1964 Pontiac Catalina Safari Wagon

The Safari badge was hung on all early Sixties Pontiac station wagons, whether based on the full-size Catalina and Bonneville, or the midsize Tempest.

The Catalina Safari was the less expensive of the two full-size wagons, and the advertising touted that the '64 Safaris "look like Pontiacs, handle like Pontiacs, ride like Pontiacs...and tote like troop transports!"

The basic motor, if you ordered a car with the three-speed manual, was the 235 horsepower 389 cubic inch Trophy V-8, with a 2-barrel carb and an 8.5:1 compression ratio allowing it to run on regular fuel. If the buyer opted for the Hydra-Matic transmission, the baseline motor was also a 2-barrel 389, but with a 10.5:1 compression ratio requiring premium fuel and putting out 267 SAE gross horsepower.

Also available were higher performance 4-barrel and 3x2-barrel versions of the 389, making 306 and 330 horsepower, respectively. If you needed maximum towing grunt (or wanted to surprise unsuspecting normies at a traffic light) there were  four-barrel and tri-power 421 Trophy V-8s on the menu that put out 320 and 350 ponies.

This faded Marimba Red 1964 Catalina Safari wagon was photographed in June of 2022 using a Nikon D800 and a 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens.

1958 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe

We've looked at the original 1958 Impala before, in the form of a sweet Honey Beige convertible, but I've also spotted this Onyx Black Sports Coupe in the neighborhood. Doesn't it look the business?

The 1958 Impalas were built on the new full-size Chevy's X-shaped frame, but with the wheelbase extended 2.5" over that of the plush Bel Air, regular Biscayne and plebeian Delray. The Delray went away after '58, shifting the Biscayne to the bottom rung of the ladder, and the three-level system of Impala, Bel Air, and Biscayne replaced the earlier hierarchy of Bel Air, 210, and 150, and would persist all the way into the early 1970s.

Chevy hyped the 1958 models as being "lower, wider, longer", which became a trope for the styling trends for all the Detroit Big Three in the coming decade. They also touted the new "Sculpturamic" styling with its gull-wing rear fenders.

This particular one was photographed with a Nikon D800 and 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens in September of 2021.

1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham

1977 was the final model year for the pre-downsized Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. It was also the final year for the fourth generation of the Cutlass nameplate and the third generation of the Supreme trim level.

This generation of GM midsize cars was still rolling on a 112" wheelbase, like their '68-'72 predecessors, but had replaced the graceful pillarless hardtop roofline with what the manufacturer termed a "Colonnade" roof which, depending on how you looked at it, featured either a B-pillar with a small side window abaft it, or else a thick C-pillar with a small opera window-type porthole cut in it. This was due to the same worries about rollover standards that saw the disappearance of convertibles from Detroit.

The Brougham trim level was added to the Cutlass Supreme coupe line for the '76 model year and featured a 60-40 split bench front seat like that found in the larger and more luxurious Olds models, complete with pillowy soft "loose cushion" velour upholstering. It also featured a half-vinyl roof and the debut of rectangular headlamps on a car in the Cutlass line.

The '77 model year saw the 455 Rocket V-8 disappear from the catalog, replaced with a new 403 Rocket V-8, which had a four-barrel carburetor and made 185 SAE net horsepower, only a 5-horse reduction from the 455. The base motor in the Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe was the 260 cubic inch Olds V-8. This was an economy-oriented motor originally developed for the 1975 Olds Starfire compact, had a two-barrel carb and was rated at 110hp. The final of the trifecta of engines available was the classic four-barrel 350 Rocket V-8, putting out 170 horses. The only transmission was the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-matic.

The White 1977 Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe with optional styled steel wheels in the photo was snapped in June of 2020 using a Nikon D700 and a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens.

1961 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport Convertible

The Impala nameplate, which had begun as a special anniversary spinoff of the Bel Air in 1958, became its own model in the gloriously tail-finned 1959-1960 models. The 1961 model year saw the launch of the third generation of the Impala on GM's new B-body platform. The bodywork was more slab-sided and the tailfins were gone, leaving only vestigial creases atop the rear fenders. The Impala retained the sextet of round tail lamps and featured a stylized “V” in the center of the rear of the decklid.

As with the second generation, the Impala was the top tier of the full-size Chevy model hierarchy, above the spartan, fleet-oriented Biscayne and the mid-line Bel Air. It was available in a full array of coupe, convertible, and sedan body styles. (There wasn't an Impala wagon, per se; the most luxurious trim level of the full size Chevy wagon lineup was called the Nomad, even though it was essentially a five-door Impala.)

New for 1961 was the Super Sport package for the Impala. Available on any model of Impala, the SS package is most closely identified with the Sport Coupes and convertibles.

Unlike regular Impalas, which could be had with the entire range of Chevy power plants of the day, the '61 Impala Super Sport package came with one of three versions of the Turbo-Thrust Special 348 cubic inch OHV big block V-8. The base 4-barrel version had a 9.5:1 compression ratio and was rated at 305 SAE gross horsepower. Next up from that was a 340 horsepower version, still a single 4-barrel, but sporting solid lifters, a hotter cam, and an 11.25:1 compression ratio. The top of the heap was the Super Turbo-Thrust which added triple 2-barrel carbs to the mix for an output of 350 gross horsepower.

The Super Sport package came with a floor-shifted all-synchromesh four-speed manual, although the 305hp motor could be ordered with an optional 2-speed Powerglide.

Midway through the model year, the 348 big blocks were joined by a legendary motor. Chevy bored and stroked the big block to cylinder dimensions of 4.31"x3.5" for a total displacement of 409 cubic inches. The new motor was available with a single Carter 4-bbl carb, making 360 horses.

Back in the mid Nineties, Car and Driver tested a vintage '61 Impala SS Sport Coupe with the 409 and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 6.7 seconds and a 15.2 second E.T. in the quarter with a trap speed of 94 miles per hour. That 409 coupe cost $3,986 new back in 1961, or about $42k in today's money, so this Jewel Blue droptop would have been a little spendier.

It was photographed in July of 2017, in Enfield, New Hampshire. The top photo was taken with an iPhone 6S, while the lower two were snapped with a Hasselblad Lunar and an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS zoom lens.

1992 Volkswagen Cabriolet Wolfsburg Edition

Volkswagen stopped selling the Mk.I Golf, known as the Rabbit, on our shores after the 1984 model year, replacing it with the Mk.II which was badged as the Golf here the same as everyplace else.

There was one exception, however, in that the convertible version soldiered on. It lost its "Rabbit" name, but didn't pick up the "Golf" moniker to replace it, being sold alongside the newer Golf models as simply the Volkswagen Cabriolet.

Interestingly, the Cabriolet bodies were not conversions, but build from the ground up at Karmann's Osnabrück factory and fitted out with drivetrains, suspension components, and interiors provided by VW.

Starting with the 1983 model year and continuing through the end of production of the type after 1992, there was an annual run of special "Wolfsburg Edition" Cabriolets, like the Flash Red one seen here, only skipping the '88, '90, and '91 model years. Despite the name, these weren't built at Volkswagen's Wolfsburg plant, but in the Osnabrück factory alongside the other droptop Karmanns.

This one was snapped with a Nikon D700 and 80-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens in March of 2020.

1963½ Ford Galaxie 500 Sports Hardtop

Halfway through the 1963 model year, Ford altered the roofline on the Galaxie hardtop coupe, then in its third model year of the second generation.

The original roofline, which had sported chunky C-pillars and a nearly upright rear window, was replaced with one that featured thin, sleek C-pillars and a fastback roofline. Dubbed the "Sports Hardtop", not only did the new roofline look sleeker and more modern, it also helped the Galaxies by giving them better high speed aerodynamics on the banked ovals of NASCAR tracks.

Like many cars of the period, the Galaxie 500 Sports Hardtop was available with a bewildering variety of powertrain choices, from the 138 horsepower Mileage-Maker 223 cubic inch inline six and a simple "three-on-the-tree" manual, through 260 and 289 cubic inch small block V-8s, to big block V-8s in 352, 390, 406, and 427 cubic inch displacements. There was even a limited production lightweight car with the 427, intended for drag racing.

This Rangoon Red example was photographed with a Nikon D700 and 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens in November of 2020.

1976 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

1976 was the final year of the monster fourth generation Cadillac DeVilles, riding on a 130" wheelbase and stretching a full 230.7" from stem to stern.

It was the second year for rectangular headlamps on the full-size Caddies, a feature that seemed terribly modern after decades of all cars in the US having mandatory round sealed beams.

The 500 cubic inch version of the Cadillac 472 Series OHV V-8, originally exclusive to the Eldorado personal luxury coupe, became standard in the DeVille in 1975. New for '76, however, it could be had with either a four-barrel carburetor or a new Bendix electronically-controlled fuel injection setup. 

The fuelie version of the 500 slowed the Malaise Era power slump of the big block Caddy motor, which by 1976 was down to a dismal 190 SAE net horsepower. With the Bendix option, output was 215 horsepower, which was still feeble compared to the 400 gross horsepower boasted by the 500 back when it debuted, largely due to the compression ratio having been reduced from 10.0:1 to 8.5:1 in order to run on unleaded gasoline.

Power brakes were standard, of course, with discs up front and finned drums in the rear. Track Master skid control was available for the rear drums and another ahead-of-its-time optional safety feature on the '76 DeVille was the Air Cushion Restraint System, an early airbag setup. The latter had been introduced in 1974 and was an expensive and rarely-ordered option, so it was discontinued after '76. 

This Georgian Silver Metallic 1976 Coupe DeVille is one of the last of the big Caddies. For '77, the DeVille would be heavily downsized. Almost a foot shorter and a full thousand pounds lighter, the monster 8.2 Litre motor would be replaced by a new 7.0 Litre 425 Series Cadillac V-8.

The one in the pictures was photographed in May of 2023 using an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

2019 Toyota Camry XSE V6

Imagine the feeling of looking at an old black and white photo of some hunky-looking dude at the beach and thinking he's kind of a hottie before having the disturbing realization that "Oh my god, that's grandpa!"

So now you know how I felt when I crossed the street to photograph this badass-looking murdered-out sports sedan before the needle scratched across the record as I realized "Oh my god, that's a Toyota Camry!"

The Camry hit our shores in 1983 as Toyota's blandly sensible midsize family bus. Well, it was midsize by Japanese terms; its 102.4" wheelbase slotted it between the Chevy Cavalier and Citation, size-wise. 

The original Camry was available as a regular sedan or a five-door fastback, packed a 92 horsepower 2.0L SOHC inline four to push its 2,500 pounds down the road, and made its bones via a reputation for being a sensibly priced sedan that got decent fuel mileage (31 city / 43 highway, according to the EPA ratings) and boasted anvil-like reliability at a time when that wasn't any kind of a given for a new car from Detroit.

Camrys got bigger and plusher with each iteration... the second generation of Camry in the US, the V20, now made in Kentucky, added a 2.5L V-6 as an option ...but never had much rep for sportiness. They were the very definition of the Plain Brown Wrapper Sedan, reliable anonymity on wheels.

So when you fast forward all the way to the launch of the XV70 series of Camry for the 2018 model year, you can see why this gnarly Camry XSE V6 just didn't feel very Camry to me.

Its wheelbase is nine inches longer and it weighs a half ton more than that original Camry. Under the hood, the 92hp four cylinder has been supplanted by a DOHC 24V 3.5L V-6 belting out 301 SAE net horsepower.

Car and Driver tested the 2018 Camry XSE V6 and recorded a 5.8 second zero-to-sixty sprint and a 14.4 second quarter mile at 100mph through the traps. Top speed was governor-limited to 136 miles per hour. It's interesting to note that those numbers are next to thing to identical to those put up by the 1968 Chevelle SS396.

This Midnight Black Metallic one was photographed in February of 2021 using a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II and an EF 28-70mm f/2.8L zoom lens.

1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396

The Chevrolet Chevelle was all new for 1968, available as a convertible, coupe, hardtop sedan, pillared sedan, or wagon. Further, it came in several levels of plushness, from the base 300, through the 300 Deluxe, to the Malibu. Much more rounded and aero-looking than the previous iteration of the Chevelle, the coupes were especially good looking. They rode on a shorter 112" wheelbase and had classic long hood and short deck proportions and a graceful fastback slope to the rear window, above the muscular haunches of the rear fenders.  

The top of the Chevelle heap for '68 was the SS396.

Technically the SS396 treatment was an option package that could be ordered on any trim level of Chevelle coupe or convertible, so the cheapest way to speed was to stack it on a basic 300 coupe. The Super Sport treatment added 7" wide sport wheels with polyester-belted F70-14 tires, power front disc brakes, and that all important Turbo-Jet big block V-8.

Under the hood of this Tuxedo Black beast would be one of two different flavors of Turbo-Jet 396. The one that came with the package was the L35, rated at 325 SAE gross horsepower. Optionally the buyer could spring for the 350hp L34 motor. Both motors had the same 10.25:1 compression ratio, Rochester Quadrajet carb, oval-port closed chamber heads, intake & exhaust manifolds, and hydraulic lifters. The difference was that the more potent L34 used the hotter camshaft borrowed from the L36 'Vette 427 motor.

When Car and Driver tested a 1969 SS396 with the L35 motor, 3.55:1 limited slip rear end, and Turbo-Hydramatic three-speed automatic, they recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 5.8 seconds and a 14.4 second quarter at 97 miles per hour.

The one in the pics was snapped with a Nikon D700 and a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens in June of 2020.

1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille

The redesigned fourth generation of the full-size C-body Cadillac DeVille debuted for the 1971 model year. Overall length grew almost an inch from the '70 model, to 225.8", while the wheelbase got a half-inch stretch to 130".

Motive power was provided by the same 472 cubic inch OHV V-8 that had been under Caddy hoods since 1968, but compression was reduced from 10.0:1 to 8.5:1 in order to comply with a GM corporate edict that all engines be able to run on unleaded gasoline. This dropped the rated horsepower from 375 SAE gross bhp to 345. (SAE net horsepower was listed parenthetically in the brochure as 220bhp.)

The Sausalito Green Firemist '71 Coupe DeVille in the photo would have come standard with variable-ratio power steering, power front disc brakes, and a Turbo Hydra-Matic 3-speed transmission with a 2.93:1 rear end.

Motor Trend magazine tested a '71 Sedan DeVille and the 472 cube motor had enough grunt to haul the 5,100+ pound barge to sixty in 10.1 seconds and through the quarter in 17.1 seconds at 82mph through the traps. The slightly lighter Coupe DeVille would have been a corresponding couple of ticks quicker.

The one in the photo was captured with a Nikon D200 and a 24-84mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens in August of 2021.

1960 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe

1960 was the second model year for the second generation of Chevrolet's Impala, now its own model line rather than a special edition Bel Air. It could be had as a pillared sedan, a hardtop sedan, a five-door wagon, a convertible, or hardtop Sport Coupe like the one in the picture.

This second generation Impala shared its basic body shell and X-shaped frame with other B-body General Motors offerings from Buick, Olds, and Pontiac, although its 119" wheelbase was shorter than its closest kin, like the Catalina and LeSabre.

The '60 Impala Sport Coupe came with an almost bewildering array of driveline options based around OHV inline-sixes, and small-block and big-block V-8s. The bottom of the motor hierarchy was the 235 cubic inch Hi-Thrift inline six, which made 135 horsepower and could be had with three- or four-speed manual transmissions or the two-speed Powerglide automatic. 

Next up was the Turbo-Fire 283 OHV V-8, in either low-compression, 2-barrel 180hp form or as the Super Turbo-Fire, with a 9.5:1 compression ratio, 4-barrel carb, and 230 ponies. Big block options were the 4-barrel Turbo-Thrust 348 cube big-block rated at 250 horsepower, or the Super Turbo-Thrust, which sported triple deuces on a free-flowing intake manifold and was rated at 280 horsepower. The two performance V-8 options came with close-ratio synchromesh 4-speeds rather than the overdrive 4-speed manuals of the lesser power plants, or else a 3-speed manual or 2-speed Powerglide. 

This Roman Red and Ermine White two-tone '60 Sport Coupe would have been the swoopiest thing in the Chevy catalog that year that wasn't a Corvette.

The car in the photos was snapped with a Nikon Coolpix P7000 in Alliance, Ohio back in July of 2015.