In the early 1960s, several manufacturers had “bubbletop” rooflines for their two-door hardtops. It’s almost a shame the trend didn’t last long as they seem to be eternally attractive.
Below, you will find four vehicles listed for sale on AutoHunter or ClassicCars.com. All four feature this slick roofline in question. Can you identify each vehicle? Post your answers in the Comments section below. Need a hint? It’s as near as clicking on the image.
Right now on AutoHunter, you can find this restored 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible, which is powered by a 300-horsepower L75 327ci V8 paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. Highlights include power steering, new carburetor, and four-wheel disc brakes. Finished in Rally Red and equipped with a black soft top over a black vinyl interior, this C2 Corvette comes from the selling dealer in Connecticut with a clear title.
As part of the restoration process, the fiberglass body was refinished in Rally Red and fitted with a new black soft top. Other exterior features include chrome bumpers, concealed headlights, front fender louvers, bright rocker panel trim, and dual exhaust outlets.
A set of 215/75 BFGoodrich whitewall radial tires surround the 15-inch wheels with knock-off-style center caps.
In the cockpit, black vinyl covers the bucket seats, which are divided by a center console that houses a Hurst four-speed shifter with a cue ball-style knob. Additional features include manual windows and power steering. The center stack contains a clock and a Delco AM/FM radio.
Behind the three-spoke steering wheel is a 160-mph speedometer, 7,000-rpm tachometer, and gauges for the fuel level, battery, oil pressure, and water temperature. The odometer shows 46,133, which is the car’s actual mileage, according to the title.
The L75 327ci V8 runs 10.5:1 compression and was factory-rated at 300 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque. In November of this year, the engine received a tune-up and a new four-barrel carburetor. Power reaches the rear end by way of a four-speed manual transmission.
This Vette rides on a four-wheel independent suspension and comes to a stop with the help of manual four-wheel disc brakes.
If you want to gift this restored 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible for someone you love (even if it’s yourself) as an early Christmas or Hannukah present, bid on it now because the auction ends on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. (MST).
A new era was upon us in 1977 when General Motors downsized its full-size cars. However, the mid-size vehicles within the corporation continued to stretch their legs for one more year. Our Pick of the Day is one of the best of those swan songs, a 1977 Buick Regal Coupe. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Collierville, Tennessee.
This 1977 Regal has its origins in the 1973 “Colonnade” coupes and sedans (plus wagons) produced by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. The Skylark name was discontinued (later to resume as a successor to the Apollo compact) and Century was the name of the new mid-size series. Models were the Century, Century 350, Century Gran Sport (really, a performance package for the base Century), Century Luxus, and Century Regal, the latter more of a personal luxury car with the emphasis on luxury. Only available as a formal hardtop, the Regal also featured unique parking lights and grille that separated it from the rest of the Century series. A sedan joined the Regal lineup for 1974, while the base Century was discontinued. More model shuffling and a V6 arrived for 1975-76.
In the Colonnade’s final year, the Regal Coupe was characterized as “. . . about as close to a personal luxury car as you’re likely to get in a car of this size … It is distinguished from the regular Century by its more formal styling. Its squared-off front end. And its squared-off roofline.” Speaking of that front end, Buick had three different styles: Century Special, Century, and Century Custom Coupes featured a slanted front end with horizontal quad halogens; the Century, Century Custom, and Regal Sedans featured vertical halogens, with the Regal losing its unique grille and parking lamps; and the Regal Coupe featured an upright front end and elegant grille. Three distinctive designs? Bean counters today would have to DOGE that!
At the end of the model year, 192,506 Regals were built, including 174,560 Coupes. A sizable percentage of them were powered by a V8. Regal production also was 25 percent higher than lesser Century models. For 1978, with corporate-wide downsizing, Regal production shot up by almost 45,000, while Century production—with its controversial slant-back rear—fell to under 88,000 units. For the following decade, the Regal and Century would become more distinct from each other.
This Medium Green Metallic 1977 Buick Regal Coupe features a white Landau vinyl top, but don’t get distracted by how fancy it is because it’s the odometer that tells the tale: 22,000 original miles. “Never wrecked, always garaged, showroom condition,” says the seller. “This beauty boasts its original paint and interior, both in immaculate, showroom condition.” Power comes from a Buick 350 V8 with a two-barrel carburetor, as evidenced by the “H” in the fifth character of the VIN. Other features include white pinstripes, a matching green vinyl bench-seat interior, power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning.
Low-mileage cars are always neat, but we can never go back and choose which ones would lead such easy lives. Though a “Malaise Era” car such as this Buick may not be anyone’s first choice, I am certainly glad this car exists because it needs to represent. For $27,900, wouldn’t you agree?
