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    Pick of the Day: 1990 Acura Legend LS Coupe

    In recent years, we’ve seen some Japanese cars command strong prices in the marketplace. One of the cars that helped put the Acura brand on the map before the NSX existed was the Legend, and our Pick of the Day is a 1990 Acura Legend LS coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Mount Prospect, Illinois.

    “Final year for the first-generation Legend, highest trim level available,” the listing says.

    Acura’s launch in 1986 marked a bold move. Essentially, the brand banked on the fact that consumers would pay a premium for a Honda-built car with added luxuries. At the onset, only two models, the four-cylinder Integra and the V-6 Legend, were offered. As it turns out, the marketplace did react warmly, and by the early 1990s, Acura had added the two-seat NSX sports car and the five-cylinder Vigor sedan to the model lineup.

    Meanwhile, the Legend, initially available only as a sedan for the first year, was joined by a coupe variant in 1987. Acura gave the car a few special features for the final year of the first generation in 1990, including a unique hood, more standard equipment, a decklid spoiler for LS models, and one-year-only red/clear taillights as opposed to the previous red/amber versions.

    That brings us to this lovely 55,000-mile specimen in Sirius White Pearl, owned by just one individual since new. It’s said to be a show-quality vehicle, minus the fact that it’s spent the last eight years in static storage on a lift. “Suitable for full or partial renovation, daily driver, collector, or show car,” the seller says. Speaking of shows, the car was on display at the Japanese Automotive Invitational in 2018 (if you look closely, you can actually see the nose of the car in the top left corner of that article’s lead image).

    The interior was reupholstered in a two-tone black and white leather theme, and the audio system was modernized with a Kenwood head unit. The seller says that the original stereo is included with the sale for anyone wishing to reinstall it. The car’s 160-horsepower 2.7-liter V-6 is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

    One of the most compelling things about this Legend isn’t the car itself — it’s the stash of documentation said to accompany it. Based on the photos in the listing, the seller has brochures, posters, manuals, advertisements, apparel, and even glassware.

    The asking price for the package deal is $22,500 or best offer.

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

    Car Connections: Land Rover, Ford, and Volkswagen

    It’s officially spring! If you’re reading this latest installment of Car Connections as this is being published, that means you’ve probably taken a break from vigorously cleaning your home. Thank you for stopping by! As I always do in this series, I have the Random Word Generator give me three prompts that I then link to automobiles in various ways. Oddly enough, they all have a Texas connection. Yee-haw! This week’s words are tension, aid, and loop. How would you associate these words with cars? Tell us in the Comments section below.

    2016 Range Rover HSE Td6
    2016 Range Rover HSE Td6 (Photo courtesy of the Land Rover Media Centre)

    Tension: I wouldn’t say my dad scares easily, but everyone has his or her moments. He had one when I took him and his girlfriend wheeling in a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover HSE Td6 at the Hidden Falls Adventure Park in Marble Falls. Dad was riding shotgun as I went over a stretch of terrain at an angle that gave him what must’ve seemed like an entire windowful of the ground below. I could hear the tension in his voice as I continued to climb. He either was terrified of us landing on his side of the vehicle, what would happen to my career if we did, or both. Fortunately, he was not in need of new underwear after we leveled out.

    2019 Ford Expedition Limited Stealth Edition (Photo courtesy of the Ford Heritage Vault)

    Aid: Almost seven years ago, I drove a 2019 Ford Expedition MAX Limited back from the Texas Auto Writers Association’s Auto Roundup in Denton. The optional Stealth Edition package added a continuously controlled damping (CCD) suspension, black hood lettering and exterior accents, red interior stitching, and black-painted 22-inch aluminum wheels. About two hours outside of Austin, I ran over something small, and I knew immediately that it was going to cause a problem. Sure enough, the tire pressure monitoring system showed me that I had lost all the air in my rear driver-side tire. Luckily, I was able to pull off the highway to a safe area that was still visible to passing drivers. I removed the onboard tire iron, lowered the spare (which was only 18 inches in diameter), and began loosening the lug nuts of the bum wheel. Soon after I started, a truck rolled up. The driver happened to be a heavy equipment mechanic who saw I had a flat and wanted to help. I didn’t need his assistance because I could’ve changed the tire myself, but he was eager to lend a hand and he had an impact wrench, which saved me a lot of time. I discovered the true kindness of strangers — and we both discovered just how much elbow grease it takes to lift a 22-inch wheel/tire combo.

