In the 1960-70s, fake cooling scoops were a small trend on several American cars. Below we have four vehicles currently listed for sale on AutoHunter or ClassicCars.com that exhibit this feature. Can you tell us what these cars are?
Be sure to list the model year, make, and model in the Comments section below. If you feel stumped, you can click on an image to snag a hint.
Click on a photo to reveal each car
When it’s Tuesday, you know it’s game day at The ClassicCars.com Journal. You can play past puzzles by clicking here once you’re done with this one.
Currently listed for sale on AutoHunter is this 1955 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Catalina. During this era, Pontiac hardtops were called “Catalina,” a name which was later used for a stand-alone model starting in 1959. Powering this Poncho is a Strato-Streak 287 V8 backed by a four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Features include AM radio with glovebox-mounted Pioneer stereo with CD player, driver-side mirror, and more. Painted in two-tone Firegold and White Mist over a copper and beige cloth and leather interior, this 1950s cruiser comes from the selling dealer with a clear title.
The repainted Firegold and White Mist hues are original to this car. Other exterior features include driver-side mirror, rear-fender stone guard (part of the Custom sub-model), Chief Pontiac hood ornament, and distinctive chrome side trim that distinguished V8-powered Star Chiefs from lesser models. A set of 15-inch Firegold steel wheels with stock wheelcovers are wrapped in 215/75 whitewall radials.
The recently-reupholstered copper and beige cloth and leather interior features a split bench up front. An automatic transmission shifter is on the right side of the steering column. Other features include an AM radio assisted by a modern Pioneer unit nestled in the glovebox (complete with CD player), and newer wood-rimmed, three-spoke steering wheel.
Instrumentation includes a 120-mph speedometer and gauges for oil pressure, water pressure, battery, and fuel. A clock resides on the right side of the dashboard.
The Strato-Streak 287ci V8 features a four-barrel carburetor, which gave it a 180-horsepower rating at the time. It is paired with a four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. A late-model GM alternator has been added.
The undercarriage features an independent front suspension, rear solid axle, manual drums on all four corners, and a single exhaust system.
Aside from being a complete redesign, the 1955 Pontiac also shares the distinction of being the first to be available with a V8 engine. This was the beginning of the Bunkie Knudsen (r)evolution to change Pontiac’s reputation from something a librarian would drive to something more substantial and sporty, with the transformation culminating in 1959. Plus, this 1955 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Catalina features a gorgeous color combination that makes it difficult to resist (see what I did there?). Place your bid now because after Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:15 p.m. (MST), this Poncho will be going to a new garage—yours?
The name “G-Wagen” may bring to mind the cube-ish four-door SUVs driven around Beverly Hills (and never off-road), but the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has taken many forms over the past several decades, including a two-door and an even an AMG-enhanced 6X6 pickup. Our Pick of the Day is a particularly attractive configuration. You can find this 1996 Mercedes-Benz G 350 Turbodiesel Cabriolet listed on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Southampton, New York.
The G-Class was introduced in 1979 as a hand-built off-roader available in two wheelbase lengths and five body styles. In response to customer demand for a more comfortable and better equipped vehicle, Mercedes replaced the initial W460 model with the W463 in 1989. This time around, there were three body style choices: cabriolet, short station wagon, and long station wagon.
There have also been several different engine types under the hood of the G-Wagen. Those include gas and diesel, and cylinder counts of four, five, six, eight, and even 12. The W463 rig I’m highlighting here is an interesting combination of the two-door cabriolet layout powered by a 3.4-liter turbodiesel inline-six, which is paired a four-speed automatic and full-time four-wheel drive with locking front, middle, and rear differentials. According to Mercedes, when new, this engine put out 136 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque.
The Ruby Pearl Metallic exterior is accented with bright trim (including the ring around the rear-mounted spare tire cover) and later-model Mercedes wheels. The black soft top covers a black leather interior trimmed with wood veneer and equipped with heated front seats, power mirrors and windows, and a factory AM/FM/cassette radio.
Mercedes never officially offered the G-Class in the United States until the 2002 model year (the gray market was glad to fill in the gap until then), so if you want a G-Wagen that’s a little different than what you’re used to seeing on the road (or trail), you can get it in this 1996 Mercedes-Benz G 350 Turbodiesel Cabriolet for $85,000.
A faster breed of Dark Horse with supercharged power is coming. If you bid on the 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC with the first retail VIN at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson 2026 Scottsdale Auction, you can add it to your stable and know that 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit Breakthrough T1D, which supports research and advocacy for those living with Type 1 diabetes.
