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Resin Redo

Car collectors usually strive to preserve the originality and authenticity of a classic Corvette, but in some cases it’s fitting to make it better than new. That’s the case of David Davies’ 1978 Stingray, which can be characterized as a “restomod” since he improved on the original in a number of areas...

1955-57 Chrysler C300, 300B and 300C

Ten years before Pontiac started the musclecar fad, Chrysler's first 300 (named for its powerful, 331-cid, dual quad-equipped Hemi that developed 300-bhp, a first in an American production car) was built to battle the new Corvette and Thunderbird. Often incorrectly called the 300A, the '55 C300 preceded a long line of letter cars, hence the confusion. Purists feel the first three years were the best and so do I...

1955-57 Ford Thunderbird

The Ford Thunderbird, named for a Southwestern Indian god of rain and prosperity, was a hit from the outset. Ford dealers received more than 4,000 orders on October 22, 1954, the first official sales day. Designed to resemble—and cast a halo over—Ford's passenger cars, early Birds shared wheel covers, taillights, engines, transmissions and many common interior pieces. The resulting 2-seater was clean, sharply profiled and very appealing. A host of affordable accessories meant 16,155 nicely loaded '55 T-Birds were sold, often for over $4,000. Chevy's planners had really missed the mark with the more Spartan and much slower six-cylinder Corvette. For 1955, they lowered the Corvette's base price and added an optional V-8...

1957 BMW Isetta 300

To qualify as "modern classics," we choose vehicles, which are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people see that still make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. Our focus is on cars at least 25 years old, so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections...

1964 Jaguar XKE

Editor's Note: Ken Gross, a well-known and respected automotive journalist whose expertise extends from new cars to vintage hot rods, may be best known for his knowledge of classic cars. He recently stepped down from running the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles to pursue his writing, so we asked Ken to select "affordable" classics and tell us a little about them and why we should consider owning one...

1964-1966 Honda S600

Honda's 2004 S2000 benefits from a displacement increase to 2.2-liters. This uncompromising sports roadster zips to 60 mph in well under six seconds, nudges the 150-mph mark and cheerfully revs past 9,000 rpm. "Car and Driver" voted it the best of five competing two-seaters last summer, calling it "a four-wheeler with crotch-rocket DNA."..

A Celebration of Porsche Passion

It's no myth that half of all of Porsche's U.S. sales are generated in Southern California. Porsches are as common on the road today as sport-utility vehicles. And because of the very hospitable climate, many of the cars that last sat in a dealership showroom 30 or even 40 years ago are still in wonderful condition. They may no longer be daily drivers, but they occupy a cherished spot in someone's garage and see daylight for special events...

Affordable Corvettes

One of the reasons Corvettes are so popular is that they've always been medium-priced sports cars with high-end performance. For instance, a new 2005 model costs about the same as a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster, but has a level of performance commensurate with cars costing double its current $43,445 base price. Even so, that's a lot of money for a two-seat car, and prices for certain vintage Corvettes can easily exceed that figure, particularly for mint condition high-performance models from the 1950s and '60s. Original fuel-injected or big-block Corvettes often top $100,000 at auction...

Affordable Exotics: Ferraris

Although the concept of an affordable Ferrari sounds unlikely, there are a number of models that can be had for the price of less prestigious sports cars. New Porsche Boxsters, BMW Z-4s and Honda S2000s sell in the mid-thirties to low fifties, and there are used Ferraris that can be had in that same range, or even less. However, repairing or restoring any Ferrari re-defines expensive, and can be many times that of a Corvette, Mercedes or Porsche. A simple rebuild on a Ferrari V-8 can quickly exceed $12,000, while a V-12 can run double that or more, so leave plenty of extra cash in the bank for unpleasant surprises. Here are some of the best buys (along with a few models to avoid)...

Affordable Exotics: Jaguar

Jaguars have always held a special cachet for sports car fanatics. Jags offer superb performance allied with sumptuous styling and a reasonable price tag, at least when compared with Italian and German exotica. The 1948 XK-120 (along with the MG-TC) launched the sports car craze in America after WWII, and Jaguars have been popular ever since...

