The Fox body Mustang pulled an exceptionally long tour of duty for Ford, debuting in 1979 and lasting into the early ’90s as the company’s go-to muscle machine. The pace of technological progress had long since caught up to the Fox chassis by the time its replacement was announced, and hopes were high at the Blue Oval for the SN95 Mustang, which carried the car into its fourth generation starting with the 1994 model year.

The SN95 (also written as SN-95) presented a mix of the familiar and the dramatically different as Ford eased the Mustang into the world of modern automotive design. The car’s basic platform was still heavily based on the Fox, and was in fact referred to as the Fox-4 internally. Still, it would be a mistake to call the SN-95 a simple re-skin, as its much-improved chassis was heavily reinforced in order to improve on the older model’s reputation of having the torsional strength of a wet noodle—ultimately only the floor pan and a suspension cross member lifted wholesale from the previous Mustang. More easily identifiable as a Fox carry-over was the 5.0-liter pushrod V-8 that pulled duty during the first two years of the SN-95’s run.

In the styling department, both the initial coupe and convertible traded the Fox’s rectangular shape for a swooping, rounded look that called to mind the original 1964 model’s cues combined with the ovoid lines that were all the rage at Ford during the 1990s. This trend continued inside the car’s much nicer cabin, and all around, the updates made the car more comfortable as a daily driver and better situated on the current design landscape.

The most abrupt—and divisive—SN-95 characteristic arrived in 1996, however, when the first of Ford’s modular V-8s graced the Mustang’s engine bay. This overhead cam design stood in stark contrast to both Ford’s own pushrod past and the large-displacement offerings available from the car’s primary rivals, the Chevrolet Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird. It also pointed the way towards the future of Ford performance, and quickly became the jump-off for a steadily-advancing series of modular tire shredders.

There’s no doubt that the SN-95 served a key role for Ford in transitioning its enormous gaggle of Mustang fans into a high-tech tomorrow (especially in terms of drivetrain development) across its ten year run. By the end of 2004, split between the initial curvy look and the ‘New Edge’ visual updated that arrived in 1999, the SN-95 had delivered a host of special edition cars while also retiring one of the most recognizable badges in Mustang history.

In total, more than 1.5 million 1994-2004 Ford Mustangs were built, making them the third-most popular generation of the pony car in terms of sales. Today, these vehicles represent a fantastic bargain for collectors rebuffed by the soaring price for Fox body cars, with their appeal further cemented by their better handling, longer list of modern conveniences, and significantly greater comfort. Much of the hubbub that initially surrounded the modular V-8 has now faded into obscurity, too, with the engine enjoying nearly as much aftermarket support from modern suppliers as its pushrod progenitor. In short, the SN-95 is now perhaps the cheapest way to access a classic, rear-wheel drive muscle car experience.

Charting The Changes

As noted above, the SN95 Mustang can be divided into two distinct categories: the original SN95 (1994-1998) and the New Edge update (1999-2004). Each was further split into coupe and convertible body styles.

1994-1995 cars are identifiable by their open grille (featuring a galloping pony emblem) and horizontal taillight layout. Base cars were outfitted with a different bumper compared to the GT trim, with the most noticeable difference being the large, circular fog lights for the latter (versus smaller inset units on the entry-level models). The Mustang GT further came with a trunk spoiler as standard equipment.

For 1995 it was also possible to order the GTS trim, which stuffed the GT’s V-8 engine inside the base body style (with bargain basement equipment levels to match), and the SVT Cobra R, which came with its own body kit, a Cobra emblem in the grille and on the fenders, a tall cowl induction hood, and its own 17-inch wheels. The interior of the Cobra R was stripped of all niceties, with not even a rear seat available. A less intense SVT Cobra could also be ordered, and while it resembled the GT it swapped in a revised bumper and Cobra badging.

For 1996, a honeycomb filled the grille opening and the taillights were flipped 90-degrees to better ape those of the 60s-era cars. 1996 also continued the SVT Cobra trim (available as both a coupe and a convertible), which added Cobra badging, the color-shifting, ‘Chroma Flair’ paint option, unique headlights with a revised front bumper, and its own spoiler and five-spoke rims. Interior changes included white-faced, 160-mph gauges. In 1997, the grille insert left the picture, while the GT picked up a set of five-spoke rims of its own, while 1998 editions are notable for losing the digital clock in the cabin.

The New Edge arrived in 1999, and it presented a sharper update to the original SN95 sheet metal. On top of a revised interior angles are found everywhere, including the front and rear bumpers, the scallop carved out of the doors and the scoop just ahead of the rear fender, the hawk-like headlights, and the new (false) air intake on the hood. The vehicle’s taillights and grille are also updated, and exhaust pipes are larger. SVT Cobra editions are notable for their lack of hood intake, while a 35th Anniversary GT exaggerated the scoops on the hood and sides of the standard GT, and added a taller spoiler out back.

Visually, things were status quo for the 2000 model year (save for newly rounded exhaust outlets carved into the back bumper of the Mustang GT), with the Cobra on hiatus. In its place was the hardcore SVT Cobra R, which adopted a full aero kit including a massive fixed wing towering over the trunk, as well as a bulging ‘power dome’ hood and smoked headlights. As before, the cabin of the Cobra R was barebones, with no radio, air conditioning, or rear seat, and it featured a set of Recaro buckets.

For 2001, the Cobra R was gone but its smoked headlights became standard on the GT (which also gained the 1999 model’s 35th anniversary extroversion in terms of scoops and spoiler, and new Torq Thrust-style 17-inch wheels). The rest of the Mustang’s exterior styling carried over, and the visually distinct Bullitt model (calling to mind the classic 1960s Steve McQueen star car) was also added to the GT order sheet. In addition to its aluminum fuel door and retro wheels, it also featured Brembo brakes, a lowered suspension, and 1960s style gauge faces and leather seats. The SVT Cobra also returned, and now featured COBRA embossed into the rear bumper.

2002 was largely a carry-over for the Mustang, with no Cobras produced for North America and no more Bullitt option. 2003 was more of the same for the base and GT Mustangs, but two notable special editions debuted: the SVT Cobra, which featured a dual cowl-induction hood, a lip spoiler on the trunk, and gaping air intakes in the front bumper, and the Mach 1, which can be spotted by way of its ‘Shaker’ hood with a cut-out for a functional air scoop, as well as through its striping and badging. Each of these models continued to be sold through 2004, which was the final year for the SN95/New Edge Mustang—and for the Mustang Cobra, which has yet to reappear in the modern line-up. That last year of production also saw the return of color-shifting paint for the Cobra, now called MystiChrome.

