You may not need us to inform you, but modern cars are infinitely safer than the classics we enjoy. The key to emerging from an accident is how the vehicle absorbs impact and dissipates the energy from the collision. Old cars were not designed in that manner, though physics suggests they may emerge better from an altercation.
The C2 Corvette is not known for being a heavyweight, so being on the receiving end of a collision looks like what? This image we found on CorvetteBlogger.com gives you an idea.
The story goes that Maine resident Gregory Boynton and a passenger were driving along in a Corvette (appears to be a 1963-64), nary a worry on their minds, when a left-turning Mitsubishi SUV traveling in the opposite direction failed to yield to the C2, resulting in this near head-on crash.
Image courtesy of Lincoln County (ME) Sheriff’s Office
The Corvette driver and passenger did not fare too well and were transported by helicopter to a medical center in Bangor. The other driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries. According to the sheriff’s office, alcohol or drugs don’t appear to be a contributing factor.
There’s no indication how fast either of them were going, but you can see the damage to the Corvette. We have to remind ourselves that no matter how salvageable a classic car may appear post-collision, it’s what happens inside the cabin that matters.
The town of Sturgis, South Dakota, is best known for its annual motorcycle rally, which draws hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to the area every August. My dad rode there once on his Honda Goldwing motorcycle and couldn’t say enough good things about the people, the atmosphere and the nearby attractions like the Black Hills National Forest.
As it turns out, Sturgis is a pretty good place for muscle cars, too:
Finished in Viper Red, the car has a two-door hardtop body style and has gone through a frame-off restoration. Features include a cowl induction hood, a driver’s-side mirror and chrome brightwork. Footwork comes from a set of 17-inch American Racing wheels wrapped in Nankang Sport NS-1 tires.
The second-generation Chevy II received a restyle on the General Motors X-body platform, and one of the most distinguishing characteristics was the new vertical taillight layout. The design was more squared-off than before, and influences were taken from the larger Chevelle and Impala. Consequently, in advertising, Chevrolet talked about how the car “looked” more high-end than it was. One magazine ad said, “Don’t let the expensive look frighten you. Come closer. It’s Chevy II. Relax, practical car lovers.”
The cockpit is trimmed with gray vinyl bucket seats and matching materials for the headliner, door panels and carpeting. AutoMeter gauges, a Lecarra steering wheel and a Kenwood audio system are among the updates to the interior. The odometer shows 884 miles, although true mileage is unknown (and the title reads mileage-exempt).
Now for the good stuff: Power comes from a professionally-built 406ci V8 mated to a TH350 three-speed automatic transmission. Upgrades include an Edelbrock 750cfm four-barrel carburetor, an Edelbrock aluminum intake, Hooker headers, a custom pulley system, MSD electronic ignition and an aluminum radiator with an electric fan. While horsepower is not advertised, it’s safe to say this combination yields a modest improvement over even the highest-power stock Nova drivetrain for 1966. Included in the AutoHunter listing is a cold-start video that gives us a small taste of how beastly the car sounds.
I’ve made it a life goal to own a Nova at some point, but I think it might have to be a third-generation example like my dad’s old 1968. That means I probably won’t be bidding against you on this 1966, as tempting as it looks. Have at it – and let me know how you like Sturgis when you go pick it up!
There were only two times Chevrolet introduced a high-performance full-size car in the 1960s. What about the Impala SS? Most of the time, it was a trim package, available with a six or V8, so no. However, the Z24 package that was introduced for 1967 certainly counts. A convertible that has that option is our Pick of the Day. This 1967 Chevrolet SS 427 convertible is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller out of Candler, North Carolina.
The first full-size Chevrolet performance car was the 1961 Impala SS. If you glance at the specs for the SS package, you’ll notice there was a big-block engine requirement – in this case, a 305-horsepower 348 backed by a four-speed or Powerglide. Variants offering 340 or 350 horses were also available. Other Super Sport features included a consolette (with a four-speed), passenger assist bar, electric tachometer, padded instrument panel, special wheel covers with simulated knock-offs, power steering and brakes, sintered metallic brake linings, heavy-duty suspension, and special SS ornamentation. Believe it or not, this package was available on all five Impala models, including four-doors. Only 456 were built, plus possibly several more packages installed at dealerships.
