Journal Classic Cars

In the mid-1990s, the sport-utility marketplace was gaining momentum, and Land Rover was right on the front lines. In 1994, Four Wheeler magazine awarded the Land Rover Defender 90 the title “Four Wheeler of the Year.” The following year, Land Rover did it again – this time, with the Discovery. What made the “Disco” such a standout in its segment? You might have to drive one to find out. Luckily for you, we’ve found a prime example:

Featured on AutoHunter is this 1994 Land Rover Discovery 4WD. The sport-utility vehicle is being sold by a private party in Peoria, Arizona, and the auction will end Monday, July 7, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. (PDT).

Finished in Beluga Black over tan, this Discovery’s silhouette showcases one of its most recognizable exterior features: a raised rear roof section over the cargo area with upward-facing windows for the ultimate safari-style experience. The vehicle’s boxy body looks straight and clean – especially for being a three-decade-old SUV that was built with off-roading intentions.

The Discovery established a name for itself as a capable rig thanks in part to its ample ground clearance (at 8.1 inches). The “Series I” version dates back to 1989 when it was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Its chassis, suspension and four-wheel-drive system were derived from the Discovery’s larger (and more upscale) sibling, the Range Rover. Exterior features included roof rails, side steps and a swing-away rear-mounted spare tire.

For being such a rugged machine, the Discovery still offered its share of creature comforts on the inside. Some of them included a power sunroof, cruise control and dual-zone air conditioning, all of which are equipped on today’s featured vehicle. The audio system is upgraded to a Kenwood AM/FM/CD setup, but the equipment appears largely unmodified otherwise.

Under the hood, you’ll find a Rover 3.9-liter V8, which is mated to a ZF 4HP22 four-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. The AutoHunter listing outlines some of the maintenance that has been performed since March 2025, including an oil change, air conditioner recharge, spark plug replacement and battery change.

Adding to the positive-attribute checklist, the CARFAX report shows accident-free and damage-free ownership since new. The first owner took delivery in June 1994 in California and the vehicle remained in that area until 2005; subsequently, there were registration events shown in both Washington and Arizona. The last emissions check was performed in 2018, and the current odometer reading is 136,627 miles. This Disco has plenty of adventurous miles ahead.

Back to our earlier mention of Four Wheeler magazine’s awards: Do you think you could guess which vehicle broke Land Rover’s consecutive winning streak? It was the 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The auction for this 1994 Land Rover Discovery 4WD ends Monday, July 7, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

To many car enthusiasts, any Ferrari would be a dream to have, especially in red. But then there are those who want more than just a Ferrari, which could blend in with others at an owners meeting—they want the only Ferrari that looks like theirs. Consider our Pick of the Day, a 2009 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti customized through the automaker’s One-to-One (OTO) service, as that kind of Prancing Horse. It’s listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Newport Beach, California.

Introduced in 2004 as a successor to the 456M GT/GTA, the 612 Scaglietti was a GT that honored coachbuilder Sergio Scaglietti, a.k.a. the “maestro of aluminium.” Its long hood covered 532 horses generated by the 5.7-liter V12 and corralled by a six-speed automated manual gearbox; the 2+2 cabin seated four humans.

This particular 612 was configured by its original owner in the One-to-One customization program. When this 612 was completed, it was covered in Brunito with Grigio Ingrid side coves, the latter an homage to the color of Casablanca actress Ingrid Bergman’s Ferrari 375 MM. Total price was a cool $442,678.

The interior is just as unusual, featuring rich brown Iroko leather accented with ostrich-print leather on the door panels and dashboard.

The V12 wasn’t enhanced with the OTO build, but the engine bay was certainly improved—according to the selling dealer, Ferrari employees involved in this 612’s production signed the radiator cowl.

Two owners have put less than 6,000 miles on this Ferrari four-seater in the past 16 years. Despite the low figure on the odometer, this 612 was recently serviced by Ferrari of Newport Beach, which installed new timing belts and tires.

If this 2009 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is the 1-of-1 for you, you can make it yours for $224,800.

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

The highlight of the American summer is upon us, yet here you are, still with that ball-and-chain of an automobile that you’ve thought about selling but simply can’t find the motivation. What would Uncle Sam say about your procrastination? There’s no time like now to list your vehicle on ClassicCars.com because when you create a new listing between July 1-8, 2025, and use the promo code FREEDOM, you will receive 17.76 percent off.