From 1994 to 1998 the base engine offered in the Ford Mustang was a 3.8-liter V-6 that produced between 145 and 150 horsepower, along with 215 lb-ft of torque. New Edge cars upgraded this engine in 1999 with an improved fuel injection system that pushed horsepower to just over 190, matched with 220 lb-ft of torque. In 2004 a 3.9-liter V-6 generating exactly the same numbers also appeared in late-production base models due to a production shortfall of 3.8-liter units. Transmission choices included a four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual.

Mustang GT buyers in 1994 and 1995 received essentially the same V-8 that had been found in the previous year’s Fox body car, albeit with a lower intake manifold and revised pistons. This 5.0-liter mill was good for 215 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque. In 1996 the GT shifted permanently to a 4.6-liter, single overhead camshaft V-8 that matched the 5.0 in terms of output (gaining 10 additional ponies and five lb-ft of twist for 1998 thanks to a revised exhaust system). A major update to the modular motor arrived for 1999. Dubbed the ‘PI’ due to its ‘Performance Improved’ heads, the 4.6 also gained a new intake, coil-on-plug ignition, and a better camshaft that pushed it to 260 horsepower and 302 lb-ft of torque, where it would stay for the remainder of the New Edge run. The GT was available with five-speed manual and four-speed automatic gearboxes.

As noted there were several SVT Cobra variants available during the SN95 run. Of these, the most controversial are the 1999 editions, which featured a 32-valve version of the 4.6 modular motor advertised at 320 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. Dyno and acceleration tests revealed those figures as too optimistic, resulting in Ford stopping the sale of the car eight months into the year and performing a series of upgrades to the engine, exhaust, and ECU to correct the problem (which was also offered free of charge to existing owners). It’s also worth noting that this was the first year that the Mustang Cobra was equipped with an independent rear suspension as opposed to the standard live-axle setup.

Running down the SN95’s other Cobra variants are the 5.0-liter models available in 1994-1995 (240 horsepower), the 32-valve, Teksid-cast aluminum 4.6-liter sold from 1996 to 1998 (305 horsepower), and the 2001 and 2002 return of this engine after the disastrous 1999 Windsor block motor. From 2003 to 2004, the SVT Cobra gained an Eaton supercharger and a six-speed manual transmission (as opposed to the five-speed found with its predecessors). Engine output was conservatively rated at 390 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque, with Ford not wanting to over-promise and under-deliver twice: these cars regularly dyno near that number at the rear wheels. Nicknamed the ‘Terminator,’ they represent the mightiest SN95 Mustangs ever built.

Lastly, there are the SVT Cobra R variants. In 1995, 250 examples were built featuring a 300 horsepower, 5.8-liter pushrod V-8 (also good for 365 lb-ft of torque), while in 2000 the car returned with a 385 horsepower, 5.4-liter modular V-8 (rated at 385 lb-ft of torque). It is the only other factory SN95 aside from the 2003-2004 SVT Cobra to feature a six-speed manual gearbox.

The 2001 Bullitt featured an upgraded, 265 horsepower version of the 4.6-liter modular motor, while the 2003-2004 Mach 1 borrowed the 305 horsepower aluminum block motor from the SVT Cobra.

Who To Know Before Inspection

The SN95 is a well-understood and properly supported muscle car at this stage of its life, and there are plenty of excellent resources available for owners. In particular, extensive and thorough documentation of the platform is available via Mustang Specs, which also provides useful VIN decoders for those seeking as much information as possible about a specific vehicle. Late Model Restoration is another great source for parts and expertise on all Mustangs, including the SN95.

Anyone who’s spent any time in the Mustang universe, however, knows that CJ Pony Parts remains one of the scene’s biggest players when it comes to restoration and support. We spoke to Bill Tumas, the company’s brand ambassador, to get the insider info that can help buyer’s make the right choice when purchasing an SN95-generation car.

Tumas points out that the vast majority of SN95 and New Edge Mustangs represent a very strong value compared to the Fox body cars, which is compounded by how much easier they are to live with.

“The ’94-’95 Cobra is especially affordable,” he says. “Basically, it’s the same as the ’93 (Fox) in terms of engine and transmission, but it’s got better brakes, better wheels, and a better interior. They just haven’t taken off yet. I think that by far these cars represent the best value right now.”

Even the early modular Cobras have a lot going for them. “The ’96 to ’98 Cobras are great cars. They’re 305 horsepower from the factory, they’re fun cars, and they’re cheap. You can run 12’s pretty easily with them, and it doesn’t take much besides gears and a tire to get there, to help with the lack of low-end torque.”

Tumas cautions that the modular motors in the 1996-1998 Mustang GT can feel a little weak as compared to the PI update that arrived in 1999, making them more suitable as cruisers than all-out performance machines. That being said, they are still very easy to work on and build power from, once you get the basics of an overhead cam motor down. Coyote swaps from more modern Mustangs are also becoming increasingly common in these cars, as their engine bays have no trouble accommodating other modular engines.

“The most desirable cars in terms of collecting are the SVT Cobra Rs, of course, followed by the ’03-’04 SVT Cobras, which are fetching nearly the same money now as they did when they were new,” Tumas says. But there are also a few under-the-radar options out there. “You had the 1995 Cobra convertible that was offered with a removable hard top for just one year, which is extremely rare—only 499 built, along with nine other cars that weren’t Cobras. They came with a stand and a video tape showing you exactly how to remove it. There are also the Saleen and Roush Mustangs to consider from this era, as well as the Boss Shinoda appearance package cars.”

Before You Buy

There’s little to fear in terms of weakness from the factory SN95 drivetrain. Manual transmissions hold up well at stock power levels (with the later 3650 New Edge gearboxes a bit beefier than the original T45), and the Ford 8.8-inch rear end is legendary in terms of longevity.

“Both the pushrod and the modular V-8s have proven to be very reliable motors,” says Tumas. “There are plenty of two-valve and four-valve cars out there with a boat load of miles. I have a friend in California with a 1996 that has just under 500,000 miles on the original motor.” That being said, the New Edge cars with the PI engines have a reputation for intake manifolds that leak and crack, which is something to look out for when inspecting a potential purchase.

