Once again, we have a quartet of cars listed for sale on AutoHunter or ClassicCars.com. Specifically, these are from the early-1950s, the moment when Detroit started to produce competitors (Corvette, I’m thinkin’ about you!). Can you tell us what they are?
Post your answers in the Comments section below. If you need a hint, you can click on an image (we won’t tell!).
The 2025 BossNationals are now a memory, but plenty of fun was had by all. How do I know? Because co-organizer Rick Ybarra told me, and who am I to question him? He, along with Finley Ledbetter, have carved out a nice niche event that brings out the crème de la crème of Boss Mustangs and Cougars, and more.
Picture courtesy of Rick Ybarra
A group of Boss 302 Mustangs drove from Chicagoland to East Moline, Illinois in the heat without air conditioning but, let’s be honest, 3.91 gears can create plenty of ventilation when the windows are open.
Picture courtesy of Rick Ybarra
If you are curious about the Boss Nationals, you can read more about it here. Rick, who’s the Boss 351 Registrar, tells me this is the rundown of what showed up at the 2025 Boss Nationals:
14 1969-70 Boss 429 Mustangs
12 1971 Boss 351 Mustangs
22 1970 Boss 302 Mustangs
2 Boss 302 1970 Cougar Eliminators
2 1967 Shelby GT500s
1 1965 Shelby Cobra
2 Ford GTs
1 1970 Cougar XR-7 convertible packing a 428 SCJ four-speed
1 1969 Shelby GT350 (first event after restoration)
Picture courtesy of Rick Ybarra
This Drag Pack Cougar convertible scored 996 points out of 1000. More for Cougar fans: Eric Peosta won the Boss Nationals Apex award for his special-order-color (Medium Lime metallic) 1970 Cougar Eliminator. In addition, both Steve Anderson’s 1969 Boss 429 and Scott Skalitzky’s 1970 Boss 429 were Super Stallion winners.
Picture courtesy of Rick Ybarra1969 Boss 429 Can-Am (Picture courtesy of Rick Ybarra)Picture courtesy of Rick YbarraPicture courtesy of Rick YbarraPicture courtesy of Rick YbarraPicture courtesy of Rick YbarraPicture courtesy of Rick YbarraPicture courtesy of Rick Ybarra
Jaguar is in a state of flux right now that has been . . . polarizing, to say the least. If you long for the Jaguar designs of yesteryear or you just want a drop-top to cruise in, check out our AutoHunter Spotlight car: a 1995 Jaguar XJS Convertible finished in Topaz and equipped with a Brown power-operated top over a Cream leather interior. It comes from the private seller in California with loads of original booklets and documentation and a clean CARFAX report; the title is in transit to the current owner.
As a 1995 model, this XJS is from the long-running model’s penultimate year on the market. It benefits from the ’92 facelift that brought restyled front and rear ends, and new upholstery and trim. This particular XJS comes in Topaz, which coordinates well with the power-operated Brown soft top (you can see it in action in the video below).
Other features include bright trim, a glass rear window with a defroster, a flip-up fuel cap, a third brake light on the trunk lid, and dual exhaust outlets. When lowered, the top can be stored under a beige top boot. The 16-inch factory wheels are wrapped in 225/60 Pirelli tires.
Just as you’d expect in a Jaguar, the interior is full of high-end materials. The power front buckets and the rear seats are covered in Cream Connolly leather. Walnut trim highlights the door panels, dashboard, center stack, and center console. Of course, there are plenty of conveniences too, such as power windows, power steering, cruise control, air conditioning, and an AM/FM/cassette radio with a trunk-mounted Alpine six-disc CD changer.
Behind the leather-wrapped steering wheel is a set of gauges that includes a 7,000-rpm tachometer, 160-mph speedometer, and readouts for the voltage, fuel level, oil pressure, and temperature. The odometer shows 129,708 miles, which is a slight increase from the latest figure of 129,540 miles logged on the CARFAX report from November 2023.
This Jag will start purring once you crank up the 4.0-liter inline-six under the hood. It was factory-rated at 237 horsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque. An electronically controlled four-speed automatic and a 3.54:1 rear end turn those on-paper numbers into real-world acceleration. Power four-wheel disc brakes are there to make sure this cat doesn’t lose one of its nine lives when it gets “the zoomies.”
