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.

1969 Pontiac GTO Convertible

The second year of the second generation of Pontiac's GTO, the 1969 Goat featured the 400 V-8 as the standard motor. With a 10.75:1 compression ratio, four-barrel carb, and dual exhausts, it was rated at 350 SAE gross horsepower.

For buyers who wanted to run on cheaper regular gas, a two-barrel 400 with a 9.2:1 compression ratio was available, although output dropped to 265 horsepower in that configuration.

The real go-fast options were the two Ram Air engine packages. The basic Ram Air 400, which mated the scoops on the hood to a functional cold-air intake setup and came with a hotter cam, gave the buyer 366 ponies to play with.

The Ram Air IV had different cylinder heads, high-flow exhaust manifolds, a high-rise aluminum intake manifold, bigger carb, and even lumpier cam, yet was hilariously underrated at a claimed 370 SAE gross horsepower. The Ram Air IV package came with 3.90:1 final drive standard and could be had with an optional 4.30:1 rear end, and air conditioning was not available.

Car Life tested a '69 GTO with the Ram Air IV package and recorded a 6.2 second zero-to-sixty time and a 14.4 second quarter mile at 98mph with a top speed of 124 miles per hour.

The Palladium Silver 1969 GTO convertible in the photos has the regular Ram Air option and was photographed with a Nikon Coolpix S6500 in December of 2014.

1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Convertible

The General Motors full size B-bodies were stretched even larger for the 1971 model year, although they still rode on a 124" wheelbase. Trunks were enormous, big enough to hold several dead mobsters if packed carefully.

This, the seventh generation of Oldsmobile's 88 nameplate, saw the onset of the Malaise Era. In 1971, the only engine offered in the Delta 88 convertible was the 455 Rocket V-8, in two states of tune: There was the basic 280hp version and the more potent 320hp with dual exhausts. Ominous foreshadowing was that alongside those SAE gross horsepower measurements, the brochure also listed the new SAE net horsepower ratings, which more accurately reflected the output as installed in the car. Using the new measuring system the outputs were 185hp and 250hp.

For 1972, only the net horsepower ratings were given. Further, a more thrifty 350 Rocket V-8 was now the base motor for the convertible. Also, compression ratios were reduced to prepare the cars for an unleaded, low-octane future. The 350 Rocket came in 160 and 180 horsepower flavors, while the 455 Rocket came in single-exhaust 225hp or dual-exhaust 250hp tunes.

1973 added the newly-mandatory bumper up front that was capable of withstanding a 5mph impact, and the 1974 model, like the Colonial Cream convertible in the photo, added the 5mph rear bumper as well.

For 1974 only two powertrains were available in the Delta 88 Royale convertible: The base motor was the 350 Rocket V-8 making 180 SAE net horsepower, or the buyer could opt for the 455 Rocket V-8, which was now rated at a mere 210 horsepower, about the same as the fuel-injected small blocks that would power Mustangs and Camaros in the middle of the next decade.

To add insult to injury, these neutered 455 V-8 models hit dealer lots about the same time as OPEC turned off the nation's imported fuel supply, and they sold terribly. 1975 was the final year for the Delta 88 convertible and 1976 saw the last 455 Rocket V-8s, by which time output had been strangled to a mere 190 SAE net horses. The 1977 model year would see an all new downsized Delta 88 riding on a wheelbase a full eight inches shorter.

The car in the photo was snapped with a Nikon D5000 and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.

1969 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

The fourth generation of Chevrolet's Impala launched for the 1965 model year and received a heavy styling refresh for 1969.

More sharply creased, the '69 Impala saw the disappearance of vent windows and a front bumper that was a flush chrome loop surrounding the egg crate grille and its horizontally-arranged quad headlamps.

The base version of the 1969 Impala convertible started at $3,261 ($27, 830 in today's dollars) and came with the Turbo-Fire 327 cubic inch small block V-8 with a two-barrel carburetor. With a 9.00:1 compression ratio to allow running on regular gas, it was rated at 235 SAE gross horsepower. 

The badge over the front side marker light on this Glacier Blue example says it came with one of two optional 350 cube Turbo-Fire small blocks: The 9.00:1 compression two-barrel LM1 rated at 255 horsepower, or the racier L48. The latter, originally developed for the Camaro SS, had a premium-fuel-only 10.25:1 compression ratio, dual exhausts, and a Rochester 4-barrel carburetor and made 300 ponies.

This example was snapped in September of 2020 using a Nikon D5000 and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.