Affordable Exotics: Lamborghini

The idea of Joe or Jill Average driving home in a ravishingly lovely Lamborghini may come as a shock, but there are a few models by the famed Italian exotic car manufacturer that, although not cheap, are within the price range of many sports car buyers. While few can come up with the ransom for a new Gallardo or Murcielago, here are a few older charmers to check out. Note that these are not all the models that Lamborghini has built, just the best buys...

Affordable Exotics: Maserati

Maserati built some of the most famous sports and racing cars in the world during the 1950s and 1960s. Founded in 1914, this Italian marque won hundreds of races, including the Indy 500 (twice), the Formula 1 World Championship (1957) and scores of sports car races. Maserati also made expensive high-speed touring cars to rival the Ferraris made just across town...

Affordable Exotics: Porsches

In this series, Affordable Exotics, we'll be focusing on, well, exotic cars, but not those that are made of "unobtanium." Instead, we'll draw attention to high-performance machines that regular folks can afford...

Automotive Artwork

It is always said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and like art aficionados everywhere, many auto enthusiasts publicize their passion—for their personal car, or one they may idolize, as well as their zeal for motorsports—through paintings, sculpture and other forms of expressions that can be characterized as art. Displaying these valuable and personal tributes is a perfect way to depict a favorite moment, a special memory, forever...

Automotive Preeminence in Paradise

For the car collector, restorer and enthusiast, there is one annual weekend in Carmel and neighboring Monterey that is comparable to other sports' Masters, the Super Bowl and Kentucky Derby, all rolled into one. It is where one goes to reach automotive Mecca. It is August and it's the weekend of the Concorso Italiano, Monterey Historics, Pebble Beach and the Concours d'Elegance. It is a good place to be. Expensive, but still a good place...

Bringing a 1966 GTO Back to Life

Pontiac historians are well aware that the original GeeTO Tigers were part and parcel of a grand marketing scheme designed in the mid 1960s by Jim Wangers, co-creator of the GTO and former Pontiac marketing man, which emblazoned upon the consciousness of the car-buying public the GTO as the nation's premier street-driven performance car. It also solidified the overall image of Pontiac as the "coolest" marque in Detroit. Now, some 35-plus years later, Wangers has resurrected the GeeTO Tiger legend...

Carroll Shelby's Racers

Since the early 1960s, Carroll Shelby has built some of the fastest, most outrageous automobiles ever to hit the streets. Yet the real reason he's a household name today is that he backed up his street creds with race wins. In fact, when the Shelby American company was formed, it was with the intention of winning GT races against the all-conquering Ferraris. Here's a short history on some of his more notable comp cars..

Collectible Sports Cars

You're driving along in your new computer-calibrated super-comfy techno-rocket, and all seems right with the world. But then you see it. A bright red roadster from the past goes zinging by in the fast lane, top down and the occupants grinning from ear to ear as heads swivel in each car it passes. Sure, you could easily outrun the roadster's antique European engineering with any number of modern Japanese imports, but, boy, does it bring back memories!..

Collectible Sports Cars: Activities

In the first two parts of this series we covered some of the better classic sports cars on the market, and explained how to check their condition prior to purchase. If everything has gone according to plan, you now have a new member of the family which occupies a warm spot in the garage where the SUV used to sit (it has a top, so park it outside). No reason to be rational, this is an affair of the heart!..

Collectible Sports Cars: Up Close

In the first installment of this series we went over some of the more popular used sports cars on the market, and some "rolling refuse" to avoid. Once you have chosen your dream make and model, it's time to pick out a good one that will live in your garage, not the repair shop...

Corvette Grand Sport

Corvette enthusiasts already know the story of the Grand Sport, but it's worth retelling. Back in the Sixties, the Ford-powered Shelby Cobra was just beginning to dominate road-course racing. In retaliation, GM engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov took the then-new Corvette Sting Ray and whacked 1,000 pounds off the car, throwing everything that didn't contribute to speed into the dumpster. He employed a tubular chassis with aluminum reinforcements, and was rewarded with the Grand Sport, a Corvette that quickly proved to be a Mongoose capable of eating a Cobra—alive. Even though there were plans for 100 more Grand Sports, GM management scrapped the program, and the five originals disappeared from the track, melting into private hands...

