“You know, I always wanted a…”
Those words are about as common as kudzu at my Georgia car lot.
They aren’t usually reserved for the late model vehicles though. When it comes to the primary drivers, customers are always willing to fork out the money for their dream car.
It’s the second older dream car, or third-string beater dream car that slides down the scale from want to nothingness.
You know what the most popular ‘almost’ car is these days?
If the numbers truly don’t lie, then TTAC readers are extremely interested in the Lambrecht Chevrolet saga; it’s been one of our biggest stories of the year. And now, there’s a coda of sorts to the ultimate old-cars-in-the barn tale.
When you think of a cop car or a taxi, chances are this vehicle will pop in your mind.
Now think of the cars that old people drive. No not Camrys! Get that thought off your mind right now mister!
Well, come to think of it, that’s a big part of the problem. If any car out there is stuck in the netherworld of wholesale heaven at the auto auctions, it’s this one.
Ah, the good old days. A time when smartphones were just PDA’s with hormone imbalances.
A time of basic cell phones, brick-thick cameras, and camcorders barely big enough to require a hand strap.
I remember all this old tech like it was yesterday, and for one simple reason: I still used all of them until recently.
The age of the American car and light truck fleet is the oldest it’s ever been, according to data firm R.L. Polk. Polk said in 2012 the average age all light vehicles on U.S. roads was 11.4 years, up from 11.2 years in 2011, and 10.9 years in 2010, the eleventh straight annual increase.
If the Ferrari FF is just a little too common for you, a Minnesota man has what must be the only one of its kind in the United States – a 1987 Honda Accord Aerodeck, practically new with just 29,750 miles on the clock.
The car industry is looking with envy and trepidation at the biggest bottom fisher in their market: AutoZone. Last week, AutoZone posted a 20 percent jump in quarterly earnings. And don’t look at their chart. You’d wish you would have bought AutoZone instead of the auto. But it’s not the financial results that has the industry worried. Everybody who knows the industry knows that the money is in fixing cars. The average expense per car for repair and maintenance is $1,200 per year, and if you multiply that with the 250 million cars and trucks on the street in the U.S., you’ve got yourself a nice $300 billion business. No, the industry is worried about why AutoZone suddenly is doing so well: America is in love with more mature models. (Read More…)
Alfa Romeo 
Allard
1954 Allard K2 (outtake)
American Motors (incl. Nash; but not Jeep) 
*1961 Rambler Classic Cross Country
1964 Rambler Classic 770 Coupe
1971 AMC Gremlin (1971 Small Car Comparison)
British Motors/BLM/Austin/Morris/Triumph/Rover/Sterling/Etc.
1987 Sterling 825 SL (Rover 825i)
BMW 
1972 BMW 2002Tii – The Second Most Influential Modern Car In America
Buick
1956 Buick Century Riviera Hardtop 
1967 Buick Electra 225: The Jayne Mansfield Of Convertibles
1986 Buick Riviera: GM’s Deadly Sin #1
1990 Buick Roadmaster Woody Wagon (Outtake)
Cadillac
1950 Cadillac Vintage Hot Rod Series 61 Coupe 
(the official CC Logo-mobile)
1954 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan: GM’s Greatest Hit #2
1962 Cadillac Series 62 Six-Window Sedan
1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (Outtake)
1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (the first CC)
1977 Seville – GM’s Deadly Sin #11
1978 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Classic Coupe
Checker
1967 Checker Marathon (also Checker Motors History)
Chevrolet 
1962 Corvette – The Marilyn Monroe Of Cars [NSFW]
1965 Corvair Monza: The Best European Car Ever Made In America
1967 Chevrolet El Camino (Outtake)
1968 Chevrolet Impala Coupe (with Olds 455 engine)
1970 Camaro RS: GM’s Greatest Hits #1
1970 Chevrolet Impala: The Best Big Car Of Its Time
1971 Chevrolet Vega: GM’s Deadly Sin #2 (1971 Small Car Virtual Comparison)
1976 Chevrolet Malibu Classic: GM’s Deadly Sin #7
1979 Caprice Classic: GM’s Greatest Hit #3
1980 Citation – GM’s Deadliest Sin Ever
1987 Turbo Sprint (Suzuki Cultus)
1989 Camaro RS: GM’s Deadly Sin #6
1990 Corvette: GM’s Deadly Sin #9
1990 Chevrolet Beretta GTZ (Outtake)
2000 & 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier Coupes (Outtake)
