Pick of the Day: 1970 AMC Rebel Machine

Peer pressure can be a very strong pull. Since the dawn of humanity, people have been doing things they didn’t plan or want to do because they were cajoled—explicitly or implicitly—by the voice or behavior of others. So, why did it take so long for American Motors Corporation to come up with a proper muscle car? Our Pick of the Day is the Johnny-come-lately from Kenosha, a 1970 AMC Rebel Machine. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Cleveland.

When it comes to mid-size muscle, the 1964 Pontiac GTO was the first. Oldsmobile added a 400 to the 4-4-2 in 1965, the same year Buick had a 401 Skylark Gran Sport. Plymouth and Dodge had 383 and 426 B-bodies in 1965, but it wasn’t until 1967 that the two brands produced an “image” car. Aside of the 1965 Z16 Chevelle, Chevrolet joined en masse in 1966 with the SS 396, the same year Ford/Mercury debuted the Fairlane GT/Cyclone GT.

Meanwhile, American Motors talked about competing toe-to-toe with the Big Three, but that only resulted in several sporty hardtops, an ungainly mid-size fastback, a competitor to the Mustang, and a one-off compact supercar built with the assistance of Hurst. If you were an AMC performance fan needing seating for five or six, you were out of luck.

This was strange, as the performance segment was making manufacturers money. Why AMC didn’t take a Rebel, throw in a 390, and give enthusiasts another car to choose from is a head-scratcher. However, as far back as June 1967, the corporation mocked up a 1969 Rebel in flat black and sans wheel covers. AMC did not proceed with this concept until 1970, though with assistance from Hurst.

At the time, former Pontiac adman Jim Wangers was working for Hurst, and he was among the folks who helped evolve the concept into a red/white/blue Rebel SST. Similar to what happened with the GTO Judge, the signature paint scheme (mandatory on the first 1,000 built) gave way to all colors on the palette, so later Rebel Machines were available in any AMC color and featured a flat black hood (with silver accents) and flanks sans stripes, as well as the signature scheme.

The 340-horsepower 390 powering all Rebel Machines featured modified intake and exhaust manifolds for a 15-horsepower bump over the 390 available for the Javelin and AMX. Other standard features included four-speed, bucket seats, Handling Package, rear sway bar, HD cooling, power disc brakes, 15 x 7-inch “Machine” slotted wheels with E60 x 15 white-letter tires, and 3.54 gears.

By the end of the model year, 1,936 were built. AMC offered a “Machine” package for the 1971 Matador (the replacement for the Rebel), but it basically was a “Go Package” for 360- and 401-powered Matadors. Possibly fewer than 100 were built, all looking like basic Matadors without stripes or air induction.

This 1970 AMC Rebel Machine wears its trademark red/white/blue paint. “I’m selling my Rebel Machine after 14 years,” says the seller. “It starts and runs nicely. I just replaced the master cylinder and changed the oil this October, and I just replaced the battery in November.” It is mostly original, with the seller painstakingly finding most of the important missing original parts over the years. Transmission is a Borg Warner T-10 four-speed, with other features including power steering, Twin-Grip with 3.54s, Space Saver tire, and AM radio.

The seller is also including a host of OEM parts like rim-blow steering wheel, red stripe kit from the original dies, intake and exhaust manifolds, and several Group 19 parts like Edelbrock intake and valve covers. You can see this Machine looks nice as-is but needs a special touch to bring it up to the level it deserves. Are you the (wo)man for the job? We think there’s someone out there who can be peer-pressured to spend $55,000 (OBO).

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

To quote a line spoken by Doc Brown in the classic 1985 movie, Back to the Future: “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

Michael Latimer of Chandler, Arizona, can say the same thing. Michael is the proud owner of an eye-catching 1994 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution II sport sedan that looks like it is ready to spring into action on the backroads of a World Rally Championship (WRC) race course.

Michael explains, “As a Mitsubishi fanatic who has had the privilege of owning three previous Evos from various generations, a Pajero, and a Galant (as well as currently daily-driving a Delica), this project was the culmination of hundreds of hours of research, parts-sourcing, and work. It is an ongoing project, so it isn’t perfect, but I’m still very proud.”

Here is the video where we were able to have a Q&A session with Michael during a recent Future Collector Car Show (FCCS) at the Barrett-Jackson auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Evo Basics

The Evolution (or Evo) rally car was based on the Lancer compact sedan and went into production in 1992. All ten subsequent generations – identified by Roman numerals I through X – were powered by turbocharged inline-four engines and propelled via all-wheel drive systems. The Evolution II went into production in 1994 and shared chassis elements with the fifth-generation Lancer.