Driving the Porsche 917K

How often do you get a chance to climb into the cockpit of a Porsche racecar and run a few hot laps? And in a historically significant one no less, a breakthrough design that changed the image of Porsche forever. Mention the Porsche name among today's car enthusiasts and the first thing likely to pop into their heads is the $180,000 911 GT-2 that pumps out 462 screaming horses—and will blow past a Corvette Z06 like it's chained to a tree—or maybe the ferocious 200+ mph 935, 936 and 956 prototypes that dominated endurance racing for over a decade...

Flying Tigers - Pontiac GTO

When the Pontiac GTO was reintroduced a couple years ago, reactions were mixed, because the car didn't seem to come from the same end of the gene pool. That fact that the "new and improved" GTO was designed and manufactured by GM's Australian operation didn't help matters. All the more reason, then, to pair a '65 and '04 GTO, and see just how much DNA they actually share...

Ford Mustang: 1964-1966

In 1964 the American car scene didn't have too many stars. The expensive Corvette held sway at Chevrolet, but the much-hyped Corvair had more potential than performance. The lovely Avanti had generated reams of publicity, but Studebaker was too busy treading water to take advantage of it. The 409 Impalas, 427 Galaxies and Hemi-powered Chryslers were wicked in a straight line, but expensive gas guzzlers that rumbled like volcanos and stubbornly refused to either stop or turn corners. As a result they sold in insignificant numbers by Detroit standards. The Falcon, Valiant and Chevy II were selling respectably, but their austere "econo car" image did not appeal to younger drivers. All that changed with the Ford Mustang...

Ford Mustang: 1967-1973

From 1964 to 1966 the Mustang fired up the ponycar fad and blasted sales records for a new car introduction. Except for a weak challenge from the first-generation Barracuda, the Mustang had the sporty sedan genre all to itself, but in 1967 that would change as General Motors introduced its Camaro and Firebird models to take it on. Ford knew it would have to come up with a new car to meet the challenge, but without breaking the bank...

Ford Mustang: 1974-1978

By the end of 1973, the once-mighty Mustang was on the ropes. The ponycar segment was crowded with rivals from General Motors, American Motors, Chrysler and even Mercury. Also, with increased gas prices, the demand for big, powerful, clumsy dragsters was shrinking...

Ford Mustang: 1979-1993

Hard-core Mustang enthusiasts tend to think of the Mustang II era as the "dark ages" of Mustang history. Slow, gaudy and sloppily assembled, it did not live up to the image set by the earlier cars. When the all-new 1979 Mustang hit the showrooms, few could have guessed that it would one day return Ford's little pony to the top of the performance ladder...

Ford Mustang: 1994-2004

The all-new 1993 Chevy Camaro really got Ford's attention. It was fast, attractive and aggressively priced to take on the Mustang. Although the 1993 Mustang was a competent performer, the styling was getting dated and didn't resemble the classic Mustangs that baby boomers pined for. There was no budget for an all-new car, so the existing chassis would have to do, but on the outside the Mustang was in for some retro restyling...

Highlights in the History of the Pontiac GTO

The GTO was born in 1964 as a result of Pontiac being forced out of active participation in racing. They needed a news-making product. It was created by the simple installation of a 389 cu. in. V-8 engine in a car originally designed to be powered by a 326 cu. in. V-8 engine. The first GTO weighed approximately 3500 lbs., and—of course—it ran...

History of the Z-Car

As anyone who has seen "The Fast and Furious" movies knows, Japanese cars are now in the front lines of the performance wars. Super Supras, hellacious Hondas and massaged Mazdas are routinely running sub-11-second quarter miles and giving big-inch Detroit iron a run for its money. This turn of affairs dates back to the early 1960s when the Japanese were best known for their small sedans and traditional convertible sports cars. All that changed in 1969 when Datsun introduced the revolutionary 240Z...