Hmmm . . . a supercharged Dark Horse, eh? So Ford Racing just attached a blower to its Coyote 5.0? Nope. The SC, which slots in between the Dark Horse with the Performance Package and the Mustang GTD, is powered by a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, aka the “Predator.” If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Ford F-150 Raptor R uses the same setup—as did another Mustang: the 2020-2022 Shelby GT500. As of right now, there’s no word from Ford on how potent the Dark Horse SC’s engine is, but don’t be surprised if its output is somewhere between the last GT500’s 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque, and the Mustang GTD’s 815 horsepower and 664 lb-ft. Whatever the numbers happen to be, they’ll be delivered to the road and track through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Photo courtesy of Ford From the Road
Ford Racing developed the SC on the Sebring and Virginia International Raceways, right alongside the GTD as well as the Mustang GT3 race car. That led to several performance enhancements, such as the SC’s aluminum hood, which features a massive vent that aids powertrain cooling and front-end dynamics. Taking out the vent tray gives the SC 2.5 times the amount of downforce generated by the regular Dark Horse’s hood vent.
Photo courtesy of Ford From the Road
The GTD’s influence includes next-generation MagneRide dampers with revised spring rates and knuckles, a flat-bottom steering wheel with 12 o’clock stripe and performance controls, and Alcantara, carbon fiber, and 3D-printed titanium accents.
Photo courtesy of Ford From the Road
An available Track Pack takes the SC’s performance to the next level by adding a variety of aerodynamic and suspension upgrades. Ford Racing cut 150 pounds of weight by installing a set of carbon fiber wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R rubber and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes. Using a magnesium strut tower brace sharpened the SC’s steering feel and reduced unsprung mass.
Photo courtesy of Ford From the Road
According to Ford, “During development, our team engineered a specific ducktail-shaped decklid for the Mustang Dark Horse SC Track Pack that improved the rear wing’s efficiency by 10 percent without requiring a larger wing or higher angle of attack, both of which could impact rear visibility.” At 180 mph, the carbon fiber wing pushes the back end closer to the track with 620 pounds of downforce. Inside, SCs with the Track Pack receive Recaro leather and Dinamica sport seats, plus Space Gray or Teal accents; there is no rear seat—only a storage shelf.
Photo courtesy of Ford From the Road
Expect to see 2026 Mustang Dark Horse SCs in Ford showrooms starting this coming summer. Then it’ll only be a (short) matter of time until you spot them racing C8 Corvette Z06s.
Not only did we get an up-close look at Tyler Hoover’s 2006 Jeep Commander Limited, but we also interviewed the host of the popular YouTube channel Hoovies Garage about it. To make the 5.7-liter Hemi-powered, three-row SUV more of the vehicle he thought it should’ve been all along, Hoover added a variety of cosmetic and functional upgrades. The most obvious of those is faux wood grain trim, but if you look hard enough, you’ll also see Bilstein shocks, a two-inch lift, and all-terrain tires. Although Hoover didn’t take his improved Jeep Commander off-road after the modifications were made, perhaps the person who paid $8,800 for it at the Barrett-Jackson 2025 Scottsdale Fall Auction did. We sure hope so!
By the mid-1970s, when the Oldsmobile 442 was a decade old, there was a shift happening in the muscle car realm. The Olds leaned a little more into the comfortable/luxurious side of its formula instead of all-out performance. Featured on AutoHunter is a car we’ll use to showcase that evolution: a 1974 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Coupe listed by a dealer in Gladstone, Oregon. The auction will end on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 12:15 p.m. (MST).
Finished in Cranberry Poly with a white accent stripe, the car is said to be highly original. Upgraded features include power front disc brakes, power steering, tilt steering wheel, and dual exhaust system.
As for the shift in positioning, it wasn’t completely at the expense of performance; the mid-1970s 442s still had plenty of power—especially when equipped with the 455ci V8 like this car—just with more convenience options than in prior iterations. The cabin was refined for comfort, sometimes with wood-grain trim. One new feature was a “Strato” swivel bucket that made entry and exit a breeze. (I wrote a story about the same feature in a Monte Carlo several years ago.) All of this is to say that the 442 was more of a grand-tourer than before, especially in certain model years when the only available transmission was an automatic.
The 1974 Cutlass rode on the third-generation General Motors A-body platform, which had debuted just a year earlier. In enthusiast circles, the body style was sometimes referred to as the “Colonnade” design and featured a more squared-off look up front when compared to prior versions. The available “442” option was a handling and appearance package, option code W-29, that brought (among other things) a louvered hood, specific grille, special striping, and upgraded “FE2” suspension.
That brings us to this 442, which is nicely presented in its original color combination, according to the trim tag. The car’s U-code “Rocket” 455ci V8 with four-barrel is said to be numbers-matching—when new, the 455 was rated at 230 horsepower and 370 lb-ft of torque. One interesting note about powertrains: for 1974, the 442 lost the available three- and four-speed manuals; the only available transmission was a Turbo-Hydramatic.