Best of all, when you list your vehicle for sale on ClassicCars.com, the ad will remain until sold—guaranteed! You can also increase your listing’s exposure with Plus and Premium packages that give priority placement for your vehicle—different packages feature different levels of promotion, so the choice is up to you (indicated prices show discount):

• Regular Package: $149.99 $123.35
• Plus Package (our most popular!): $189.99 $156.25
• Premium Package: $349.99 $287.83

Visit here to compare package to find the one that best suits your needs. Here are some other ways ClassicCars.com can meet them:

• ClassicCars.com attracts over 3 million visits a month.
• There are over 37,000 vehicles listed for sale on ClassicCars.com.
• Choose the Premium Package and your vehicle will be featured in our “Downshift” email newsletter—that’s 160,000 extra views!
• If your car is chosen by one of our writers, this Pick of the Day will be promoted on The ClassicCars.com Journal website.
• Our award-winning team of dedicated customer support specialists provide individual attention, leveraging their knowledge and experience to enhance your listing.

Happy birthday, America! And congratulations are in order for taking the first step in selling your vehicle! 17.76 percent off is the nudge you need, but you must create your new vehicle listing between July 1-8, 2025, and provide the promo code FREEDOM to obtain the discount.

Promotion available only to private sellers and new listings.

With Independence Day weekend on the horizon, it means it’s time for the Petersen Automotive Museum’s Annual All-American Cruise-In on Sunday, July 6, 2025. Of special note is the celebration of 60 years of the Shelby GT350 and 427 Cobra.

From 9 a.m. through noon, this event will be open to all American makes and models. If you are inclined to bring your own Yankee vehicle and park so other enthusiasts can appreciate it, then the cost of entry will be $50 ($29 for Petersen Members). Aside from show parking, this includes admission to the museum, an exclusive poster, and meal voucher.

Do those sundries have appeal but your furrin car doesn’t fit the theme? General admission will cost you $35 ($13 for Petersen Members).

For general spectating, admission is free and, if you arrive early enough, you (and everyone else) can indulge in bagels and coffee.

As a bonus, if you are the owner of a Shelby GT350 or Cobra, you can participate in a 7 a.m. rally through the Santa Monica Mountains before the event. For $150 ($129 for Petersen Members), you will receive breakfast for two, free show parking, two tickets for the Petersen Automotive Museum (including Private Collection access), two food vouchers, and an exclusive poster.

More information, plus tickets, is available at petersen.org/museum-events.

Among the easiest cars for me to write about are those I have not only owned but also really liked. The E34 BMW 535i is one of those cars, and in fact was only the third BMW I had ever owned.

I was living in Scottsdale at the time and was moving on from an old Alfa Romeo Duetto. I wanted something with more space and, being in Arizona, working air conditioning. I researched a bit, decided the BMW 5 Series was a good choice and found a 1989 535i with 85,000 miles. I went to check it out and, after inspecting a binder of service records, took a test drive. That test drive was an eye-opener. The 535i handled like an honest-to-God sports car – very flat in the corners with what at the time seemed like tremendous grip. It became a game as to how fast I could enter a curved freeway on-ramp. The car was also quite quick for the time, with vintage road tests giving it a very believable 7-second 0-60 time. The interior was also nice; a big step up in luxury from the earlier E28 5 Series it replaced. It truly deserved the title of “Ultimate Driving Machine.”

Needless to say, I bought the Bimmer. I drove that car for three years and added over 100,000 miles, which included three cross-country drives, a ton of BMWCCA rallies and general commuting, as it was my daily driver. During that entire time, all I had to do was routine service. I sold it to a friend, who added another 80,000 miles before selling it to yet another friend. These cars really are that reliable when cared for. I may sound biased about the E34 535i, but the PBS show “MotorWeek” closed its review of the 535i with the statement, “The BMW 535i sets a new standard for luxury high-performance sedans.”

Featured on AutoHunter is one of these cars in a rare and desirable spec: a 1992 BMW 535i with a hard-to-find factory five-speed manual gearbox.

This 535i is powered by a 3.4-liter inline-six mated to a Getrag 260 manual transmission. The car is finished in Alpine White over a black leather interior and is offered by the seller with an owner’s manual, dealer directory, service booklet, clean CARFAX report and clear title.

The service details include a complete engine overhaul in 2018, as well as an R134 conversion for the air-conditioning system. It also has a limited-slip differential, E34 M5 front sway bar, Racing Dynamics adjustable rear sway bar and Billy Boat performance exhaust system.

The exterior appears to be in good driver-level shape; the original Alpine White paint looks decent with a few flaws. These include some chips and scrapes – what you would consider normal wear and tear on a 33-year-old BMW.