    2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI Rabbit Edition
    2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI Rabbit Edition (Photo courtesy of the Volkswagen US Media Site)

    Loop: Back when I lived in Austin, I would often take performance cars on a loop that ran from my place just outside the city limits to the curvy roads of the Texas Hill Country and back. It was during one of those runs that I fell in love with the 2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI. It was an attractive hot hatch with great handling, a snappy seven-speed automatic, and a 2.0-liter turbo I-4 with 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. All those characteristics made the GTI responsive and, most importantly, fun. The more I drove it, the more I loved it.

    Renault Hearses and Other Automotive Ephemera

    Cadillac was the brand I’d most associate with hearses when I was a kid. Later, RWD Lincoln Town Cars appeared on my radar. Today, without the proliferation of large sedans, we end up having goofy-looking SUVs to serve this purpose.

    But that’s an American-centric point of view. How about in other countries? Several years ago, I caught a glimpse while visiting a cemetery outside Buenos Aires.

    My elderly mom is preparing to visit family, so I will be accompanying her to Argentina. We’re planning on visiting the cemetery, which reminded me of this hearse I saw almost three years ago. This cemetery also has a place in my automotive history — more on that below.

    Facelifted 2019 Renault Fluence

    The hearse pictured above is a coachbuilt Renault Fluence, a vehicle that was produced for 2010-15, though it was produced in other parts of the world through 2020; in Argentina, it appears production ended in 2019. The Fluence was available only as a four-door sedan, so the coachbuilders did not have a “break” to depend on.

    The 1952 DeSoto Diplomat used Plymouth bodies.

    The cemetery is called La Tablada Israelite Cemetery and features over 150,000 graves; the people in some of them were part of my life when I was much younger. Many years ago — I’ll guess 40  — I recall seeing a trashed DeSoto Diplomat somewhere on the outside perimeter of the burial grounds. I later learned that this was a special export car and not the usual DeSoto we’d find in the U.S.

    1960 Ford Taunus 17 M

    The other car I witnessed, perhaps around the same time, was owned by an employee: a c.1960 Ford Taunus 17 M (sometimes identified as “P3”). I caught sight of this car for the first time while visiting Peru in second grade, so I was intrigued because it had the Euro headlights that made me wonder, “Why don’t we have that in the United States?” This one (which may be the last one I’ve seen in person) was covered in bondo and perhaps worse. I was somewhat amazed that a car hanging by a thread was legal to drive. Of course, I remember taking a peek to see those magnificent headlights.

    1961 Citroen Ami 6

    The Taunus was among the first cars to feature headlights that were not round. This may explain why I also like the Citroen Ami 8 (the Ami 6 is a bit more hideous) and some versions of the Maserati 5000 GT.

    Thanks to the rate of attrition, I know my car-sightings will be slim during this trip, but I’ll use my Spidey Senses to find something automotively interesting and report back.

    Fuel-Injected, Buick V6-Powered ’34 Ford Roadster

    This ’34 Ford is a Gibbon fiberglass-bodied, full-fendered roadster that is believed to have been built around 1990. Power comes from a Buick V6 that was fitted with an Aces electronic fuel-injection system by the seller following their acquisition in 2024, and the engine is linked to a three-speed automatic and Ford 9″ rear end. The car rides on chromed 14″ wheels and has a drop axle, front disc brakes, and rear ladder bars. The burnt orange paintwork is complemented a tan soft top and multi-tone upholstery, and the car has a louvered hood, an aluminum radiator, an electric cooling fan, and a rumble seat. Acquired by its current owner in 2024, this ’34 roadster is now offered with a clean Texas title in the seller’s name listing the car as a 1934 Ford.

    The Gibbon fiberglass body and full fenders were painted burnt orange, and the louvered hood is a steel unit. The tan soft top folds, and the seller believes the frame was boxed as part of the build.

    The car has a drop axle, front disc brakes, and rear ladder bars. 195/75 Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires are mounted on the chromed steel wheels, and the seller notes that braking and suspension components were also chromed during the build.

    Multi-tone patterned upholstery covers the cabin and rumble seat. The seller replaced the turn signal switch, which was a gift from his son.

    The Aces control unit is mounted on the right side of the dashboard, and an assortment of other gauges face the driver. The banjo-style steering wheel is wrapped. Approximately 200 of the 55k indicated miles were added by the seller, who notes the new fuel sending unit does not communicate with the fuel level gauge.

    The 3.8-liter Buick V6 was installed around three decades ago, and the seller installed an Aces Deuces Wild electronic fuel injection system, along with the supporting fuel pump and wiring. An aluminum radiator and an electric fan were also installed.

    The Ford 9″ rear end is chromed, and it is linked to a TH350 automatic believed to be from a 1978 Buick.

    The car is titled as a 1934 Ford using VIN 1293780B.

    364 Nailhead-Powered 1932 Ford 5-Window Coupe

    This full-fendered, steel-bodied 1932 Ford five-window coupe is believed to have been built in Southern California in the early 1950s, and it was parked from approximately 1960 until it was acquired by the seller in 2021 out of an estate. The car was subsequently recommissioned; the seller rebuilt two of the Stromberg 97s on the Buick 364 nailhead V8, rebuilt the custom three-speed manual transmission, installed an electric fan, and overhauled the exhaust and braking systems. The car has a drop axle and red-painted steelies with full covers, and the interior features custom two-tone upholstery, a two-spoke wheel with a Brodie knob, and a custom shifter. This 1932 hot rod is now offered with spare parts and a clean California title in the seller’s name.

    The car’s steel bodywork has distressed black paintwork, and the seller states the fenders were cleaned and primed flowing his acquisition. The radiator cap and cowl vent were leaded in, and ’48 Frasier taillights were installed. The top has been filled with an aluminum panel, and the seller replaced the running board rubber.

    The car has a drop axle, unsplit wishbones, transverse leaf springs, and chrome tube shocks. Coker tires are mounted on the red-painted 15″ steel wheels, which have full covers. The seller rebuilt the ’40 Ford hydraulic braking system.

    Custom pinstriping and two-tone upholstery adorns the cabin. The floor shifter is topped by a custom jeweled knob.

    A Brodie knob is mounted on the ’40-style two-spoke wheel, and Stewart-Warner gauges are set in the dashboard. The seller has driven the car around 50 miles, though total mileage is unknown.

    The build used a 364ci Buick Nailhead V8, which is topped by an Edelbrock 6×2 intake manifold. The seller rebuilt the center two Stromberg 97s, and the outer four have been blocked off. The seller installed an electric fan, cleaned and flushed the fuel system, and added an electric fuel pump.

    The three-speed manual transmission is a ’32 box with Zephyr gears and a ’39 top shifter, and it was rebuilt by the seller.

    The car is titled under chassis number 1854528. The stamped VIN is shown above. The car is currently registered as Planned Nonoperation.

    Have You Heard of Corvette Cologne?

    Just when you think you’ve seen it all: Did you know that there existed such a thing as a Corvette-branded cologne?

    The overlap between the automotive and fashion industries has been going on for decades (here’s an Eddie Bauer + Ford example). But did you know that cars and fragrances also go hand-in-hand? At least, they did in 1996, when Corvette Cologne for Men ran a full-page ad in Car and Driver magazine.

    The ad said, “The Cool Scent is Corvette Cologne for Men. An easy-to-wear, long-lasting masculine blend of citrus, lavender and bracing spearmint, rich leathers, and warm woods. In the 1.7-oz spray size, ideal for the bathroom, bedroom, suitcase, or glove box.”

    Of course, “in-car” sensory experiences are nothing new. For example, Mercedes-Benz has been offering built-in air fresheners with customizable scents for many years. The company calls its current solution the “Air Balance” system, and it works by combining air ionization, charcoal filtration, and a glove box-mounted atomizer to purify air and disperse fragrance. But having something that’s actually wearable fosters a completely different level of connection with an end user.

    According to a 2021 story from Road & Track magazine, some of the car/cologne partnerships over the years have included Bentley for Men, Ford Mustang for Men, Ferrari Scuderia Red, and Jaguar Classic Black, among others. So, if you have a friend or loved one who’s a car geek and already “has everything,” maybe a car-themed scent is a solid gift idea.

