In the late 1970s, BMW was still in its growing pains in the United States. The favored quirky rally car of the 1960s was becoming the favored fast luxury transport of young professionals. Between the two eras of Bayerische Motoren Werke, there was the M1, which remains the most exotic […]
The humble Volkswagen Beetle — which is actually not its official name, but few people know what a Type 1 is — created the massive compact-car market in the United States.
It took the brilliant mind of Ferdinand Porsche — and high-quality labor from a rebuilding post-war West Germany — to make a compact car a success in the United States of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
By opening up the compact-car market in the U.S., VW blazed the trail for all small cars — domestic and imported. While the Chevrolet Corvair was initially all but an Americanized Beetle, the rest of the domestics weren’t. Still, the success of the Falcon, Valiant, Rambler and Lark was only possible after VW made small cars acceptable in the big-car-crazed U.S.
By the early 1970s, the early Beetle became a victim of its own huge success.
By 1970, the Big Three had run one full generation of compacts off U.S. assembly lines, and a second one was on the way. The Falcon gave way to the Pinto, the Corvair led to the Vega, and the Rambler became AMC and birthed the Gremlin. In addition, the Valiant had a plethora of siblings from Dodge.
While the Japanese competitors were generally viewed as quirky and cheap during the 1960s, by 1970 they were becoming formidable competitors. During all this, the Beetle just puttered along with minimal changes.
While staying the same in a world of change played well in the turbulent 1960s — even among the Counterculture — the Beetle was old hat in the 1970s. The Beetle looked dated compared with everything else in the market.
• Totally restored to original factory specifications • Restored by Jen-Jacs Restoration in Savannah, GA • Original rebuilt LS6 454/450-hp engine • M22 close-ratio 4-speed transmission • 4.10 Positraction rear axle • Rare factory-correct Tuxedo Black exterior • Black bench seat interior • Original partial build sheet found during restoration
Well-equipped 4-wheel-drive trucks from major manufacturers have been among the best selling vehicles in the U.S. for decades, but this hasn’t always been the case. There was a time when if GM wanted to sell a go-anywhere utility, they had to turn to an outside supplier to make it a […]
This Ford pickup has had a frame-off restoration that is reported to be “factory original” with a new interior and “perfect” headliner and chrome throughout. The vehicle has new hubcaps. The engine has a glass bowl Holley carburetor. (Introductory description courtesy of Auctions America by RM.)
• Genuine military Command Car as used by General Patton World War II • Complete frame-off rebuild • Engine, transmission, and drive gears have been rebuilt
Chassis Number: R612356 An almost perfect rotisserie restoration — absolutely everything has been replaced on this truck and was done by a Studebaker expert to assure that it was complete and historically correct (only exception is the added seat belts). Receipts and documentation exist for every step taken, including the […]
While this Red Mist price defies value guides, as long as you buy for love — not money — you won’t go wrong Chassis number: P6FH202140 – Restored to original color combination – Colonial White with red and white interior – Both hard top and black soft top – 312-ci […]
Today we have endless choices among pickup trucks, and the luxurious options give away nothing to their car counterparts. This is a recent development. The Silverados and Lariats of the 1980s ushered in luxury features to the emerging everyday truck driving community. In the 1960s, a pickup was still a […]
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