Under the hood, Evo II power came from a 2.0-liter turbocharged “4G63T” DOHC inline-four mated to a five-speed manual transmission. The engine was shared with various other Mitsubishi models of the time, including some variants of the Galant, Montero, Delica, and Eclipse. A ventilated hood, grille inlets, and other aerodynamic treatment served to provide both function and fashion.

In rally racing, traction is paramount, so the Evo II came with a mechanical limited-slip differential an was engineered with a torque split of 50-50 between the front and rear wheels. Speaking of grip, the Evo’s Recaro bucket seats were heavily bolstered to keep front occupants locked in place.

There were just 5,000 examples produced of the Evo II, and all were sold in Japan.

Michael’s Ride

As of 2018 (and the federally-mandated “25 Year Rule”), the 1994-model-year Evo II had become legal for United States importation and was brought stateside from Japan around that time. Michael first learned about his Evo via a Donut Media video that was published in April 2019 (that video, incidentally) has since amassed over 1.2 million views).

Following his initial purchase, Michael spent the last several years painstakingly modeling the Evo II in what is known as “Group A” livery. “My first goal with the car was to get it to where I could daily drive it,” he said. He went through the inside and outside of the car to replace things like rubber seals. Michael later made changes to the fuel rail, injectors, airbox, and intake, and he added an HTA68 turbo.

The white and orange exterior has an unmistakable rally-racing look to it, complete with auxiliary lighting, a spoiler, and livery pulled from the World Racing Championship of 1996. Footwork comes from a set of color-keyed 17-inch OZ wheels wrapped in white-letter Toyo tires. On the interior, the factory stereo bezel has been replaced with a “ghost box” stereo system, and Michael uses some of the available console space for auxiliary gauges.

Rally and Join Us

The level of detail in Michael’s Mitsubishi build are top-tier, and we are thrilled he brought the Evo II out for us to admire. Now, if only there was a dirt path in the vicinity, he could have stirred up a little dust.

Stay tuned to the AutoHunter Cinema YouTube channel for news on upcoming events like the Future Collector Car Show, and join in on the fun!

Moparts Unlimited of Arizona, a local crowd of Chrysler Corporation collectors dedicated to strutting their Pentastar stuff all around the Grand Canyon State, held its 39^th annual H.E.M.I. Show on Saturday, March 15, 2025.

Sponsored by AutoNation Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram North Phoenix, the H.E.M.I. Show’s name may get you wondering what the acronym stands for. Glad you asked! High Energy Mopar Invitational is the answer—now you can move on with your life. For your intrepid reporter, though, he moved around the parking lot scoping out 250 or so automotive treasures from the Highland Park, Michigan company.

And if you’re not in-the-know in the Mopar world, then you may not be aware that the Blake Family are residents of Phoenix. Who are the Blakes? The smartest people in America—folks who snapped up Hemi ragtops when they were somewhat affordable. Today, they have several examples of the Big Kahuna of muscle cars that include at least one 1970 Plymouth Hemi‘Cuda convertible, 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T convertible, and 1971 Plymouth Hemi’Cuda convertible. Two of ‘em showed up at the H.E.M.I. Show. Imagine a local car show with the Holy Grail appearing twice!

Of course, Mopars Unlimited of Arizona is more than just Mopar muscle. Glance at the image gallery below to find more from Chrysler’s proud automotive history.

Texas is such a huge market for trucks that various manufacturers make specific editions of their pickups just for the Lone Star State. Ford has an entire trim level named after the King Ranch in Texas. But Jeep is aware that other states also like trucks. That’s why it came out with the Florida-specific 2024 Gladiator High Tide Edition. Now comes news of the 2025 Gladiator Big Bear Edition designed with Californians in mind.

Paying homage to Big Bear Lake, a mountain lake tourist destination in Southern California, and the California grizzly bear, the Big Bear Edition uses the Sport S trim level as a starting point. In addition to Command-Trac part-time four-wheel drive with 2.72:1 low range gearing, it comes standard with off-road features such as black 17-inch wheels with 32-inch mud-terrain tires and steel rock rails. A removable body-color hardtop, removable roof panels and doors, and a fold-down windshield let in the fresh air and provide better views of the Golden State’s natural beauty. No special-edition Jeep would be complete without the proper identification so the Big Bear gets special hood and tailgate badging.

