The 1980s were a golden era for die-cast toy cars, with miniature versions of real vehicles capturing the imagination of children and collectors alike. Brands like Hot Wheels and Matchbox produced detailed replicas that often outshone their real-life counterparts in terms of excitement and appeal. These toys combined imaginative design, vibrant colors, and the thrill of racing, creating a nostalgic allure that continues to captivate enthusiasts today. The fusion of pop culture and automotive design in these die-cast models offered a unique form of escapism, allowing fans to experience the excitement of high-speed adventures without leaving their homes.
Acura has a 10-year tradition of being part of “Car Week” festivities along California’s central coast at the Monterey Peninsula each August. The activities – which span about 10 days – culminate with the famous Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Each year, about 100,000 people take part in Car Week and, this year, I was one of them. Always eager for a road trip, I made the 11-hour one-way trek out to the area in my 1986 Acura, which I’m happy to report was mechanically sound despite being nearly 40 years old.
Movie Star Car
The Carmel Valley Ranch played host to a private reception where Acura showcased parts of its current and future strategic visions. Parked in front of the lodge was a movie star in the form of a one-off Acura NSX convertible. The car was driven by Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) in a 2012 film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team called “The Avengers.”
The interesting thing is that the car, according to a recent press release, was actually built using a 1991 Acura NSX with 252,000 miles on it. I was able to get up close to the car, but I did not touch it or open anything. The cockpit looks mostly unchanged from its 1991-era origins, but the exterior is vastly remolded to resemble what later became the second-generation “NC1” chassis Acura NSX. Acura elected to bring the car out of storage – after over a decade – and showcase it at events during Car Week to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the NSX. The car will go up for charity auction in 2026, but the details on that are still forthcoming.
New Directions
In other news, Acura discontinued production of its TLX sedan model after a 10-year run. The brand’s efforts are now focused on electric-vehicle initiatives, and at the core of the vision is a new “RSX” model.
The previous RSX, sold between model years 2002 and 2006, was a three-door hatchback with a rev-happy VTEC four-cylinder and an available six-speed manual transmission. The new version takes a different approach entirely. Acura says the RSX is the “first model engineered in-house on the new Honda-developed EV platform.” It will be manufactured in Ohio and is expected to arrive in dealerships in the second half of 2026. Engineering wise, it will use dual motors and be equipped with all-wheel drive, a double-wishbone front suspension, and Brembo brakes. While not able to see the interior, I did get to make a walk-around and hear a few words from Acura Creative Director Yasutake Tsuchida about the design of the car.
The automotive industry is evolving at warp speed, and alternative-fuel initiatives have taken center stage in recent years. It remains to be seen how Acura’s latest creations will be received in the marketplace. Does the new RSX catch your eye?
Ford unleashed a global assault on all forms of automotive racing in the 1960s called “Total Performance.” The below four cars currently listed for sale on AutoHunter were contemporary vehicles available to consumers during that time. Can you identify them for us?
In the Comments section below, give us the brand, model year, and model. If you need a hint, you can click on an image for a look-see.
Click on a photo to reveal each car
You can depend on Tuesday to bring you a new puzzle on The Classic Cars.com Journal. Play previous games for even more enjoyment!
Ford Motor Company’s Total Performance racing/marketing program was properly in full force in 1963, but things picked up a notch mid-year with the introduction of the 427 (and, for the Fairlane, the 289 High-Performance). Another mid-year update was the introduction of the Sports Hardtop, which replaced the Thunderbird-inspired formality for a sleeker greenhouse that was much more NASCAR-friendly. Commonly referred to as a “fastback,” any mid-year Galaxie hardtop had looks on par with the best from Detroit. Our AutoHunter Spotlight illuminates these charms with this unrestored 1963½ Galaxie 500 fastback. Aside from the 390 Thunderbird V8 and three-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission, this Galaxie 500 is equipped with power steering, AM/FM radio, upgraded dual exhaust system, and more. Painted red with a red vinyl interior, this classic Blue Oval is offered from the selling dealer with a clear title.
The seller claims this Rangoon Red Galaxie 500 is an original, unrestored example. It’s nicely complemented by longitudinal side trim, rear fender hashes, rear trunklid inlay, chrome front fender-top ornaments, driver-side chrome mirror, and Galaxie 500 and 390 badges. A set of 15 x 8-inch steel wheels with hubcaps are paired with 225/75 Cooper Cobra GT radials.
The red vinyl interior features a bench seat up front. Other interior features include power steering, factory AM/FM radio, clock, column-mounted automatic shifter, and dashboard cover.