    Unfortunately, so far, I haven’t found one that smells like a coolant leak or burning rubber.

    This S550 Mustang’s a Different Type of “WOW!”: 2025 SEMA Show

    Remember the Mystic Mustang Cobra? It was a color-shifting pony car that elicited many oohs and aahs. But what if you could control the hue of your car? Digital carbon fiber, you say? Holy gas masks, Batman! With a layered composite epoxy combined with shredded carbon fiber, a chemical is added to the molding process to give you what you see here — all controlled by remote control! We caught up with this glowing, fantastic fantasy at the Rupes booth at the 2025 SEMA Show.

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    351-Powered 1934 Ford Model 40 5-Window Coupe

    This 1934 Ford Model 40 five-window coupe was built in the 1980s using a Henry Ford steel body and fiberglass fenders with two-tone paint and custom flourishes, and it is powered by a 351ci V8 linked to an AOD automatic transmission. The car rides on 15″ steel wheels with staggered rubber and has a Super Bell drop axle and a chrome four-bar setup up front along with Wilwood disc brakes. The interior was also customized with bucket seats, a Bluetooth-capable sound system, a tall floor shifter, and a banjo wheel on a tilt column. Acquired by the seller in 2018, this hot rod is now offered with a car cover and a clean California title in the seller’s name.

    The seller tells us the body is a Henry Ford steel five-window coupe that was built in the 1980s. The roof was filled, and the fenders are fiberglass. ’39-style LEDs from Speedway were used for the taillights, and the headlights incorporate turn signals. The two-tone paintwork is accented by custom flourishes, and the seller notes the fenders and gas tank cover were repainted a few years ago. Steel panels were used for the floors, and the frame was reinforced and painted. The headlights require adjustment, and there is cracking paint on the rear panel and at the beltline.

    The hood has louvers on both the top and sides, and a chrome cowl vent is fitted. Cowl lights have been retained, though there are no windshield wipers.

    The front end has been modified with a chromed Super Bell drop axle, a four-bar setup, and chromed Pete & Jake’s tube shocks, and Wilwood disc brakes were added at all four corners. A power steering system was installed in 2021, and staggered BFGoodrich rubber is mounted on the black-painted steel wheels.

    Mustang-sourced bucket seats have black leather upholstery, and color-coordinated carpeting lines the floor. A Gennie shifter with a Lokar knob was mounted along with a Bluetooth-capable sound system with four speakers. Air conditioning components have been installed, though there is no condenser and the system does not work. Blue piping and chrome accent the cabin.

    A banjo-style wheel is mounted on the tilt column, and VDO gauges are set in a billet panel. The seller estimates they have driven the car 18k miles, and total chassis mileage is unknown.

    A 351ci Windsor V8 was used for the build. It is topped by an Edelbrock intake manifold and 600cfm carburetor, and electronic ignition was also used along with a Ron Francis harness. The radiator was cleaned in 2021, at which time the coated headers and dual exhaust system with MagnaFlow mufflers were installed.

    The AOD automatic is linked to a Ford 9″ rear end, and the seller believes it has a 3.25 limited-slip differential. The driveshaft was replaced in 2023, at which time the transmission was rebuilt, a cooler was installed, and the mounts were replaced.

    The car is titled as a 1934 Ford using VIN 18523196.

    302-Powered ’28 Ford Model A Custom

    This custom Ford was built using a chopped and channeled 1928 Model A body on a modified frame. It is powered by a 302ci V8 topped by a tunnel-ram intake manifold and dual Holley 94-style carburetors, and the engine is linked to a C-4 automatic and a Ford 9″ rear end. It rides on 16″ steel wheels with whitewalls and has a drilled drop axle, front disc brakes, and a ladder-bar rear setup with coilovers. The matte-white paintwork is complemented by a fabric roof, and within the last year the interior was redone with diamond-stitched upholstery, bomber-style seats, a tall shifter, digital gauges, and a three-spoke steering wheel. This Model A is now offered with a car cover and a clean Indiana title in the seller’s name.