It’s also a good idea to check a few specific areas for rust. “Shock towers, the frame rail below the shock towers, and the floor pans are all areas you will want to inspect,” explains Tumas. “You should also look at the torque boxes, which have a tendency to rip where the control arms meet.” Speaking of rust and water intrusion, no SN95 cars came with a sunroof from the factory, so if you see one, it’s an aftermarket part.

In terms of parts availability, mechanically the Mustang’s combination of modular and old-style 5.0 engines means you can throw a rock on the Internet and hit a dozen aftermarket suppliers. This is on top of good factory support for these motors. The body and interior of the SN95 is more of a mixed bag.

“Factory parts availability for body panels and trim pieces is starting to fade off,” says Tumas. “You can get cowls and parts that commonly fail, but larger items like bumper covers, fenders, doors, door panels, these are all harder to get now. You’ll end up scouting salvage yards, because the cars are not old enough that replica parts are being made for them yet, but they’re no longer new enough for strong dealer inventory. You’ll have to seek out new old stock for a number of items.”

Some parts for special model SN95s can be extremely expensive to purchase, if you can even find them. “[2004] Mystichrome Cobras had a unique steering wheel and set of seats whose upholstery isn’t available anywhere. They go for silly money, something like $4,000 for the steering wheel alone.”

What To Pay

Remember all that talk about how affordable the SN95 Mustang has remained even as Fox prices shoot through the roof? A decent driver GT in #3 (“good”) condition will cost anywhere between $7500 and $10,000, with the New Edge cars leading the way in terms of affordability. Even a museum-quality first-year SN95 GT will cost you less than $40,000, with an almost $10k discount for the final year 2004 editions. An SVT Cobra from 1994 to 1998 runs between $13,000 and $17,000 for a #3, with another $10k added for a #2 condition example. As always, get the latest valuation data from Hagerty by clicking here.

Unobtanium SN95’s crack the six-figure barrier ($120k for a well-kept 2000 Cobra R is par for the course, and the 1995 model year checks in at $90k), but even the illustrious Terminator trades hands around the low-$60k mark at its absolute peak, putting them well within reach of collectors. You can cut that number in half for the supercharged SVT Cobra if you’re willing to settle for a still-excellent #2 condition car.

As reasonable as these numbers are, they still represent a 52 percent increase in median value of #2 condition cars when comparing sales to those from 2022. Most of that renewed interest came from Boomers and Millennials, which is the inverse of what is typically seen when looking at performance vehicles of this particular vintage. The fact that these are still the cheapest generation of Mustang out there indicates just how under-appreciated the SN95 has been to this point.

Remember: even when looking at a modern classic like the 1994-2004 Ford Mustang, it’s always worth your while to have a vehicle inspected by a professional prior to purchase. Keep in mind that buying the best example you can afford will keep you ahead financially versus picking up a bargain in rough shape and paying for a restoration.

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Coming off our recent celebration of the Mustang, we still have a little bit of Ford on the brain. So, when 4/29 rolled around on the calendar, it was only natural that we thought of Ford’s 429-cubic inch mills. —Ed.

The late ’60s is overflowing with tales of “What if?” For one, what if the post-war momentum in American performance hadn’t been challenged by anything other than the next-fastest car? Well, then the early ’70s came. It was a time when the oil crisis, government regulators, and insurance agencies drowned out the voices of racing teams. Manufacturers didn’t know how to react other than to drop everything and restart. For fans of Ford’s 429-cubic-inch performance V-8, a lot of what-ifs persist surrounding this engine whose flame burned to its full brightness for only a short spell. On this day of April 29 (4/29), we think it deserves some recognition.

For Ford, the 429s it produced from 1968–73 for its next generation of big-block power were visible victims of this rapid change in direction. These engines benefitted significantly from new casting procedures, which helped to drop weight compared to the outgoing Ford-Edsel big-blocks. Since its days as the king of flatheads, the Blue Oval had been studying its cross-town rivals over at GM and Chrysler; Ford began experimenting with advanced overhead cams and other exotic tricks in Indycar, and the new 385 family of big-blocks looked like they would continue the innovative traditions of their forefathers. It was never meant to be, however. Ford would ultimately kill high-performance big-blocks by 1974, leaving the brand’s trucks and full-size sedans—which used the longer-stroke 460 until 1997—as the last bastions of the big-inch legacy.

Cobra Jet:

In 1968, the 429 superseded the 427 as Ford’s premier big-block, replacing the heavier FE-series. This new 385 series, dubbed the Lima, served a wide array of luxury sedan pickups thanks to its brute force at low rpm. These more pedestrian uses for big-blocks were great for the high-performance divisions, too. It gave them an abundant source of big-displacement foundations upon which to build. While most of the big-blocks churned out of Lima, Ohio, were the sorts of things you’d find humming under the hood of a Lincoln Mark III, a select few would slide down another assembly line to be born as Cobra Jets.

With a 4.36-inch bore and shorter 3.59-inch stroke than the 460, the 429-cu-in Cobra Jet promised at least 370 hp thanks to its snappy 11.3:1 compression ratio, and it became the go-to power plant for the late-’60s Fords. You could get a Cobra Jet, with or without a shaker hood scoop, in everything from the Cougar to the Ranchero, and it was the last big-block performance offered in a Ford car as the pressure from insurance agencies and government regulators began to end OEM involvement in motorsports. By 1972, the Cobra Jet had fallen off the ordering sheets as Ford prepared to enter a decade of despair and neutered performance.

The Boss:

If the loss of the Cobra Jet wasn’t tragic enough, the Boss 429 was a truly unfortunate victim of being at the right place at the wrong time. Conceived for production as a justifiable expense of hewing to NASCAR homologation rules, the weapons-grade dominators dropped into the Mustang by Kar Kraft were possibly the peak of the “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” mentality among Ford’s racing efforts in the period. Building upon wisdom that was honed through countless laps in the pursuit of speed, Ford threw its engineering might at the 429 to give it one last hoorah in stock car racing, where the big-port Hemis were continually trouncing the field. Unleashed for the Boss was a mammoth big-block with canted valves, hemispherical combustion chambers, and enough port volume swallow an oil tanker. Learning its lesson from the 427 SOHC mishap back in ’66 (when the engine wasn’t properly homologated and became a massive investment loss when NASCAR banned it), Ford met the required production numbers for the almighty Mustang Boss 429’s engine to be eligible into NASCAR competition, selling 859 units in 1969 and 499 in the following year. Notably, two Mercury Cougars were equipped with the Boss 429, sold respectively to “Dyno Don” Nicholson and “Fast Freddie” Schartman for the princely sum of $1.

