Some cars are rare people few people ordered them. In the case of the 1970 AMC Trans-Am Javelin, it was rare because AMC built it that way—only 100 were distributed to 2300 dealerships. All were painted red/white/blue with 390 four-speed, Go Package with 3.91 gears, adjustable spoiler, gauge package, five-spoke mags, nifty two-spoke steering wheel, and more.
Photo courtesy of Jim Campisano
Yet you could be forgiven to think this was AMC’s Trans-Am homologation special, as that was reserved for the Mark Donohue Javelin. Why confuse enthusiasts decades later? That would be too easy.
Photo courtesy of Jim Campisano
The Trans-Am Javelin was created as a publicity vehicle to highlight AMC’s participation in SCCA racing. It was a halo car to get people talking—compare that to the Donohue Javelin, which was basically a regular Javelin SST (some believe base Javelins may have also received the Donohue treatment) with a fancy rear spoiler (different from the Trans-Am’s) and hi-po engines.
Noted Pontiac author Don Keefe from the Iron Stable Garage brought Muscle Car Campy this Trans-Am Javelin on loan from a customer. They took the ram-air pony car around the streets of Tampa while extolling the unique updates AMC made to the Javelin for 1970.
If you enjoy this video, you can view more Muscle Car Campy videos here!
Right now on AutoHunter, you can find this customized 1959 Chevrolet Apache 3100 Stepside, which is based on the chassis and suspension of a 1972 Chevrolet C10. Power comes from a new 350ci V8 crate engine and is delivered to the rear wheels through a TH400 three-speed automatic. Finished in light blue over a tan cloth interior, this Chevrolet “Task Force” pickup comes from the Missouri selling dealer with a clear title.
As part of a custom build process, the body and Stepside bed were refinished in light blue. Exterior features include a chrome front bumper, chrome grille, wrap-around windshield with body-color visor, chrome mirror housings, and side exhaust outlets in front of the rear wheels. The floor of the bed is lined with wood planks, which are separated by body-color bed strips.
This classic Chevy truck rides on a set of black 20-inch American Racing wheels wrapped in 245/45 front and 275/45 rear Landsail LS588 radial tires. Behind those big wheels is a set of power front disc and rear drum brakes.
Inside, the cabin has been updated with tan cloth seating and door panels. Features include a tilt steering column, power steering, aftermarket four-spoke steering wheel, floor-mounted automatic shifter, and fold-down center armrest.
Instrumentation consists of a 100-mph speedometer and gauges for the temperature, amperage, oil pressure, and fuel level. The odometer shows 112 miles, but this truck is mileage-exempt according to its title.
Chevy didn’t offer a 350 in the 1950s, but this Apache has a new one fresh out of the crate. It’s equipped with a four-barrel carburetor, chrome valve covers, headers, and aluminum radiator. A TH400 three-speed automatic sends its output to the rear axle.
The original frame of this truck was swapped out for the underpinnings and suspension from a 1972 C10. Another upgrade was moving the fuel tank to underneath the bed.
If you want to make an upgrade to your garage, add this customized 1959 Chevrolet Apache 3100 Stepside to it. You can only do that by placing your bid—do that right away because the auction ends on Thursday, July 31 at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).
Remember when Detroit was moving towards longer/lower/wider before the first oil crisis? In retrospect, Detroit was experiencing hubris, handing the Japanese (and certain quality Europeans) a large slice of the American automotive pie. Interestingly, in the late-1980s, certain German manufacturers moved towards the same design themes with some models, though hubris was not part of the equation. Our Pick of the Day, a 1997 BMW 850 Ci, is one of these vehicles. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Charlevoix, Michigan.
The BMW 8 Series can trace its origins back to the Neue Classe coupe that was introduced in 1965. It served as the basis for the “E9” coupes that began with the 2800 CS that was introduced in 1968. In 1976, it was replaced by the “E24” 6 Series, which was produced in much larger numbers as BMW continued to establish itself better in the United States. In 1990, a successor was introduced and christened the 8 Series.
The “E31” 8 Series appeared much larger than its predecessor, but its wheelbase and length were actually close to the outgoing model, with the 8 Series gaining 2.2 inches in wheelbase and one inch in length—in fact, based on the U.S.-spec 6 Series, the 8 Series actually was over five inchesshorter. The 8 Series was a bit more upscale and compared favorably with the Mercedes SL that was introduced in 1988—again, another longer/lower/wider vehicle. When it was introduced, the E31 was available as the 850i with a 5.0-liter V12. As time when on, the V12 was increased to 5.4 (850 Ci) and 5.6 liters (850 CSi), plus the 4.0- and 4.4-liter V8-powered 840 Ci.