Hummer History

Even though the Jeep was the motorized symbol of the American army during WWII and the Korean War, by the 1970s it had become obsolete. The military needed a new general-purpose vehicle efficient at moving soldiers and light equipment to the battlefield. How that vehicle came into being and turned into a civilian model as well is a war story in itself...

Hurst Wheels

In January of 1965, a press conference was held in Los Angeles announcing the introduction of the all-new Hurst automotive wheels. George Hurst, the manufacturer of the famous Hurst shifters, and, later, inventor of the Jaws of Life rescue machine, teamed up with Harvey Aluminum to manufacture the wheels. It was the first use of aircraft-quality forged- aluminum centers combined with steel rims for automotive wheels. The combination proved to be super strong throughout rigorous testing on the "rotary fatigue tester," spinning the wheel at incredible rpm, and the 2,000-pound weight-dropping test for rim and spoke durability...

Jaguar XKE History

It's hard to imagine a car today having the kind of impact on modern culture that the XKE had in the early 1960s. It was a wild and free time—mini skirts, French bikinis, Andy Warhol and the Beatles were just some of the symbols of an era when creativity, not productivity, were in the forefront of the news. The automotive industry was lagging behind the times: the 1961 Corvette, the Porsche 356 and the various MGs and Triumphs were hold-overs from the 1950s. Then, suddenly, there was the XKE!..

Modern Classic Spotlight: '67-'73 Maserati Ghibli

The toast of the 1966 Turin Show was a low-slung, finely chiseled Maserati coupe by Carrozzeria Ghia. Named, like so many Maseratis, for a swirling desert wind, the stunning Ghibli (pronounced Gi/blee) was the work of young Giorgetto Guigiaro, and it would not be the last of his designs to achieve enduring fame...

Modern Classic: '59 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

Editor's Note: Ken Gross is a well known and respected automotive journalist whose expertise extends from new cars to vintage hot rods, although he may be best known for his knowledge of classic cars. We asked Ken to select 10 "affordable" classics and tell us a little about them and why we should consider owning one. This month's selection is the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz...

Modern Classic: '63 Corvette Stingray

Editor's Note: Ken Gross is a well-known and respected automotive journalist whose expertise extends from new cars to vintage hot rods. He may be best known for his knowledge of classic cars. We asked Ken to select 10 "affordable" classics and tell us a little about them and why we should consider owning one. This month's selection is the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray...

Modern Classic: '64 Pontiac GTO

Editor's Note: Ken Gross is a well-known and respected automotive journalist whose expertise extends from new cars to vintage hot rods. He may be best known for his knowledge of classic cars and as the former director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles...

Modern Classic: '73 Lotus Elan

Modern Classic: '73-'76 Lamborghini Espada III

Modern Classic: 1949-51 Mercury Coupe

To qualify as "modern classics," we've chosen vehicles that are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars that many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people still see that make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. We're focusing on cars that are at least 25 years old so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections...

Modern Classic: 1949-53 MG TD

To qualify as "modern classics," we're choosing vehicles that are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars that many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people still see that make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. We're focusing on cars that are at least 25 years old so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections...

Modern Classic: 1953 Jaguar Mark VII

Modern Classic: 1953 Sunbeam Alpine Sports

Modern Classic: 1955-58 Porsche Speedster

Porsche's beloved Speedster started life as a "stripper." New York Dealer/entrepreneur Max Hoffman convinced Ferry Porsche there was a market for a low-priced roadster that could easily be converted for racing. Priced at just $2,995 (heater and tach were extra), the Speedster was essentially a lightweight version of Porsche's 356 Cabrio, sans roll-up windows and heavy padded top. The Speedster's distinguishing feature was that impossibly low windscreen, chopped some 3.5 inches shorter than the Cabrio's. With its thin canvas top erected, the Speedster resembled a short, fattish man with his hat pulled down over his eyes. A minimalistic approach kept weight down, and the rear-mounted air-cooled boxer type engine maintained a low center of gravity...

