that will go on the block at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Palm Beach Auction April 24-26, 2025 at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Being a Pontiac in 1964 was like being the popular guy at school—everyone wants to be like you and be around you. Pontiac had the strongest image and styling, which brought the brand up to #3 in sales. That was quite an achievement for a scrappy company that featured fewer dealerships and a higher market position than Plymouth, the traditional #3. And, when the GTO was introduced, it led to a host of copycats that lasted well into the 1970s (even when high-performance was gasping for breath).

Then, there’s the first-mover effect, which often gives a company market advantages not seen by those who follow. It’s doubtful Pontiac would have been able to predict the me-toos that were to come for 1965, but nonetheless the company was able to establish market dominance with a formula that served as a template.

Combine the two and you had a performance model with strong styling and performance, the latter thanks to optional Tri-Power. However, a hint of the GTO’s disadvantage was becoming apparent, and it was magnified for 1967 when GM removed the availability of Tri-Power, instead using the new Rochester Quadrajet. By the middle of 1968, the disadvantage was even greater. GM had enacted an edict in 1964 that limited the cubic-inches of cars in a certain class, so while that Mopar may have had 426 and 440 engines, and Ford a 427 and 428, Pontiac had to make do with a 400 despite offering a 421 and 428 during the same few years.

The way Pontiac worked around this was to improve engine breathing by evolving its cylinder head design, plus having efficient exhaust manifolds didn’t hurt either. The first of the round-port heads came in April 1968 and was called the Ram Air II; after some tweaks, it was called Ram Air IV for 1969-70. These are considered the fastest-ever GTOs out of the showroom, able to take on larger cubes despite the size handicap.

This numbers-matching, Mayfair Maize 1969 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV is one of 700 hardtops built with the Ram Air IV engine (297 of those being Judges). A M21 close-ratio four-speed backed by 4.33 gears is how the first owner spec’d it out, though a subsequent owner has installed a 12-bolt rear with 3.31 gears—easy street, if you will. Features include concealed headlights (with the correct blacked-out grille), Rally II wheels, AM radio, and another fine pioneering item created by Pontiac: the hood-mounted tachometer. Documentation includes the original purchase order, sales contract, window sticker, PHS paperwork, Protect-O-Plate, original California license plate with 1969 registration, engine rebuild invoice, and more.

Sure, it wasn’t until 1970 that Pontiac was allowed to install a larger motor, but the 455 was no match for the fancy engineering dedicated to the 400 Ram Air IV. It’s the little engine that could, and you can become its new owner by having the high bid at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Palm Beach Auction April 24-26, 2025.

Register to bid at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Palm Beach Auction by checking out these various options. To sell a vehicle, click here to start the consignment process.

According to a sales database assembled by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the popularity of the 8-track tape peaked in 1978 with $4.4 billion in revenues (about 22.9 percent of total revenue across all formats).

By 1982, the 8-track was largely defunct as sales had dipped to just one percent for the industry. Lincoln was one of many auto manufacturers that contributed to the 8-track craze by putting players into many of its cars in the late 1970s. 

Featured on AutoHunter is this 1977 Lincoln Continental Coupe. It is being offered by a private seller in Brooksville, Florida, and the auction will end on Monday.

And yes, the 8-track audio system already has a tape in it by The Four Seasons, so the road trip soundtrack is ready to rock and roll!

The car’s Light Cordovan paint (code 8P) is complemented by a white vinyl top. Despite being boxy, the body has some sleek aerodynamic features like hideaway headlights and rear wheel skirts. A dealer badge on the decklid shows this car came from Ken John’s Lincoln-Mercury of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Southwest-region ownership is good news for collectors, as cars from that area typically aren’t subjected to the same type of corrosion as cars from The Rust Belt. The listing says that the car has been stored in a climate-controlled facility.

As one would expect, the cabin offers all the creature comforts expected in a luxo-cruiser of the late 1970s. The equipment list includes red leather bench seats, a fold-down center armrest, wood-grain trim, air conditioning, cruise control, power steering, and power windows.