The interior looks to be in excellent condition, with the black leather seats showing wear but no cracks or tears anywhere to be seen. The interior wood also looks to be in similar shape, with no cracking or sun damage. The dash has no cracks, and the door cards (both front and rear) are also in really nice condition, as are the carpets.

Under the very cool BMW factory reverse-opening hood is the 3.4-liter SOHC M30 inline-six, which looks clean and in nice shape. The only change I notice is a strut tower brace and a valve cover someone decided to paint blue – something I would personally change. The car is said to run and drive well.

Yes, this is basically a nice driver-level E34 BMW 5 Series sedan, but the factory five-speed, combined with the documented engine rebuild from a few years back, makes this a car I would personally buy and work on making marginally better over time. It would benefit quite a bit from something as simple as a really excellent detail, and I would approach it that way – it’s not a show car, but a truly exceptional sports sedan of a certain era that is fun to drive and would be great to take to the local BMWCCA show. It would likely be well received, as manual-equipped E34 cars are quite uncommon. Happily, the car also includes all books and tools that accompanied it when new – something I tend to look for when buying a collector car.

If this 1992 BMW 535i looks interesting to you, I would recommend bidding soon, because the auction ends Monday, July 7, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

There’s a good story about how a magazine road-tested a 1964 Pontiac GTO, only for the publication to write about its disappointment when everyone else was praising the car. This episode changed how Pontiac presented its cars to the press. Our Pick of the Day may have suffered from a similar affliction as the test car in original form, but its present state has corrected those to a fault. This 1966 Pontiac GTO restomod is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Miami.

The story goes that Hot Rod wanted to test a new GTO, but the car was in short supply. The editor was miffed that a competing periodical had already published a road test. He complained to the Zone Office, which normally didn’t handle press cars. In the interest of trying to do right for Pontiac, the zone representative “naively” lent Hot Rod his company car, a GTO convertible that was built to his wife’s specifications: 325-horsepower 389, two-speed automatic, wire wheel covers, air conditioning, and a 3.08 open rear. The resulting magazine article was akin to “What’s all the fuss about?” after driving this seemingly unobtainable car.

Pontiac adman Jim Wangers was livid, as Hot Rod carried a lot of weight with enthusiasts, so he worked with Pontiac to create and maintain a pool of optimized press vehicles. They weren’t always the fastest cars in the buff books, but they were the ones that Pontiac wanted the magazines to have—cars that ran the way they were supposed to run. Of course, this was after Car and Driver tested a GTO that ended up having a 421 transplanted from big Ponchos, so let’s just say Pontiac’s honesty and transparency was at the forefront from this moment on.

By 1966, Pontiac had exploited its charms and made the GTO quite the desirable machine for enthusiasts. Sure, some of the same complaints as before remained, such as standard brakes and suspension that bordered on dangerous in combination with the horsepower available to one’s right foot. However, just about everything else that made Pontiac strong was baked into the GTO: styling, performance, available equipment, and image on the street. The GTO’s design and styling also maxed out the grace that made the brand number-three in the industry (and the top-selling GTO ever, as it turned out).

Per the data plate (posted in the listing), this 1966 Pontiac GTO two-door hardtop was originally built with the 335-horse four-barrel and two-speed automatic, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a disappointing performer like the convertible in the above story. In the case of this vehicle, it’s been given the full restomod treatment that includes a beefed-up 6.0-liter LS with a Hurst-shifted six-speed manual. “Amazing paint and interior,” the seller proclaims and, judging by the supplied pictures, he’s onto something. Other features include AFCO Racing radiator, Hedman Hustler headers, Hotchkis Sport Suspension, Vintage Air ice-cold air conditioning, AutoMeter gauges, hands-free Pioneer Bluetooth stereo, two sets of rims (chrome Riddlers, black Fooses), slotted and drilled four-wheel disc brakes, and so much more.

The seller adds he’s bought another toy so this one needs to go, but he’s “not in a hurry to sell [so] no low-balls.” At $97,000 (OBO), it’s on you to see how it smokes your tires.

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

The good news just keeps on coming! Just like Audi paring back its EV initiative, word has it that BMW appears to be steadfast in maintaining the manual transmission.

According to Car and Driver, Sylvia Neubauer, Vice President of Customer, Brand, and Sales for BMW’s M sub-brand, was chatting with BMW Blog and indicated its engineers will always try to offer manual transmissions in upcoming models. “I think BMW will always be very creative. We can always think about it [M car with a manual transmission]. BMW M is a rather entrepreneurial company of very passionate M guys. So if our engineers can make it happen, I think they will always try to do so.”

This echoes similar sentiments made previously by other Bimmer executives. However, if changing course with the direction of future electrification is any indication, then it would be safe to assume that no sentiment is cast in stone.