People who have a bankroll that can choke a hippo can buy any new car they want. But do you know which new car they can’t get their hands on? One with a naturally aspirated V12 and a manual transmission (unless you count the one-off Aston Martin Victor). The Nilu27 Nilu hypercar that recently appeared on “Jay Leno’s Garage” aims to change that.
My colleague Diego Rosenberg and I told you about the Nilu on the Drive the Bid podcast back in May of 2024. Now there’s a prototype, which company co-founders (and husband and wife) Sasha and Inna Selipanov brought for Leno to see up close. Nilu27 may be the new kid on the block of hypercar manufacturers, but it has plenty of pedigree. Before the Selipanovs established their company, Sasha was a designer for Lamborghini and Bugatti, and the head of design for Koenigsegg. As a result, the Nilu—a portmanteau of Nica and Lucia, their daughters’ names—has an exotic, curvaceous body with a fighter jet-like canopy. Its carbon fiber construction helps the Nilu tip the scales at 1,200 kilograms (2,645 pounds).
Sasha wasn’t the only Bugatti designer involved in the creation of the Nilu; his former colleague Etienne Salomé designed the interior. The 1990s F1-inspired steering wheel has a small diameter to increase road feel, and sits in front of analog gauges. Between the two seats is a metal ignition key (remember those?) and a gated shifter for the Cima seven-speed manual gearbox. One thing you won’t see is a lot of gizmos or a giant touchscreen because the Nilu was made to be an analog machine.
Something else you won’t see is a cover over the 6.5-liter V12 built by Hartley Engines of New Zealand. In keeping with the analog theme, the 80-degree “hot-V” design doesn’t have any turbos. Even without power adders, the engine cranks out 1,070 horsepower at a stratospheric 11,000 rpm and 634 lb-ft of torque at 7,000 rpm.
Given its unusual mix of characteristics, the Nilu is an exotic among exotics. Perhaps the next time the Selipanovs visit Leno, they’ll have a car he can drive so we can see and hear what is a truly unique creation.
Luke and The ClassicCars.com Journal lead writer Diego Rosenberg caught something special at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Scottsdale Fall Auction: a Competition Orange 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ. According to its Elite Marti Report, this car is 1 of just 91 built in this paint and trim combo (Competition Orange with black split bench seat). This one is equipped with a 428 Cobra Jet V8 with optional ram air (“R-code”), four-speed gearbox with Hurst shifter, and the Competition Handling package.
Under the hood, the 428 runs with a hotter setup thanks to Comp Cams Mutha’ Thumpr camshaft, Edelbrock intake, Holley 750cfm carburetor, MSD ignition, and Borla ATAK exhaust. If you are into off-brand muscle, big-block Fords, or obscure Marti-proven builds, click the play button and let us know if this Cyclone CJ deserves more love in the muscle car world!
Currently on AutoHunter, you can find this 1970 Chevrolet Camaro Custom Coupe listed for sale. Featuring Rally Sport equipment, this second-generation Camaro is powered by a fuel-injected 540ci big-block V8 paired with a five-speed TREMEC TKX manual transmission. Features include a custom chassis with tubular A-arms, four-point roll bar, and more. Painted black with a black vinyl interior, this Bow Tie pony car is offered by the selling dealer in Missouri with a clear title.
The original Citrus Green has been replaced by black paint, which is complemented by dark blue “ghost” stripes. Other features include Rally Sport equipment, an aftermarket Cowl Induction hood, front and rear spoilers (the latter the “early” kind), and body-colored side mirrors. A set of 17-inch Budnik wheels are wrapped in 315/35 Goodyear Eagle radials.
The black vinyl interior features modern, aftermarket bucket seats plus a modern console housing a manual shifter and cup holders. Other interior features include a four-point roll bar, an aftermarket three-spoke steering wheel with power rack-and-pinion steering, and an aftermarket Alpine AM/FM stereo with a CD player.
A swath of AutoMeter gauges decorate the instrument panel and console. You’ll find a 160-mph speedometer, 10,000-rpm tachometer, and gauges for the oil pressure, fuel pressure, water temperature, voltage, and fuel. The odometer shows 2,740 miles, but the title reads mileage-exempt.
Power comes from a 540ci V8 sourced from a Mercury Marine MerCruiser. It features electronic fuel injection, an MSD Blaster Coil, a Milodon oil pan, an aluminum radiator, and long-tube headers. The engine is hooked to a TREMEC TKX five-speed manual.