Inside, there are Black McKinley-trimmed leather seats as well as the comfort of heated front seats and a heated steering wheel and the convenience of adaptive cruise control, a universal garage door opener, and a 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen infotainment system. For those seeking even more outdoor fun, the Uconnect 5 system features AppMarket, which offers adventure apps like Geocaching and The Dyrt. Both rows of passengers are protected by side-curtain airbags.

Jeep will offer the Gladiator Big Bear Edition in seven colors: Black, Bright White, Granite Crystal, Hydro Blue, Firecracker Red, Anvil, and ’41, a shade of green that’s new for 2025. Only 5,000 will be produced, all priced from $46,090 (excluding a $1,995 destination fee). You can find the 2025 Gladiator Big Bear Edition now at California Jeep dealerships. Then it’s just a matter of deciding where to take it in that big, beautiful state—with the roof off, of course.

Plymouth had a problem in its hands when it redesigned its full-size series for 1962. Though interior measurements were on par with Chevrolets and Fords being sold down the street, the trim exterior proportions did not suit the public’s perception that bigger was better. The upside was that, all things being equal, Plymouths performed better than their heavier competitors. Even at the drags, Super Stock 413s gave 409 and 406 racers fits.

Plymouth added several inches to its length to 1963 to help rectify the issue, which helped while it worked on the “true” full-size series that would appear for 1965. Featured on AutoHunter is this 1963 Belvedere two-door sedan, which embodies everything that was impressive about Super Stock Plymouths of the time. Even better, this red-over-red example sports a Keith Black 572ci Hemi, pushbutton 727 TorqueFlite, Dana 60, bucket seats, and more.

Look at this sanitary Mopar! Other than the longitudinal side trim, this Belvedere is completely unadorned—not even side mirrors to distract . . . well, perhaps I spoke too soon because a Hemi-inspired hood scoop has been added. Fifteen-inch American Racing Torq Thrust wheels are wrapped in Hoosier radials, the latter measuring 26 x 7.5 inches up front, 29 x 12.5 out back.

The cabin is furnished in red vinyl, with a pair of bucket seats replacing the original bench. Chrysler’s famous push-button automatic transmission selector is to the left of the steering wheel, while below to the right you’ll find a custom gauge stand. Other features include AM radio, Grant steering wheel, and a removed rear seat but don’t fret, racers—sure, no rear seat means less weight on the driving wheels, but two batteries reside in the trunk to rectify that.

The instrument panel consists of a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for oil pressure, coolant, alternator, and fuel. Also present under the dash and the aforementioned gauge stand are a voltage gauge, 10,000-rpm tachometer, and even more gauges for the oil pressure and coolant. The odometer currently shows 143 miles, which clearly is not a reflection of the actual miles.

The Keith Black Racing Engines Hemi measures 572ci and puts out a dyno-rated 750 horsepower with the assistance of twin 850-cfm four-barrels. Other underhood features include a 4030 racing cam, 10-quart oil pan, and four-inch Doug’s headers. With the TorqueFlite being within arm’s reach, this is among the cars that became known as “Dial-A-Winners.”

That prodigious horsepower is harnessed by a Dana 60 rear axle with 4.10 gears and limited-slip. Of course, this kind of power demands a dual exhaust system.

This Hemi-powered 1963 Plymouth Belvedere two-door sedan a substantial car that will require muscles to drive. Up to the task? Consider this a challenge—just be sure to place your bid before Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

To some, the family station wagon is a goofy, unloved relic of their childhood, a reminder of forever-long road trips filled with sibling fights and frequent stops at boring roadside attractions. But to others, that wagon is a time machine that takes them back to fondly remembered times, a member of the family to be preserved and cherished. Care to guess which of those two descriptions fits our Pick of the Day, a one-family-owned 1950 DeSoto Custom Station Wagon posted on ClassicCars.com by a Virginia dealership?

It’s rare enough for a vehicle that was made 75 years ago to be more than a pile of scrap metal in an overgrown field these days. A car that old remaining in the same family that purchased it as a new car during the Truman administration? That’s the automotive equivalent of a unicorn—and this one has a hood ornament for a horn. Granted, this DeSoto wagon was restored at some point in the past, so it had some help staying alive, but that was somewhat offset by being stored for a long time after the owner died. Fortunately, their family held onto this handsome longroof until the selling dealer recently added it to its inventory.

Despite its age, this DeSoto appears to be in great shape. Thank goodness for that. There are a lot of woody wagons out there, but you don’t see DeSoto woodies all that often. Clearly, the combination of a restoration and time away from the elements and the hazards of the road served it well. All the burgundy paint is intact, and the wood trim is in remarkably good condition.

The same goes for the handsome tan vinyl interior, which comes equipped with two rows of bench seating and a rear cargo area floor with wood planks and metal dividers that will make any luggage or gear look more special than it is. However, the dealer notes this beauty will need a brake service to get it back on the road. Some new whitewalls probably wouldn’t hurt, either.

According to the dealer, the Powermaster 236ci inline-six is believed to be original to the car, and it “starts easily and runs smoothly.” A look at the brochure for the 1950 DeSoto lineup shows it was factory-rated at 112 horsepower at 3,600 rpm. The L-head six is connected to what DeSoto called a “Tip-Toe Shift transmission” with Fluid Drive, aka a four-speed semi-automatic.

This DeSoto wagon’s time with its original family has passed, but that means it can join your family now. The adoption fee is $59,900.

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

When I got into my friend Justin’s 2003 Honda Accord recently to take it for a spin, the odometer read 59,030 miles. If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve taken that reading at face value – after all, the car looked virtually new both inside and out. And it drove equally well.

But in reality, the car had 1,059,030 miles on it. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that Justin had added a “1” to the instrument cluster at the left side of the odometer. How was such an automotive feat even possible? One million miles comes out to about 40 times around the equator of the earth or traveling to the moon and back twice (and then some).

Justin drove the roughly 1,125 miles from his home in Corpus Christi to mine in Phoenix so we could take our high-mileage V6 coupes out on the town (my 1994 Acura Legend now has just over 595,000 miles on the odometer). Our destination for the day was a restaurant called Horny Toad, located about 30 miles north of Phoenix in Cave Creek. About 10 other Honda/Acura enthusiasts joined for the occasion. Following lunch, Justin and I got together for some Q&A in my garage.

One-Owner History

Justin’s wife bought the Satin Silver EX coupe new off the lot at Pensacola Honda in 2003 with about 10 miles on the odometer. At least initially, the Accord led a somewhat “normal” life in terms of mileage accumulation. But Justin took on a side job of delivering medical supplies and that’s when things started going crazy. There were nights when he would drive a seven-hour route at night after getting home from his day job. His highest-mileage year was in the 140,000-mile range.

Maintenance-wise, the “J30” 3.0-liter V6 remained unmodified and received synthetic oil changes every 15,000 miles or so. The original six-speed manual transmission was replaced with a used unit around 300,000 miles. At 922,000 miles, Justin noticed the car started to shake and had a shop do a full evaluation. He had lost the exhaust valve in the number one cylinder, so the car was essentially running on the remaining five cylinders. “Can I make it to a million on five?” he asked. “I don’t see why not,” the shop told him. And so, he did. He said the car made very little power, and it ran a little rough, but he plugged along and eventually hit the milestone in Tennessee in early 2023 with a few other Honda Accord owners in attendance.

At 1,015,000, the Accord finally received a new “crate” engine. In addition, a mechanical and cosmetic refresh was carried out that included paint, interior and suspension work in addition to many other checklist items. Even the original shift knob and steering wheel were replaced. And of course, since the original odometer froze at 999,999, a new one was installed showing zero miles. The car’s entire lifespan is documented – and the CARFAX report is 16 pages long.

Aside from talking about his car, I wanted to pick Justin’s brain a little about his road-tripping habits. I asked him how he passes the time on longer drives, and he said he listens to SiriusXM and his favorite channel is Octane. His favorite road in the country to drive is Highway 20 running north out of Oak Harbor, Washington, and crossing the Deception Pass bridge.

Connect with Justin

For our readers on the east coast, if you want to get up close and personal to a unique Accord coupe, Justin is planning on showing the car at “H Day” in Maryland the weekend of April 12. The event started in 2002 and now attracts over 1,000 cars each spring.

Regardless of where you’re located, you can follow Justin’s travels on his Instagram as well as his YouTube channel to keep tabs on his ownership experience with the high-mileage Honda.

Here’s to the next million miles, my friend!

On January 1, 2003, Rolls-Royce opened the doors to its all-new Goodwood manufacturing facility in southeast England. Set on 42 acres, the limestone and cedar buildings housed an Assembly Hall with floor-to-ceiling windows that provided generous views of Phantom VIIs being made by hand, a Surface Finishing Centre, Bespoke services, and other operations. In January of this year, Rolls-Royce announced it would be allocating £300+ million ($390+ million) to a substantial extension of its Goodwood plant, the biggest investment in the site since it opened. To commemorate the occasion, the ultra-luxury automaker had employees from various departments choose items to put inside a time capsule that will be opened on Rolls-Royce’s 150th anniversary in 2054.