The 442 made an indelible mark on muscle car history, and the 1970s versions were a perfect case-study of how a product can shift due to market influences, external factors, and consumer tastes and preferences.
They say familiarity breeds contempt. If that were 100 percent true, then perhaps our Pick of the Day wouldn’t be one of the world’s most popular cars—both new and antique. As it so happens, familiar cars can transcend this quirk of human nature and stay in our good graces. This 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle is listed in ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Phoenix.
Perhaps the design of the Volkswagen Type 1 changed little, but there are many variations during its lifetime. Maybe you know about early “split-window” cars or how U.S. regulations demanded proper parking lights for the front end but are in the dark with what made a Super Beetle super. The answer is quite simple: after the 1968 restyle, Volkswagen continued to marginally improve the Beetle as before but introduced a new Type 1 model called the Super Beetle for 1971.
Volkswagen bragged that the Super Beetle gained 155 pounds, but not for the sake of the precious sensibilities of those tired of the air-cooled racket—rather, it was due to “90 meaningful improvements” that included three additional inches in length due to eschewing the torsion-bar front suspension for McPherson struts to improve ride and handling. The front trunk increased in size (almost double!) as a result, leading to front-end styling that’s subtly different than the standard Beetle.
Then there was the door-to-door carpeting, flow-through ventilation system with two-speed blower, telescoping steering wheel, and electric rear-window defogger, enlarged brake drums, and an additional three horsepower, among others.
Yes, the Volkswagen Beetle was the impetus for such cars as the 1960 Chevrolet Corvair, Ford Falcon, and Valiant (initially a brand of its own before being folded under the Plymouth banner). The Corvair was the only one that was as technically as interesting the Beetle, but Chevrolet saw fit to create the Chevy II for 1962 as mainstream engineering trumped all, leaving the Europeans (and, soon, the Japanese) to duke it out while raising the technical bar.
And that’s the beauty of this Shantung Yellow 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle—it filled a need, yet satisfies another in its twilight years. It has received a comprehensive, frame-off restoration. According to the seller, “It looks and drives pretty much like new. No expense spared in nut and bolt rotisserie restoration by Lenny Copp/West Coast Classic Restoration,” adding, “Brought back…with the highest quality factory spec stock basketweave black interior.” As this California/Arizona car has been in dry climate all its life, its body and chassis have been rust-free throughout its lifetime. Mechanical restoration includes rebuilt 1600cc dual port engine, clutch, transaxle, suspension, and electrical and brake systems. All lenses (including the license plate light) are NOS OEM German Hella, and this Super Beetle comes the original German Bilstein jack, toolkit, very nice original owner’s manual, and an Owners Workshop Manual . . . you get the idea.
If you pay $26,500 and drive off into the sunset, chances are you may see another Beetle on the road, but it won’t be as nice as this one. One thing’s for sure: your new Bug will receive the admiration of all.
This T-bucket was built several decades ago using a “VX-23” kit designed by Speedway Motors to use an air-cooled Volkswagen drivetrain. Finished in blue over tan upholstery, the car features fiberglass bodywork mounted to a chromoly steel chassis with a coilover suspension, front disc brakes, and 15” and 16” wheels. Power comes from a 1.3-liter flat-four linked to a four-speed manual transaxle, and equipment includes a wood-rimmed steering wheel, Sun gauges, and a Dual CD head unit. Work performed since the seller’s purchase in 2024 has involved overhauling the rear brakes and refreshing the fuel system. This custom T-bucket is now offered at no reserve with spare parts and a clean Illinois title in the seller’s name listing it as a 1922 Ford.
The fiberglass bodywork is finished in blue with white and beige pinstriping and mounted to a chassis constructed from chromoly steel. Details include a right-side door, a tubular front bumper, louvered hood side panels, windshield stabilizer rods, a perforated rear vent, and dual exhaust outlets. Cracks and delamination in the wind wings are visible along with peeling chrome on the top of the windshield frame. The seller notes an area of damage on the left side that is shown up close in the image gallery below.
Spindle-mount Hallcraft 15” wire wheels are wrapped in 185/65 Blacklion Cilerro BH15 tires up front, while the rear Pacer multi-piece 16” rear wheels wear 275/60 Summit Super Trac units. The car rides on coilovers with hairpin radius rods all around and a tubular front drop axle. The rear drum brakes were overhauled under current ownership, and the seller recommends rebuilding the AirHeart front brake calipers.
The cockpit is trimmed in tan vinyl, and black carpeting lines the floor. Pinstriping accents the dashboard fascia, and a Dual CD head unit has been installed. Wear on the interior surfaces can be viewed in the gallery.