The instrument panel consists of a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for the temperature and fuel. An aftermarket cluster measuring oil pressure and volts is mounted underneath the dashboard. The odometer shows 91,510, though the title reads mileage-exempt.
The 300-horsepower “Z-code” 390 was a popular choice among folks who wanted to have decent power and drivability without the concern for solid lifters. It is paired with a three-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission.
The undercarriage is what you’d expect for a car of this era: drum brakes all around, 3.00 single-traction rear gears, and dual exhaust system, the latter appearing to be updated from stock.
This 1963½ Ford Galaxie 500 fastback demonstrates Ford in peak form, owing to a special mix of style and power that could arguably be stated would never reach such heights again. Plus, it’s in original condition, and we know some of you just love unrestored cars, so have at it—the AutoHunter auction for this classic Ford ends on Monday August 25, 2025, at 11:45 a.m. (PDT).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery
The Fiat 500 is a small car by every measure, but it’s not quite compact enough to take on an airplane as a form of luggage. Still, that didn’t help one car enthusiast from taking a four-wheeled souvenir home (one way or another) from a stay in Europe.
The Pick of the Day is a 1972 Fiat 500 L coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Palm Harbor, Florida.
“I bought this Fiat when I lived in Italy in 2020 and brought it back to Florida when I moved back in 2022,” the listing explains.
The 500 was charming – and even cheerful – in its bubble-shaped Italian design. For people who lived in congested urban environments, it was a car that offered a versatile mobility solution. Fiat launched the car in 1957 and kept it in production until the mid-1970s. It was a popular car in Europe, but it was (and still is) an uncommon sight in the United States. Decades later, Fiat reentered the market with a new 500 in 2007.
This over-50-year-old car’s original engine (an air-cooled, 500cc inline-twin, mounted at the rear) developed some issues, so a new Abarth engine was shipped over from Italy and installed. At the same time, the transaxle was upgraded to a five-speed from a four-speed. Output from the new powertrain is a whopping 36 horsepower, so don’t expect to win very many drag races. The seller says that the car has been driven only a few hours since receiving a heart transplant, and it “runs and drives great.”
Finished in navy blue over red vinyl upholstery, the car is optioned in “Lusso” trim (which meant it had a slightly more refined equipment); features include an anti-glare dash covering, pleated upholstery, and unique hubcaps. The pull-back soft-top is a nice touch for open-air cruising. Best of all, the car’s mechanics are relatively simple, and it’s an economy car that certainly won’t look like anything else in its fuel-sipping class.
The listing concludes, “It is very rare to see this type of Fiat in this condition in the United States. I have not seen another one yet, at least in Florida.”
The asking price is $18,000 or best offer, which includes documentation dating back to the car’s original build. Bring a small taste of Italy to your driveway today!
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
This Ford is a scratch-built T-Bucket roadster that was inspired by a build completed by the seller’s father when he was in high school. The fiberglass body is mounted on custom-made 3×2″ boxed frame, and it rides on a custom suspension with a suicide front end, a Magnum 4″ drop axle, Total Performance radius rods, a SuperSlide front spring, and a Posies Model A spring out back. Staggered 16″ Wheel Vintiques wheels are mounted over Buick drum-look Wilwood brakes up front and Lincoln drums out back, and it also has a reversed Corvair steering box and a Corvette master cylinder. Power comes from a 401ci Buick Nailhead V8 with a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic automatic transmission, and inside is a Lokar shifter, a Borgeson steering column, German square-weave carpeting, and a Bell steering wheel. Dubbed “Buford 2”, the car was featured in the May 2015 issue of Hot Rod following completion of the build. This T-Bucket is now offered at no reserve with spare parts, and a clean Nevada title in the seller’s name.
The May 2015 Hot Rod article highlights the history and build that was performed by the seller’s father.
The fiberglass body is from Total Performance, and it was painted Cherry Metallic. It is mounted on a custom-made 2×3″ boxed chassis.
The suicide front end features a Magnum 4″ drop axle, Total Performance radius rods, and a SuperSlide front spring, while a Posie’s Model A spring is used along with custom-made radius rods out back. The staggered 16″ Wheel Vintiques steelies are painted to match the body and mounted with big-and-littles.
The front brakes have Buick-style finned drum covers over Wilwood discs. Out back Lincoln drums were used, and the system employs a Corvette master cylinder. The steering box is a reversed Corvair unit.
Tan channeled upholstery covers the bench seat, backrest, and top of the “bed”, which conceals the fuel tank. A 14″ Bell wheel is mounted on the Borgeson steering column; the shifter is from Lokar. German square-weave carpeting lines the floors.
The Stewart-Warner gauges do not work, though the seller estimates the car has been driven 2,400 miles.