Whether you want to send Jaguar a message that it’s headed in the wrong direction or you have the urge to go to the beach, you can do it in this 1995 Jaguar XJS Convertible. But you have to bid on it first. Do that right now before the auction ends on Friday, August 1 at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).
The Mercury Capri has experienced several incarnations during its lifetime. Initially it was a German Ford that played the role of import pony car. Then, it actually became an American pony car as a cousin to the Mustang. Finally, it returned to being a captive import, this time as a two-seat convertible from Australia. Our Pick of the Day was the most popular of the trio, though you would have to try hard to remember the last time you saw one. This 1979 Mercury Capri Turbo RS is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Greely, Colorado.
The architecture underpinning the Capri was Ford’s Fox platform, which was originally designed to replace the architecture that supported the Ford Falcon and, in more recent years, the Ford Maverick and Granada. In the fall of 1978, Ford introduced an all-new Mustang that also introduced the new Fox platform, which would underpin countless other models that included Mercury and Lincoln variants.
While the Pinto-based Mustang II never had a Mercury equivalent, the 1979 Mustang brought Mercury back to the pony car fold with the Capri. Unlike the Mustang, the Capri was only available as a three-door hatchback, leaving the two-door sedan (and eventually the convertible) for the Mustang.
There were two Capri models: Capri and Capri RS. Mercury wrote in the brochure that the Capri was “European design philosophy at American prices,” attempting to tie-in the previous German import with its “pure joy of driving.” Engine choices began with a 2.3-litre four for all models; optional was a 2.8-litre V6, 5.0-litre V8, or 2.3-litre Turbo 4. All engines featured a two-barrel carburetor. Depending on the engine, a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic were the only choices.
A luxurious package for the base Capri was the Ghia, which added a fancier interior, luxury four-spoke steering wheel, special luxury door appliques including map pockets, front passenger assist handle, driver-side vanity mirror, and more.
For something sportier, the Capri RS added a Radial Sport Suspension with BR78 x 14 tires, rear stabilizer, lower rear spring rates (and increased front spring rates with the V8), upgraded shock absorber tuning, improved control arm bushings, and more. A “power dome” hood and black highlights on all sides gave a more aggressive look, with an optional black lower bodyside paint able to add even more to its looks. Optional Michelin TRX tires increased “roll stiffness without sacrificing ride or harshness control” while working in conjunction with the optional Rally Suspension. Standard interior was high-back buckets in Corinthian vinyl, or Danbury cloth and Corinthian vinyl.
For the early adopters, there also was the Turbo RS, which boasted several upgrades over the basic RS including Deluxe interior trim, low-back bucket seats in Cariban vinyl, 15.3-inch forged aluminum three-spoke wheels, Michelin TRXs, and Rally Suspension.
This 1979 Mercury Capri Turbo RS is one of 110,142 Capris built that year, though we don’t have any statistics how many of those were Turbo RSs. The description from the dealer is lacking, but we can see it is painted in Bright Red with Light Orange/Yellow striping and is equipped with the four-speed manual, console, AM/FM Stereo cassette radio, and three-spoke steering wheel with tilt column.
Nineteen seventy-nine was the beginning of a love affair with Fox-bodied FoMoCo products, culminating with the 1987-93 5.0 Mustangs and respective Capris. However, it all started in 1979 with cars like this Capri. The ad says “Contact Seller” but the dealer’s website says $8,999, which is a low cost of entry for one of the more tech-y cars in the American market at the time.
This 1941 Willys pickup was used as a drag racer before it was built into a gasser-style hot rod in 2021, and it is powered by a supercharged 540ci Chevrolet V8 with Arias hemispherical heads, a COMP Cams camshaft, dual Holley double-pumper carburetors, and an MSD ignition module. A steel cab with a chopped roof is joined by a single-piece fiberglass front clamshell, and the bodywork is mounted to a fabricated steel frame with a straight front axle, a three-link rear setup with adjustable coilovers, and four-wheel disc brakes with line lock. The cab has been outfitted with black and yellow bucket seats, a TCI shifter, and Classic Instruments gauges, and other highlights include a TH400 automatic transmission, a narrowed 9″ rear end, a limited-slip differential, a wood-lined cargo bed, side exhaust pipes, wheelie bars, and big-and-little tires. This custom Willys pickup was acquired by the selling dealer in 2025, and it is now offered with a display board and a clean Pennsylvania title.