Due to the placement of canted exhaust valves, which ease the angle at which the exhaust gasses must turn in order to escape the head compared to a traditional wedge design, the Boss’ cylinder head itself was massive. It provided a few packaging challenges, especially in light of Ford’s decision to solicit Kar Kraft to place the wide-shouldered beast between the strut towers of the compact Mustang. Kar Kraft had to modify the Mustang’s strut towers and front suspension to allow for the necessary additional berth. The result, the Mustang Boss 429, was a nose-heavy brute sold to dealers with the claims of a modest 375 hp. The truth? These were barely-detuned NASCAR engines.

With the laser focus Ford was applying to motorsports at the close of the 1960s, we wonder what could’ve happened if the 429 had the privilege of continued development. While it served well with Ford’s Torino and Mercury’s Cyclone in NASCAR, earning some success in the NHRA Super Stock with the Boss 429 Mustangs, the new big-block never experienced the continual development and persistent polish that the venerable FEs did, despite showing exceptional promise. And on that high water mark, we salute the 429.

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I have a history with these.

A long history that goes back to me being a very little kid in the early 1980s, when my Grandma Ruby Klockau had one. For years, I wanted it to be my first car when I turned 16.

You see, my paternal grandparents were Ford people. Well, actually, so were my maternal grandparents. But while Fred and Mae Stamp preferred Galaxies and LTD IIs, Bob and Ruby Klockau had Thunderbirds and Continentals.

Ruby’s first T-Bird was a navy blue ’65 convertible with white interior and navy blue dash and carpeting. She loved that car. So much, that she kept it all the way to 1977, when she finally wanted a new car. And ordered another T-Bird.

This time it was black, with white bucket-seat interior and center console, and red instrument panel, carpeting and seat belts. Plus a factory AM/FM/Stereo with CB, back vinyl roof, and red pinstripes. It was a gorgeous combo. And Grandma Ruby kept it a long time, too.

Back then, oftentimes during summer vacation, she would pick me up and we would go to lunch, then Toys R Us (I would always pick out a diecast car—sometimes a Corgi, sometimes a Matchbox Models of Yesteryear), and then we would go to Sexton Ford and South Park Lincoln-Mercury, where I would gawk at the new cars and collect brochures to take home and study. I still have some of those brochures.

And so it went into my early junior-high years. But then in 1991 or so, she sold the T-Bird. My grandfather had passed away by then, she had been driving his 1987 Lincoln Continental 90 percent of the time, and someone made her an offer. And then it was gone.

But wait! My mom’s sister, Candy Symmonds, got a ’78 Thunderbird. My uncle, Don Symmonds, was a master mechanic and could fix anything. So when the old Blackhawk Foundry down the street from the Symmonds pretty much ruined her ’76 Cutlass Supreme’s paint and glass after several years, he found the T-Bird.

As I recall, Candy telling me long ago, it had been a kind of root-beer-brown color, but it was pretty faded. So Don painted it nonmetallic navy blue and spruced it up with other new parts and trim. And it had the same road wheels and Chamois interior as today’s featured car, owned by my friend Justin Landwehr.

I have many fond memories of riding in that car, too! And like Ruby’s car, it had the bucket seats and center console. It was not until many years later I realized how rare that setup was. By 1977–79, most T-Birds had the bench seat, even the flossier Town Landau models. Technically, you could get it all that time, but not many plumped for it.

The ’77 T-Bird was all-new. Well, for most intents and purposes. The 1972–76 T-Bird had been much larger and was based on the Continental Mark IV. But that all changed in 1977, and the T-Bird shrunk. But it still wasn’t small.

It was now riding the same chassis as the also-mostly-new 1977 Ford LTD II, which was essentially a 1972–76 Ford Gran Torino with an all-new body. Styling was much crisper and razor edged. And while the new Thunderbird looked a lot like the LTD II coupe at first blush, it had exclusive hidden headlamps and a “basket handle” roofline with inset opera windows between the front door and rear quarter glass.

It was a massive success despite the shrinkage. A total of 318,140 Thunderbirds were sold for 1977, riding a 114-inch wheelbase. The pool table-sized hood was standard. A base model started at $5063 ($26,095 today), the tony Town Landau at $7990 ($41,180).

As the 1978 brochure relayed, “Express yourself boldly this year. With one of nine exciting color combinations—yours when you order the optional Sports Decor Group … In this Decor Group, you also get deck lid stripes, dual accent paint stripes, fender louver and hood stripes color-coordinated with the vinyl roof, and styled road wheels with Chamois accents.

“Body side moldings have color-keyed vinyl inserts. Remote control, dual-sport mirrors, and blacked-out vertical grille bars are also included.”

Despite all the extra comfort and appearance items of the Sports Decor Group package, certain things were still optional, including whitewall tires and deluxe bumpers. Because, after all, in 1978 it was still Detroit (or rather, Dearborn), and many things taken for granted in 2023 were a la carte back then.

However, it did have some nice, basic standard equipment; after all, this wasn’t a Pinto or a Maverick. All ’78 T-Birds came standard with a 302-cubic-inch V-8, SelectShift automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, steel-belted radial tires, 10-ounce cut-pile carpeting, simulated burled walnut interior and instrument panel trim, power ventilation, hidden headlights, full-width taillights, and the all-important opera windows.

Some Monday-morning quarterbacks like to pooh-pooh these cars, saying they were nothing like previous Thunderbirds and a cheap cash grab by Ford. Such folks likely never owned, drove, or got within 50 feet of one. There seems to be an unfair bias against ’70s cars, which is kind of funny when you see all the questionable, sometimes willfully ugly cars and trucks made since then.

And they sold. The final, extra-large 1976 Thunderbird, sharing much of its components with the cosmopolitan Continental Mark IV, sold 42,685 examples. However, that went way, way, wayyy up the following year, with the new downsized T-Bird: 318,140 in 1977, 333,757 in 1978, and 284,141 in 1979. That includes the base-trim Thunderbirds, the Town Landaus, and the extra-flossy 1978 Diamond Jubilee Edition Thunderbird, which was available in only Diamond Blue Metallic or Ember Metallic, and was even more luxurious than the already-Broughamy Town Landau.

And it had a price to match. The base ’78 Thunderbird was $5411 ($25,921), the Town Landau was $8420 ($40,335), but the Diamond Jubilee Thunderbird (so-named to celebrate Ford’s 75th Anniversary; a Diamond Jubilee Continental Mark V was also offered) was a princely $10,106 ($48,411). But pretty much everything was standard, including special blanked-out rear sail panels, aluminum wheels, color-keyed bumper rub strips, extra-sumptuous seating and interior trim, and more.