Unlike the 6 Series, the 8 Series was pillarless. As a car developed in the 1980s, it was among the first BMWs to have been entirely designed using CAD (Computer-Aided Design). Additionally, it was also among the first production vehicle with a drive-by-wire throttle and multi-link rear suspension. The fanciest of the bunch, the 1992-96 850 CSi, featured four-wheel steering for cars sold in Europe. Weight? Time for Richard Simmons, as the 8 Series was a porker at up to 4300-plus pounds at its heaviest.
Though produced through 1999, U.S. production ended after the 1997 model year, making this Cosmo Black 1997 BMW 850 Ci the swan song of an unusual collectible. Power comes from BMW’s 322-horsepower “M73” 5.4-liter V12, which makes it one of 1,218 cars built, with approximately 363 sold in the United States. The car is backed by a five-speed automatic, as a six-speed manual was only available with the earlier 850i and the CSi. “This 850 has been meticulously maintained at a level 1 condition and always garaged,” says the seller. “The 850 has heated leather seats, automatic air conditioning, traction control, power windows and locks, power moon roof, and original phone. It also has a Blaupunkt stereo with an SD card slot, USB port, and a 6-CD changer in the trunk.”
With a low 55,000 miles on the clock, this is a prime example of a car whose time has come to be more celebrated among post-Malaise-era vehicles, even though its role as a future collectible has already transitioned. Perhaps now’s the time to avoid your own sort of hubris and catch one before the $72,500 price becomes a distant memory.
To truly understand the world’s most rewarding driver’s cars, one must embrace the paradox at their core: they are as exhilarating as they are demanding. These machines invite drivers to dance at the edge of control, requiring not just skill, but commitment and resilience.
What sets them apart isn’t comfort or convenience—it’s the thrill that comes from feeling every vibration, every nuance of the road.
Each journey behind the wheel becomes a test of patience, nerve, and passion, where pain and pleasure are inseparable.
As Road & Track notes, the greatest driver’s cars are those that demand everything and, in return, offer a driving experience unlike any other.
Automotive history is littered with stories of near-bankrupt manufacturers, clinging to hope as market forces threatened their very existence. In these moments of desperation, a single car can become more than just a vehicle—it becomes a savior, the embodiment of innovation and resilience.
From humble hatchbacks to bold sports cars, certain models have redefined fortunes, pulling brands back from the brink and inspiring fierce loyalty among drivers.
This article explores 14 remarkable cars that didn’t just roll off assembly lines—they sparked dramatic turnarounds, proving that in the auto industry, the right car at the right time can change everything.
Automotive history is filled with vehicles that, at first glance, seemed destined for obscurity or ridicule. These were the cars that defied conventional wisdom—outliers dismissed as oddities, commercial failures, or simply mistakes.
Yet, time and hindsight have a peculiar way of transforming these misfits into icons. Often, it’s the very models that industry insiders doubted, or the public initially rejected, that end up setting new benchmarks in design, technology, and what drivers want from a car.
This paradox—where the out-of-place becomes the trendsetter—reveals just how unpredictable the road to innovation can be.
The ClassicCars.com Journal will be visiting Pebble Beach shortly, and one of the things that we anticipate witnessing is the selling of this pair of Aston Martins at the Broad Arrow Auction August 13-14, 2025, during Monterey Car Week.
Starting in 2017, Aston Martin began production on the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation series, “each example an impeccable recreation” of the original 1960s model that competed on the racetrack with Ferrari and others. Then, in 2019, Aston Martin created 19 examples of the DBZ Centenary Collection to celebrate the Italian design house’s 100th anniversary and the relationship between the two brands. Two cars, consisting of a DB4 GT Zagato Continuation and a DBS GT Zagato, were created and sold only as a pair for $8.1 million—and quickly sold out. If you’re a nepo baby and missed out six years ago, you can thank your lucky stars because now you have a second chance.
Image by Ryan Merrill/courtesy of Broad Arrow Auctions
“The Broad Arrow Monterey Jet Center auction has quickly become a fixture of Monterey Car Week, and what better way to kick it off than with one of the rarest collector car duos of modern times,” says Alexander Keck, Car Specialist with Broad Arrow Auctions. “The Aston Martin DBZ Centenary Collection combines yesteryear with today in a way that is unprecedented in the motoring world, and we are extremely excited to be able to offer this rare pairing to the international car collecting community.”
Image by Ryan Merrill/courtesy of Broad Arrow Auctions
Chassis no. DB4/GT/0239/L is an authentic Caribbean Pearl replica of a 1963 DB4 GT complete with Obsidian Black and Connolly Blue leather interior complemented with blue carpeting. This Continuation car took an astounding 4,500 hours to build, exactly in the manner how it was built over 60 years ago. This particular example features only 62 miles on the odometer, as displayed on the period-correct Smiths gauges. Liberties were taken underneath the hood, however, as the original 3.7-liter was punched out an extra liter to achieve 76 more horses totaling 390 horsepower. It is backed by a “competition-specification” non-synchronized four-speed.