The steel cab has a chopped roof, and it has been mounted to a frame fabricated from steel box tubing at Vito Antonicelli Race Cars of Buffalo, New York. Bodywork and paint were handled at HarborVette Fiberglass Magic of Pennsylvania, where the truck was finished in House of Kolor Kandy red, according to the selling dealer. Tasmanian Devil-themed artwork and “Charlie’s Chop Shop” graphics were added along with pinstriping on the rear fenders and the back of the cab. Other details include wheelie bars, side exhaust outlets, tinted glass, and blue-dot taillights.
The single-piece fiberglass front clamshell tilts forward and has a cutout for a polished air scoop.
The 540ci Chevrolet V8 was built using a World Products cast-iron block, a COMP Cams camshaft, Arias aluminum hemispherical heads, a polished TBS supercharger, dual Holley 800-cfm double-pumper carburetors, a Billet Specialties belt drive, an MSD 6AL-2 ignition module, and stainless-steel headers with 4″ pipes and solenoid-actuated cutouts. The aluminum radiator is cooled by an electric pusher fan.
Halibrand-style 15” alloy wheels are wrapped in BFGoodrich tires up front and M&H Racemaster slicks out back. The truck rides on a straight front axle with parallel leaf springs and a Vega-style steering box, while the three-link rear setup has adjustable coilovers. Braking is handled by power-assisted discs all around with a line lock.
Raised Willys script accents the back of the cargo bed, which is lined with wood slats and houses the fuel cell and battery.
The bucket seats and door panels are trimmed with black and yellow upholstery, and the driver’s seat has a Corbeau harness. The dashboard is painted black, and a TCI shifter has been installed. The glove compartment door handle is missing.
The three-spoke steering wheel is mounted to a tilt column and sits ahead of Classic Instruments gauges consisting of a 140-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges. The speedometer does not work, and the five-digit odometer has not been calibrated. Total mileage is unknown.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a TH400 three-speed automatic transmission and a narrowed Ford 9″ rear end with a limited-slip differential and 4.33:1 gearing.
Some of the world’s most exhilarating cars have slipped by unnoticed, quietly blending into the background with their understated, even dull, looks.
Yet beneath their modest exteriors lurked exceptional engineering and a pure driving spirit.
These vehicles proved that excitement behind the wheel doesn’t always come with flashy lines or aggressive styling.
In fact, the most rewarding drives can come from the most unassuming machines, surprising both their drivers and anyone lucky enough to ride along.
It’s time to revisit 15 plain-looking cars that turned every journey into a memorable one.
The automotive world is filled with stories of cars that seemed unstoppable—models that once filled driveways, highways, and dealership lots. These vehicles captured the hearts of drivers, dominating sales charts and shaping entire eras of car culture. Yet, just as quickly as they rose to fame, many of these automotive legends faded away, leaving only memories and a few scattered examples behind.
This unpredictable cycle highlights the ever-shifting tides of consumer preferences, market pressures, and technological advances. What makes certain cars vanish after meteoric success? Sometimes it’s evolving safety standards, sometimes changing tastes, or even strategic missteps from automakers. The following list explores fifteen such cars—once bestsellers, now mere footnotes in automotive history.
Whether you love them or hate them, the truth is that minivans are a major part of automotive history, particularly Chrysler’s 100 years as a manufacturer. Although they’re not as popular as they used to be in the 1980s and 1990s, they’re still available from five manufacturers in America (if you count the all-electric Volkswagen ID. Buzz). As Brandt Rosenbusch, Manager of Historical Services for Stellantis North America, explains in the video below, Chrysler was the first to offer an upscale minivan.
