Journal Classic Cars

After spending a week in Monterey for Car Week, I felt like getting back to basics with my Pick of the Day. I have owned a few Camaros over the year with my personal favorite being the all-original 1974 model I bought in 1997 for the princely sum of only $2,500. Yes, that is a car I definitely should have kept, but who knew what people would pay now one of those cars back then. I will say that the facelift of the second generation Camaros makes them great cars for their era, offering performance, great looks, decent handling, and a comfortable passenger compartment. They are also fun to drive, reliable, and both easy and inexpensive to maintain.

My Pick of the Day is one of these cars, a 1977 Chevrolet Camaro offered on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Ramsey, Minnesota.

The seller describes this car as a 1977 Camaro equipped with a 350ci V8 backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, something that became more rare in the mid to late 1970s. They call it a super fun car to drive and add that this car has only covered 32,841 miles from new.

They state that the body is very solid and straight, and I saw no evidence of rust in the provided photos. They add that the paint has a nice shine to it, but also disclose that you can see some flaws (light paint, small dings) in places. Overall it looks like a really nice example. I personally like the look of these cars, especially the small taillights as well as the bumper and grill treatment. It has a bit of a European flair.

The listing adds that the tires and rims are in good shape. The wheels are aftermarket and the one thing I would do is swap for some Cragar wheels, which I feel look better on these cars.

The interior looks to be original and in truly excellent condition. The seller adds that the wipers, headlamps, and the blower motor all work, however the radio does not. The stock radio is pretty awful anyway and fixing it is not expensive if you want to stay with the stock.

Under the hood looks to be correct and reasonably clean. Overall this looks like a Camaro that has been cared for but also driven. The underside is the same and probably as clean as my 1974 was when I got it.

No it’s not a show car for a big national GM event, but instead a really nice driver that with some pointless dent removal, is a car you would be proud to take to a local show. The asking price of $17,980 is reasonable and at that price this car delivers a lot of value for the dollar.

What I would do is get the car, replace the wheels and radio, slide in an Ozzy CD, and take it for a 150 mile drive. This Camaro is the perfect time machine back to the 70s and 80s.

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

Nissan recently announced that prices for its 2026 Frontier will start at $32,150. The various updates in store for the midsize truck are largely mild: a Dark Armor trim package for the SV model, an available All-Weather package, a new drive mode selector, LED headlights for S and SV trucks, and more standard equipment for the Pro-X and Pro-4X. But there was also a major surprise in the press release: Roush Performance and Nissan teamed up to make a Frontier Pro-4X R.

This comes as a shock (no pun intended) for two reasons. The first is that Nismo usually handles making faster and more capable Nissans (the in-house performance division even made a more powerful and athletic version of the full-size Armada). The second is that Roush typically enhances Ford vehicles. In fact, this is the first time Roush and Nissan have ever collaborated on a build.

So what exactly did Roush add to Nissan’s most rugged Frontier model? It depends on where you look. The majority of the cosmetic changes are on the outside and include titanium-painted grille inserts and a matching skid plate and lower front fascia. “R” badges on the grille, fenders, and tailgate tell other people at the OHV park they’re not watching just any regular Pro-4X try to reach the top of a difficult trail.

There are also “R” logos on the center caps of the titanium-finished 17-inch wheels, which come with black lug nuts and 265/70 all-terrain tires. Inside the cabin, the only evidence of Roush’s involvement is the “R” embroidery on the front headrests.

Aside from the Roush Performance x Öhlins two-inch suspension lift, the major functional improvements are harder to spot. If you look closely at the Frontier Pro-4X R, you might see the Roush Red front upper control arms, which the company says enhance “ground clearance, suspension travel, and overall off-road capability.” All four corners are equipped with Roush Performance x Öhlins 2.0 aluminum-bodied off-road shocks with 18mm steel shafts, remote reservoirs, and rear cooling fins to keep them from fading over rough terrain. The most difficult thing to see is Roush’s 3-year, 36,000-mile limited warranty, but it is there.

A standard 2026 Frontier Pro-4X with a five-foot bed has an MSRP of $41,870; opting for the six-foot bed bumps that price up to $42,370. Adding that “R” to the end and all the Roush upgrades that come with it increases the starting price to $47,960.

The batch of 1970 ‘Cudas we recently wrote about in a Muscle Car Campy video featured the A22 bumper package. There’s some interesting quirks about them, so let’s explore them a little more.