The seller’s father built the 401ci Buick Nailhead V8 with .030″-over Ross forged pistons, a Delta Cams camshaft, ported heads, Clevite bearings, and ARP hardware. Two 600cfm Edelbrock carburetors are mounted on the Eelco manifold, and Eelco finned valve covers were also used along with a Vertex magneto. The coolant and oil were changed in June 2025.
Chrome headers flow into sidepipes on both sides.
The seller’s father used a big-bearing Ford banjo, Dutchman chromoly axles, and a Winters Performance quick-change rear end. The TH400 automatic transmission has a switch-pitch torque converter.
Uninstalled Eelco intake manifolds, each with a trio of Stromberg 97s, are included along with linkages.
The car is titled as a 1923 Ford using VIN T7696446.
This ’34 Ford is a steel-bodied pickup that was built into a hot rod following the seller’s acquisition in 2012. The cab is channeled over an original ’34 frame, and it rides on a Super Bell 4″ drop axle with disc brakes up front, a four-link rear end with coilovers, and staggered artillery-style wheels. Power is provided by a .030″-over 350ci V8 equipped with an Edelbrock intake manifold, a Holley carburetor, and Sanderson headers with baffles, and the engine is linked to a Turbo 350 automatic transmission and a Ford 8″ rear end. This Series 46 pickup is now offered with service records and an Oklahoma title in the seller’s name.
The steel body has been channeled over the ’34 frame. The cab retains a tilt-out windshield and has a drilled visor. Chrome spreader bars have been installed along with an aluminum fuel tank and an Optima battery in the bed.
The truck rides on a modified suspension with a Super Bell 4″ drop axle, QA1 shocks, hairpin radius rods, and a four-link rear end. Discs are mounted up front, and the staggered artillery-style wheels measure 15″ up front and 16″ out back and are mounted with pie-crust Firestone tires.
Diamond-stitched pads cover the bomber-style seats, and the rest of the interior is painted black.
The woodgrain-rimmed steering wheel is mounted on a tilt column. The Dolphin cluster shows 2,800 miles, which represents the distance driven since the build was completed.
The 350ci V8 was rebuilt with .030″-over pistons according to the seller. It is topped by an Edelbrock Air Gap Performer intake manifold and a Holley carburetor, and the Sanderson headers have baffles. MSD ignition, an aluminum radiator, and an electric fan were also used.
The Turbo 350 automatic transmission is linked to a Ford 8″ rear end with 3.70 gears. The speedometer cable connection leaks fluid.
The truck is titled as a 1934 Ford using VIN 181192580. The title carries a Classic notation.
How many times have we seen crystal-ball claiming to show future vehicles yet none of them ever pan out? Remember the split-window Corvette Centennial from 15 years ago? It didn’t happen, but a mid-engined C8 Corvette did. Fantasies can manifast!
I’d like to think that, considering the mid-engined C8 Corvette reached production several years ago, that Corvette designers have the opportunity to acknowledge what they’ve learned and refine what they know, leading to even more magnificent Corvette designs. If that’s true, then we have the Corvette CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo concepts as the next step in Corvette design.
Both of these cars have been unveiled at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, during Monterey Car Week. “While not intended for production, the pair will serve as inspiration to inform Corvette design language for years to come,” says Chevrolet. “Drawing on more than 70 years of performance innovation, these Corvette concepts honor the heritage of America’s sports car—and propel it into the future.”
Both vehicles were designed right in Detroit, specifically Chevrolet Performance Studio in Warren, with an assist from GM Motorsports Aero Group. “While the shape of a Corvette has always been expressive and forward-looking, each crease and line has its roots in the generations that came before it. It is aspirational, it is cultural, it is the reason people want to come and work at Chevrolet,” says Phil Zak, executive design director for Chevrolet. “The CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo demonstrate our design teams stepping away from the constraints of production vehicles and unleashing their creativity. Through this exercise, we’ve added to Corvette and defined the design direction for Corvette moving forward.”
The more street-worthy of the two, the Corvette CX, still can handle the track, though it certainly looks much more austere compared with the current crop of road/track vehicles available today, ZR1 included. Call me crazy, but it looks as if the C3 was turned into a modern mid-engined sports car—how can that be bad? “The proportions are long, low, and sleek, with a roofline less than 41 inches high,” says Chevrolet. A flip-up canopy entry system gives Dodge Charger III vibes.
The cabin is furnished in Inferno Red ballistic textile with silicone leather, milled aluminum, and low-gloss forged carbon fiber accents. A digital windscreen promotes an immersive experience that surrounds occupants with a display offering real-time performance data.