Chevrolet Trucks 
1950 Chevrolet COE truck (Outtake)
1980 Chevy Vanup (Outtake)
1977 Chevy LUV Long Bed Pickup (Outtake)
1983 Chevy S-10 Blazer: GM’s Deadly Sin #5
Chrysler/Imperial
1960 Imperial Crown Southampton: The Frankenstein Of Cars
1987 Fifth Avenue Edition – Chrysler’s Deadly Sin #2 
Cisitalia
Citroen
Daihatsu
Datsun/Nissan
The First Mini-Pickups: Datsun’s 1964, 1967 and 1969 Pickups
1970 Datsun 510 (Bluebird/1600) 
The Revolutionary 1971 Datsun 240Z
1976 Datsun 710 Wagon (Outtake)
1977 Datsun F-10: The Ugliest Car Ever?
1986 Nissan Stanza Wagon (Prairie)
1989 Nissan 240SX (S13) and Silvia/SX History
1990 Infiniti M30 Coupe (Outtake)
Infiniti Q45 gen1 & gen2 (Outtake)
Dodge 
1974 Dodge D-100 “Gypsy Wagon” Camper
Chrysler’s Deadly Sin #1: 1976 Plymouth Volare And Dodge Aspen
1978 Dodge Omni (and Plymouth Horizon): Detroit Finally Builds A Proper Small Car
1982 Dodge Rampage mini-pickup
1983 Dodge Aries (The Original K-Car) 
1985 Dodge Ram Van (Caravan C/V) (Outtake)
Fiat 
Ford
1950 Hot Rod Ford: A True Love Story
1961 Thunderbird Convertible – The American Dream Car
1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Coupe (Outtake)
1971 Ford Pinto (1971 Small Car Virtual Comparison)
1975 Mustang Cobra II-Ford’s Deadly Sin #1
1984 Ford Bronco II Eddie Bauer
1985 Ford EXP: Ford’s Ugly Little Sin
1986 Ford Tempo: A Deadly Sin? Mostly
1989 Ford Festiva – Shitbox Shootout Loser (Winner)
1995 Ford ZX2 With Lambo Doors (Outtake)
Ford Trucks
The Ultimate CC: 1956 Ford F-350 Still Hard At Work Six Days A Week 
1960 Ford F-600 Truck Also Still Hard At Work
1965 Econoline SuperVan Camper
Geo
GMC & GM Coach 
1947 PD-3751 Greyhound Bus “Silversides” – The First Modern Diesel Bus
GMC TDH-4523 “New Look” Transit Bus
Grumman
Honda
1963 Honda T360/T500 trucks (history)
1973 Honda Civic – The Revolutionary Small Car
1976 Honda Accord: The Most Influential Modern Car In America
1980-1983 Civics – When Honda’s Mojo Was Working
1985 Honda Civic CR-X (Outtake)
Hyundai
1988 Hyundai Excel – The Damn Near Deadly Sin
International
1964 International Travelette Pickup
Isuzu 
Jaguar
Jeep 
1987 Wagoneer (XJ) Outtake
Jensen
Kia 
gen1 Kia Sportage shorty (Outtake)
LaForza
1989 Laforza 5 Liter (Outtake)
Lincoln/Continental
An Illustrated History of Lincoln Up To 1961
1946 Lincoln Continental Coupe
1968 Lincoln Continental (Outtake)
1970 Lincoln Continental Coupe
Mack 
Mazda
Mercedes 
Mercedes 207D and other older Mercedes Vans/Small Buses
Mercury
1968 Cougar – Mercury’s Greatest (only) Hit
1970 Mercury Montego Coupe (Outtake) 
1978 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham
Steam Injected 1978 Mercury Bobcat
Ford’s Sin of Name Debasement: 1981 Mercury Cougar
Military Vehicles (no brand name)
Mitsubishi 
1987 Mitsubishi Precis (Outtake)
Oldsmobile 
1963 Olds Dynamic 88 Convertible
Opel 
Packard
Panhard
Panhard Dyna Junior X-87 Roadster 
Plymouth
1965 Plymouth Valiant Wagon: The Ultimate A-Body – Daily Long-Distance Driver
1971 Simca 1204 (no original pictures) (1971 Small Car Comparison)
1978 Plymouth Horizon: Detroit Finally Builds A Proper Small Car
1983 Plymouth Colt & 198o Champ
Pontiac
1963 Tempest LeMans: Pontiac Tries To Build A BMW Before BMW Built Theirs And Almost Succeeds
1963 Pontiac Catalina: The Sexiest Big Car Of Its Time
1971 Pontiac Ventura II: GM’s Deadly Sin #3
1976 Pontiac Firebird (Outtake)
1984 Pontiac Bonneville Brougham: GM’s Deadly Sin #8
Pontiac Transvertible and Trans Sport
1987 Sunbird GT: The Exciting Collectable Deadly Sin
1990 Le Mans (Daewoo) GM’s Deadly Sin #12
Porsche 
Renault
Renault R-17 (Outtake)
Saab
Saturn
1991 Saturn SL2: GM’s Deadly Sin #4
Simca
1971 Simca 1204 (no original pictures) (1971 Small Car Comparison)
Studebaker 
1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk
Subaru
1977 Subaru Four Wheel Drive Wagon: The First Of Its Kind 
Sunbeam
1965 Sunbeam Tiger – The Other Cobra
Suzuki 
1979 Suzuki Jimny (LJ80/SJ20) Pickup
Toyota
1971 Toyota Corolla (1971 Small Car Comparison)
1976 Toyota Corolla Liftback (editorial)
1983 Toyota Starlet: The Most Reliable Car Ever Built?
1984 Toyota Celica Supra Mk II
Vauxhall
1966 (Vauxhall) Envoy Epic (guest writer)
Volkswagen
1960 VW Bus (Type 2) Westfalia
1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle (Small Car Comparison)
1972 VW Super Beetle Cabriolet (Outtake)
1974 VW 412: Volkswagen’s Deadly Sin #1
1975 VW Rabbit/Golf Mk.I: The Most Influential Modern Global Car
Volvo
RVs
Ultra Van: Cross An Airplane With A Corvair For The Ultimate RV
1985 Winnebago LeSharo Turbo Diesel
Concours
The Curbside Classic Treasure Hunt: Skinner Butte District
The Curbside Classic Graveyard: May They Rust In Peace
The Official Curbside Classic Sales Lot: All $895 Or Less
Holiday Market: Eighty Parking Lot Curbside Classics
Miscellaneous: 
So far, auto marketers and market analysts have focused on the more than a billion people in China who do not have a car. This will remain a lucrative target for a long time. China Economic Daily has identified another attractive target group. People who already have a car. (Read More…)
Last month, we reported that China’s Great Wall received the EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA,) awarded by the UK Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) for their Coolbear MPV, which makes the car legal for sale in Europe.
Since this approval is lengthy (takes about a year) and costly (even when administered by the VCA, which is known for bargain basement pricing,) the announcement was taken as an intention of Great Wall to enter the European market. Here they come:
(Read More…)
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