Image by Ryan Merrill/courtesy of Broad Arrow Auctions
The modern incarnation is the 2020 DBS GT Zagato, also finished in Caribbean Blue. Based on the DBS Superleggera, it features Zagato’s trademark “double-bubble” roof, in this instance constructed from carbon fiber to match the rest of the bodywork. The 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12 features a horsepower bump to 760 horses and is backed by an eight-speed ZF automatic. Inside, you’ll find Dark Knight leather with embossed Zagato headrest logos. For those into new-fangled interior tchotchkes, you’ll be delighted to learn that many carbon and metal interior elements were created with a 3D printer, including a silver trim inlay that was a $33,000 option.
Image by Ryan Merrill/courtesy of Broad Arrow Auctions
This special pair of Aston Martin history is two of over 170 vehicles to be sold at the August 13-14 Broad Arrow Auction at The Monterey Jet Center during Monterey Car Week, just around the corner from Pebble Beach. “With an estimate of $3,500,000 – $4,500,000, the DBZ Centenary Collection set provides an unprecedented opportunity to acquire two iconic models that hold a remarkable place in motoring history,” adds Keck. “The DB4 GT Zagato is a genuine icon of the 1960s, a timeless masterpiece of design that is worthy of any international collection. Add to that Zagato’s modern approach in the DBS GT Zagato and you have two of the most desirable automobiles on the market today, celebrating two of the world’s finest motoring brands in a truly exceptional way.”
The world of freelance automotive writers is a constantly changing place. Some go into making vehicle review videos on YouTube full-time. Others get jobs in completely unrelated industries. Many of them eventually wind up working for automotive manufacturers. One of my former freelance colleagues, Jeff, recently contacted me out of the blue, telling me he had seen my piece on the Velocity Restorations 1972 Ford F-150 and that he was now working for Velocity. Then he asked me if I’d be interested in driving one of the company’s “Re-Engineered Classics”: a $262,400 1966 Ford Bronco build. I think you can guess what I told him.
Over the past decade, I’ve driven vintage vehicles, gone off-road in hardcore 4X4 SUVs, and tested models with eye-popping price tags. The Velocity Blackout Package 1966 Ford Bronco, as the company calls it, was unlike anything I’d experienced before because it was all three of those in one.
A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT (VERY GERMAN) COLOR
Velocity, a veteran-founded Florida company, started with a model from the very first year of Bronco production, restored and powdercoated its original frame, then updated everything attached to and above that. As it is on many Broncos of all ages, the suspension was upgraded, receiving a 2.5-inch lift and a set of Bilstein shocks. A Dana 44 front axle, Ford nine-inch rear end, 10R80 10-speed automatic, and dual-range twin-stick transfer case convert the 460-horsepower, 420-lb-ft Coyote 5.0-liter V8 crate motor’s output into ferocious forward motion. Velocity matches that modern firepower with a Hydroboost braking system that clamps down on Wilwood disc brakes.
The “Velocity Blackout Package” is just what it sounds like: a lot of black accents and trim. There’s no chrome on the outside of the Bronco—just ebony bumpers, grille lettering, LED headlight bezels, fender badges, door handles, and 17-inch Method Race Wheels, which are surrounded by BFGoodrich all-terrain tires.
All of that black coordinates with the Nardo Gray paint, a color that may be familiar to you if you’re a fan of modern Audis. Velocity offers two roll cage and top combinations on its Bronco builds. The Family-Style roll cage is paired with a Safari soft top; my test vehicle was fitted with a Sport-Style roll cage and a Bikini top.
The cabin itself is largely dark, furnished with a black dash pad, black diamond-stitched marine-grade vinyl seats, black door panels, and black carpeting. The Blackout Package makes the center of the wood-rimmed steering wheel, control knobs, and the trim around the Dakota Digital instruments match the color scheme. Velocity used the Bronco’s limited interior real estate to fit power windows, an Ididit steering column (in black, of course), a Clarion Bluetooth head unit, Focal speakers and subwoofer, and the controls for a Vintage Air climate control system.
LETTING IT RUN WILD
I didn’t have to go far to saddle up the Bronco; it was in the showroom of Right Toyota (one of Velocity’s 13 dealers) in Scottsdale, less than 10 minutes from my office. Seeing it in person, there was no mistaking it for anything but a first-gen Bronco despite all the modern hardware. Those mechanical changes are in line with what many off-road enthusiasts either look for in a rig or end up adding to it: aftermarket wheels, all-terrain rubber, and the ability to hear and feel the great outdoors around them as they go wheeling. Velocity’s Bronco also comes equipped with the conveniences people typically add to vintage vehicles, such as disc brakes, power steering, A/C, and a modern stereo.
Both types of buyers can appreciate the extra power a Gen III Coyote V8 provides—I know I did. In 1966, the Bronco’s optional two-barrel 289ci V8 was rated at 150 net horsepower and 242 lb-ft of net torque. The Velocity version of it is no doubt heavier than stock because of the upgraded parts, but that added weight is beyond negated by more than triple the original horsepower, nearly 75 percent more torque, and a 21st-century automatic. I could tell what kind of fury the Bronco was restraining with every touch of the gas pedal. Once the road ahead straightened out, I let it loose, causing the beast under the hood to grow more enraged and pull me harder behind it. The roar from Velocity’s custom exhaust quickly rushed through the open space behind me and filled the air as I charged down the road.
To learn more about the Velocity Blackout Package 1966 Ford Bronco and to see – and hear – it in action, check out the video below. (I also got a chance to drive a $322,400 Velocity 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, so stayed tuned for my coverage of that in a later article.)
This ’29 Ford Model A was acquired by its current owner in 1999 and redone around 2021. The steel-bodied roadster is powered by a 201ci inline-four which has been fitted with a Miller cylinder head, an Evans downdraft intake with dual Stromberg carburetors, and an aftermarket tubular header. The engine is linked to a three-speed synchromesh gearbox and a Winters Performance quick-change rear end, and the car rides on 16″ steel wheels with a 4″ dropped front axle, friction shocks and hairpin radius rods up front, and a four-bar setup with adjustable coilovers out back. The interior was redone in 2021 with leather upholstery, and it also has a louvered hood and trunk lid as well as Stewart-Warner gauges. This Model A is now offered by the seller on behalf of its owner with a car cover and a clean California title listing the car as a 1929 Ford.
The steel body has been painted black, and it has a louvered hood and a louvered trunk lid. A quick-release fuel cap is mounted behind the removable top, and a racer-style mascot is mounted on the cowl. The car has an Ahooga horn, but it does not currently work.
The suspension has been modified with a 4″ dropped axle with a transverse leaf spring, friction shocks, and hairpin radius rods up front, while the four-bar setup out back is matched with coilovers. The seller notes the bias-ply big-and-littles on the 16″ steel wheels require replacement. Buick-style finned drums are fitted up front.
The owner had the interior redone with leather upholstery in 2021.
The steering wheel frames a column-mounted tachometer, and Stewart-Warner gauges were installed in the dashboard. The owner has added all of the 2,700 miles on the five-digit odometer.
In 2021 the 201ci inline-four was fitted with a Miller cylinder head, an Evans downdraft intake with dual Stromberg carburetors, and an aftermarket tubular header. It also has alloy side covers, an external oil filter and water pump, an electric fuel pump, a high-torque starter, an electric fan, and an alloy radiator.
The three-speed synchromesh gearbox is linked to a Winters Performance quick-change rear end.
The car is titled as a 1929 Ford using VIN DMV75267CA.
This 1940 Ford Standard coupe was acquired from its original owner in 1990 according to the seller, who notes his father then commissioned refurbishment work and modifications on a rotisserie by Jerry McCarthy of Newark, Delaware that was completed in 1992. The car was repainted GM Flame Red Metallic, a tan mohair interior was sourced from LeBaron Bonney, and a 5.0-liter HO V8 from a 1992 Mustang GT was installed along with Mustang-sourced front disc brakes. The three-speed manual transmission was also overhauled with Zephyr gearing, and the rear end received a 3.78 differential. The battery, fuel pump, and ignition components were replaced in 2025. This ’40 Coupe is now offered by the seller on behalf of his father with a clean New Jersey title.
The steel body and fenders were repainted GM Flame Red Metallic in 1992 as part of a rotisserie refurbishment. Metal repairs were performed at that time around the drip rails and below the trunk lid. There is a repaired paint chip behind the left door hinge, and the vent window moldings are cracked.
The 16″ body-color steel wheels are mounted with Coker Classic radial tires. Early Mustang-sourced front discs were added to the original front axle.
The tan mohair interior was sourced from LeBaron Bonney. The AM radio was rebuilt but does not have power, nor does the cigarette lighter. The windshield wipers work intermittently.
The two-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a sweeping 100-mph speedometer and auxiliary gauges. The seller states all of the 8,100 miles on the five-digit odometer were added under current ownership, and total mileage is unknown.
The seller tells us the restorer sourced the 5.0-liter HO V8 from a 1992 Mustang GT. The seller tells us the engine was disassembled and resealed before installation in 1992, and the battery, fuel pump, and ignition components were replaced in 2025.
The three-speed manual transmission was also overhauled with Zephyr gearing, and the rear end received a 3.78 differential. There is a leak between the transmission and the torque tube as well as at the rear main seal, and the car has a dual exhaust system.
The car is titled in New Jersey using the VIN 185592995, which the seller is unable to locate on the car. The title lists an odometer reading of 158k miles.
