1986 Ford Thunderbird

The ninth generation of Ford's Thunderbird personal luxury coupe debuted for 1983 with eye-catching rounded lines that were a radical departure from the creased, angular "formal look" of the late '70s and presaged Ford's design direction for the remainder of the Eighties.

It shared its Fox platform underpinnings with not only the Mercury Cougar and Lincoln Mark VII personal luxury coupes, but also the sporty Mustang and Mercury Capri coupes.

Other than modest changes to the grille and taillamp treatments for 1985, the first four model years looked pretty much the same. This Oxford White coupe is identifiable as a 1986 model by having both the newer grille and lights as well as the presence of the CHMSL (Center High-Mounted Stop Lamp, aka the "third brake light") in the rear window.

It was available as the base coupe, the more luxurious élan, and the Turbo Coupe, with the former two having the 3.8L Essex V-6 as the base motor with an optional 5.0L V-8, while the performance-oriented Turbo Coupe had a non-intercooled 2.3L OHC turbo four rated at 155 SAE net horsepower.

While the 1986 Thunderbird V-8 had sequential EFI intake setup like the Mustang's, the more restrictive single exhaust and milder camshaft held the output down to a sedate 150 ponies.

The easiest way to distinguish between a base coupe and an élan is to look for cornering lamps, which this one does not have, but they did spring for the 14" styled steel road wheels.

The top photo was taken with a Nikon Df and 24-85mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens while the bottom two used a Nikon D300S and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens, all in February of 2026.

1970 Plymouth 'Cuda

Plymouth's sporty Barracuda coupe got its start as a hasty response to Ford's Mustang, by slapping a slick glass fastback roofline on a two-door Valiant. In fact, it actually beat the original Pony Car to showroom floors, although that didn't stop the more stylish 'Stang from outselling it by better than five-to-one.

For 1967 the Barracuda got its own sheet metal, with graceful coke bottle lines.

It wasn't until the 1970 model year that it really came into its own, though. That marked the introduction of the E-body platform, shared with the new Challenger from Dodge.

The Plymouth E-body came in three flavors: The base Barracuda, the plusher Barracuda Gran Coupe, and the performance-oriented 'Cuda.

The base motor in the 'Cuda was the same 383 cubic inch big block as found in the Road Runner. With a 4-barrel carb, 9.5:1 compression, a hot cam, and dual exhausts, it turned premium gasoline into 335 SAE gross horsepower. You could take some weight off the nose by going with the 340 4-barrel small block, or opt for the 440 4-barrel, 440 Six-Pack, or 426 Hemi options, if you really liked buying tires frequently.

This 1970 'Cuda in the wild high impact color C7, "In Violet" (Dodge called the same color "Plum Crazy") was photographed in New Hampshire back in June of 2021 using a Canon EOS 5DS and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens.

1992 Chevrolet Camaro RS

The whole concept behind the Pony Cars from Detroit was that they could be optioned across a wide spread of price and performance.

By the third generation of Chevrolet's Camaro, they no longer shared much in the way of mechanicals with any sedans, rear-wheel drive cars being seen as atavistic throwbacks by then, and the number of trim levels had dwindled, but they still could be had in flavors from mild to wild.

While the sportier Z28 got all the ink, the base RS version was the bread and butter of the lineup.

For '91 the Camaro got a light styling refresh, despite its successor already waiting in the wings. The RS got new ground effects and standard 15" alloy rims from the now-extinct IROC-Z.

Base motor was the port fuel injected corporate 3.1L pushrod V-6 making 140 SAE net horsepower, and it could be backed with a standard 5-speed manual or an optional 4-speed slushbox.

This Arctic White example is pretty well optioned. It has t-tops and the red cloth buckets with height-adjustable headrests were an extra cost option. Moreover, those five-spoke 16" alloy wheels were only available with the optional LO3 throttle-body injected 5.0L V-8, rated at 170 horsepower.