Starting in 1962, the SS package was repurposed. Now only available on the Impala Sport Coupe (hardtop) and Convertible, the package consisted of bucket seats, a console with a locking compartment, a passenger assist bar, special wheel covers with simulated knock-off hubs, distinctive side molding inserts, and Super Sport identification. Engine choices ranged from the inline-six to the 409-horsepower 409. This basic theme, either as a package or individual model, would continue through 1968.
Starting in 1967, a performance-focused Impala made an appearance for the second time. Order an Impala SS Sport Coupe or Convertible with the Z24 package and your car would be transformed into the SS 427. Akin to the SS 396 model in the Chevelle’s roster, this package included an L36 385-horsepower 427 paired with a three-speed manual, special hood with ornamentation, unique 427 emblems and SS 427 badging, F40 suspension, Super Sport wheel covers, special gauges, Strato-bucket or Strato-back front seating with a center arm rest, and more. This package was available through 1969, with the L72 427/425 added for 1968-69.
This Ermine White 1967 Chevrolet SS 427 Convertible is quite a rare piece: 2,141 Impalas were built with the Z24 package, and there’s no telling how many were ragtops. Aside from being a standout unto itself, there are several other aspects that distinguish this car even more. According to the seller, it was an executive-ordered car, which was then put in GM’s car pool with 1,500 miles. The owner of Berger (burr-jurr) Chevrolet (one of America’s premiere high-performance Chevrolet dealerships) selected it as his summer car, making several personalized modifications along the way. He subsequently put it on his used car lot.
Options include air conditioning, special instrumentation, Strato-back seating with Custom seat belts, a three-spoke steering wheel on a tilt column, a Multiplex stereo with an 8-track tape player, power windows, a TH400 automatic, Rallye wheels (it has 15-inch x 8-inch Corvette wheels, which are supposedly original), and the very rare D96 stripes (one of 200), which were only available on cars with the Z24 package. “Frame-off, nut-and-bolt restoration,” the seller claims. “Complete rebuild of the 385-horse engine,” though the transmission has never been apart.
Nineteen sixty-seven was one of the best years for Chevrolet—note the strength of its styling for all models, from the Chevy II to the Corvair, Camaro, Chevelle, and full-sizers. If you are a big-car fan, here’s an example that has all the good stuff (note the data plate’s accessory codes, including the 4D for the Z24 package), an interesting history several times over, plus a blue top that goes down. Do you really want to experience the summer rays without this Bow Tie? It’ll cost you $110,000 for the privilege.
While writing myPick of the Day on a 1972 Mercury Marquis Brougham, I learned more than I ever bargained for thanks to my friend who’s all about Mercury. Dennis Pierachini answered my questions and set me straight after being led astray by several resources, but he also shed light on nuances that will be of interest to pedant-leaning enthusiasts.
The initial ad on ClassicCars.com showed the vehicle to be a Mercury Marquis. Normally, it would be easy to assume it was a base Marquis and not the Marquis Brougham, but not everyone lists vehicles correctly. Looking at a brochure, I learned about a Marquis model that I had never heard of before—the Marquis Deluxe. Somewhat of a clunky name for an upper-middle-class car, wouldn’t you say? Yet I was not able to find anything in my research material that mentioned the Deluxe, though I eventually went back to the brochure and looked at the end page to find my answer—I was looking at a Canadian brochure with a Canadian-specific model.
Digging deeper, I found an American brochure, and it indicated Americans had just a Marquis and Marquis Brougham to choose from. The ad on ClassicCars.com did not specify or show the VIN (maybe the seller should read this), so I focused on trim to help determine which version of Marquis it was. Alas, this Marquis lacked most of the full-length fender top trim that was a feature of the Marquis Brougham, but the interior certainly looked fancy, befitting a car with “Brougham” in its name.
Molded Mercury Cyclone door panels first appeared on the 1971 Cyclone GT. This brochure shows the different Cyclone model interiors.
Next, I went to the seller’s site, which happened to have a photo of the car’s VIN—an image that was never uploaded to ClassicCars.com. The body code was 62, which my resources showed to be a Marquis Brougham four-door sedan. Clearly the Brougham trim had been removed for a semi-custom effect.
To be extra sure it was a Brougham, Dennis had me show him a picture of the door panels, which introduced me to a detail about these cars I would have never known except by speaking to a Mercury expert like him: the Hi-back Twin Comfort Lounge Seats in a choice of all-vinyl or cloth and vinyl was an option for the Marquis Brougham, but it also was an option for the base Marquis.
Molded door panels for the Marquis first appeared for the 1971 Marquis Brougham.
What distinguished the two with the same interior were the door panels, as the Marquis Brougham featured molded door panels (excepting the rare instance of a Brougham with the power windows-delete option). A vehicle with this Lounge interior without the molded door panels would suggest it most likely was a base Marquis.
The 1971-72 Marquis Brougham was one of several Mercury models that featured molded door panels. Starting in 1971, it was a feature of the Cyclone GT, then it was used for the next-generation version—Montego GT—built for 1972-73. The 1971-73 Cougar XR-7 also featured molded door panels, as did base Cougars with the Décor option (a package that was included on convertibles).
1971 Mercury Cougar brochure shows different door panels depending on model and/or interior.
According to Dennis, all big Mercurys went to the same basic door panel starting in 1973: fiberboard with an applied plastic armrest base, with pad and series-specific trim patterns, door pulls, courtesy lights, and so forth. The same held true for the redesigned 1974 Cougar and, of course, 1972 Montegos save the GT.
For all the whiners out there who complain that the sea of cars on our streets is full of whites, silvers, and grays, we have just the car for you! Perhaps you cannot afford the Bentley Bentayga EWB (Extended Wheelbase) Mulliner, but certainly you will appreciate this British chariot and the color it can bring to the road.
Right?
There’s something about men and pink, as the color tends to repel those with XY chromosomes. It’s generally considered a feminine color that no self-respecting man would adopt, yet we have plenty of exceptions to show—car guys with florid 1950s finned flyers, preps with their pink Polos, and rappers with their rosy, velveteen track suits. There also is equity in turning something feminine into an inverse flaunt, with pink reigning supreme with this flex. Cultural or otherwise, the type of pink also matters, as evidenced by this Bentley Bentayga EWB Mulliner.
Perhaps you’re a woman who appreciates the color selection. To these eyes, the hue doesn’t come off as the type of pink men would love, so it’s no surprise that this SUV’s Candy Pink was specified by a woman. Bentley offers 111 exterior colors available to its customers but, thanks to Mulliner (Bentley’s bespoke division), this legacy Bentley customer had her request distilled by Mulliner’s team of designers and skilled artisans, who embraced the creative opportunity to present what you see here. With Mulliner’s “Co-Creation” process, buyers can select among 46 billion available color and trim combinations.
This particular EWB also features the Bentley Airline Seat Specification, which means you get first-class accommodations without buying an airplane ticket. This seat features 22-way adjustment, has an automatic climate-sensing system, and postural adjustment technology. The latter can apply 177 individual pressure changes across six independent pressure zones over a three-hour period while your chauffeur dodges other, lesser vehicles and cuts to the front of the line. In between the two airline-inspired seats is a Mulliner Bottle Cooler that can maintain your 26-ounce Yeti water bottle. The frosted glass soft-close door may remind you of those drawers at IKEA before you hit it rich, while the bespoke pair of handcrafted Cumbria Crystal flutes will remind you that you are now in a higher tax bracket.
Also specified for this vehicle are privacy glass and 22-inch painted wheels—thankfully, not pink. The cherry on top (pun intended) are the rear seat entertainment and Bang & Olufsen for Bentley stereo. Care to guess what kind of beats emanate from that?
Featured on AutoHunter is this 1961 Chevrolet Corvette 4-speed, which underwent a total restoration. It’s powered by a Chevrolet 350ci connected to a four-speed manual gearbox. Finished in Roman Red and Ermine White, and equipped with a white soft top over a red vinyl interior, this C1 is offered by the seller in Utah with a body-colored hardtop and a clear title.
The Roman Red body features chrome bumpers and trim, Ermine White coves, wraparound windshield, and dual exhaust outlets. A white soft top with a plastic rear window covers the passenger compartment and can be stored under a body-color tonneau cover. The included Roman Red hardtop has a glass rear window.
A set of 15-inch wheels with full covers and 6.70 Firestone whitewall tires connect this first-generation Vette to the road.
The cockpit features red vinyl bucket seats with lap belts. Other equipment includes a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, dash-mounted rearview mirror, and Wonderbar AM radio with Bluetooth module, though the latter is currently inoperable.