Modern Classic: 1955-62 MGA

Modern Classic: 1955-63 Mercedes-Benz 190SL

Modern Classic: 1956 DeSoto Adventurer

To qualify as a "modern classic," we've chosen vehicles that are comparatively affordable now that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars many people would love to have—head-turners, trend-setters in their time—cars that people still see that make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. We're focusing on cars that are at least 25 years old so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections...

Modern Classic: 1956 Plymouth Fury Special 8

Modern Classic: 1957-59 Dodge Sweptside D100

To qualify as "modern classics," we choose vehicles, which are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars or trucks many people would love to have: head-turners, trendsetters in their time, vehicles that people see that still make them smile, those that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. Our focus is on collectibles at least 25 years old, so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections...

Modern Classic: 1962 BMW 1500

To qualify as a "modern classics," vehicles are chosen based upon comparative affordability now and that we think will increase in value over time. They are cars that many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars that people still see that make them smile, then want to hit the cruise circuit. They are cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. Our focus is on cars that are at least 25 years old, so they can be registered and insured cheaply, and aren't subject to annual inspections...

Modern Classic: 1962-'70 Datsun Roadsters

Modern Classic: 1967-74 Saab Sonett

Modern Classic: 1969 Triumph TR6

Modern Classic: 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

To qualify as a "modern classics," we choose vehicles that are comparatively affordable now, and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars people still see that make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. For this series, we focus on cars that are at least 25 years old, so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections...

Modern Classic: 1976 Porsche 912E

Modern Classic: 1982 DeLorean DMC-12

Modern Classic: Camaro Z28

To qualify as "modern classics," we're choosing vehicles that are comparatively affordable now which we think will increase in value over time. These are cars that many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars we still see that make us smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. We're focusing on cars that are at least 25 years old so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections...

Modern Classic: Fiat 124

Modern Classic: Lamborghini 350 GT

Modern Classic: Nash Metropolitan

Modern Classic: Vincent Black Shadow

Modern Classic: Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

To qualify as a "modern classic," we choose vehicles, which are comparatively affordable now and that we think will increase in value over time. These are cars many people would love to have: head-turners, trend-setters in their time, cars people see that still make them smile, cars that were definitive in their own right, stylish and fun to drive. Our focus is on cars at least 25 years old, so they can be registered and insured cheaply and aren't subject to annual inspections. Tastes may vary, as may peoples' own definitions of "affordable." Our theoretical limit is $50,000 for a car in good to excellent condition, which rules out many of the traditional exotics. This month's selection is the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia...

Modern Classic: Volvo PV544

Mopar Muscle Cars

When Chrysler Corporation fans think about power, the first thing that comes to mind is the Hemi. Which is a pity, really, since Chrysler has made dozens of great engines without those famed hemispherical combustion chambers. But the Hemi is the engine that started it all, way back in 1951, and whose demise would signal the end of the musclecar era...

Oldsmobile History Part 1

According to authors Al Ries and Laura Ries, there are "22 Immutable Laws of Branding." Number 21 is the Law of Mortality, which states that "no brand will live forever. Euthanasia is often the best solution." In other words, it's all about "knowing when to quit." This is when there is a justification to terminate a brand. Doing so is never easy, but becomes necessary, as the brand manager, marketer, accountant, or CEO determines that a product line has failed to maintain its profitability margins or forecasted that future growth is nil or minimal at best, so sadly, there is no true opportunity to further nurture the brand. Thus, a decision is reached, a death sentence is set and a legacy comes to an end. Hard to believe that this becomes the wisest of all choices. As the Ries' declare, "Brands, like people, [know] there is a time to live and a time to die."..

Oldsmobile History Part 2

Among Oldsmobile's many vehicles, there was definitely one car that earned its own page in automotive history, and that was the Toronado. The first U.S.-built, "modern-day" car to offer front wheel drive, the 1966 debut of this two-door, long-bodied "coupe," a.k.a. musclecar, coupled with a 425 cu. in. V8 (later a 455) was as fast as it was beautiful. It was clearly unlike any other model in the GM parking lot, and it found its way into more than a few customers' garages...