1993 Pontiac Grand Am GT

Pontiac originally used the Grand Am name in the 1970s on a line of midsize A-body coupes and sedans. It was a combination of "Grand" from the upscale Grand Prix personal luxury coupe and "Am" from the racy Trans Am pony car. Sporty imports with more upmarket features from the Celica to the BMW New Class sedans and coupes were making inroads into the US market and Pontiac wanted a sporty-yet-plush car that wasn't a Catalina-size land yacht to compete with them.

The nameplate went dormant in the early Eighties before being revived as Pontiac's version of the front wheel drive N-body coupes and sedans, shared with the Buick Somerset/Skylark and the Olds Cutlass Calais. That generation of the Grand Am was sold from the 1985 through 1991 model years before being replaced with the fourth generation Grand Am for 1992.

This new Grand Am rode on a revamped version of the N-body platform that had been widened so as to share more of its underpinnings with the Beretta/Corsica twins from Chevrolet.

For 1993, the Grand Am could be had as a two- or four-door and came in either the base SE trim, or the sportier GT, like the Bright Blue Metallic coupe in the photo. Its GT-ness is attested not only by the badge on the B-pillar, but also the GT-only 16" alloy wheels. By 1993, ABS was standard on all trim levels of the Grand Am.

The base driveline in the Grand Am GT was the High Output version of the Oldsmobile-sourced DOHC 2.3L Quad 4 rated at 175 SAE net horsepower, backed with a 5-speed manual transaxle. Ordering the three-speed automatic downgraded the Quad 4 to the standard 155hp version. The fender badges on this car show that the original buyer spend the coin for the GM 3300 corporate 3.3L OHV multiport fuel injected V-6, which put out less power than the H.O. Quad 4, being rated at 160hp, but outmuscled it in the torque department, at 185 lb-ft versus the four cylinder's 155.

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

2022 Volvo C40 Recharge

This all-electric Volvo C40 was based on their XC40 Recharge Pure Electric BEV crossover SUV, (itself the all-electric variant of the regular XC40, which was originally available as a regular internal combustion vehicle, but now even the base version in the US is a mild hybrid.)

It shares a platform with not only the XC40 but also the Polestar 2 electric car. The difference between the C40  and its XC40 progenitor is that the latter is a typical boxy five-door compact SUV while the C40 sports a zoomy fastback roofline for its rear hatch.

The C40 is only available in an all-electric dual-motor format, with separate motors for the front and rear wheels. Tallying up the output of both motors, it has 402hp, and sprints to 60 in 4.2 seconds on its way to a 12.9 second quarter at 108 miles per hour. Top speed is governed to 115, and for a lardy little truckette that weighs in at 4,763 pounds, batteries included, it even manages to circle a skidpad at 0.82g, which was IROC-Z territory when I was a kid. Range is supposed to be 228 miles.

The only car I've ever owned that would come close to those acceleration numbers had a fire extinguisher strapped to the transmission tunnel, five-point harnesses, required ether to be squirted down the carb throats in order to crank on any morning cold enough to need a jacket, and idled like a paint mixer. (Probably had about the same range, too.) This thing, on the other hand, is invisible in the Fresh Market parking lot; just another grocery getter.

This Onyx Black example was photographed in July of 2022 using a Nikon D7100 and the excellent 16-80mm f/2.8-4E DX zoom lens.

1964 Chevrolet El Camino

Revamped along with the Chevelle from which it was derived, the '64 El Camino was essentially a 2-door Chevelle 300 2-door wagon with a pickup bed where the load area would be. It even came with the same 115" wheelbase and carried "Chevelle" badges on the front fenders to complement the "El Camino" ones on the rear quarters. It came with either the Hi-Thrift 194 cubic inch inline six as the base motor or the optional Turbo-Thrift 230cid inline six, producing 120 and 155 SAE gross horsepower, respectively.

Also available as options were two flavors of the 283 cube Turbo-Fire V-8, in either two-barrel 195 horsepower form, or with a four-barrel carb and dual exhausts for an output of 220 horsepower. The "V" badge on the fender and the left-side exhaust outlet visible at the rear would indicate that this one's got the hotter of the two small blocks.

Grumbles in the press of the time complained that the midsize Chevelle and its hybrid El Camino cousin lacked really powerful engine options so halfway through the model year Chevy added two flavors of the new 327 cubic inch small block: A 250hp two-barrel motor and a high-compression four-barrel with dual exhausts and a rating of 300 SAE gross horsepower.

This super-straight Ember Red example has the "V"-badges on the fender denoting a V-8 and dual exhausts, so it has one of the spicier powertrains. It was photographed with a Nikon D700 and a Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-D "street sweeper" zoom lens in June of 2019.

1965 Volvo 122S Wagon

The five-door station wagon version of Volvo's 122S (sold elsewhere as the Amazon) debuted on our shores as a 1963 model.

It was powered by Volvo's 1.8L overhead valve inline four, with a pair of sidedraft SU carbs and an 8.5:1 compression ratio, producing 90 SAE gross horsepower. Transmission choices were initially either a 3-speed or 4-speed manual gearbox, although starting in 1967 the Borg-Warner BW35 three-speed auto, previously only available in the sedans, was offered in the wagon, too.

The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive Volvo 122S was no bolt of lightning. Road & Track tested a 1966 122S sedan with the Borg-Warner slushbox and recorded a zero-to-sixty time of 15.8 seconds and a 20.6 second elapsed time in the quarter mile with a trap speed of 67 miles per hour, with the car eventually wheezing all the way to 90mph. But they were way ahead of their time in occupant safety, build quality, and features like standard front disc brakes at a time when those were still bordering on racing exotica.

The tailgate was a clever two-piece arrangement. The glass hatch folded upward while the tailgate itself folded down. If you were carrying an oversized load, the license plate holder was hinged along the top edge so that it could be folded down to where it was visible with the tailgate lowered.

Base price on a Volvo 122S wagon for '65 was $2,860, which is just shy of $28,000 in current dollars.

This one was photographed in July of 2024 using a Nikon D700 and 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens.

1968 Pontiac GTO Convertible

For 1968 the GTO, along with the rest of its General Motors midsize A-body stablemates, got a serious redesign. While still utilizing body-on-frame construction, the body was much sleeker, with a waisted, coke-bottle look and contemporary fastback styling for the roofline.

The vertically-stacked quad headlamps went away, replaced by horizontally paired ones. A popular option on the '68 Goat was a hidden headlamp setup, with vacuum-operated doors that blended with the grille covering the headlamps when they were off. The headlamp doors on this Solar Red 1968 GTO convertible seem to be stuck in the open configuration.

One distinguishing feature of the GTO, heavily hyped in the advertising of the time, was the body-colored synthetic Endura nosecone, which would shrug off low-speed impacts without permanent deformation.

The single hood scoop on the previous GTO was replaced with a pair of nostrils atop the hood, which were purely cosmetic affectations unless you ordered the Ram Air package, in which case they were plumbed to the air cleaner housing for a functional cold air intake.

The base motor for '68 was the 350hp small-journal 400 cubic inch Pontiac V-8. Since the base motor had a 10.75:1 compression ratio and therefore required premium fuel, a no-cost option was an 8.6:1 compression 400 with a 2-barrel carb and single exhaust, rated at 265 SAE gross horsepower, but it could only be had with the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic.

The spicier options were the 400 H.O., which came with an unsilenced air cleaner and freer-flowing dual exhaust for an output of 360 horses, and the aforementioned Ram Air 400, which offered numerous small upgrades like the aforementioned functional cold air intake and a lumpy race cam. The Ram Air package mysteriously shaved time off the quarter mile but didn't budge the brochure horsepower from the 360 advertised for the H.O. version. Insurance agents must have been amazed.

Motor Trend tested a coupe with the base motor, 3-speed slushbox, and 3.23:1 rear end and recorded a quarter mile elapsed time of 15.93 at 88mph through the traps.

The car in the photos was snapped with a Nikon D700 and 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens in July of 2024.

1967 Pontiac Tempest Convertible

The final year of the second-generation Pontiac Tempest continued with the stacked quad headlamps and coke-bottle lines of its 1965 and 1966 predecessors.

For '67, the base engine in the Tempest was Pontiac's 230 cubic inch overhead cam inline six. The OHC six cylinder was available in either standard 165 horsepower configuration with a 1-bbl carb, or in an H.O. form with a four-barrel carb and 10.5:1 compression ratio to give 215 SAE gross horsepower.

The fender badges on this one indicate that the buyer sprang for the 326 V-8, which also came in two flavors: A standard 2-barrel making 250 horsepower, or the 4-barrel H.O. that had a 10.5:1 compression ratio necessitating premium fuel and an output of 285 SAE gross horsepower. Transmission choices were a column-shifted three-speed manual, a four on the floor, or the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic slushbox.

The Regimental Red '67 Tempest ragtop in the photo was snapped in August of 2018 using a Fujifilm X-E1 and a Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 lens.

1967 Buick Electra 225

1967 was the third model year of the third generation Buick Electra, and it saw the car receive only a light styling update. The Electra's snout now sported a grille with a central dividing bar, echoing a theme more usually associated with Pontiac and Oldsmobile.

The big news for '67 was under the hood, where the previous year's increasingly archaic 425 cubic inch "Nailhead" V-8 (a nickname acquired due to the motor's valves having long stems relative to the size of the valve itself) replaced by an entirely new motor.

The new "Big Block" V-8 from Buick came in two sizes: a 400 cid version for the division's midsize Special and Skylark to comply with the corporate-imposed displacement limit on midsize cars, and a larger 430 cube version, with the same 3.9" stroke but a 0.15" larger bore, for the full-size Le Sabre, Wildcat, and Electra.

The 430 in the Arctic White '67 Electra 225 in the photo would have been rated at 360 SAE gross horsepower, with a 4-barrel Rochester carburetor, dual exhausts, and a 10.25:1 compression ratio demanding premium fuel. This was as much horsepower from the standard 430 as was produced by the exotic dual-quad variants of the old 425 Nailhead. The standard, and only, transmission was a column-shifted 3-speed Super Turbine automatic, which was Buick's house name for the GM corporate TH-400.

The one in the photos was captured in July of 2023 using an Olympus E-5 and a Panasonic Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-150mm F3.5-5.6 Asph Mega OIS superzoom lens.

1950 Oldsmobile 88

In 1949, Oldsmobile inserted a new model into the lineup. Between the 76, with its flathead inline six, and the deluxe long-wheelbase 98, came the new Oldsmobile 88. It replaced the model 78, which had a flathead straight eight.

Both the 88 and the top-of-the-line 98 sported an entirely new engine, an overhead valve V-8 dubbed the "Rocket" by Oldsmobile. Where the 257 cubic inch flathead had been rated at 115 horsepower, the new Rocket V-8 displaced 303 cubic inches and put out 135 SAE gross horsepower at 3600 RPM.

The Rocket V-8 in the shorter wheelbase 88 was an instant hit, being capable of running to sixty in a few ticks under twelve seconds and topping out at close to a hundred. They won six of nine NASCAR races in which they were entered in 1949.

In 1950 there were only minimal changes, including the chrome taillight housings becoming tiny fins, with the number "88" emblazoned on them, echoing the fins that GM stablemate Cadillac was then popularizing. If you enlarge the lower photo of the Ivy Green 1950 sedan, you can just make that detail out. 

For 1950 the Olds 88 won 10 of 19 NASCAR races as well winning the inaugural Carrera Panamericana ahead of rival GM Cadillac 62's, and taking four of the top ten places total, besting notable competitors like the Alfa Romeo 6C and Lincoln Cosmopolitan. By 1951 the song "Rocket 88" was a radio hit and the car's place as a legend was assured.

(Oldsmobile fans will often insist on referring to it as the first Muscle Car, but as a nerdy purist I have to stand firm on insisting that a muscle car is technically a midsize coupe with a full-size engine, marketed as youthful performance ride, and the Detroit midsize coupe was still over a decade in the future at this point.)

The one in the photos was snapped in July of 2024 using an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and a Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens. 

1996 Suzuki X-90

Suzuki's inexpensive Samurai, sold elsewhere around the world as the Jimny, was a big hit here in the '80s, basically establishing a beachhead for Suzuki in the US as something other than a motorcycle maker. It was joined in 1989 by the Sidekick, which was called the Vitara in other markets. A similarly jeep-like vehicle, it was slightly newer and more sophisticated and available in enclosed cab forms.

In the mid-Nineties the fun and funky Samurai was discontinued and replaced in Suzuki dealers lineups by the X-90.

The X-90 was an odd little enclosed two-seater that had cartoon-like styling, vaguely reminiscent of Honda's Del Sol. Based on Vitara/Sidekick mechanicals, it had a teeny 86.6" wheelbase. Since it was based on the Sidekick, it had a longitudinal four-cylinder up front with part-time four-wheel drive through a center transfer case. Rear wheel drive only versions were also available.

It had t-tops, a snug passenger compartment with minimal storage behind the seats, and a teeny trunk.

While the lines might have suggested "sporty car", they were writing checks the truckette powertrain couldn't cash. The alloy 1.6L SOHC 12V inline four only put out 95 SAE net horsepower.  

Car and Driver magazine tested a 1996 model with the five speed manual transmission and noted that, while the 4.63:1 final drive let it squirt to sixty in 10.8 seconds, it ran out of juice quickly. The quarter mile took 18.1 seconds at 74 miles per hour, and the car hit an aerodynamic wall at only 94mph. Of course, between the short wheelbase, 2500 pound curb weight, mediocre cornering grip, and fairly low ride height it always felt like it was going faster than it was.

Price for the test car, with options, came to $16,288, which is something like $32,750 in current money.

The X-90 was just too weird to live and was discontinued after the 1998 model year, with something like 7600 units sold over three years in the USA.

The Midnight Black example in the photo, which has been heavily modified for better off-road capability, was photographed in January of 2025 using an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and M. Zuiko Digital 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 zoom lens.

1950 Cadillac Series Sixty-One Club Coupe

The Series Sixty-One was Cadillac's entry-level model for 1950, riding on a wheelbase four inches shorter than the full-size Caddy 62's. This meant it was on the GM B-platform, a stablemate to the full-size Oldsmobiles and Buicks.

1950 marked the second year of Cadillac's 90° overhead valve V-8, which replaced the old 346 cubic inch flathead "Monobloc" V-8.

The new OHV "331 Series" motor displaced, as the name implies, 331 cubic inches and was rated at 160 SAE gross horsepower. Power was delivered to the rear wheels via a 3-speed manual or a 4-speed Hydra-Matic transmission. 

Quite sophisticated for its time, the Hydra-Matic changed gears automatically, and had been proven rugged and durable in World War Two, where it had been used in U.S. light tanks (coincidentally along with Monobloc Cadillac V-8 engines.) The big difference between it and newer automatics was that it had a straight fluid coupling that didn't offer torque multiplication like a torque convertor does.

The distinctive tail fins and faux scoops on the fenders, from famed automotive designer Harley Earl, were supposedly inspired by the twin-tailed Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane of Second World War fame. The tail fins would grow over time and triggered a tail fin arms race in Detroit's styling departments.

The car in the photo was snapped with a Samsung Galaxy SII in June of 2013.

1978 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe

In the wake of the fuel crisis early in the Seventies, all the Big Three set about shrinking their cars in an effort to squeeze out more efficiency. 1977 saw the launch of the new, downsized sixth generation of the Chevrolet Impala. 

The Bel Air nameplate, long since relegated to stripped-down cars aimed at fleet buyers, went away after '76 and the new full-size Chevys came in two flavors: The Impala, which took over the lower end of the market, and the plusher Caprice.

For 1977 the coupes featured a complex, hot-wire bent glass rear window which gave them a sort of fastback roofline.

The 1978 model year saw the Impala come with Chevrolet's venerable Turbo-Thrift 250cid OHV inline six as standard, rated at 110 horsepower. There were two optional V-8s available: the 305 2-barrel small block rated at 145 SAE net horsepower, or the 170 horsepower 350 cube 4-barrel small block.

The one in the photo, with a bright blue aftermarket paint job, was photographed in September of 2022 using an Olympus E-3 and a Zuiko Digital 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 zoom lens.

2000 Jaguar XJR

Arriving for the '98 model year, in the middle of the "Forduar Era", the X308-series Jaguar XJ sedans were the final iteration of the XJ40 sedan platform that had been around since the mid-1980s.

It was available in several levels of interior swank and underhood earnestness, and the ultimate expression of the latter was the XJR. Discernible by big wheels and meaty rubber and a body-colored grille surround enclosing an aggro-looking stainless steel mesh grille insert, the XJR was the snarliest Jag sedan you could get at the time.

It was powered by a supercharged version of Jaguar's 4.0L AJ V-8 that made 370 forced-induction horsies. Fed through a Mercedes-built 5-speed automatic, this was enough to launch the two-ton sedan to sixty in 5.3 seconds according to Car and Driver's test data. It blasted through the quarter in 13.9 seconds at 103mph and kept going all the way to a buck fifty-four on the top end.

All this goodness didn't come cheap. The Anthracite car in the photo would have come with a price tag of $70,802 in 2000, which comes to about a hundred and thirty grand in today's dollars.

The car in photo was snapped in May of 2022 using a Canon EOS 7D and EF-S 17-85mm f/2.8 IS zoom lens.

1963 Mercury Meteor Custom

After one year as a full-size, 1962 saw the Meteor nameplate moved to a midsize offering, becoming Mercury's counterpart to the new Ford Fairlane.

In '63, the car came in three levels of trim. Available as the base Meteor, the sporty performance-oriented Meteor S-33 hardtop coupe, or the deluxe Meteor Custom, Mercury advertised the car as having "Spirit, Sparkle and Brawn... Bright words that mean Mercury Meteor for 1963."

The bodywork had been lightly restyled so the pod-like taillights downplayed the increasingly unfashionable tailfins, and the advertising materials played up the modern stainless steel trim on the rocker panels of the Custom.

The base powerplant in the Custom was the Meteor 6, which was FoMoCo's 170 cubic inch OHV inline six advertised at 101 SAE gross horsepower. Optionally, a Meteor Custom buyer could spring for the 221cid V-8 rated at 145 horsepower or the Mercury Lightning V-8, which was a 2-barrel Ford 260 Windsor small block that put out 160 horses.

All engines could be had with the 3-speed manual or 2-speed Merc-O-Matic transmission and the 221 V-8 could additionally be optioned with a 3-speed manual that had an automatic 4th overdrive gear.

Alas, the midsize Meteor would be discontinued after two years of sluggish sales and Mercury would do without a car in that size slot until 1966, when the Comet got upsized from the Ford Falcon platform to that of the Fairlane.

The one in the picture, a '63 Meteor Custom sedan in Cascade Blue with a Pacific Blue roof, was photographed in May of 2013 with a Samsung Galaxy SII.

 

1972 Dodge Dart Custom

The fourth generation of Dodge's Dart filled the compact niche for the automaker. It came in two wheelbase lengths: The 108" fastback Dart Sport & Demon coupes, and the longer 111" length which could be had as both a coupe or a sedan.

The Dart Custom sedan, like this Light Gold and Dark Green Metallic two-tone 1972 model, was as plush as a Dart could get (which admittedly wasn't very plush.)

The base motor for a '72 Custom was the 198 cubic inch Slant-Six, a de-stroked 225 which had a 1-barrel carburetor and was rated at 100 SAE net horsepower. Next up was the famed 225 Slant-Six itself, which made 110 horsepower. While it wasn't a big horsepower jump over the 198, the 225 also made 185 lb-ft of torque to the smaller motor's 160.

The top engine offering in the plushest Dart was the Mopar LA 318 V-8, which had a Carter 2-barrel carburetor & single exhaust pipe and put out 150 SAE net horses. All three motors could be had with a three-on-the-tree manual or a three-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission.

The swankiest Dart would set you back $2,574 in 1972 dollars before you started checking option boxes, which comes out to a bit less than twenty grand in today's money.

This one was photographed in June of 2017 using a Leica D-Lux 3.

1964 Oldsmobile F-85

Olds threw in the towel on the "senior compact" concept after a few years of slow sales and, for the 1964 model year, the F-85 was bumped up in size to be a new "intermediate" or "midsize" car on the body-on-frame A-body platform shared with the Chevy Chevelle, Buick Special, and Pontiac Tempest.

Not having a suitable small economy engine of their own, the base engine in the F-85 models was Buick's cast iron overhead valve 225cid 90-degree V-6 with a single 1-barrel Rochester carb. Derived from the alloy Buick 215 V-8, the 225 was marketed as the Econ-O-Way V-6 by Olds and put out 155 SAE gross horsepower.

The V-8 fender badges on this Wedgewood Mist 1964 F-85 sedan tell us it has one of two 330 cubic inch Oldmobile V-8s: Either the 2-barrel Jetfire Rocket rated at 210 horsepower, or the high compression 4-barrel Cutlass V-8 which made 260 horsepower and sported a 10.25:1 compression ratio that required premium fuel.

 These photos were taken with a Samsung Galaxy SII in July of 2014.

1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Sunliner Convertible

A nice-looking Baffin Blue 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 Sunliner ragtop turning southbound on to College Avenue from 54th Street. The '62 was the third model year of the second generation Galaxie.

For 1962, Ford had introduced the "XL" package for the Galaxie to compete with the "SS" versions of the Chevy Impala. If this had that option package, the rear fender badges would read "Galaxie 500XL" instead of "Sunliner".

The front fender badges proclaim the presence of a 390 cubic inch "FE" big block under the hood.

The 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission shift lever on the steering column means that this is the 9.6:1 single four-barrel version of the 390, which was rated at 300 SAE gross bhp. The more potent high-compression 375bhp version was only available with a manual gearbox.

Check out the dashboard, this thing's got a power top!

This one was photographed using a Nikon D800 and 24-120mm f/4 VR zoom lens in May of 2023.