“The capsule’s contents were collated by representatives from each of Rolls-Royce’s Future Talent programmes, including Interns, Graduates and Apprentices,” according to Rolls-Royce. The company has not disclosed what was put inside, only stating that some of the items will be obsolete in 2054 and serve as reminders of the time from which they came while others will still be relevant the day the capsule is opened.

Nobody will have to dig the container up when the big day comes, though. Instead of burying the time capsule, Rolls-Royce put it on display in Goodwood’s reception area. Once the 40,000 square-meter (430,556 square-foot) extension is complete, it will become the new home of the commemorative container of memories and tactile connections to times past.

The Goodwood addition will also enclose a new Exterior Surface Centre (Paint Shop) and provide more room for Bespoke builds, which were at an all-time high in 2024, and the even more challenging and complex Coachbuild projects. Overall, Rolls-Royce did incredibly well last year, delivering 5,712 vehicles (primarily to clients in North America and Europe) and making 2024 its third-best sales year ever.

This news has us wondering what exactly made the cut for the time capsule. Perhaps a jar of Gray Poupon got approval because people still associate it with Rolls-Royce 40 years after the commercials were relevant. Hopefully, traditional buttons and knobs did as well. Why get rid of something that still works? As for items that will be obsolete in 2054, perhaps a key fob is in that group. Or a miniaturized side mirror because external mirrors will probably be replaced by small cameras within the next three decades.

What do you think is inside the Rolls-Royce time capsule? Write your estimations in the comments section below.

The SL has been a Mercedes-Benz icon since the 300 SL “Gullwing” came out in 1954. Over the past 71 years, there have been seven generations of the signature model. Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight car, 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250 SL, comes from a short chapter in that long, illustrious history.

In the early 1960s, Mercedes needed a follow-up to the 300 SL coupe and roadster as well as the four-cylinder 190 SL. Adapting parts from the 220 SE, the automaker created the 230 SL and presented it to the world at the 1963 Geneva Motor Show. According to the automaker, the W113 generation “took its curtailed and reinforced framework from the tailfin sedan including the front and rear axle suspension.” As its name implies, the 230 SL had a 2.3-liter engine that was essentially a bored version of the 220 SE’s straight-six.

Although the second-generation SL borrowed some hardware from one of its corporate siblings, it made a name for itself—literally. The concave shape to its removable hardtop spawned the nickname “Pagoda,” a term still used in reference to this version of the SL. Additional characteristics that distinguished the W113 from its predecessor were its front and rear crumple zones.

Although Mercedes started producing the 250 SL, the replacement for the 230, in 1966, it officially introduced the upgraded model in February 1967. Major updates included a larger 2.5-liter I6 and a reworked braking system with front and rear discs. However, the 250 SL’s newness soon faded as Mercedes rolled out the even more powerful 280 SL as its successor less than a year later, though the 250 continued to be built until 1968.

The 1967 250 SL you see here was put through a restoration that was completed in 2010. It comes finished in the attractive combination of Ivory over a red MB-Tex interior. When the weather gets bad, there are two options for staying dry: a black soft top with a plastic rear window or a body-color hardtop, which comes with its own stand.

Inside the brightly colored interior is an interesting surprise. As expected, there are conveniences such as power steering and brakes, air conditioning, and an AM/FM radio, but look behind the low-back buckets—yes, that’s a third seat.

The VDO instrumentation includes a 7,000-rpm tachometer, 140-mph speedometer, and gauges for the fuel level, oil pressure, and temperature. The odometer has rolled over, so the 46,762 miles shown are actually 146,762 miles.

The selling dealer reports the fuel-injected 2.5-liter I6 under the hood is original to the car. Updates include the replacement of the fuel injection pump and injectors less than 100 miles ago. Although the W113 was available with a four-speed automatic, this one sends its power to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox.

If you place the winning bid for this 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250 SL, you’ll not only get a handsome and tasteful piece of the company’s history, but you’ll also receive plenty of documentation. The selling dealer will send it your way with the original owner’s manuals, data plate, original purchase agreement, original window sticker, and service records. Bid now because the auction ends Tuesday, March 25 at 11:00 a.m. (PDT).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery