1990 Chevrolet Corsica LT

Launched in 1987 with a rollout to fleets and rental car agencies before going on sale to the general public, the Chevrolet Corsica sedan, and its coupe twin, the Beretta, were on the new L-body platform. Essentially a stretched J-body, the L-cars replaced the old Citation in Chevy's lineup, slotting in size and price between the smaller Cavalier and larger Celebrity.

I was selling Chevrolets the year the Corsica hit the market and I remember being fairly impressed by them. We had a fairly strippo four-cylinder five-speed demo car with an AM radio and roll-up windows on the lot that we used for errands and it was reasonably fun to drive. Of course, anything would look like a rock star replacing the Citation.

The Corsica/Beretta twins were unusual in two respects. First, they were Chevy-only. There were no rebadged versions sold by other GM divisions. (Well, they sold a couple thousand in export markets as the Pontiac Tempest, but you get what I'm saying.)

Second, they went the whole ten model year production run with almost no serious changes, so they were probably pretty well amortized by the time this 1990 Corsica LT in Malachite Metallic rolled off the lot.

We can tell it's a 1990 by the fact that it has the fender badges for the 3.1L V-6 and front seat shoulder harnesses mounted to the front door frames.

Prior to 1990 the Corsica used either the 90hp 2.0L inline four or the 130 horse 2.8L Multi-Port Injected V-6, so the 140hp 3.1L V-6 was a definite upgrade. Also, starting in 1991, the Corsica got airbags for the front seat occupants, so the shoulder harness anchors were moved to the B-pillars.

Considering that the made more than 1.6 million Corsicas over a decade-long run, you don't see many still on the road, so I was unreasonably stoked about seeing this rather vanilla Chevy sedan.

I photographed it with a Nikon D300 and a 17-55mm f/2.8G zoom lens in May of 2025.

1974 Jaguar XJ6L

When the Jaguar XK-E sports car debuted in 1961, its sleek envelope-style monocoque body was ultra modern looking, indeed almost futuristic. It was sold, however, alongside Jaguar saloons whose pontoon styling with their distinct fenders was beginning to look a little dated.

Jag rectified this for 1968 with an entirely new sedan, the Jaguar XJ. Initially riding on a 108.75" wheelbase, it was powered by either a 2.8L or 4.2L DOHC inline six, although only the larger motor was sold here in the USA.

For the '73 model year the XJ got a slight restyling, with the bumpers raised to meet federal impact standards. The grille shrank and a larger opening under the bumper was added to make up for it. The regular wheelbase had been joined by a long wheelbase version in 1972, which added four inches between the axles, all of which went to rear seat legroom.

This one, in classic British Racing Green, looks to be a 1974 model, going by the rubber protector on the front and bumpers and the location of the front turn signals.

For the North American market the dual SU carburetors were replaced by Zenith-Strombergs, and the 4.2L six was rated at 186 SAE net horsepower.

When Road & Track tested a '73 model, it managed a 10.7 second zero-to-sixty time and strolled through the quarter mile in 17.1 seconds with a trap speed of 77mph. Price as tested on that 1973 Jag came to $8,965, which translates to about $65,750 in 2025 dollars.

This one was photographed in May of 2025 using a Sony a700 and a 16-50mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

2002 Dodge Intrepid

The second generation of Mopar's LH platform debuted for the 1998 model year. The whole "cab forward" look that had been so novel on the originals back in '93 was now pretty commonplace.

Sales lagged outside of fleet purchases and Daimler-Chrysler engaged in bean-counter driven cost-cutting for 2002, eliminating bunches of little features like courtesy lights and illumination for secondary switchgear in the control panel.

The fog lights would suggest that this is an Intrepid ES with either the base 200hp 2.7L DOHC 24V V-6 or possibly the beefier SOHC 3.5L V-6, rated at 234 SAE net horsepower.

Not many LH cars have survived into hooptie-dom, which is why I used my Sony a700 and 16-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens to snap this Champagne one in May of 2025.

2000 Mercury Cougar

The Cougar nameplate started at Mercury as a more upmarket and "Euro-flavored" variant of the Ford Mustang, but during the bloated 1970s morphed into a plush-bottomed version of the Thunderbird personal luxury coupe.