The 1968 Pontiac GTO was the first car from Detroit to feature a monochromatic scheme, in this case an Endura front bumper blended nicely with the body. For 1969, the Chevrolet Camaro featured a body-colored bumper as an option. Plymouth certainly took notice of these when preparing the redesigned Barracuda for 1970.

Code A21 was the Elastomeric front bumper option, which included a body-colored front bumper, body-colored remote mirrors, and belt moldings (which were standard on the ‘Cuda and Gran Coupe). While colored racing mirrors were available in all colors available at the start of production, A21-equipped cars were only available in “EB5” Blue Fire metallic, “FC7” In Violet metallic, “FE5” Rallye Red, “EF8” Ivy Green metallic, “FJ5” Limelight, “FK5” Deep Burnt Orange metallic, “EW1” Alpine White, “TX9” Black Velvet, and “FY1” Lemon Twist. (Apparently, it seems there’s a run of AAR’Cudas with just one racing mirror, so this doesn’t appear to be cast in stone.)

Code A22 was the same package but included an Elastomeric rear bumper plus extra trim: lower deck lid moldings with black paint fill. Both are distinctive feature of ‘Cudas but were added to Barracudas and Gran Coupes built with A22. Interestingly, at the start of production, Plymouth only offered the A22 package in Rallye Red. According to a December 15, 1969 Product Information Bulletin, the A22 package was expanded to include eight additional rear-colored bumpers, bringing the total to nine—in line with the available colors for A21. This was to be effective with January 5, 1970 production.

This may explain why most A22 Barracudas you see are Rallye Red.

Certain cars face hurdles without documentation—why spend mucho dinero without proof of provenance? Our AutoHunter Spotlight doesn’t have this problem as it comes with documentation that verifies its pedigree. Note the build sheet of this 1970 AMC Javelin SST Mark Donohue Edition, which shows a 4 in the ASC (Automatic Speed Control) box—that confirms this car to be an honest-to-goodness Mark Donohue Edition, one of approximately 2,501 built. Aside from the homologation rear spoiler, Donohues also came either with a 360 plus Go Package or 390 plus Go Package—this one is powered by the latter and is backed by a four-speed. Other features include ram-air induction, five-spoke mags, and more. Painted red with matching corduroy cloth and vinyl interior, this Trans-Am homologation special is offered by the selling dealer with the aforementioned build sheet, restoration receipts, original carburetor and speedometer, car cover, and clear title.

The Matador Red hue is complemented by a white pinstripe. Other features include chrome rocker moldings, ram-air hood (which was part of the Go Package), Mark Donohue rear spoiler, chrome driver-side mirror, and chrome exhaust tips. A set of 14-inch five-spoke mags is wrapped in E70 Goodyear radials.

The interior is furnished in red, with the front buckets and rear bench featuring corduroy cloth and vinyl. Between the buckets you’ll find a “buddy seat” with armrest. Other interior features include woodgrain trim, special steering wheel, power steering, floor-mounted Hurst shifter, and AM radio with 8-track tape player.

Instrumentation includes a 120-mph speedometer (the original was 140) with gauges for the temperature and fuel. Additional aftermarket gauges are integrated into the center portion of the instrument panel and feature readouts for oil, amps, and temperature. There also is a clock to the left of the speedometer. The odometer currently reads 38,634 miles, though the title says this vehicle is mileage-exempt.

The 325-horsepower 390 features a four-barrel carburetor and has an open air cleaner tray to mount to the hood plenum. The engine is paired with a four-speed manual transmission.

The undercarriage features a rear-end with 3.91 gears and Twin-Grip differential. Other features include front power disc brakes and a dual exhaust system.

Javelins this nice are not the most common cars out there, and documented Mark Donohue Edition 1970 AMC Javelin SSTs are much rarer than that. With the nifty corduroy interior, four-speed, ram air 390, 3.91 gears, and Mark Donohue spoiler, this Javelin has the right mix of options to hype its desirability. So, what’s next? You bidding on it, of course! So you don’t let this one slip by, you should bid before Tuesday, August 26, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

Straightforward, simple designs were the name of the game when it came to trucks of the late 20th century. As I’ve observed with my 1994 Ford F-Series, it seems like the 1990s marked the last era of a truly analog driving experience – without the computer-aided tech features we see commonly today. Many modern pickups have power tailgates, trailer-backing aids, self-driving gear, and electronic side steps. While those are handy to have, as my dad would always say, “Sounds like just one more thing that can break.”

If you tend to like your trucks old-school like I do, you’ll appreciate this Arctic White gem. The Pick of the Day is a 1991 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 4×4 pickup listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Deep River, Connecticut.

“Completely original except for the addition of back rack, bedliner, and running boards,” the listing says. “Exterior and interior are nearly perfect.”

General Motors’ “GMT 400” chassis underpinned the company’s Chevrolet and GMC full-sized pickup trucks beginning in 1988 with the C/K Series. The platform had a nearly 14-year production run – a testament to both its durability and its popularity. The rivalry between Ford and Chevrolet was brewing in full force during the 1990s: Chevy had one ad in particular that said, “Kickin’ Dirt and Takin’ Names.” It went on to say, “When you’re charging down trails with your lug nuts to the wall, who wants to settle for second best? Get the 4×4 power, fuel economy and Insta-Trac to keep you winning.”

This clean, original example is optioned in “Z71 Off-Road” equipment, which means it came with an upgraded Rancho suspension, skid plates, an automatic locking rear differential, and, of course, the obligatory decals on the bed sides. The burgundy interior is perfectly ’90s, complete with a patterned cloth bench seat for three-abreast seating. Controls for the transfer case are floor-mounted, and the cab is rounded out by a set of bowtie-embroidered floor mats and a period-correct AM/FM cassette audio system.

Some GMT 400 trucks came with a 4.6-liter Vortec V6, but this one was ordered with a larger engine. Power comes from a 350ci small-block V8 mated to an automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. The odometer shows just 81,750 miles.

Most people don’t buy a pickup with the intent of preserving it like a future collectible, but in this case, we’re glad they did. “Perfect starting point for a beautiful 4×4 mod, or keep stock for car shows,” the listing concludes. “This truck turns heads and is a joy to drive.”

The asking price is $22,500.

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

If you were swept up in the news coming out of Monterey Car Week and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, we can’t blame you. How could you not be distracted by all the cool vehicles showcased and introduced in such a short amount of time? But that means you may have missed the Bronco Roadster Concept that Ford rolled out as part of the legendary off-roader’s 60th birthday festivities.

Today, you can get the sixth-generation Bronco with two or four doors and with a soft top and/or a removable hardtop. But when the original Bronco entered the market as a 1966 model, it was available in three basic forms: the Sports Utility (essentially a single-cab pickup), the two-door Wagon, and the roofless and doorless Roadster. Robert Gelardi, the current model’s chief designer, said, “During the development of the 2021 Bronco and Bronco Sport, we worked with a group of experts and enthusiasts who helped guide our vision. One of them, who has since become a good friend, owns a beautifully spartan 1966 Wimbledon White roadster. We’ve admired that vehicle for a long time, and it served as the design team’s inspiration, as well as a tangible link to the Bronco’s original design DNA, for this Roadster Concept.”

To give the concept vehicle the same “Go Anywhere, Open Air” personality as the original model, Gelardi and his team kept things simple. Of course, there’s no roof or doors on the Wimbledon White one-off, but there’s also a clear lack of the kind of gear you see on many classic and modern Broncos, such as a winch, light bar, or sky-high lift. Silver bumpers cap both ends of the concept and visually connect it to the vehicle that inspired it. The stock wheels were swapped out for a set of silver Fifteen52 Analog HDs.

Behind the largely white interior’s manual shifter and metallic silver bucket seats, the cargo area was gutted to make room for a spare tire. Maroon graphics over the rear fender flares commemorate the Bronco’s 60th and connect near the bottom of the throwback fold-down tailgate.

Unfortunately, the Bronco Roadster, like many concept vehicles, has no shot of making it into production. Perhaps at this year’s SEMA show we’ll see aftermarket companies offering conversion kits that provide the same old-school look.

At the Electrify Expo Phoenix 2025, we saw all sorts of electric cars, trucks, and SUVs, including the updated 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E lineup. As Mustang Mach-E Assistant Brand Manager James Duszkiewicz explains in this video, customer feedback led to some of the changes made to the all-electric Mustang, such as the standard heat pump and the Premium model’s heated and ventilated front seats.

Duszkiewicz also tells us more about the GT-style Sport Appearance Package and the Mustang Mach-E Rally, a lifted model designed to blast over trails with 480 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque. Later on, we get into the things traditional Mustang fans and those who have never driven a Mustang at all should know about the Mach-E.

Subscribe to the CCN Media YouTube channel for car reviews and more!

Every Friday, my colleague Diego brings you a list of vehicles that caught his eye on AutoHunter.com, but he is on a much-deserved vacation so I will be filling in for him today. Other than the color white, there’s not a theme to my selections, although they would make for a well-rounded collection of cars: a wagon, a hardtop convertible, and German and British roadsters.

1956 Pontiac Star Chief Safari (Auction ends August 26, 2025, at 12:15 p.m. PDT)

If you’ve seen some of my previous AutoHunter Spotlights or Pick of the Day pieces, you can probably guess I have a thing for wagons, which partially explains this Safari’s presence on this list. But there are other reasons too.

The Shadow Gray and Cream White paint colors go so well together and are applied in just the right areas. Then there’s the bold vertical trim on the hood and the upright brightwork at the rear end. The interior is just as eye-catching yet subtle, furnished with gray leather seats with black, gray, and white striped cloth inserts.

Updates can sometimes ruin the looks or personality of a vintage car, but in this case, the power front buckets, 350 V8, and 700R4 four-speed automatic are nice additions. This Safari would be great for a family night at a local drive-in movie or a run to get ice cream in this seemingly endless summer heat.

1957 Porsche 356 Replica (Auction ends August 27, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. PDT)

Ideal convertible weather is coming and this Porsche 356 replica made by Vintage Motorcars looks like a perfect car for it. Finished in the pleasant combination of Ivory over a Cognac Brown leather interior, it brings to mind languid, top-down drives along the coast.

To where? That doesn’t really matter – the journey is the best part. But if there are twists and turns along the way that are too enticing, the dual-carb, air-cooled 1,915cc four-cylinder engine and the four-speed manual are ready for action.

1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner (Auction ends August 28, 2025, at 12:45 p.m. PDT)

This is a great example of how forward-thinking certain automakers can be. In the mid-1990s, Mercedes-Benz made a big splash with its first-generation SLK roadster, which wowed people with its power-retractable hardtop. There’s no denying that that’s a cool feature, but it wasn’t an industry first. Way back in the 1950s, Ford’s Galaxie Skyliner had that kind of roof and it covered two rows of passengers.

This ’57 Skyliner benefits from a total restoration that resulted in the attractive pairing of Colonial White with a two-tone blue vinyl and fabric interior. A 300-horsepower Thunderbird 352 Special V8 keeps the breeze blowing during top-down driving.

If the weather turns nasty, the power Hide-Away hardtop will keep it out – but it won’t stop people from staring at it when it’s transforming this Galaxie from a convertible to a coupe.

1969 MG MGC (Auction ends August 27, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. PDT)

Before the Toyota Prius came along in the late-1990s, the term “hybrid” had a very different meaning in the automotive industry. Cars such as the Facel Vega, Iso Grifo, and De Tomaso Pantera combined European styling with American V8 power. Thanks to an Oldsmobile 215ci V8 engine swap, this MG roadster falls into that same category. In addition, the transmission was upgraded to a TREMEC T-5 five-speed manual.

But there’s more to this MG than what’s under its hood. The entire car was restored, repainted Wimbledon White, and fitted with a new red leather interior from MG specialist Moss Motors, which provides the perfect pop of color to contrast with the low-key exterior.

Much like the Mercury Marauder X-100 we recently featured, the Mercury Cougar also suffers from misconceptions. In this case, enthusiasts tend to call the Cougar a luxury pony car, but have you bothered to look at a 1967 Cougar’s interior? “Upscale Mustang” seems to be a better descriptor. However, several years later, the Cougar had moved into different territory, certainly becoming more luxurious, as evidenced by our Pick of the Day. This 1971 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Lillington, North Carolina.

Ford Motor Company was correct in determining the car-buying public was ready for an upscale pony car, and the Mercury Cougar was it. Only available as a distinctive hardtop, and featuring an electric shaver-like grille and taillights (with the latter featuring sequential operation, no less), the new Mercury was a runaway hit, selling just under 151,000 units. A standard 289 V8 offered distinction from the crop of pony cars in the market at the time (including the also-just-introduced Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird), and a big-block 390 was available both as an option or as part of the GT package. A mid-year introduction of the upscale XR-7 added true luxury to the Cougar lineup with leather seating surfaces and a cockpit that would make a European proud.

The distinctiveness that made the XR-7 was lost with the 1969 redesign, though most certainly the XR-7 continued to be a more luxurious version of the Cougar. However, what luxury car didn’t come standard with air conditioning and power windows? No, the Cougar was not a luxury car, even in XR-7 guise, but it was moving in a personal luxury direction. This was a natural evolution for what the Cougar was created, and the timing was perfect because the performance and sporty market was evolving—sales began to fall after 1968 as the younger set that was interested in performance was starting families and whose values as a consumer were changing.