That doesn’t mean it was the first to market, though. Dodge’s Caravan and Plymouth’s Voyager arrived for the 1984 model year in response to a desire for smaller family transportation that could fit in a regular-sized garage. Chrysler’s Town & Country variant arrived in 1990 with standard leather seating, front and rear air conditioning, and V6 power.
A second-generation model followed shortly afterward.
In 1996, the Town & Country was visually overhauled to match the sleeker, cab forward styling of its sedan counterparts.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Stow N’ Go seating (a product of the fourth-generation Town & Country), which allows the second- and third-row seats to be folded flat into the floor for more cargo space. The subsequent generation was the Town & Country’s last, but not the end of the Chrysler minivan. The Pacifica was introduced as a 2017 model and is still available today as a gas-only model and a plug-in hybrid variant.
I can’t speak for any of you out there, but my perception of the minivan has evolved along with the vehicle itself. When I was little kid, I thought conversion vans were the place to be because they were large and felt special, but that may be because the ones I remember had a TV and VCR in them. I didn’t grow up in a minivan family, so I wasn’t familiar with them.
In my teens and 20s, I thought minivans were lame, boring kid-haulers. That changed in my 30s, when I discovered how convenient, feature-rich, and luxurious models such as the Honda Odyssey Elite and Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Hybrid could be. Now a parent myself, I totally get why people buy minivans. I would have no qualms about getting one as my next vehicle, but sorry, Chrysler—I’d go with the Toyota Sienna Platinum.
When you think of the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am, chances are that “Smokey and the Bandit” comes to mind—and for good reason! Behind the Hollywood fame is a muscle car with real substance: killer styling, a functional shaker hood, and a big V8 under the scoop. Nineteen seventy-seven was a record-setting year for the Trans Am, thanks in part to its starring role in “Smokey and the Bandit,” which helped lead to more than 68,000 units being produced. The updated design featured a new slanted front end with quad halogen headlights. This one is a Y82 Special Edition, finished in Starlight Black with gold accents, including the famous “Screaming Chicken” hood decal. Today we’re taking a closer look at one of the most memorable American cars of the ‘70s, which sold at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Scottsdale Auction for $106,700!
Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is this restored 1953 Packard Caribbean convertible. Introduced in 1953, the Caribbean was a semi-custom halo car to help bring attention to the Packard brand, whose reputation had been slipping due to stale styling and lack of V8. Most noticeable were the fully radiused wheel openings and lack of side trim. Power comes from a 327ci “Thunderbolt” straight-eight backed by a two-speed Ultramatic Drive. Features include continental kit, 15-inch wire wheels, power windows, steering, brakes, and top, driver-side mirror, and more. Painted Sahara Sand with a tan top over blue and white interior, this classic chariot is now offered by the selling dealer with a tonneau cover and clear title.
Sahara Beige was one of several limited colors available for the Caribbean. It is complemented by a tan power convertible top. Other features include a continental kit, driver-side mirror, and bright metal wheel openings and belt moldings. Authentic, 15-inch multi-spoke wheels are wrapped in eight-inch American Classic bias-ply wide whitewalls.
The cabin is furnished in blue and white upholstery—Caribbeans had leather, but best to ask the sell how it was reupholstered. Interior features include a column-mounted automatic shifter, power windows, power steering, pushbutton AM radio, and aftermarket under-dash battery shut-off switch.
The instrument panel consists of three dials consisting of a 110-mph speedometer, clock, and gauges for the coolant temperature and fuel. The odometer shows 57,670, though the title reads mileage-exempt.
Powering this classic Packard is an 8.0:1-compression 327ci straight-eight topped by a four-barrel carburetor. Horsepower was originally rated at 180. It is backed by a two-speed Ultramatic Drive transmission.
The undercarriage features power front drum brakes and a single-exit exhaust system.
Packard built only 750 Caribbean convertibles in 1953, quite a respectable number considering the similar Cadillac Eldorado only achieved 532 units. Plus, the ’53 is the only Caribbean that featured radiused rear wheels, which was quite custom and spectacular at the time. Sounds like something that may be hard to resist? Be poised because the AutoHunter auction for this 1953 Packard Caribbean ends on Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. (PDT).