    The seller believes the car started as a 1928 Model A and was built around 2020. The body was chopped, channeled over the modified frame, and repainted matte white. The tooled leather top snaps on.

    The car rides on a drilled drop axle up front with hairpin radius rods, and ladder bars and coilovers are used out back. Coker whitewalls are mounted on the 16″ steel wheels, and the front disc brakes are power assisted.

    The interior was recently redone and features diamond-stitched upholstery, bomber-style seats, a wooden cargo floor with a fuel tank, and black carpeting.

    Custom flourishes accent the dashboard, which has been fitted with a mix of modern gauges. The shifter is from Lokar, and the three-spoke wheel has a gold metal-flake rim. 718 miles are indicated on the cluster.

    The 302ci V8 is topped by a Weiand intake manifold with a Vintage Speed adapter and two Holley 94-style carburetors. The valve covers are copper-plated, and lake-style headers are linked to a dual exhaust system.

    The C-4 automatic is linked to a Ford 9″ rear end.

    The car is titled as a 1928 Ford using VIN D8VE8012A3AZ71F7.

    No Reserve 355-Powered ’30 Ford Highboy Roadster

    This Ford Model A-style roadster was built using a fiberglass body mounted to a boxed steel frame. The build was initiated in 2022, and ~$27,500 worth of work performed at Jerry’s Speed Shop in Fords, New Jersey, was highlighted by a rebuild of the 355ci Chevrolet V8 with a COMP Cams roller camshaft, Dart aluminum cylinder heads, a tunnel-ram intake, dual Edelbrock carburetors, and zoomie headers. Additional modifications at that time included installing a 2,800-3,200-rpm stall torque converter, a Total Cost Involved front end, a UniSteer steering rack, rear coilovers, braided stainless-steel lines for the front discs, American Racing 15” Torq Thrust wheels, and whitewall tires with pie-crust rears. Acquired by the seller in 2025, this Highboy hot rod is now offered at no reserve with refurbishment records and a Kentucky title listing it as a 1930 Ford.

    The fiberglass body is mounted to a fabricated steel frame, and both are painted red. Details include a shaved exterior, teardrop taillights, and a polished grille insert, windshield frame, cowl trim, and headlight buckets. The windshield tilts out.

    This is a relist after the vehicle was previously offered on BaT in April 2025 but withdrawn to address a transmission issue. The transmission was subsequently replaced.

    Staggered-width American Racing 15” Torq Thrust wheels and whitewall tires with pie-crust rears were both mounted in 2023. The Total Cost Involved polished front assembly with hairpin radius rods, a transverse leaf spring, and Wilwood disc brakes was also installed along with a UniSteer rack-and-pinion assembly, braided stainless-steel brake lines, an adjustable proportioning valve, and coilovers for the four-bar rear end.

    The cabin features bucket seats trimmed in black vinyl with red cloth inserts. Additional appointments include a wood dashboard fascia, a B&M shifter with an illuminated knob, and black carpets.

    The steering wheel is mounted to a tilt column and sits ahead of Faria Beede instrumentation consisting of a 140-mph speedometer, a 10k-rpm tachometer, and gauges for fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure, and voltage. The seller has added most of the ~225 miles indicated on the five-digit odometer.

    The small-block Chevrolet V8 was bored 0.030”-over during a rebuild at Jerry’s Speed Shop in 2023. Displacement is calculated at 355ci, and Dart aluminum cylinder heads were installed along with a COMP Cams roller camshaft, roller rockers and lifters, ARP hardware, a finned oil pan and valve covers, an Edelbrock tunnel-ram intake manifold, dual Edelbrock AVS 2 carburetors, polished velocity stacks, and zoomie exhaust headers. A Powermaster starter was also utilized along with a Summit Racing fuel pump, braided fuel hoses, and and MSD distributor. The aluminum radiator is cooled by an electric puller fan, and the car was rewired in 2023.

    The TH350 three-speed automatic transmission has a 2,800-3,200-rpm stall torque converter, and it was rebuilt since the last auction.

    Records documenting the ~$27,500 spent in 2023 are provided in the gallery along with a build summary.

    The car is titled as a 1930 Ford using the VIN CAY9681, which appears on an identification plate riveted to the firewall. The Kentucky title carries a Not Actual Mileage notation.