Instrumentation consists of a 160-mph speedometer, 7,000-rpm tachometer, and gauges for the oil pressure, temperature, battery, and fuel level. The odometer shows 60,439 miles, but the title of this vehicle indicates it’s mileage-exempt. According to the seller, the speedometer needle needs to be replaced.
Under the front-hinged hood, the original 283ci V8 has been replaced with a 350 with a four-barrel carburetor, which is connected to a four-speed manual transmission.
An independent front suspension with coil springs, plus a rear end with solid axle and leaf springs, help this Corvette hold the road.
You can take this 350-powered 1961 Chevrolet Corvette 4-speed on your next summer cruise, but you have to place the winning bid on it first. Do that before the auction ends on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. (PDT).
The original Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer was known for its combination of four-wheel-drive capability and luxury features. You could wear a suit and take it to a upscale restaurant, or shorts and flip flops and drive it to the beach—either way, you’d fit right in. The only catch is that if you took an SJ by the water, the closest you could get to an open-air driving experience was cruising with all the windows down; you couldn’t remove the roof as if you were in a CJ.
Technically, you can’t do that with this Grand Wagoneer either. That’s because the metal roof has already been cut off and replaced with a beige removable bikini top, which covers the roll cage over both rows of seats.
The missing roof (and windows) may be the most noticeable part (or lack thereof) of this Spinnaker Blue Grand Wagoneer, but it’s not the only significant change. According to the selling dealer, it was restored in 2020, with the cabin furnished with new beige upholstery. Some modifications have also been made, such as the black rubber flooring and black fabric door panels.
This rig is meant for letting in the elements, but that can sometimes do damage, so the speakers connected to the modern head unit are marine-grade, and the floor of the rear cargo compartment has been lined with a protective coating.
Rolling through a coastal town should be a stress-free experience thanks to the rebuilt 360ci V8, which can send its power to the rear or all four refinished wheels, plus their new BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A tires.
Are you ready for summer vacation? Of course you are. Who isn’t? You can feel the wind in your hair and sun on your skin in this distinctive 1987 Jeep Grand Wagoneer custom convertible for $42,900.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from being a car enthusiast for most of my life, it’s that the automotive community has a “family” feel to it. I’ve watched car-club friends raise children, land their dream jobs, and travel the world. The Honda network is an extended family to me, so visiting the American Honda headquarters’ campus in the Los Angeles area is a bit like visiting home and seeing relatives.
Honda hosts bi-monthly meetups called “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” at its campus in Torrance. Each occasion is themed around a specific topic—for example, a recent one was all about rugged off-road travel, and another was racing-focused. Here is a story I wrote about last summer’s visit in my 1989 Honda Prelude. This time, I made the six-hour, 400-mile trek in a car not nearly as classic: my 2013 Acura ILX.
Charitable cause
Honda has a long-standing history of community involvement when it comes to collaboration with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The Foundation, founded in 1991, funds childhood brain cancer research to cure kids, support families affected by the disease, and advocate for policies that help those involved. For this occasion, Honda partnered with a charity called Ride for Kids. There was a special section set apart for the Ride for Kids attendees at the venue.
Fast & Furious Honda S2000
Stand-out vehicles
One cool thing about Honda’s event is that it’s open to any make or model. Here were some of the noteworthy cars that caught my eye at the June 21 event.
1964 Chrysler 300 convertible
While most of the vehicles on display were polished to perfection, I loved seeing this 300 in all its unrestored glory. In this car’s case, I believe the car on display was a more affordable non-letter version of the 300-K. Check out that interior!
1969 Chevrolet El Camino
Sharing underpinnings with the midsized A-body Chevelle, the unmistakable El Camino was Chevrolet’s “coupe utility” that combined the driving dynamics of a car with the versatility of a pickup. I especially enjoyed the red paint and the American Racing wheels on this one. Based on how clean the interior of the bed was, it hadn’t done much hauling recently.
1980 Toyota Celica GT Liftback
Speaking of utility, the Celica GT Liftback was a versatile car in its day, too. The “A50” version (produced from 1980 to 1981) received square headlights in place of the prior round ones. An available GT variant came with alloy wheels, honeycomb grille, and enhanced interior appointments. Power was provided by a “20R” 2.2-liter inline-four with a five-speed manual transmission. Love the window louvers.
1985 Honda CRX Si
Honda called this compact the “unexpected sports car.” While primarily designed with economy travel in mind, its lightweight construction (at only 1,840 pounds) and fuel-injected engine gave it some performance credentials. The CRX was a two-seater with a bargain retail price of just $7,999 when new. This example was on display inside Honda’s collection hall—likely an uber-low-miler!
1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SL
My friend Bill showed me the process for folding down the blue soft-top on his clean R107 SL, and then he let me have a seat behind the wheel. The textures and controls oozed quality—even at nearly 40 years old. Bill told me the car was featured on Wheeler Dealers’ YouTube channel back in 2018. When it came to two-seat roadsters, the SL was well-known for its status—and the power from its 5.6-liter V8.
Plan your visit
Honda’s event always delivers fun and, as the company has shown, can also promote charitable causes. If you are ever planning to visit Southern California, the American Honda Collection Hall is located inside the lobby and is open to the public during regular weekday business hours. Honda’s campus is located at 1919 Torrance Boulevard, Torrance, CA 90505.
The next official “Cars, Bikes & Coffee” event, themed around heritage, will be held on August 16, 2025. Stay tuned to the American Honda Collection Hall’s website for information.
It was great to reconnect with friends from SoCal and beyond! Join the fun next time.
The folks who bring you your favorite automotive spectacular are making a big splash on Saturday, July 5, 2025—that’s when Barrett-Jackson and Gila River Resorts & Casinos host what will be the coolest pool party of the summer. Open to hotel guests and day pass ticket holders, the Pool Party serves as part of an exciting summer escapade that culminates with Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale Fall Auction this coming October.
Festivities commence at noon at the Oasis Pool at Wild Horse Pass. Located a convenient 20 minutes from Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport, this AAA Four-Diamond-awarded hotel is a fine way to spend the long weekend celebrating the birth of America.
See this 1965 Ford Mustang fastback and other cool classics at the Pool Party.
Start off with a dip in the pool while you enjoy Barrett-Jackson swag like a pool float, sunglasses, and koozie. Then, enjoy the display of collector cars straight out of the Barrett-Jackson Collection Showroom like the above Smoke Silver Mustang.
If you’re local, Pool Party day passes are available for purchase at the resort’s front desk on the day of the event. A Pool Pass is included if you book a room for the long weekend.
Near the beginning of this year, I wrote a piece about the Rolls-Royce Phantom being the epitome of luxury automobiles for the past 100 years. Its lineage started with the New Phantom, a.k.a. Phantom I, which means one of the most visually distinctive Rolls-Royces ever made is also a century old: the 1925/1934 Phantom I “Round Door.”
If you’re not familiar with this one-off coupe, you’re probably wondering why the Round Door is identified as both a 1925 and a 1934. Let’s just say money can buy you options.
This Rolls was originally configured with a Cabriolet body by the coachbuilders at Hooper & Co. for its first owner, Anna Thompson Dodge, the wife of Broadway and silent film actor Hugh Dillman. You might recognize her last name, which she took when she married her previous husband: Horace Elgin Dodge, a co-founder of the Dodge Brothers Company.
This Phantom was purchased by the the Raja of Nanpara in India, and then it changed hands once again, with the new owner sending it to Jonckheere in Belgium for a custom body with a sloping radiator grille cover, twin sunroofs, semicircular fender skirts, louvered rear end, side-hinged trunk cover with a prominent fin and, true to the car’s name, round doors. As neat as those doors are, perhaps what’s even cooler is the dramatic way in which the windows open.
By the 1950s, this creation was a battered heap residing in New Jersey. A subsequent owner named Max Obie had it painted gold and charged people $1 to see it within a semi trailer. Over the following decades, it spent time on the East Coast and even Japan before being acquired by the Petersen Automotive Museum in 2001 and restored.
Weighing 5,600 pounds and equipped with a 7,668cc I6 that only generates 110 horsepower, the nearly 20-foot-long Rolls-Royce Round Door is not exactly easy to drive. Then again, it wasn’t meant to be a performance machine; it was built to be a show car, winning the Prix d’Honneur at the 1936 Cannes Concours d’Elegance. You might not be able to see it on the show circuit any more, but you can get an eyeful at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Maybe I’ll see you there sometime because the Petersen is on my bucket list, along with the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, both Packard museums, the Studebaker National Museum . . .