And then there’s the Corvette CX.R Vision Gran Turismo. As you may have surmised, this is the track version of the same car, inspired by Corvette GT racing. Painted in the traditional regalia of yellow and black, the CX.R VGT features more aggressive aerodynamic duds, plus a rear spoiler that will shame any SoCal JDM brah.
Inside, raw carbon fiber weave and suede-wrapped foam takes over, and more aggressive seats provide the proper head and neck support that’s needed to handle all that power.
So, here’s the rub: the Corvette CX is an all-wheel-drive electric supercar—perhaps EV packaging is the reason everything looks so tidy. The silver lining is that there’s four motors generating more the 2,000 horsepower, with four-wheel torque vectoring.
Yet the CX.R VGT is powered by a 2.0-liter DOHC twin-turbo V8 with up to 900 horsepower, so certainly there’s provision for an engine. This one can rev to 15,000 rpm to boot! Not unexpectedly, there’s three electric motors (one for each front wheel, plus a third incorporated in the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission), with the combination offering total horsepower on par with the CX . . . but with a V8 rumble.
Working with Polyphony Digital Inc. (a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment), both the Corvette CX and Corvette CX.R Vision Gran Turismo concepts will be available for a virtual spin in Gran Turismo 7 later this month, giving you a chance to experience firsthand the future of Corvette design.
Trucks were made to work, but we’d be willing to make an exception for this 1953 Chevrolet 3100 we saw at the Barrett-Jackson 2024 Scottsdale Fall Auction. As part of a 2011 frame-off restoration, it received a handsome two-tone green finish as well as fresh chrome and an oak plank bed floor with matching side rails. There’s more green inside the cab as well as a bench seat reupholstered in two-tone gray vinyl and cloth.
One thing you won’t see in there is the fuel tank because that’s been reinstalled underneath the bed. The 235ci I6 under the hood is connected to a four-speed manual transmission. Maybe the person who won this classic American truck with a bid of $44,000 drives it to local car shows. Or maybe they use it to carry building materials for a home improvement project. What would you do with this 1953 Chevrolet 3100? Tell us in the comments below.
Subscribe to the ClassicCars TV YouTube channel for more Interesting Finds.
Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is this 1967 Mercury Cyclone hardtop. As the sportiest car of the Comet series, the Cyclone came standard with bucket seats and was powered by a 200-horsepower 289, though the GT Performance Group added a 320-horsepower 390 and other equipment. If you wanted something in-between, you could opt for a 390 two-barrel and four-speed manual, which is how this Cyclone was originally built, making it one of 209. A lot has happened since 1967, with this vehicle being the recipient of a fuel-injected 4.6-liter and five-speed manual transmission transplant. Other features include a factory GT hood, Eaton Detroit Locker differential, four-wheel disc brakes, and more. Painted Inverness Green with a black vinyl interior, this updated muscle car comes from the selling dealer with a Deluxe Marti Report and a clear title.
The original color for this Cyclone was Inverness Green, and that’s the color that continues to present itself for your viewing pleasure, though now the front and rear bumpers have been painted black. There’s more black-out happening with the grille, front and rear bezels, and driver-side mirror. Other features include the optional GT fiberglass hood (one of 491 hardtops to be so equipped) and a set of 17-inch American Racing wheels wrapped in 245/50 Nitto radials.
The black vinyl interior features two bucket seats with a Hurst shifter mounted between them. Other cabin characteristics include the factory AM radio, aftermarket Grant steering wheel, power steering, and padded dashboard.
Instrumentation includes AutoMeter 160-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tachometer, plus the original coolant temperature and fuel gauges. Additionally, a set of aftermarket gauges reside underneath the dashboard. The odometer currently reads 545 miles though the title reads mileage-exempt.
The original big-block has been replaced by a fuel-injected 4.6-liter “Modular” V8 and five-speed manual sourced from a late-model Mustang GT. A Champion aluminum radiator is a noteworthy addition.
The undercarriage features a nine-inch Ford rear with Eaton Detroit Locker differential housing 3.25 gears. Other features include power four-wheel disc brakes, Mustang II front suspension, four-link rear suspension, and Heidts crossmember.
Cyclones never sold in great numbers, with this 1967 Mercury Cyclone being one of only 2,682 hardtops built (those with the GT package were actually more popular). It has a classic look of the era that, when combined with the nifty GT hood and modern mechanicals, make for a very nice modified muscle car. And, lucky you, it was a modified with a five-speed manual instead of an overdrive automatic! Don’t hesitate—get your trigger finger ready and place a bid because after 12:45 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, August 21, 2025, this Mercury will have a new owner. Will it be you?
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery