mod@tech

Detroit has a bad habit of offering a neat car model, only to ruin a good thing by exploiting the name for a more mainstream audience. This can water down the equity of the name and the perception of the car-buying public. What are some of the more transgressive ones in postwar American history? Here are several that come to mind.

Plymouth Fury
The Fury first appeared in 1956 as a special performance Plymouth model having a very specific image and presentation (a formula exploited much later by the 1964 Pontiac GTO). All Furys were painted Eggshell White with anodized gold trim. This model continued with Plymouth’s 1957 redesign, with Sand Dune White and Buckskin Beige being the respective 1957-58 colors. However, for 1959, Plymouth mainstreamed the Fury name, giving it top billing and pushing Belvedere down a notch.

New was the Sport Fury, an heir apparent of sorts to the 1956-58 Fury that included a convertible, though in reality it was more a response to the 1958 Chevrolet Impala. For 1960, the Sport Fury was discontinued, though the name was reintroduced for 1962 as a buckets-and-console hardtop and convertible. Oddly, with “Sport” in its name, the Sport Fury gained a four-door in 1970.

Pontiac Bonneville
The first Bonneville was a very special 1957 halo creation  to showcase Pontiac’s new-found youthful and performance identity. Power came from a fuel-injected V8, the only other General Motors product aside of Chevrolet to offer such a feature. Pontiac could be forgiven in 1958 for lowering the price and introducing a hardtop to go along with the droptop, as the car was still distinctive and special but, for 1959, Pontiac renamed its mainstream lineup and made the Bonneville the top model.

The Bonneville now was a popular model that nicely faked competing against more prestigious Oldsmobile and Buick models but, to add insult to injury, the company created the 1971 Grand Ville and knocked the Bonneville down one rung. This continued through 1975 and, believe it or not, the full-size Bonneville  was discontinued when GM discontinues many of its full-size cars. The Bonneville name was ten applied to the former (midsize) LeMans through 1986. For 1987, the Bonneville returned to for, moving up to GM’s FWD H-body platform (and, later, G-body) through 2005.

Dodge Monaco
Thanks to the success of the 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix, Dodge introduced the 1965 Monaco in response. It too was only available as a two-door hardtop and included fancy touches like Rattan-backed bucket seats and -lined door panels and unique trim, especially the taillights. However, when Dodge discontinued the Custom 880 for 1966, it applied the Monaco name to the lineup.

The personal luxury car was now the Monaco 500, and it remained a model or trim package through 1970, with the later years being quite watered down. (Canadians received an altogether different Monaco 500—don’t mix up the two!)

Mercury Cougar
As you know, the original 1967 Mercury Cougar was Ford Motor Company’s bid to offer a more upscale pony car, to much success. While the pony car evolved into a personal luxury car, the Cougar never really strayed from its roots . . . until 1977, when the redesigned personal luxury coupe (now as the XR-7) was joined by a regular two-door, sedan and station wagon, with a fancier Brougham trim level in the middle.

In other words, the XR-7 continued to play the traditional Cougar role, while the Cougar and Cougar Brougham replaced the Montego. This would continue through 1979, upon which the redesigned 1980 Cougar XR-7 remained as the only Cougar. Then, in 1981, Mercury expanded the Cougar line once again, offering two- and four-door sedans and a wagon. For 1983, the Cougar reverted back exclusively as a personal luxury coupe.

It was only a matter of time. With mass production of clocks on the rise in the late 19th century, it’s not surprising that the advent of clocks used for advertising purposes happened around the same period. Credit for that goes to one Edward Payson Baird, who left clockmaking giant Seth Thomas to branch out on his own in 1887. Based in Montreal, Canada, the Baird Manufacturing Company produced cases and doors for advertising clocks that housed Seth Thomas movements.

Always on the lookout for innovative ways to advertise, companies clamored to get their branding on these clocks, which they would then give away to businesses that used their products. The hope: A branded clock in a public place would likely garner thousands of glances from prospective customers as they checked the time of day. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one of the best locations for advertising clocks in rural areas proved to be the local general store, where consumers naturally spent lots of time.

The early 20th century also saw an increase in production—and big decrease in price—of that newfangled mode of transportation known as the automobile, initially a luxury only the wealthy could afford. Now the average Joe could pile the wife and kids in the family car and head off on a cross-country vacation, thanks to the growing U.S. highway system (most famously Route 66, commissioned in 1926 and completely paved by the end of the 1930s). By the 1950s, American road trips had firmly taken hold.

Those road-weary travelers naturally had to stop for a bite to eat or a night’s rest on their journey—as well as take care of any car problems along the way. Roadside restaurants, bars, motels and service stations sprung up to cater to the vacation-by-road adventurers—all of which became prime locations for advertising clocks hawking everything from soft drinks, beer and milk to spark plugs, tires and gas. Car dealerships, too, found a strategically placed clock—often embellished with brightly colored neon—went a long way in keeping their brand at the forefront of potential customers’ minds.

Colorful advertising clocks are often hot commodities at Barrett-Jackson Automobilia Auctions. Sometimes it’s a particular brand name—along with rarity of an item—that turns bidders’ heads. At the 2025 Palm Beach Auction, an extremely rare Dunlop Tires neon porcelain clock from the 1940s (pictured at top) brought in a whopping $79,350. “The clock was a stellar example with pristine porcelain, bright neon and was restored to time-keeping condition,” says Barrett-Jackson Automobilia Director Rory Brinkman. “It is a true once-in-a-lifetime find, and its auction performance demonstrated that.”