So, what if you (like some of us) want a manual transmission for more pedestrian models? Manual transmissions shouldn’t have to be a luxury item, after all! This point hasn’t been addressed, though Neubauer adds, “For the current model lineup, we always have ideas in mind to bring more manuals into certain markets in a certain quantity because we know that there are manual transmission lovers out there. Yes, we will keep you happy.”

When it comes to M cars, the M3 is the most famous and prolific. The next-gen version may offer both ICE and an electric equivalent (the latter without a manual available, no doubt).

These adorable little vehicles you see before you are currently listed for sale on AutoHunter or ClassicCars.com. They appear to be microcars from all over the world. Can you identify them?

Post your answers in the Comments section below. Bonus points if you can tell us the country of origin. When you are declared the winner, you can use those points to tell the whole Internet, and you can count on us to help you amplify it!

Click on a photo to reveal each car

The Classic Cars.com Journal presents a puzzle every Tuesday. Once you’re done with this game, you can play a previous one.

Featured on AutoHunter is this 1967 Cadillac DeVille Convertible, which was restored in 2022 and is powered by a rebuilt 429ci V8 connected to a Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic transmission. Finished in Sable Black with a black power convertible top over a reupholstered black vinyl interior, this Cadillac drop-top is now offered by the seller in Nevada with documentation and a clear title.

In 2000, the body of this DeVille was repainted in its original color of Sable Black. Exterior features include a chrome front bumper and matching trim, driver-side mirror, rear fender skirts, and single exhaust outlet. A power-operated black soft top covers the passenger compartment.

This Cadillac’s big body floats down the road on a set of 15-inch wheels equipped with Cadillac wheel covers and 235/75 Nexen N’Priz AH5 whitewall tires.

Both rows of seats have been reupholstered with black vinyl. Features include power windows, tilt steering column with automatic shifter, power steering, aftermarket AM/FM/Bluetooth radio, and first-row center armrest.

Instrumentation consists of a 120-mph speedometer, clock, and gauges for the temperature and fuel level. The odometer shows 29,186 miles, but the title for this vehicle indicates it’s mileage-exempt.

At the factory, this DeVille’s four-barrel 429ci V8 was rated at 340 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque; in 2017, it was rebuilt. That big V8 channels its output to the road through a Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic transmission via the rear wheels.

An independent front suspension and a four-link rear end carry passengers down the road; power drum brakes bring them to a stop.

If you want to be the next owner of this 1967 Cadillac DeVille Convertible, step on the gas and bid on it now. The auction for this classic open-air cruiser ends on Monday, July 7, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

One of my most vivid childhood automotive memories took place in my mom’s 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix. The car had a unique glove box locking mechanism with a three-digit combination lock. I remember playing around with it and wondering what would happen if we ever lost or forgot the code. A wave of nostalgia came over me when I saw the same setup in a classified ad. It’s featured in photo number 23, if you want to take a look:

The Pick of the Day is a 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix SE Coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Canton, Ohio.

“These early ’90s Pontiac Grand Prixs were popular when they came out,” the listing says. “Nothing has been altered or changed, and everything seems to work as it should.”

According to the window sticker, the car was originally delivered to Jack Shaw Pontiac in Lakewood, Ohio, following final assembly in Kansas City, Kansas. It is finished in Light Beige over Beige and came with a few options: Package 1SB included power windows, controlled-cycle windshield wipers, illuminated entry, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, rally gauges and an AM/FM cassette stereo. On top of that, the original owner opted for the four-speed automatic transmission (as opposed to the standard three-speed) and a rear window defogger. The total vehicle price, including destination, came out to $17,196.

The sixth-generation Grand Prix marked the first time the car was front-wheel drive. It went into production in October 1987 on the General Motors W-body platform and was built for model years 1988 through 1996 as a two-door coupe or a four-door sedan. One thing I found most interesting about this Grand Prix (besides its glove box, of course) is its seating arrangement. The car can seat six people! The front features a 45/55 split-bench, and the rear has three seat belts as well. It seems pretty uncommon (maybe even impossible) to find a two-door vehicle these days with seating capacity for six people.

Under the hood, power comes from a 3.1-liter V6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. When new, Pontiac rated the powertrain at 140 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. The listing says, “Just completely serviced and a new muffler installed. This would be a great candidate for an easy restoration or a great, reliable driver.”

The asking price for this 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix SE Coupe is $3,995, which includes an owner’s manual. As an added bonus, the car will also come with a cassette tape labeled “Pontiac Cares.” Looks like it’s still wrapped in the original plastic, too!

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