In order to promote the Continental’s highway cruising comfort, a magazine ad for the 1977 Continental said, “Judge any luxury car by this standard. Full-sized, full-luxury, to give you the pleasures of space, of comfort, of superb handling on the highway. That’s because it’s a Continental. Unmistakable from its redesigned front end to its winning Lincoln ride.”

This big-body coupe hails from the fifth generation of the Continental (dubbed the Mark V, accordingly) which was produced from 1970 through 1979. One of the key design updates toward the end of the decade was a waterfall-style grille that replaced the lower, wider version in 1977. That year, there were 27,440 coupes and 68,160 sedans produced.

Power comes from a rebuilt 460ci big-block V8 that was factory-rated at 208 horsepower and 357 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a rebuilt C6 three-speed automatic transmission. According to the listing, the radiator, carburetor, intake manifold, fuel pump, alternator, starter, and spark plug wires have been replaced. The odometer shows 87,112 miles, although the title reads mileage-exempt.

By the way, this won’t come as a surprise to most of our readers, but according to RIAA’s data, the most popular form of modern audio entertainment as of 2023 was via paid streaming online subscriptions – an industry that accounted for $10.1 billion in revenue that year. Are you one of the people who has kept your collection of tapes or CDs after all these years? I did a quick search on eBay and found over 100,000 8-track tapes for sale.

If you can find a tape by a recording artist you like, we have the perfect car for you to enjoy it in. The auction for this 1977 Lincoln Continental Coupe ends Monday, March 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Porsche isn’t done adding new variants to its 992-generation 911.

During its annual general meeting on Wednesday, where Porsche said it will continue to offer gas engines in all of its segments well into the next decade, the automaker also confirmed that two new 911 variants are on the way.

One will be a heritage-style model inspired by a 1970s-era 911. It will be developed by the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur personalization department and offered in limited numbers.

Porsche said this model will be the third of four heritage-style special editions based on the 992-generation 911, as part of what’s known as the Heritage Design Strategy. The first was the 2021 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design, followed by the 2023 911 Sport Classic.

The second new variant in the pipeline will be a new flagship model, which Porsche claims will “raise the bar even further” in the sports car segment. This flagship is likely to be the next-generation 911 GT2 RS, test mules of which have been spotted in public since mid-2024.

The previous GT2 RS produced 700 hp from a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-6. It remains unclear what Porsche has planned for the next generation, but rumors suggest power could be dialed up closer to 1,000 hp, possibly incorporating some form of electrification.

Porsche has not yet announced the timing for the release of these new models.

High-end versions of the 911 and other models are key to Porsche’s strategy for increasing profits without the need to significantly expand sales volumes. This approach is part of Road to 20, a strategy aimed at achieving operating profits of 20% or more in the long term, up from the current target of 15-17%.

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com

The Chevrolet Suburban has been carrying people and their gear since the 1935 model year. It’s been produced longer than the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang and, believe it or not, the last generation of the Toyota 4Runner. Of course, many of the older ones from decades past are no longer roadworthy due to age or other factors, but some of those have received second lives thanks to dedicated owners and capable shops. Our Pick of the Day, a 1977 Chevrolet Suburban K20 Silverado Trailering Special listed for sale by a Florida dealership on ClassicCars.com, is one of those revived rigs.

The Service Parts Identification tag shows this Suburban K20 started life with Colonial Yellow paint and simulated wood-grain exterior trim. It was also set up for pulling heavy loads with a 400 small-block V8, camping mirrors, oil and transmission coolers, four-wheel drive with a locking differential, a trailer weight-distributing hitch platform, a heavy-duty trailer wiring harness, and the Trailering Special package with an 11,000-pound GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating).

Despite its capabilities, this Suburban also came from the factory with several comfort and convenience features such as a tilt steering column, power steering, power front disc brakes, dual-zone air conditioning, and power tailgate window.

This Suburban was “a campground vehicle at KOA in Oregon for 40 years,” perhaps used to shuttle people to and from campsites. Whatever the case may be, this classic American SUV reached a point where it needed some updating. As you can see, it received plenty of that: the body was stripped down and repainted its original Colonial Yellow, complete with faux wood trim; inside, sound-damping material was installed, and the three rows of bench seats were reupholstered in tan vinyl. Whoever rides in this vehicle next (you?) should stay nice and cool thanks to the replacement air conditioning compressor, condenser, and accumulator.