Panoz Comparo

The Panoz Esperante is one of the few all-American sports cars on the market. From its aluminum chassis to the Ford Cobra 4.6-liter V-8 engine, it's all built in Hoschton, Georgia by a group of car fanatics who have made quite an impact on the racing world as well. Their front-engined prototypes were campaigned with moderate success until this year, when Panoz switched racing efforts to GT-class versions of the Esperante sports car...

Porsche 911

It's been 40 years since the first Porsche 911 rolled out of the factory. For a single model to remain in production so long is a rare achievement, even more so considering that the 911 has maintained its character throughout. Someone who'd lost their memory after seeing the first model would instantly recognize the latest 911, should they suddenly regain their faculties. In terms of the 911, this is not a bad quality...

Preserving a 1975 Porsche 914

Scenario: A 1975 Porsche 914 sits in your garage, the product of true impulse buying. The boxy little two-seater with its mid-mounted air-cooled 4-cylinder engine is a true European sports car enthusiast's delight, but possibly the least practical car ever built...

Rediscovering AMC Muscle Cars

If there ever was a company least likely to build hot street machines in the 1960s, it had to be American Motors. Back in 1954, independent auto manufacturers Nash and Hudson merged to form American Motors Corporation (AMC), but soon the Hudson name was dropped. Rather than battle directly with the Big Three in Detroit, little AMC (based in Kenosha, Wisconsin) designed a line of smaller, economical sedans. These practical, albeit boring, vehicles were called Ramblers, and no serious driver paid them the slightest bit of attention. But all that was soon to change...

Restoring a Rare '32 Nash

Certain types of resto projects have become so common that aftermarket companies now make specific replacement parts for them. The '32 Ford, '57 Chevy, and early Camaros and Mustangs are obvious examples. So many companies offer reproduction components for these cars that finding period-correct parts has become almost as easy as ordering a pizza...

Returning a 1966 GTO to its Glory Days

In 1966 Pontiac campaigned two identically prepared GTOs at drag strips around the country providing the crowds with a show that became legend—the GeeTO Tiger Show. In "Bringing a 1966 GTO Back to Life: Transforming an Old Goat into a New Tiger," the restoration began of a '66 GTO destined to become a legend reincarnated. Completed was the search for a representative car, the gathering of parts and partners, and the resurrection of the beautiful body and requisite lettering and logos...

Ritchie Clyne Auto Collection

Las Vegas has been remade so many times, regular visitors need a scorecard or a nav system to keep track of everything going on. Look overhead these days and a sleek new monorail glides ever so quietly past key casinos—just another addition to the city that never sleeps...

Rolls-Royce: A Century of Elegance

They are not the fastest, or the best handling, or the most technologically advanced cars in the world. Yet, almost every modern-day king and queen has been chauffeured in them. Movie stars are driven around Hollywood in them. Music and sports stars have flaunted them like the status symbols they are. They are what many luxury car aficionados consider the best motorcar ever produced: the Rolls-Royce...

Running Gear Resto

Nobody ever claimed that a 1965 GTO was a great handling car. Powerful and impressive, and smooth riding, too, but the chassis lumbered around corners and lacked sufficient braking power by today's standards...

The Advanced Avanti

The trend-setting Avanti was not only the product of the foremost industrial designer in American history, but also from an automobile company that seemingly couldn't do anything right. The designer was Raymond Loewy, the manufacturer was Studebaker, and the car was both sensational and influential in its day...

The Coveted Camaro: 1967-1969

When Chevrolet discontinued the Camaro in 2003, it broke the hearts of thousands of fans. (So much so that, as of this writing, GM is considering a re-introduction.) Despite the lack of current examples, or perhaps because of it, clean examples of earlier Camaros have taken off in value, driven by a renewed appreciation of musclecars in general...

The Immortal Corvette: 1953-1962

It's hard to imagine the American automotive scene without the Corvette. The Vette has sold by the tens of thousands, won hundreds of races, starred in the television show Route 66 and was hailed by Prince in his ode "Little Red Corvette." It has been the favorite ride of astronauts, race drivers and rock-n-roll musicians. Yet it wasn't always so glamorous. In its infancy, the Corvette was an underpowered, overstyled "sheep in wolf's clothing" that hung on to its existence by the narrowest of margins. How it survived to prosper is a tale worth telling...