With coupe sales slowing in the latter half of the Nineties, FoMoCo axed a number of sporty two-doors. Not only did the Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar, as well as their Lincoln Mark VIII cousin get 86'ed, but Ford lost the Probe and Mercury dealers waved goodbye to the little Capri roadster.

However, Ford had been deep into the development process for a third generation of the Probe. Unlike the first two iterations, this one was developed off the in-house Contour platform. As a consolation prize for Lincoln-Mercury dealerships, it was rebadged as the new Mercury Cougar, reviving the nameplate after a one-year hiatus.

Unlike all previous Cougar versions, the new one was front-wheel drive, and its New Edge styling motif and price definitely marketed it towards a younger, less well-heeled demographic than any prior Cougar.

The base Cougar had Ford's Zetec 2.0L DOHC 16V four, rated at 120 horsepower. The more deluxe variant, like this 2000 model in Citrus Gold Clearcoat Metallic (which is going the way of all Ford Clearcoat jobs of that vintage) had the 170hp Duratec 2.5L DOHC 24V V-6.

Car and Driver's long-term 1999 V-6 test car managed the sprint to sixty in an adequate 7.7 seconds and circled the skidpad at a suitably sporty 0.85g. Price as tested was $20,470 (about $39,500 in today's money) which the magazine noted was pretty reasonable for a well-equipped youth-oriented sporty coupe.

The thing is, nobody goes shopping at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships for reasonably priced sporty coupes. After a half-hearted nose-job for 2001, the Cougar was discontinued after the '02 model year.

This one was photographed in May of 2025 using a Canon EOS 40D and an EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom lens.

1986 Chrysler LeBaron Convertible

Chrysler inherited the LeBaron nameplate from the defunct Imperial division of Mopar in 1977 and originally applied it to a car that shared the new rear wheel drive M-platform with the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury. The M-cars were derived from the Aspen/Volare compact sedans, which were themselves evolved from the Dart/Valiant twins.

The LeBaron was the smallest, lowest-priced Chrysler, intended to do battle with the Cadillac Seville. With the dawn of the FWD era at Chrysler in the early Eighties, the LeBaron became Chrysler's version of the new K-car platform: It was the glitziest variant of a trio that included the Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant.

Along with being the Chrysler marque's first FWD luxury car, the new 1982 LeBaron saw the return of the factory convertible to Detroit.

For 1986, the base engine in a LeBaron convertible was the SOHC "Trenton" 2.2L four cylinder with throttle body electronic fuel injection, rated at 97 horsepower. The next engine up the options list was the 2.5L Trenton four, which had the same bore but almost a half-inch longer stroke, giving a three-horsepower increase to an even 100, but bumping torque from 122 to 136 lb-ft at 2,800 RPM, four hundred RPM lower than the torque peak on the 2.2L mill. The increase in displacement necessitated counterrotating balance shafts to keep things acceptably smooth in the cabin.

The top of the line powertrain, as found in this Gunmetal Blue Pearl example, was the 2.2L Turbo, indicated by the fender badges and hood louvers. It came with 146 SAE net horsepower and torque steer for days.

Among other options to let you know that it was the Eighties was a voice alert system that used a speech synthesizer like the one from the old Texas Instruments Speak & Spell to let you know when a door was ajar or your seat belt was unfastened.

This one was photographed with a Canon EOS 40D and an EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom lens in May of 2025.

1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Convertible

Along with the curvaceous restyling of the A-body Oldsmobile Cutlass for the 1968 model year came a new trim level: the Cutlass S.

For '68 the Olds 4-4-2 technically became its own model, rather than a trim level on the Cutlass. The Supreme remained the most luxurious trim level with the spartan F-85 as the bargain basement entry, and the Cutlass S slotted between them as a youth-oriented version that emphasized both value and sportiness. The Cutlass S was only available as a hardtop or pillared coupe, or a convertible like the Sapphire Blue one in the photos.

Period Olds advertising materials called it a "low-priced, low-slung Youngmobile swinger" and the interior, with its (standard on the convertible) bucket seats, was described as a "swingin' place for a sit-in". The standard, albeit non-functional, hood louvers emphasized its sporty character.