As always, this Suburban is ready to pull. In 2021, the 400 was replaced with a 350 crate engine and the Turbo Hydra-matic three-speed auto was rebuilt. The engine is cooled by a replacement radiator and fueled by a replacement gas tank.

If you do happen to see a ’77 Suburban out on the road, it probably won’t look this good. This one will look even better in your driveway or attached to your trailer. You can get this 1977 Chevrolet Suburban K20 Silverado Trailering Special there by paying the asking price of $29,500.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com

Named after Lake Batur in Bali, Indonesia, the Bentley Batur was announced in 2022. It provided a preview of Bentley‘s new design language and, when equipped with a 6.0-liter W12 pumping out more than 730 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque, has been named the “most powerful Bentley in history.” Bentley and its in-house bespoke division Mulliner will be producing only 18 Batur coupes, but only one will be known as “The Black Rose.”

The name “The Black Rose” provides a hint of what to expect, but it doesn’t show the whole picture. Mulliner worked with the car’s owner to develop an exclusive color called—you guessed it—Black Rose. It is used for the lower body, with Beluga black covering the roof, and A- and C-pillars.

A different type of rose, Satin Rose Gold, highlights the grille, “endless bonnet line” that stretches from the bonnet (hood) to the quarter panels, mirror caps, lower body, and 22-inch wheels.

The Beluga leather and charcoal gray tweed right-hand-drive interior features Black Rose painted veneers and even more rose gold—but not just the color. The goldsmiths at Cooksongold recycled jewellery to provide Bentley the raw materials to produce what the automaker calls “an automotive industry first”: 3D-printed 18-karat rose gold accents. Up to 210 grams of the precious metal was used on key touchpoints, such as the the drive mode dial, “Organ Stop” vent controls, and band at the 12 o’clock mark on the steering wheel.

It’s too bad the watchmakers at Breitling and Bentley ended their collaboration in 2021. They could’ve made the perfect accessory—in rose gold, of course—to go with The Black Rose. After all, many car enthusiasts are also watch collectors. Perhaps the client who requested this commission already has the red gold Breitling Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley Limited Edition.

Does a car that inspires carry more weight than its actual success? The case is often made with music (the Velvet Underground being a popular example), though it’s not an issue with our inspirational car. Can you figure it out based on the below cars that are currently listed for sale on ClassicCars.com or AutoHunter?

That’s not the only answer you should post in the Comments section below—you also need to identify these cars including model year, make, and model. Having trouble? You can click on an image to score a hint.

Click on a photo to reveal each car

You’ll always find a new puzzle at The ClassicCars.com Journal every Tuesday. Click here to play more automotive games.

The Porsche 911 has something for a wide variety of performance car fans. There’s the Carrera for those who might be getting their first 911. The Carrera 4 models come with the additional traction of all-wheel drive. Cabriolets let in the sunshine while the S variants let out more power and sound. If a blend of street comfort, track capabilities, and a naturally aspirated engine are what you’re looking for, Porsche offers the GT3; the more hardcore GT3 RS is ready to race. For more than 50 years, Porsche has made the 911 Turbo, a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive model that’s more potent than the Carrera S, but not quite as extreme as the GT3 variants. Our AutoHunter Spotlight car, offered by a private seller in South Carolina, is a 2016 Porsche 911 Turbo S, which means it takes the Turbo’s already ample performance up a notch.

The Turbo and Turbo S have similar names, but there are ways of identifying the even-higher-performance S model—just look at the Carrara White Metallic example here. Up front, it has LED headlights and the Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS+), which steers the headlights into curves and adjusts the cone of light projected by the headlights based on the car ahead and oncoming vehicles. On the sides, the Turbo S has SportDesign mirrors with V-shaped bases. See those center locks on the black 20-inch wheels? Those are straight out of motorsports.

The Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes behind the myriad of black spokes are designed to reign in the Turbo S’s extra power. How much is that? While the Turbo and Turbo both have PDK seven-speed dual-clutch automatics and twin-turbo 3.8-liter flat-sixes, the S is equipped with larger turbos, which increase output from 540 horsepower and 486 lb-ft of torque (523 with overboost) to 580 horsepower and 516 lb-ft (553 with overboost). As a result, the Turbo S gets to 60 mph a tenth of a second faster (2.8 seconds) and hits a higher top speed (205 mph).