The Immortal Corvette: 1963-1967

In the first part of this series, we covered the birth of the Corvette, and the changes made from the 1953 to '62 models. Here, we'll tell the story of the Sting Rays that followed. By 1961, the Corvette was in jeopardy. Jaguar had introduced its stunningly beautiful XKE, which not only looked sleek, but had fully independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes as well. Next to it, the '61/'62 Corvette looked like a leftover from the Fifties (besides being saddled with a live axle in back and inferior drum brakes). Meanwhile, back at GM, Corvette chief Zora Arkus-Duntov and styling guru Bill Mitchell had been burning the midnight oil to bring out an all-new Corvette that could be built on a meager development budget...

The Immortal Corvette: 1968-1982

Corvette enthusiasts were expecting something big in 1968. The Sting Ray had been exciting and much-loved, but there were rumors of a mid-engine monster that would put the Cobras to shame. Instead, what they got was a modernistic facelift on the existing running gear. The general look of the new bodywork was previously revealed in 1965 on a Chevrolet show car called the Mako Shark II. The Shark's wild, exaggerated lines were tamed down for the new C3 Corvette, but the overall theme was still there...

The Immortal Corvette: 1984-1996

The all-new 1984 Corvette came at a painful time for General Motors. GM had been hemorrhaging red ink for some time and was reluctant to spend money on a re-design when the old Corvette was still selling in respectable numbers. Yet there was no denying that by the early 1980s the third-generation Corvette was slow and dated...

The Immortal Corvette: 1997-2003

The groundwork for the 1997 C-5 (fifth generation) Corvette was laid in 1989 when the Corvette design team began thinking of ways to make a more rigid Corvette. The 1986 convertible looked great, but the changes necessary to convert the coupe into a drop-top resulted in a weak structure that rattled and twisted...

The Mini Evolution

The new MINI has grabbed attention all over the world for its clever styling, excellent handling and reasonable ergonomics for such a small car. All of which sounds familiar to longtime fans who remember the debut of the original Mini 45 years ago. Despite the change in capitalization, the two cars share a lot in common. The first Mini was sold in 1959, and if you think the new MINI stands out from the crowd now, imagine how different it must have been back then...

The Murphy Auto Museum

Certainly if you are a car lover you have fantasized about amassing your own collection of fine automobiles. Well...if you had the means to create the assemblage of some of your favorite cars, what would you do with these treasures? You'd want to share them with your friends, right?..

Total Package GT 350 Set to Kill

The 1965 Shelby GT 350 was a trick ride right out of the box. You've read about them, seen them, heard the rollicking idle sing from the pipes like so much adolescent thunder. Lots of GT 350s were raced (that's what they were built for) and though some remain stock to this day, a bunch were (and remain) built to suit, built to please or built to the hilt. Frank Stagnaro's in particular is all three...

Trans-Am Racers: 1966-1972

Until the mid-1960s, road racing in America had been the province of European sports cars and the Corvette. They were nimble, sophisticated and attractive, with brakes that would slam you against the dash and cornering speeds that were only a tick slower than all-out racing cars. On the other hand, the typical American sedan was huge, boring and a potential accident from the moment you moved the steering wheel off dead center or mashed down on the spongy brake pedal..

Trans-Am Racers: 1973-1995

The Trans-Am series has been around for 39 years, and seems to be poised to continue for 39 more. In our first installment, we revisited the glory years of the series from 1966 to 1972, and gave some ground rules for restoring a classic pony car for vintage racing. Now we'll look at the changes that have taken place in Trans-Am since 1972, and how to get on a racetrack in your own vintage Trans-Am car...

VW Beetle History

An automotive legend passed into history on July 30, 2003 when the last original-design Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the assembly line in Puebla, Mexico. After nearly 70 years and over 21.5 million units, the Beetle had finally outlived its demand. The last 3,000 Beetles were "Ultima Edicion" models with special colors and trim packages. They were a final tribute to a landmark car that changed the face of the automotive industry...