Affordable Classics
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One Fun Econo-Box
When Honda brought the first Civic subcompact to America in the middle of 1972, the car was not very well received. Honda’s previous cars had been far too small and idiosyncratic for the American buyer, and early Civics had a tendency to rust so badly that the U.S. government forced Honda to recall and repair…
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Spend a Little More — Get a Lot More
If you want to put an all-wheel-drive sports car into your collection, but you don’t want to pay the ticket price for an exotic and you don’t want the boy-racer styling of a sport compact, there aren’t a lot of options. Fortunately, the obvious choice is also a good one. The Audi TT is a…
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Durable, Good-Looking and Cheap
If you have a hankering for an older Multi-Purpose Vehicle (old enough to predate the whole soccer-mom SUV thing), but feel that you missed the boat on first-generation Ford Broncos or 1969–72 Chevy Blazers, I have good news for you. There’s one out there made in large enough quantities that availability is good, parts support…
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Why You Buy an Underlig
“Underlig” is a Swedish word that means curious, odd, peculiar or strange. Any of those terms could fairly be applied to the venerable Saab 96 and its kindred. No matter how you look at it, these little cars are funky. They’re not as odd as the Messerschmitts and Isettas of the world, but they’re strange…
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When Chevrolet Built a Porsche
In the fall of 1964, Chevrolet introduced the second-generation Corvair in direct competition with the Ford Mustang. While the Mustang seemed to take all the air out of the room for a small, sporty American car, independent thinkers in the know realized the two competing products couldn’t be more different. The Mustang was great looking,…
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The Best Buys at Any Price
1972 Iso Grifo Series II Gooding & Company Lot 66, which sold for the “was everyone sleeping?” price of $511,500 Earlier this year, a good friend — and wonderfully overzealous lover of all things Iso — asked me if there was any chance this car could be worth $1 million, which was the owner’s dearest…
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Go Find Another (Good) One
The imported mini-truck surged in popularity in the wake of the first 1970s fuel crisis and rising gas prices. The 4-cylinder engines in the import trucks were more economical than the V8 and straight-6 engines that powered the bigger domestic models. The little trucks from Toyota, Datsun/Nissan, and Mazda offered more responsive handling than their…
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Hot or Not?
Going to a collector car auction is a lot like visiting an online dating site. You get to check out the prospects — and you have one quick chance to decide if you want to get involved. If you’re interested, you present your best offer and hope the competition doesn’t make a better one. It’s…
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A Car for the Younger Collector
On any given Saturday morning you can find a Cars & Coffee event in most American cities. The phenomenon is less than 10 years old, and it’s delightful in its simplicity. There’s no entry fee, no class structure, no judges, and no trophy to take home. It’s just about driving your car and enjoying what…
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The Nouveau Mini is Rich in Fun
Comedian Gilbert Gottfried asked, “Too soon?” after telling a 9/11 joke just weeks after the Twin Towers fell — and he heard boos instead of laughs. The first reaction to the notion of the “new” Mini being an Affordable Classic might well be a chorus of jeering “Too soon!” from owners of the original Mini.…