Inside, 2016 Turbo S models came standard with the additional comfort and support provided by the Sport Seats Plus, which included carbon fiber trim in certain areas. The car you see here features classic Black leather upholstery plus even more leather in some interesting areas like around the instrument cluster (which shows only 11,804 miles), and on the steering column and rear center tunnel.

If this combination of heritage, iconic design, impressive power, and stunning performance is right for you, place your bid on this 2016 Porsche 911 Turbo S coupe now as the auction ends on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 11:30 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Chevrolet has been a member of the traditional “Low-Priced Three” since 1928 but, starting in 1955, Chevrolet gave its customers aspirational hopes that allowed them to dress up a Chevy to appear more sophisticated than what it was. Chevrolet took it a step further a decade later with the advent of the Caprice, with our Pick of the Day demonstrating how fancy Chevrolet could go. This big-block 1969 Chevrolet Caprice Sedan is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Morgantown, Pennsylvania.

The 1955 Chevrolet was notable for its styling and the introduction of the small-block, but one thing that often is overlooked is how the issue of looks and performance was often restricted to more prestigious marques. With the advent of the 1955 Chevy, that was no longer true.

A decade later, Ford felt it could offer a luxurious version of the Galaxie 500 so it developed the LTD—bully on Ford but Chevrolet, ever swift on its feet, introduced the Caprice Custom Sedan in January 1965. This four-door hardtop was touted as having “luxurious surround dings meant for driving enjoyment” with elegantly comfortable interior, handsomely appointed door panels, and luxuriously quiet ride. Standard V8 power (195-horsepower 283, with options up to a 425-horsepower 396) was a special feature compared to lesser Chevys. For 1966, the series was expanded to include a Custom Coupe and a pair of Caprice Custom wagons.

By the end of the decade, the Caprice had made its mark at Chevrolet, even allowing the marque to borrow its formal roofline for use on the Impala (1968’s Impala Custom Coupe). For 1969, Chevrolet’s full-size series was redesigned, losing the sleekness from 1967-68 but not a big loss considering the industry had been moving towards the longer/lower/wider credo. In the case of full-size Chevys, a massive loop bumper was the most noticeable change, and the grille could be graced with hidden headlights for the Caprice. Out back, recessed taillights in a full wrap-around bumper was touted as an angle of luxury. Perhaps most significant was the elegant body sculpting that looked like teardrops surrounding the wheel arches. The overall effect was massive, but not in the way Plymouth’s “Fuselage” cars were.

Chevrolet offered many luxurious options in 1969 that belied its low-cost origins (never mind the fact that the Caprice was not lacking in luxury pretensions). Aside of the usual power windows, door locks, air conditioning, and other options more commonly associated with prestigious brands, Chevrolet offered headlight washers that would, at the press of a button, shoot a jet of washer-solvent, with the optional concealed headlights including them as part of the package. For Rust Belt dwellers, Liquid Tire Chain sprayed a fluid on rear tires for better traction on ice. And the Light Monitoring System on the front fenders used fiber optics to give the driver indication that all lights were in proper operation.

This Garnet Red 1969 Chevrolet Caprice Sedan (yes, Chevrolet called it a Sedan despite the lack of B-pillar) flaunts several items that help the model mix in well with 98s and Electras, but it also is hiding a trump card. You’ll note the hidden headlights, and if you take a closer look, the fiber-optic light monitors are perched atop the front fenders. However, the most intriguing thing about this car is that it’s a four-door 427 Caprice with 390 horsepower on tap. Look inside and you’ll find a tachometer, power windows and locks, rear window defogger, and AM/FM/8-track, plus a black cloth and vinyl split-bench interior.

The seller states that this 93,996-mile Caprice features a 12-bolt rear with 2.73 gears “with added Positraction.” With lazy gears like that, this Caprice may not be able to fake being a performance car, but it certainly can fake being a Buick. For $32,500, you Bow Tie guys won’t need to defect from your favorite brand to enjoy upmarket charms.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com.