The custom chassis features tubular A-arms, coil-overs, a custom-fabricated rear suspension, and a 12-bolt rear end with 3.55 gears and Positraction. Stopping power comes from hydro-boosted four-wheel disc brakes with drilled and slotted rotors.
Remember how the 1970 Camaro was supposed to be better than the 1967-69? By all accounts at the time, the 1970 Camaro was a spectacular European-inspired design that raised the bar, but it seems collectors have chosen the first-generation model. However, you’re among the many who truly know good automotive design when you see it, and you also appreciate a good restomod build, which is why this 1970 Camaro Custom Coupe is for you. The auction for this AutoHunter Spotlight car ends on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. (MST), so prepare your trigger finger so you can bid and win. Good luck!
The first production-ready Porsche 911 with all-wheel drive came out in 1988, bringing engineering that was once tailored exclusively for race applications to street-legal cars. By the early 2000s, all-wheel drive had become a popular option among Porsche buyers. The Pick of the Day is a 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Bradenton, Florida.
“This is a beautiful Guards Red car with Savanna Beige interior and a black convertible top,” the listing says. The “996” generation of the Porsche 911 was produced from 1999 through 2005. It marked a significant engineering development compared to prior generations – most notably because it had a water-cooled (versus air-cooled) engine. At the rear of this car is a 3.6-liter flat-six mated to a five-speed automatic transmission (a six-speed manual was also available).
The 911 was always known for its precise handling and strong performance, but when enhanced stability was added to the equation via all-wheel drive, it made the car even more capable (not to mention confidence-inspiring) to drive. A magazine advertisement from the period said “1.1 million words in the English language, and not one can describe the feeling.”
The “4” in this car’s model name means that it is equipped all-wheel drive. The system is of course designed to enhance traction and stability, and the level of engineering behind it is impressive. The system is referred to as “passive”– it responds to wheel slip rather than staying constantly active. It uses a viscous coupling and is controlled by the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) interface. The interesting thing is how the PSM can split the distribution of torque: In normal driving, 31 percent of torque goes to the front wheels and 69 percent to the rear. When slip is detected at any corner, torque can move accordingly.
Showing just 46,385 miles, this Carrera has been driven relatively sparingly over the course of its 22 years. The listing calls out the car’s headrests, door sills, headlight washers, stainless-steel exhaust system, and 18-inch wheels with Porsche center crests.
While many Porsche owners in some regions of the country are starting to put their sports cars on battery tenders for the season, it’s nice to know that with a Carrera “4” (especially when equipped with a set of winter tires), you could theoretically drive a 911 all year long.
What were some of the experiences in your youth that shaped your automotive interest as an adult? For me, my childhood revolved around anything with wheels—starting with Hot Wheels, evolving to slot cars, radio-controlled cars, and diecast scale models of all sizes. As a Cub Scout, one of my favorite events each year was the Pinewood Derby, a tradition in which each participant started with a basic block of wood and crafted it into a race car. My dad was (and is) a handyman extraordinaire, so his involvement was always a critical element in the process.
I remember one year where the derby took a different route entirely: instead of the goal being to reach the finish line first, there was an obstacle at the end of the track that the cars would crash into. Each vehicle would have a raw egg strapped into a “driver seat.” The goal was to build the safest Pinewood Derby car—one that would not crack or break the egg at the barricade. It was a messy ordeal, but it made for lots of memorable laughs.
Custom Creation
My friend Derek from Utah is no stranger to being a do-it-yourselfer around the house. His YouTube channel, dubbed “DIY Derek,” has over 15,000 subscribers at the time of this writing. Derek is an innovator, handyman, and problem-solver. His channel introduces viewers to the ins and outs of home-improvement, how-to basics, and much more.
For one of his latest episodes, Derek chose to document the process of creating a custom Pinewood Derby car for a neighborhood competition. His creation was modeled after my Acura Legend. I was honored, to say the least. “I went with the most tested car I know,” Derek said. His three daughters each built a car of their own, too.
The project was a true “scratch-built” undertaking. In fact, Derek didn’t even start with a pre-cut wooden block. He made his own by gluing three scrap pieces of wood together. From there, he did some freehand sketching to come up with the general shape. The block was cut using a scroll saw to create the basic profile, then an orbital sander and sanding block were used to soften the curves. The axle grooves needed to be carved out manually. The car was sprayed in proper Desert Mist Metallic, and the details were added with a Sharpie. Finally, Derek added some stickers to the trunk lid and the windshield for maximum authenticity.
Race Day
When the action kicked off at the slot track, Derek had to make some strategic and last-minute engineering changes, one of which included the removal of an “underbody” component that was making contact with the track and slowing the car down.