This one was photographed in September of 2021 using a Nikon D7000 and a 16-80mm f/2.8-4E zoom lens.

1969 MG MGB GT

Launched as a 1964 model to replace the previous MGA, which had enjoyed a nearly decade long run of sales success, the new MGB was a tidy little two seat roadster like its predecessor. While it retained a live rear axle, it dispensed with body-on-frame construction for a modern unit body and had a standard folding top and roll-up windows.

For 1967 the roadster was joined by the MGB GT, a fastback coupe whose sleek roofline was designed by Pininfarina.

With only 97 ponies on tap, performance was leisurely by modern standards, with zero-to-sixty times in the low teens and a top speed only barely over a hundred, but the MGB in either coupe or convertible form is the epitome of the old adage that it's way more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow.

This Bermuda Blue coupe is a 1969 model, going from the presence of FMVSS-compliant side marker lights and their location on the front fenders.

It was photographed with an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and an M. Zuiko Digital 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens in October of 2024.

1996 Dodge Viper RT/10

For the 1996 model year, Dodge completely revamped its audacious V-10 powered Viper roadster. Despite having an entirely new frame and suspension underneath, the outsides looked broadly similar. 

The biggest external giveaway was the removal of the side pipes, which were replaced with a more conventional rear-exiting exhaust. Apparently the old exhaust setup ran afoul of both new European noise regulations as well as US OBD II requirements. The hood also featured a NACA duct style scoop fead center and exhaust vents on either side.

The car generally retained the rawness of the original, with a lack of fripperies like roll-up windows or external door handles.

Under the hood, the 488 cubic inch V-10 now produced 415 horsepower, which was enough to launch Car and Driver's test car to sixty in 4.1 seconds and blister the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds at 113 miles per hour. Top speed was measured at 173 miles per hour and it circled a skidpad at 0.97g.

As-tested price in 1996 was $66,045, which is about $135,500 in current money.

The Viper Red one in the photo was snapped in August of 2015 using a Nikon Coolpix P7000.

1969 Dodge Charger R/T

The second generation of Dodge's Charger muscle car arrived with the 1968 model year, sporting aggressive "Coke bottle" styling and dispensing with the large glass fastback in favor of a rear window inset between dramatic flying buttresses. Also new for '68 was the R/T performance trim level which came standard with the 440 cubic inch Magnum RB-block V-8.

Changes for 1969 were minimal. Most noticeably, a central chrome divider was added to the grille and the quad circular taillights were replaced by wide rectangular ones.

A '69 Charger R/T, like this Dark Bronze Metallic example, would have come standard with the base 440 cubic inch big block, which had a 4-barrel carburetor sucking air through an unsilenced air cleaner, squeezing it in 10.1:1 compression cylinders, and putting out 375 SAE gross horsepower. It could be had with a 4-on-the-floor manual or a three-speed Torqueflite 727 automatic. 

This one was photographed with a Nikon Coolpix S6500 in December of 2014.

2007 Honda Pilot EX

For 2003, Honda jumped into the largish SUV market with the eight-passenger, three-row Pilot, manufactured primarily at its plant in Alabama.

Sharing its platform with the Odyssey minivan and Acura MDX luxury SUV, the Pilot was Honda's biggest SUV and aimed primarily at the North American market. It could be had in FWD or 4WD configurations and in LX or upmarket EX and EX-L trims.

For the 2007 model year, like the Dark Cherry Pearl one in the photo, the first generation Pilot received a styling and mechanical refresh. Under the hood was a 3.5L SOHC i-VTEC V-6 making 244 SAE net horsepower.

This one was snapped with a Sony a77 and 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom lens in November of 2025.

1965 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan

The 1965 catalog proclaimed that Oldsmobile was "The Rocket Action Car!" and it marked the eighth generation of the full-size Oldsmobiles, which had debuted originally as a 1941 model.

The Ninety-Eight was the larger and more luxurious version of the full-size Olds, riding on a 126" wheelbase, which was stretched a full three inches over that of the more demure 88.

For '65, the Ninety-Eight was available as the hardtop Holiday Sports Sedan, the pillared Luxury Sedan and Town Sedan, the hardtop Holiday Sports Coupe, or a convertible. 

The badge on the C-pillar marks this Provincial White example as a Luxury Sedan, which would have come standard with power windows, an illuminated vanity mirror for the rear seat, and other plush touches.

Under the hood, the standard powerplant was the 425 cubic inch Oldsmobile Super Rocket V-8 rated at 360 gross horsepower, with a 10.25:1 compression ratio necessitating premium fuel. Optionally, the buyer could get the 370hp 425 cube Starfire V-8. Either way the motor was backed with the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic Drive automatic transmission. Contemporary tests tended to turn in 0-60 times in the mid nine second range.

This one was photographed in June of 2022 using a Nikon D7100 and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.

1998 Volvo S70 T5

Unveiled in Europe for 1997 and in the US market the following model year, Volvo's S70 was the more aerodynamic-looking successor to the preceding 850, softening the sharp edges of its predecessor's styling.

It was available here in two levels of sportiness: S70 or S70 T5, with the latter sporting a turbocharged and intercooled 236hp 2.3L version of the transverse-mounted Volvo DOHC 20V inline five cylinder.

The Mystic Silver Metallic example in the photos was snapped in October of 2025 using a Canon EOS 7D and an EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM zoom lens.

1999 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor

The W201 190E had been the baby Benz of the 1980s, but for the 1994 model year it was replaced by the W202 platform, now called the "C-class".

The Olivier Boulay-penned bodywork still harked to the 190E's classic shape but featured smoother, slightly more curvaceous aero-friendly lines.  

The Desert Silver Metallic one in the photo looks to be from after the 1997 model year facelift.

For the 1999 model year, Mercedes bolted a Roots-type mechanically driven supercharger and an intercooler to their 2.3L DOHC 16V four cylinder and a "Kompressor" badge to the decklid, giving the littlest Benz some added zing. Horsepower was up by 37 to 185, rivaling the 2.8L sixes in their 3-series competitors from BMW.

Car and Driver tested a 1999 C230 Kompressor and noted a zero-to-sixty time of 7.6 seconds and a quarter mile time of 15.7 seconds at 89mph. A governor shut off the fun at 133 miles per hour and it circled a skidpad at 0.81g. Price as tested was $32,685 in 1999 dollars, which is $63,722 when adjusted for inflation.

The one in the pic was snapped with a Canon EOS 7D and an EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM zoom lens in December of 2025.

1970 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible

This isn't the first 1970 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray on these pages. It's not even the first one in Monza Red. But that other one was a small block coupe while this beastie is a convertible powered by a big block 454 cubic inch Chevy rat motor, as the badge on the side of the hood bulge proudly proclaims.

There was only one big block option on the menu for the '70 model year, and that was the LS5 version of the 454. It was an oversquare, all-iron pushrod motor with a 4¼" bore and 4" stroke, 10.25:1 compression ratio, sucked premium fuel through a four-barrel Rochester carb to the tune of 9-12 miles per gallon, and was rated at 390 SAE gross horsepower. It could be backed with a four-speed manual or a three-speed auto and a variety of rear axle ratios were on the option list.

Road & Track tested a 1970 Stingray 454 coupe with the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic slushbox and the 3.08:1 "economy" rear end. The tall final drive gave a top speed of 144mph, but acceleration was tame for a big block 'Vette, with a 0-60 time of 7.0 seconds and a 15.0 quarter at 93mph.

The top three photos were taken in September of 2021 using a Hasselblad Lunar and a Sony Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* 16-70mm f/4 zoom lens and the bottom pic was snapped in April of 2017 using a Leica D-LUX 3.