Standard powerplant was either the Action Line 250 cubic inch inline six, making 150 SAE gross horsepower, or else the low-compression version of the Rocket 350 V-8 with a 2-barreled carburetor and 250 horsepower. The dual exhausts on this car suggest the buyer sprang for the only optional motor, which was a 10.5:1 compression Rocket 350 with a Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel and 310 ponies.

Standard transmission was a column-shifted three-speed manual, although a four-on-the-floor was available as an option, as was Oldsmobile's two-speed Jetaway automatic.

This one was photographed with a Sony a700 and a 16-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens in May of 2025.

1964 Mercury Montclair

In the late 1950s, Mercury used the Montclair name as their middle-tier car, above the Monterey but below the Turnpike Cruiser/Park Lane premium models.

Remember that this was an era when the various sub brands of Detroit's Big Three pretty much only made one basic car each, though that car was available in a variety of body styles and trim levels. Today we call them "full-size" cars but that's a retronym, because back then there was only the one size.

At any rate, after the 1960 model year, Mercury shelved the Montclair nameplate, only to bring it back for 1964, slotted in its old familiar spot as the mid-tier of Mercury's full-size range. (Which actually was the full-size Mercury now, since the Pink Frost 1964 Mercury Montclair sedan in the photo would have been sharing lot space with the Ford Falcon-based Mercury Comet compact.

The '64 Montclair was available in a bewildering array of configurations: two- and four-door hardtops as well as two- and four-door pillared sedans. Most variations could be had with either the distinctive "Breezeway" reverse-sloped rear window with the power-retractible center section like the one in the photos, or else a fastback roofline that added the "Marauder" designation to the car.

The base engine in the Montclair was the 390 cubic inch Marauder V-8, which had a 2-barrel carb and put out 250 SAE gross horsepower, or 260 if the buyer sprang for the optional three-speed Merc-O-Matic transmission.

Optional powerplants consisted of two more powerful versions of the 390, the 300 horsepower Marauder Super or the Marauder Interceptor, making 330 horses. Top performance options, only available with a four-speed manual, were the Marauder 427 V-8, putting out 410hp, and the snarling 425 horsepower Marauder Super 427, with solid lifters, two quad-throated carburetors, and an 11.2:1 compression ratio.

With its dual exhausts and automatic transmission, the one in the photo likely has the Marauder Super 390, as the three hotter engines all had solid lifters and buyers of a posh Mercury sedan with a slushbox weren't likely going to go for noisy lifters that required frequent adjustment just for a few extra ponies.

This one was photographed in May of 2025 using a Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS zoom lens.

1983 Ford Mustang GT

1983 marked the fifth model year of the Fox Body Mustang. It had by now lasted as long as the entire run of the ill-fated Mustang II, although nobody realized that it would hang on for almost another decade.

The effects of the 1979 Gas Crisis were still fresh in everyone's mind and Ford, like other Detroit automakers saw the V-8 as an endangered species. In fact, from the middle of the model year, the 1983 Mustang GT was available with an optional 2.3L Turbo four making 145 SAE net horsepower.

The standard GT engine, though, was the 5.0L H.O. small block like the one in this Bright Red hatchback, with a four-barrel carburetor, a new high performance cam, and a low restriction dual-snorkel air cleaner combining to boost the output to 175 horses, which was an 18hp bump from the 1982 model.

Motor Trend tested a 5.0 five-speed GT and managed a 7.4 second run to sixty and a 16.06 quarter mile at 81.5 through the traps. They didn't measure the top speed, but Car and Driver got their '83 GT up to 128mph on the track.

The 1983 Ford Mustang GT represented the final year of the Malaise Era. For 1984 the 5.0 would see its output bumped to 210hp, which was the first time a Mustang engine had cracked the 200 horsepower barrier since the 351 Cobra Jet "Q-code" motor of 1973, which put out 266 net ponies and was the swan song of the original Muscle Car Era.

This one was photographed in May of 2025 using a Sony a700 and a Sony ZA 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar* zoom lens.