Derek allowed a girl from the neighborhood to race the Legend since she didn’t have a car of her own. The competition was fierce and, out of about 50 competitors, the Legend finished in the Top 10. The car’s best run down the track came in at a speedy 3.44 seconds. Representing!
“There was only one thing left to do,” Derek said. The last step was mailing me the Pinewood Derby car for display in my collection. And display it proudly, I shall!
Fostering Future Car Fans
In an era when autonomous transportation is becoming the norm and fewer young people are energized about getting driver licenses, I loved seeing the neighborhood spirit that Derek created for a fun car-related event. And now it’s making me want to craft a Pinewood Derby car of my own!
Celebrated for its design by Ian Callum (who later drew up several other popular British models like the Jaguar XK and the F-Type), the Aston Martin DB7 blended supercharged power with sexy styling. Featured on AutoHunter is a low-mileage luxury, Grand-Touring 1997 Aston Martin DB7 Coupe. It is being sold by a dealer in Los Angeles, with the auction ending Monday, December 1, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. (MST).
Showing just 75,600 original miles, the car’s sexy silhouette seems to have defied age—even at 28 years old, it looks relatively modern. Callum’s design sought to capture the essence of classic Astons while adding modern features. Exterior features included vented front fenders, color-keyed mirrors, dual exhaust outlets, and 18-inch turbine-style wheels.
The DB7 was assembled in Bloxham, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, from 1994 through 2003. It was classified internally under the “XX” model name and leveraged some of the platform architecture from the Jaguar XJS (since at the time, both Aston Martin and Jaguar were owned by Ford). In addition to its coupe body style, the DB7 was offered as a “Volante” convertible after 1996. The marketplace reacted warmly to the car, and it became a volume seller for the brand. The DB7 went on to be credited—at least in part—for helping Aston Martin survive during a particularly competitive period.
The Experian AutoCheck report says that this car has an accident-free history. It was first registered in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and later spent time in Ohio, Kentucky, and Florida before being relocated to California in 2020, where it remains today. A California emissions inspection was performed in September 2024. The report corroborates the car’s low mileage reading, as the last recorded entry was 70,235 when that emissions check was done.
No luxury car would be complete without a few creature comforts. The four-passenger cabin of the DB7 has wood veneer, dual-zone automatic climate control, and power convenience options throughout. An aftermarket AM/FM cassette stereo has been added, but the rest of the cabin appears original.
Up front is a Jaguar-derived 3.2-liter supercharged DOHC inline-six mated to a 4L80-E four-speed automatic transmission. Aston Martin rated the engine at 335 horsepower and 361 lb-ft of torque when new. One unique thing about the DB7 was that each engine was hand-assembled, receiving a placard noting the vehicle number and inspector’s name. This car is identified with the sequence 1*604, which aligns with its VIN. Final assembly was performed by someone named Steve Gray.
Steve should be pleased to know that his efforts did not go unnoticed, and that a DB7 with his name on it is still cruising the streets almost three decades later.
If you’re reading this, you’ve managed to drink enough coffee to counteract all the turkey and high-carb sides of Thanksgiving! Congratulations—and welcome back to The ClassicCars.com Journal. You’re just in time for another installment of Car Connections. I make the Random Word Generator spit out a few words, then I find ways to link each of them to automobiles.
Today’s words are: meat, stuff, and glow. Here we go.
Meat: What kills me about some restomods is that they have over-sized wheels with rubber bands for tires. One of the things that makes classic American cars, such as the Ford Mustang and Pontiac Trans Am, look so great is their proportions—including those of their wheels and tires. A nice meaty sidewall helps keep things in balance.
2025 Toyota Sienna Platinum (Photo by Maclaine Morgan)
Stuff: Now that I’m a dad, I love minivans, especially the 2025 Toyota Sienna Platinum I tested back in April. Not only was it well equipped, comfortable, and fuel-efficient, but it also had room for so much stuff! It easily fit my wife in the shotgun seat and my son Hayden in his bulky car seat in the second row. There was plenty of space for storage totes in the back, even if I didn’t fold the third-row seats down.
Photo courtesy of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest
Glow: Le Mans racing challenges the endurance of everyone and everything involved. Not only do the drivers have to stay awake for long stretches, but they also have to be 100 percent sharp and alert every second they’re behind the wheel. The cars’ engines have to hold up to the stresses of all-out driving and high-g turns. So do the brakes—they work so hard and absorb so much heat that they literally glow in the dead of night.
How would you associate these words with cars? Tell us in the Comments section below. And be sure to share your ideas for random words to use in a future installment of Car Connections.