By the Cougar’s second redesign (for the 1971 model year) the Cougar had ditched much of what made it unique and was steeped in something more sophisticated. Fat cat? Originally a term to describe a political donor flush with cash, the Cougar certainly was a fat cat in presence, though its weight between 1970 and 1971 was practically unchanged despite being longer and wider. The connection to the Mustang was still there, but it certainly looked less like a brother and more like a cousin. For the first time, headlights were exposed, with the horizontal grille divided by an upright center grille that imparted a more prestigious look. Taillights also were much different than before, though the Cougar still retained its sequential operation. Model series stayed the same, with the Eliminator package replaced by the GT package that came with a standard 351-2V for the base Cougar coupe. A new 429 Cobra Jet was available, both with and without ram air, though the Drag Pack was not.

Though the Cougar was more entrenched as a personal luxury pony car—a small Thunderbird, if you will—performance options were still available, such as the aforementioned Cobra Jet as well as a four-speed transmission. This 1971 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible features the “M-code” 351-4V along with a Hurst shifter in the console, which means it’s equipped with a four-speed manual. Both close- and wide-ratio four-speeds were available, with is car being one of only 47 equipped with the latter and the M-code engine. Other features originally ordered by the original buyer include Traction-Lok differential with 3.25 gears, power steering, power front disc brakes, air conditioning, AM/FM stereo, tinted glass, and Competition Suspension.

There’s a lot of cars out there that are WAY overpriced despite being easy to find. Conversely, here we have one extremely rare convertible that is affordable. In addition, the mature you would appreciate the leather and A/C while rowing through the gears. For $22,500 you can play the role of fat cat as the money you save from not overspending on more popular collectibles will allow you to attend to other interests.

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

I’ve never been much of a reader, having read my last fiction book over five years ago. However, I read the news daily, and I tend to gravitate toward non-fiction. Does that count? In that case, I am a voracious reader, constantly going down Internet rabbit holes for things that pique my curiosity. (Will I remember everything I read? To discuss at a later date…)

The lack of fiction under my belt slightly bothers me, as most people who consider themselves voracious readers always choose fiction. However, I don’t get hung up on it because I know cars are the reason I know the things I know.

You may point out that there is little value in knowing the grille differences between a 1961 Dodge Polara and a 1962 Custom 880, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Look beyond the style of cars and you’ll find the style of people—how they dress, how they wear their hair, and the sensibilities that fall in line with them. Am I familiar with a particular type of mid-century item? Likely not by name (sorry, I don’t read GQ), but I can look at an image and identify the approximate year based on the style of the people in the image.

Car colors are a major gold mine (excuse the pun) for knowledge, especially about animals, locales, and the natural world.

• I would not know what an atoll is if it wasn’t for the 1970 Pontiac GTO and the Atoll Blue hue. Ditto Oldsmobile’s Aegean Aqua.
• The same could be said of a certain kind of horse that was the inspiration for Palomino Copper.
• Palisade Green presumably refers to the tree-lined cliffs in a part of northern New Jersey.
• Chevrolet had a color named Ermine White. That’s an animal related to the weasel.
• While Dodge’s Polara is nonsense (inspired by the Space Race), Monaco is a wealthy city-state in the French Riviera (my, another car reference!).
• My dad test-drove a Cadillac that was painted Sonora Saddle, which I realized (after moving to Arizona) may be a tip of the hat to the Sonoran Desert, though it could be the name of the Sonora state in Mexico.

Other musings:

• My mom is an architect, but I didn’t know what a flying buttress was until I read something from the designer of the 1968 Dodge Charger.
• I am not a chemical engineer, but I know lead raises octane.
• Brougham may invoke images of velour interiors, but it’s the name of a carriage design.
• Plaza may sound like a dumb name for a car model, but it was a fancy hotel (among several) that Plymouth used to name its lineup in the 1950s.
• Speaking of hotels, I know what the Bellevue-Stratford was because it was pictured in a Cadillac ad in 1958. I know about Legionnaires’ disease because of this hotel as well.
• I know nothing about airplanes, but apparently Messerschmitt built them before gravitating to cars.
• I learned about the star cluster “Pleiades” (and how to pronounce it) when I learned what “Subaru” meant in English (though admittedly it first came on my radar due to the classic video game by Centuri—did you know it’s named after the seven daughters of Atlas? I didn’t!).

As you can see, it runs the gamut. Aside from cursing, what things that surround our lives have you learned from cars?