Another item representing the company founded by John Boyd Dunlop, who invented the pneumatic tire in 1888, sold at the 2017 Scottsdale Auction for $12,075; this example an extremely rare neon sign with a clock dating from the 1930s that was made for the French market.

Other times buyers may be searching for a unique item showcasing their favorite automobile make. A Packard fan went home from the 2023 Scottsdale Auction after placing the winning bid of $18,975 for a beautiful clock from the 1930s featuring the automaker’s name in neon, while a museum-quality 1950s Edsel Service neon clock sold for $28,750 at the 2022 Scottsdale Auction.

The Soda Wars are alive and well in the world of vintage advertising clocks, too. A stunning museum-quality all-original 1950s Pepsi-Cola neon clock with lighted marquee went to a new home for the winning bid of $21,850, while a neon Coca-Cola clock from the same time period sold for $11,500.

Whether you’re seeking out a unique piece of nostalgia to embellish a wall in your home or garage – or to display with your car collection – a vintage advertising clock may be just the timely ticket.

This article was originally published on Barrett-Jackson.com.

Right now on AutoHunter, you can find this restored 1963 Lincoln Continental Four-door Sedan. It’s powered by its reportedly original 430ci V8, which is paired with a Twin-Range Turbo-Drive three-speed automatic transmission. This Continental is finished in Platinum over a blue leather interior, and comes from the selling dealer in Oregon with a clear title.

The stately body is finished in Platinum paint and equipped with features such as chrome bumpers, stainless steel trim, a driver-side adjustable mirror, rear suicide doors, a power antenna, and dual exhaust outlets.

A set of 14-inch wheels with Lincoln Continental covers and 225/75 whitewall tires help this big sedan cruise down the road.

The bottom portion of the power split-bench front seat has been reupholstered in blue leather. Interior features include walnut accents, power locks and windows, power steering, factory air conditioning, and a factory AM/FM stereo.

Instrumentation consists of a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for the temperature and fuel level. The odometer shows 194 miles, but the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

Under the front-hinged hood is the reportedly numbers-matching, four-barrel MEL 430ci V8, which delivers its power to the road through a Twin-Range Turbo-Drive three-speed automatic and a 2.89:1 rear end. Power drum brakes help keep this three-box design in one piece.

If you like what you see, bid now because the auction for this 1963 Lincoln Continental Four-door Sedan ends on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 12:15 p.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Today’s Pick of the Day, a 1984 BMW 633csi on ClassicCars.com located at a dealer in O’Fallon, Illinois, starts with a confessional story.

Way back in October 1982, I was a sophomore in high school and had just obtained my driver’s permit. At the time, my dad had a 633csi like this one. I had accompanied my parents to a school-related party in the back of the 633 and was starting to get bored. I ran into my best friend, Jody Chaimberlin, who had also been dragged to the party, which was almost made up of all adults. Somehow, he and I had the great idea to get the keys of the 633 and take it for a spin. I think what I told my dad was that I had to get something out of the car, and he stupidly handed them over.

Jody and I jumped in the car and took it for the spirited drive we thought both we (and the car) deserved. At around 65 mph, we were going around a sharp corner on River Road that we had named “Deadman Curve.” At the exit of the turn, I hammered the gas just in time to see flashing lights in my rear-view mirror. We were pulled over and my brand-new driver’s permit was confiscated by the officer, meaning Jody had to drive us back in the 633.

Somehow my parents never found out about this escapade. The crazy part is that my takeaway of the event (which I maintain to this day) was just how amazing it felt to drive that BMW 633csi. It handled so well, with an engine sound that was awesome, and it offered enough performance to get my driver’s permit confiscated. In other words: it was at the time the perfect car.

The first thing that led me to pick this specific 633 was that it is the exact same Polaris Silver paint color with a blue leather interior as my dad’s car.

This looks to be a very clean example and, though it has covered more than 160k miles, appears to have been cared for over the years. That seems to be a thing about the E24 6 Series cars: they were either taken care of or completely driven into the ground.

Like all U.S.-spec 6 Series cars, this one has air conditioning, sunroof, and just about every other option you could ask for in 1983. The 633 was one of BMW top-line cars in the 1980s and all delivered here were very well equipped.

The paint looks to be in excellent condition, as does the blue leather interior. I saw no flaws, and the only interior change was the addition of an aftermarket radio.

It looks spotless underneath the hood, again suggesting this car looks to be in that category of BMW 6 series cars that have always been taken care of. The fact that it looks like it includes its books, a complete BMW toolkit, and that it is still running on its stock alloy wheels make me think that it has had a nice life.

Every once in a while I find a car that is something I consider buying myself. Yes, this car has an automatic transmission, but this is definitely a car I would buy now if it is as good as it looks. The asking price of only $19,000 makes it all the more attractive.

So, if you are looking for one of the best GT cars of the 1980s for driving pleasure, RADwood participation, or just to park in the garage and look at, this 1984 BMW 633csi looks like a great choice.

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