The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of a Sun 8k-rpm tachometer and auxiliary gauges. The car does not have an odometer.
The 1.3-liter flat-four is equipped with a single downdraft carburetor. The fuel tank and lines were cleaned under current ownership, and a battery cutoff switch was added.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transaxle. A shifter bushing was replaced in 2025. The seller recommends replacing the left-side axle tube.
The vehicle is titled as a 1922 Ford using the VIN 153110, which appears on the identification plaque shown above.
As a decentralized country, the United States features 50 independent states that are united under one federal government. As such, each one of the 50 has laws that may differ from those of other states, including how automobiles are licensed. This is especially true for antique or historic vehicles. The seventh state of the union—Maryland—has found its citizens in opposition to the rules as they were intended and has taken action to curb their behavior.
If seeing Toyota Camrys with historic plates has had you scratching your head, you’re not alone. But it’s not so much that some Millennial thinks his/her car is historic as it is gaming the rules. Until recently, Maryland considered cars 20 years old or older “historic,” and many residents applied for historic plates because they cost less (originally about 58 percent the cost of regular plates, though since mid-2024, it’s about 29 percent) and can give you a pass on certain things like annual safety inspections.
Image courtesy of Facebook/Title & Tag Service of Oakland, Md
According to the Wall Street Journal, Maryland’s department of motor vehicles issued around 60,000 historic tags in 2024 (the year before it began cracking down on these scofflaws)—that was a 34-percent jump from just three years earlier. Even more profound: close to 60 percent were for cars from the 2000-2004 model years. Care to guess the most popular cars? Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, and Honda Accord (sorry, Camry, but you’re still the whipping boy here).
You and I know that a historic plate means one is restricted to using a vehicle in parades, car shows, exhibitions, occasional transportation, and similar uses, but that’s not how it ends up with the aforementioned Camry. Car clubs have complained, as relying on age itself diminishes what a historic vehicle actually is. In turn, the distinction ends up being diminished.
How we roll in Arizona (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)
The state also sees the issue in another manner: liability and negligence. Unsafe vehicles with the shroud of historic plates are a liability on the road. It should be no surprise that lawyers have gotten smart to this tactic—what should you do if you’re in an accident with a “historic” vehicle?
One idea to combat this is to require residents to put standard tags on one car before obtaining historic plates for another, which demonstrates that the owner has one reliable, mainstream vehicle. For now, the Maryland legislature has approved a 25-year definition—yeah, still arbitrary—that took effect January 1, 2025. This affects approximately 72,000 scofflaws, which is one-third of all historic tag holders. Unfortunately, the age marker is not rolling, meaning a 2000 model year vehicle will never achieve historic status, according to Maryland.
With a new legislative session under way, let’s see how this pans out.
One of the reasons Chevrolet switched the Corvette to a mid-engine layout for its eighth generation was so that America’s Sports Car would have more weight over its rear axle, which would benefit traction and overall performance. Then, as it usually does, Chevrolet started releasing more powerful models, such as the E-Ray hybrid and the 1,064-horsepower ZR1. Chevy combined the E-Ray’s hybrid AWD configuration with the ZR1’s LT7 twin-turbo V8 to make the range-topping ZR1X, which blazed its way down the drag strip to become America’s quickest production car.
Last summer, we learned just how much power the ZR1X generates: the ZR1’s 1,064-horsepower, twin-turbo 5.5-liter DOHC V8 pushes the mega-Vette while a more potent version of the E-Ray’s electric front axle pulls—and bumps the total output to a staggering 1,250 horses. To find out just how fast the ZR1X is, Chevy’s crew hit the drag strip at the US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. According to the automaker, the cars were equipped with “standard Michelin PS4S tires, and available carbon fiber wheels” and ran “on pump gas, using standard-equipment tires and production 50-state street-legal engine calibration.”
Corvette development engineer and test driver Stefan Frick
Over the course of two days, the engineers and driver Stefan Frick gradually shaved the ZR1X’s quarter-mile times and raised its trap speed. Passes in the high eight-second range were good but, when it comes to quarter mile times, less is more.
After prepping the tires in the water box and several blasts down the strip, Frick crossed the finish line and absolutely flew into the record books with a time of 8.675 seconds at 159.57 mph. Crunching more numbers revealed the ZR1X zoomed to 60 mph in only 1.68 seconds, with acceleration force peaking at 1.75 g.
Numbers in that range would be impressive just once, but the ZR1X team was able to hit them over and over again. What makes this even more of a monumental accomplishment is that Chevrolet’s $209,700 flagship performance car beat the times of hyper-expensive European exotics, such as the $3.4 million Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut and $4.6 million Bugatti Tourbillon.
And let’s not forget that the ZR1X already had the #5 spot on the leader board at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with a lap time of 6:49.275.