1982 Cadillac Eldorado

The 1981 experiment with improving the fuel mileage of the old 6.0L Cadillac V-8 via the means of selective cylinder deactivation had been a debacle.

It had also been something of a stopgap because the 1982 model year saw the introduction of the HT4100 V-8, the first all-new Cadillac engine since the Sixties. The HT4100 had been slated for an '83 rollout, but the V4-6-8 fiasco caused it to be rushed to market.

The "HT" stood for High Technology, and by Caddy standards of the day I guess a throttle body fuel injected 4.1L pushrod V-8 with an aluminum block and cast iron heads was sorta high tech. The little 249 cubic inch motor sent 125 SAE net horsepower to the front wheels through a four-speed automatic. This small herd of ponies was tasked with towing over 3,700 pounds of luxury coupe down the road.

Car and Driver tested one in Touring Coupe trim and recorded a dismal 15.2 second slog to sixty. It needed 20.2 seconds to complete a standing quarter mile, staggering through the traps at 68 miles per hour. Top speed was only 92.

Base price for an '82 Eldo was $18,716, or about sixty-two grand in current dollars.

Cadillac was not officially back in the convertible business yet in 1982, but aftermarket conversions by companies like Hess & Eisenhardt or ASC are not uncommon. The convertible top on this Sable Black Eldorado had not held up well. The mildew smell was noticeable from thirty feet away and was strong enough that it probably prevented tailgating. 

It was photographed in September of 2016 using a Nikon Coolpix P7000.

1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

The last year of the pre-downsized Monte Carlos, the 1977 still rode on a 116" wheelbase that it shared with the mid-size Chevelle sedans, a four inch stretch over the Chevelle coupe, and still cast a shadow most of eighteen feet long.

Under that looooong hood was either a base 305 small block V-8 with a 2-barrel carb, making 145 SAE net horsepower, or else the optional 4-barrel 350, rated at 170 horses. (Unless you were in California, in which case all you could get was the 350, as the 5.0L couldn't meet CARB requirements.)

The dual exhausts and Rally wheels on this Black example suggest that it's using the 5.7L motor to haul its 3,990 pounds down the road.

The Monte Carlo continued to be a strong seller for Chevy in the '77 model year, moving over 400,000 units. The Disco Era loved personal luxury coupes.

It was photographed in Louisville, Kentucky in May of 2016 using a Nikon Coolpix P7000.

1995 Chevrolet Impala SS

The boxy third generation of the Chevrolet Caprice, which had been around since the mid-late 1970s, was replaced for the 1991 model year with a car featuring much curvier, more aerodynamic bodywork. It was about this time that Ford also launched a more aero Crown Victoria.

Interestingly, with police performance packages, these newly sleek versions of the big body-on-frame police cars dramatically suppressed the sales of pursuit versions of Mustangs and Camaros, which had flourished briefly during the later Malaise Era when the blocky sedans were too asthmatic for high-speed chases.

It was from the roots of the fourth generation Caprice 9C1 police package that Chevrolet's Special Vehicle group ginned up a show car for 1992 that revived the Impala SS name, which had lain dormant since the late Sixties.

With distinctive wheels and badging and a sinister murdered-out paint job in any color you wanted as long as it was Black, the show car came to dealerships almost unchanged for the 1994 model year. 1995 saw some minor cosmetic changes and the addition of Dark Cherry Metallic and Dark Green-Gray Metallic to the palette. Production ceased after the 1996 model year after just shy of 70,000 had been sold.

They were all powered by the 5.7L LT1 pushrod V-8 derived from the Corvette making 260 ponies, with a 4L60E GM four-speed auto sending power to a 3.08 rear end.

When Car and Driver hooked the test gear up to a '94 Impala SS, it had enough Wheaties under the hood to launch the bulbous 4,221 pound sedan to sixty in just 6.5 seconds, which was considered a decent sporty coupe number at the time. The quarter went by in fifteen flat at 92 MPH.

All that could be yours for only $22,495 in 1994 money, or about $48,500 in constant dollars.

This one was photographed in May of 2025 using Pentax K20D and a DA 16-45mm f/4 zoom lens.