While I couldn’t break down 1978 T-Bird production between the standard model and the Town Landaus, I did find that 18,994 Diamond Jubilee models were built. The DJ Thunderbird would essentially return for 1979 but would be re-named the Heritage. As in ’78, it was a step above the Town Landau—with a price to match.

By the way, if you ever run across one in the wild, it’s really easy to identify the year: 1977s have the checkerboard grille and full-width taillamps, ’78s added the Thunderbird ‘bird’ emblems to the hidden headlight doors, and ’79s got the new grille with fewer bars and the taillights with a central backup light between them. It’s that easy.

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Donald Lewis Carriere (1929–2016) was a research engineer with many patents to his credit, and his 40-year tenure at Ford likely involved many vehicles we know and admire. We’ll come to his patent for a unique powertrain with T-shaped layout in a moment, but first a quick bit about the man himself. Any person who comes up with a patentable idea is clearly worth a closer look, especially when that idea that could have made production in an automobile.

Details of Carriere’s life outside of his patents are sparse, but he earned a doctorate from Wayne State University in Detroit and visited his alma mater on a regular basis to discuss not automobile engineering but alcoholism. Those talks became a book, currently out of print, probably because some automotive journalist bought the last copy. To wit, the book is remarkably informative but engineering-grade dry, with no personal anecdotes or color commentary. Yet Carriere’s vigor in fighting alcoholism makes one thing clear: His personality is both analytical and passionate.

Some people say, “I’m ashamed to go to the doctor.” My response to that is, “What the hell is there to be ashamed about when you’re fighting for your life? You’re in a death situation here. Its hardly rational to be ashamed when you’re fighting for your life.”

I suspect Carriere understood that human behavior is often irrational, and I wouldn’t be surprised if his engineering passions were sometimes mistaken for irrationality. How else could he patent an automotive powertrain with an inline engine arranged in a “T” with its transmission, instead of in a straight line?

Perhaps you first heard about Ford’s T-Drive from a blurb in Car and Driver back in the late ’80s. Or maybe you saw it floating around in the early days of auto blogging. But now we have access to Carriere’s 1991 patent submission, thanks to Google Patents. Here we see an inline-eight engine, mounted transversely, and a “gearing mechanism” that forms a “cross-axis configuration” in relation to the engine’s crankshaft. The transmission even has a straight-line output for a rear axle, giving Ford the space-efficient option for an all-wheel-drive system. Or rear-wheel drive exclusively. Or only front-wheel drive. Perhaps Ford was making modular moves before a certain 4.6-liter V-8 got that name?

This powertrain lived beyond the realm of patents and vaporware dreams. Roughly three years before Carriere’s patent filing, Ford stuffed T-Drive prototypes into a pair of Ford T’s: the Tempo and a Fox-body Thunderbird. Judging by their utterly convenient positioning in these photographs, it’s likely that both cars were trotted out for the media to photograph, hoods open, with T-Drive technology exposed for all to see.

That could have been the end of the story, but Ford wisely implemented T-Drive for the ritzy concept car scene. A radical powertain setup is indeed a good reason for a wildly styled concept car aimed at the heartstrings of auto show visitors and media wonks alike.

The 1991 Ford Contour concept’s unique proportioning only hinted at the revolutionary bits under the hood, but it’s okay to hide Carriere’s masterpiece with a body that’s this well surfaced. Radical HID headlights mounted atop a front end cribbed from a Phantom Corsair show how T-Drive allows for a tight, narrow, bullet-nosed enclosure. As we move back, these lines foreshadowed the painfully radical 1996 Ford Taurus. But the sound of a straight-eight engine musta been impressive, possibly justifying the ovoid Taurus SHO’s V-8 engine when it made production.

Perhaps connecting the V-8 SHO to T-Drive’s eight-pot engine is a stretch, but the Contour’s wide-open spaces were certainly a precursor to cab forward design. As Ford design vice president Jack Telnack said, T-Drive “shortens the engine compartment by 4 to 12 inches compared to V-6 and V-8 installations in small to large cars.”

To prove that point, the Contour has a shockingly beautiful, extruded aluminum space frame jointly made by Reynolds Aluminum and Ford’s Advanced Manufacturing teams. That frame has both style and substance, as it hugs the T-Drive’s east/west orientation like no off-the-shelf platform could. Ford states the Contour places “the transmission rearward on the vehicle centerline for improved weight distribution and overall package efficiency,” and the “fore and aft dimensions are just one cylinder wide, improving safety characteristics and providing more interior space.”

Enter the Ford Contour’s alter ego as a people mover, the Mercury Mystique concept, which clearly wasn’t the badge-engineered disappointment that made production just four years later.  This multi-purpose vehicle uses the same aluminum frame and eight-cylinder T-Drive, but Ford insisted that “manufacturing flexibility permits engines of four, five, six or eight cylinders.” This is ideal for a space-efficient MPV body as it allows “the capability of using high-displacement engines without increasing vehicle size.”

Ford clearly worked hard to squeeze the most juice out of T-Drive’s unique value proposition, but the 1990 Mercury Cyclone sedan was a prelude to concept car greatness. There’s very little information about the Cyclone, but its press release does mention there is “sufficient space to package a large eight-cylinder engine.” That’s hard to accomplish in a nose that short, so odds are this was a T-Drive vehicle before the design had a marketable name.

That’s where the T-Drive story could end, as Ford instead greenlighted the impressive and generally well-regarded Duratec line of four- and six-cylinder engines with dual overhead cams and an utterly conventional drivetrain layout. But there’s much more, thanks to a Ford Tempo race car, the 24 Hours of Lemons race series, and David Eckel and Greg O’Brien of Cheesebolt Enterprises.

Your eyes do not deceive you, as these two guys recreated the original Tempo T-Drive from the grainy photo published in Car and Driver all those years ago. Well not exactly, but they also didn’t have Ford levels of budgeting to throw at the project. It gets the point across, though, so I asked Eckel and O’Brien about their inspiration to make this abomination tribute to a forgotten slice of Ford history.

Turns out their Tempo was initially saved from a South Jersey back yard, sunken in the ground and full of wasps. It received a roll cage and raced on the stock 2.3-liter motor and automatic gearbox for two Lemons races, one of which earned them the coveted Index of Effluency award (for making something really dumb into a legitimate race car).

When the original engine finally blew up, other members of their team were mostly sick of racing the Tempo. So Eckel and O’Brien were at a crossroads: Ford had many superior engines that could fit between a Tempo’s strut towers. But the two enterprising racers couldn’t turn back once T-Drive got in their soul. As Eckel put it:

“While riding a ski lift after a multiple hard cider lunch, I had the bright idea to replicate the Tempo T-Drive by lining up two four-cylinder motorcycle engines. I immediately texted Greg from the slopes to get his input. He loved the absurdity, and he didn’t completely reject the mechanical feasibility of such a thing. The next thing we knew, I had two Suzuki Bandit 1200 motorcycles in my driveway.”

O’Brien also added that T-Drive isn’t the best way to power a Ford Tempo with a motorcycle engine, and they knew “exactly how we would do it, and it would not be this way. But we did T-Drive because we can.”

Aside from the inline-eight-cylinder engine layout and those beautiful exhaust headers, very little of their Tempo resembles Carriere’s work at Ford. Perhaps it’s better if Eckel, in a Ford Engineering costume, gives you the details.

If that sounds complex, getting the T-Drive Tempo running is an absolute ordeal. Both Bandit motorcycle clutches are controlled from the cockpit, via levers on handlebars mounted to the Tempo’s steering column. The handlebars also have the starter buttons for the engines, and Eckel says “a Rube Goldbergian push-pull throttle linkage operates eight carbs using five cables, seven springs, and a bell crank made from the Tempo’s HVAC control levers.”

Making T-Drive work on a homebrew 24 Hours of Lemons budget was not without its pitfalls, as Eckel noted: “Every work session ended with an unsolvable problem that somehow had a possible solution by the next session.” Like the motorcycle engines, which were an impulse buy without measuring first, because Eckel “figured a Tempo engine bay was wide enough.”

Getting the engines low enough to see over them was an issue, mostly because they were retaining the Tempo’s manual transmission. The driver’s side Suzuki engine almost rests atop the Tempo’s bell housing! Then there were the challenges of fabricating the exhaust (which isn’t nearly as beautiful as Ford’s concept cars) and making the input shaft/flywheel/clutch/engine work in harmony. As Eckel said, “doing so required precise machining from a non-healthcare professional.”

O’Brien added that the end result was worth it, because “once we sorted it all out, the T-Drive system was surprisingly robust. We had way more problems with the engines being tired, as one has 45,000 miles and the other had 100,000.” That’s an important item to consider when participating in an endurance race, as O’Brien says T-Drive can “accelerate briskly” with a fully independent suspension that makes for a “decent handling car for what it is.” Indeed, the little white Tempo passed faster cars in the straights, and lit up the inside front tire when exiting corners. Having spent some time inside this vehicle myself, I believe O’Brien does a great job explaining how T-Drive feels when behind the wheel:

“It’s overstimulating. High-pitched noises. Bangs. General vibration is always there, but at constantly changing frequencies. Everything is rigidly mounted, unbalanced, and spinning faster than ‘engineering theoretical max rpm’. We were scared to death of it in early 2023, but now it’s just a fun novelty car. I’m not sure it’s a good thing that this is now normal for us.”

Since these two know more about implementing T-Drive than anyone outside of Donald Carriere’s circle of influence, I asked if T-Drive should have made production. Eckel was adamantly against it, “No. I like Fords: T-Drive would have bankrupted them with warranty claims.” O’Brien was a bit more optimistic, saying “Not under Ford. They were out of their element with this design. I doubt the Ford customer base would have been willing to pay a premium for T-Drive. It could have been an interesting challenge to Saab, Volvo, etc., or maybe it could be the second act that Merkur so desperately needed?”

I asked how their friends and family feel about a T-Drive Ford Tempo race car. Phrases like “universal incredulity” and “genuine concern for our mental health” came from the racing duo.

Eckel’s son is a mechanical engineering student at Northeastern University, and his classmates assured him his father’s mad scientist plan could never work. Claiming victory over an imminent defeat is one thing, but O’Brien correctly states that the Tempo is “such a car-geek inside joke that not many people get it.”

“It managed to outlast nearly half the field, and it actually worked. The whole crazy idea worked.” — Eric Rood, The 24 Hours of Lemons

Now that the T-Drive Tempo finished a Lemons race and earned its second Index of Effluency award, O’Brien says that people still think it’s insane but “it’s now accompanied by a mischievous grin, not a furrowed brow.” I think their flair for presentation (see the video above at the 14:28 mark) doesn’t hurt their chances at acceptance, either.

David Eckel and Greg O’Brien aren’t done yet, as their Tempo’s durability and Ford’s intentions to make T-Drive in front-, rear-, or all-wheel-drive configurations have them pondering the next version: T-Drive 2.0.

Anyone remember the all-wheel-drive Tempo? You never know where such a Ford Tempo might take us in the future, but it’s a safe bet that Donald Carriere and any other Ford employee who worked on the T-Drive program would be blown away by these two Tempo fans. And for that, I thank them immensely for their contribution to an otherwise forgotten moment in automotive history.

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When Chief Designer Camilo Pardo first took up his tools in 1999 to bring the 2002 Ford GT40 concept car to life, the stakes were a little different than the last time the Blue Oval set about constructing an all-conquering GT40. There was no need to settle a grudge with Ferrari at Le Mans—that matter had been rather thoroughly closed a few decades prior. Instead, the concept would celebrate the brand’s centennial anniversary, and remind the world of what Ford could do when it put its collective mind to something. Today, the first-generation Ford GT is roundly considered an American classic and a fitting road-going successor to the 1960s originals.

The celebration fortunately wouldn’t end with the concept. After the rousing response to the GT40 concept’s debut at the 2002 North American International Auto Show, Ford realized they had to build it. The car was a home run—every bit as imposing and purposeful as the originals, but also the modern halo car needed to help refresh the public’s image of the company. Within a matter of weeks, Bill Ford, Jr. announced that the company would indeed put the car into production.

Of the many retro-inspired designs from the early 2000s, few have aged as well as the GT. It didn’t hurt that the original GT40 was an attractive starting point, but Pardo created a clear lineage to the original without making the GT feel dated or out of place, even when observed over 20 years after its debut. Proportions appear spot on, though dimensionally, this car is larger than its predecessor in just about every way—four inches taller, a significant 18 inches longer, and about six inches wider.

Flagship cars from companies that typically produce more modest offerings can sometimes suffer from excessive trips to the parts bin. While Ford did use parts from other models on the GT, they were largely relegated to out-of-sight items, like the steering shaft and joints in the suspension. The 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 came from Ford’s Modular engine family and shared some architecture and components with other Ford V-8s at the time, but with an aluminum block, forged internals, unique camshafts, and a host of other GT-specific bits, this was more complicated than merely cramming an existing large engine into a small car.

The resulting 550 horsepower pushed through a six-speed manual transmission and a stable, balanced chassis (with nothing in the way of nannies to keep you—or save you—from misbehaving) yielded a brutally fast car in a straight line and on a road course.

Building upon that prowess was a cabin that owners could actually live with. Those few fortunate enough to own an original road-going GT40 know just how hard they can be to use as regular transportation, but the GT came with modern accouterments—most importantly, air conditioning—that made for a much more welcoming experience. Though some reviews suggested the car was sprung a bit stiffly for the road, the GT truly was a kinder, gentler Blue Oval halo car.

The end result was an American rocket of a sports car that presented every bit as well as its European competitors while often making short work of them at the track. Hagerty’s own Larry Webster, then at Car and Driver, tested the GT against a 2004 911 GT3 and a 2004 Ferrari Challenge Stradale in their January 2004 issue. Said Webster: “It wasn’t even a contest. The Ford GT so completely dusted off its two highly recognized competitors that if we had wanted to make this a real challenge, we would have had to go way up the ‘supercar’ price ladder.” Ford had resurrected a winning recipe.

Ford also knew the value of exclusivity, and only built 4038 GTs over the 2005 and 2006 model years. Going a step further, in 2006 Ford offered the GT Heritage Edition (the example you see here is on offer with Broad Arrow at its upcoming Amelia auction). Only 343 GT Heritage Editions were built, all wearing the Gulf livery of the GT40s that secured victory in the ’68 and ’69 runnings of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. These have become the most desirable of the 2005–06 GTs, and trade hands for a healthy amount above the base car.

Even when they were brand new, first-gen Ford GTs often commanded a significant premium above their $150,000 sticker price. Values dropped slightly during the 2008 financial crisis, but the car was never subject to significant depreciation. Prices slowly edged up, and the trajectory has been very strong over the last five years, especially for Heritage Edition cars. To wit, #1 (Concours)-condition examples are up 57 percent in that time, even trending up slightly in the last quarter. Similar-condition base GTs are up 32 percent over the same period.

Values for #2 (Excellent)-condition GTs have slipped over the last quarter (down five percent for Heritage cars and 3.3 percent for the base model), but remain well ahead of pre-pandemic values.

Buyers appear ever more willing to pay a premium for the best cars. The right options can noticeably boost value: Factory BBS wheels add $4000, factory stripes bring $3000, the McIntosh audio system is worth an additional $2500, and you’ll fork out an additional $900 for painted brake calipers. More significant, though, is mileage; if your GT hasn’t covered much ground, you’re in for extra cash upon its sale. If it’s a wrapper car—one with next to no miles—you’ve got a golden ticket to the top tier of GTs.

Also of note is the 2005–06 GT’s slow creep toward its younger, more expensive sibling. The strongest sale of a first-gen car is within $12.5k of the lowest sale of the newer 2016–22 GT. While there’s still a healthy value delta between the two generations, the first-gen GT is a bit further into its collector status and hits the sought-after sweet spot of modern usability, classic looks, and analog feel (not to mention the V-8 soundtrack that the newer car lacks).

Given its high values, ownership of the first-gen GT naturally skews slightly older. That said, the share of 30- to 49-year-olds seeking quotes is up six percentage points (to nearly 20 percent of the first-gen GT market) in the last five years, and quotes sought from 18- to 29-year-olds are up nearly fourfold over the same period. There wasn’t ever much question about the GT’s collector status, but healthy interest among younger enthusiasts will help ensure that the first-gen GT remains one of the most cherished modern American supercars.

Though the 2005–06 GT didn’t share the same objective as the original models, it was no less successful in achieving its mission. A captivating blend of uniquely American supercar history, modern usability, and raw performance has solidified the GT’s place in the modern collector car world.

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When it debuted for the 2010 model year, the Ford F-150 Raptor redefined what an off-road truck could be. With its long-travel suspension and high-output engine, the Raptor was more streetable Baja truck than slow rock-crawler. Buyers thought high-speed off-roading in a truck with a factory warranty was pretty sick, and the Raptor was a huge success.

On the contrary, the all-electric F-150 Lightning has not been so successful. Whether it’s the high base price, EV skepticism from traditional truck buyers, or a combination of both, Ford has had trouble moving the Lighting. Ford reported sales of the Lightning fell 46 percent in the third quarter of last year.

Hoping to drum up more interest in the Lightning, Ford showed off a desert-racing version of the EV truck at last week’s Chicago Auto Show. The concept, dubbed Switchgear, is the latest in the line of Ford Performance’s EV demonstrators. It was still covered in dirt from its time giving rides to members of the press at the King of the Hammers off-road racing event in Johnson Valley, California.

“We use these things [the EV demonstrators] to really test the limits and sometimes go beyond the limits so we can send all those improvements and learnings and transfer that technology to the rest of the products in our lineup,” said Sriram Pakkam, head of F1 and EV Demonstrators at Ford. Indeed, the Switchgear, which was designed and built in collaboration with drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s RTR Vehicles, uses a stock Lightning XLT as a base. None of the drivetrain components were touched and no extra shielding around the battery was needed. “We’re really, really pushing the limits on our stock Lightning components by going really fast off-road.”

However, the suspension and bodywork are decidedly not factory. “Everything we did was built around the tires,” explained Pakkam. The custom, carbon-fiber front and rear fenders are about six inches wider than stock to fit massive 37×12.5R18 Nitto Ridge Grappler tires—chosen for extra track width and stability at high off-road speeds. The front and rear bumpers are also unique to the Switchgear and improve approach and departure angles.

A new suspension system aids ground clearance and travel. Interestingly, the extended control arms, which are based on the components from Ford’s 4400 and 4600 desert racers, are the only custom suspension bits. The coilover springs and Fox 3-inch internal bypass shock absorbers are off-the-shelf, so an enterprising Lightning owner could theoretically bolt on battery-powered Baja performance.

Pakkam wouldn’t comment on whether or not the Switchgear was built in preparation for an EV Raptor, but if they were to build a production model, this demonstrator seems like a pretty good start. If the Switchgear is how Ford is planning to make EVs more exciting, the future is in good hands.

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Much has been made of the elegant and expensive 1956–57 Continental Mark II and the fact that Ford Motor Company lost approximately $1000 (more than $11K today) on each one that it built. Regardless of the financial numbers, the upscale model successfully accomplished Ford’s mission of creating a luxury vehicle that turned the right heads and brought previously unattainable clientele into the fold.

Elvis Presley owned one. So did Frank Sinatra, Dwight Eisenhower, Nelson Rockefeller, and Elizabeth Taylor, who received hers as a gift from Warner Bros. studio. Beautifully styled and slightly understated in an era when chrome was king, the Continental Mark II offered a European vibe. So there was no better place for its debut than the Paris Motor Show in October 1955, just 20 months after the introduction of the Ford Thunderbird.

Born from Ford Motor Company’s “Special Products Division,” headed by William Clay Ford, Henry Ford II’s brother, the 1956 Continental Mark II arrived eight years after Lincoln last used the model name. Although the car is sometimes referred to as a Lincoln, Continental was its own marque at the time. The confusion is understandable—Mark IIs were powered by Lincoln’s new 368-cubic-inch Y-block V-8, utilized a “Turbo-Drive” three-speed automatic built by Lincoln and Borg-Warner, and were sold through Lincoln dealerships.

Styled by Gordon Buehrig and John Reinhart, the Mark II featured a low roofline and gentle curves. Each Mark II was built (and painted) by hand. Mechanically, the cars were praised for their performance, handling, and quality control. The Mark II was also heavy; at 4825 pounds, it was the heaviest vehicle built in America for both model years.

Slightly more than 3000 Mark IIs were built for 1956 and ’57, and with a price of about $10,000 ($113,389 today), the model was the most expensive American-built car at the time. With standard features that included power steering, power brakes, power front seat, leather upholstery, radio, heater, and whitewall tires, it’s no wonder. The only option available was air-conditioning, which cost an additional $595 ($6747).

Ford advertising proclaimed: “The excitement it stirs in your heart when you see the Continental Mark II lies in the way it has dared to depart from the conventional, the obvious. And that’s as we intended it. For in designing and building this distinguished motor car, we were thinking, especially, of those who admire the beauty of honest, simple lines … and of those who most appreciate a car which has been so conscientiously crafted. The man who owns a Continental Mark II will possess a motor car that is truly distinctive and will keep its distinction for years to come.”

That brings us to this gorgeous 1956 Continental Mark II, available on Hagerty Marketplace. Finished in Starmist White with a two-tone Medium Blue and White leather interior, chassis/VIN C56D2824 is one of 189 examples built in this color combination.

Among the car’s features: optional A/C, 15-inch wheels with turbine vane wheel covers, push-button seat controls, AM radio, and dual exhaust. In addition, a bespoke center console houses a Panasonic Bluetooth stereo, which is connected to a trunk-mounted CD changer and subwoofer.

Service work in 2022 is reported to include replacement of front wheel bearings, brake shoes, wheel cylinders, and brake drums. In May 2023, service work included repairing the charging system, replacing the points, condenser, carburetor, fuel filters, repacking the front wheel bearings, and rectifying the turn signal wiring for just over $4000.

The odometer shows 53,357 miles, but actual mileage is unknown. The left rear window operates slowly.

Located in Marine City, Michigan, the Mark II comes with service literature, period marketing material, and Continental Owners Club magazines.

With less than a week remaining in the auction, which ends on February 20 at 3:10 p.m. EST, bidding has reached $34,500. Might you be the next enthusiast to join the likes of Elvis, Frank, and Liz?

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The Zillow description starts with zero pulled punches: “ARE YOU A CAR ENTHUSIAST?” And because you’re reading Hagerty, we’re going to assume the answer is “yes!”

A house in Canaan, New Hampshire, is up for sale, and within the 18.4-acre lot dwells a slew of nearly 300 classic cars. Most are in some state of disrepair. 197 Orange Road is, according to the listing, the home of Parts of the Past, a classic car business that aims to aid enthusiasts in their hunt for hard-to-find parts by offering a boneyard of sorts.

Constructed in 1988, the 1648-square-foot post-and-beam house features one bedroom and two bathrooms, one of which is a half-bath, and a wrap-around deck on the outside. There is also a 1200-and-change-square-foot garage on the property.

Admittedly, the house is in fairly rough shape; there’s quite a bit that needs completing on the interior, though, from the looks of it, all the important stuff, like the plumbing and the electrical, appears intact. (As with car shopping, however, one never knows until the inspection report comes back.)

On to the important stuff. Scores of classics from various decades spanning the ’40s to the ’70s litter the lot, as do dozens of individual parts. Doors and other body panels are sprinkled on the property like dandelion fluff. From the images, we can see a Nash Metropolitan fading into the forest floor. There’s also a 1958 Ford Edsel parked at the front of a row of other rusting metal. Another image shows what appears to be a DeSoto Firedome, possibly a 1956 model, with a crunched hood, though most of the chrome trim pieces still might be usable. We think we can make out a 1949 Chrysler Imperial Crown Limousine engulfed in ferns and other foliage.

Our staff has spent the better part of the morning playing “Can you I.D. this car” across our internal chat system. Consider this your invitation to chime in in the comments if you recognize other models in this mix.

Per the listing, this property is being sold as-is, and the buyer will be purchasing not only the home and the lot but also the business and its name, as well as this cadre of classics and parts. When this listing hit the market in August of last year, the asking price was $585,000. Since then, it’s experienced numerous price reductions and is now listed for $399,900, with the ask for cash buyers only.

If you’ve been toying with the idea of getting into the classic car business or just care enough about the hobby to want to see this institution remain active, now’s your chance. Let’s hope our current caretaker can find a new buyer quickly; the thought of this property (and everything it comes with) lingering too much longer pains us a bit.

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What better way for a gearhead to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with tiny trucks that make you say “aww”? We originally published this story in the summer of 2018; it’s back because LUV lasts forever. –EW 

It might be hard to imagine, given the current, cutthroat state of the pickup truck segment, but there was once a time when these task-focused haulers were largely an afterthought to the bean counters in Detroit. Fifty years ago, before King Ranches and Longhorns lined their interiors with enough leather to reach from Lansing to Laredo, trucks were barebones affairs built to get the job done and sold to customers who honestly weren’t expected to use them as daily drivers.

An even more hands-off approach was applied to the burgeoning compact-truck scene, which caught the Big Three completely off-guard at the beginning of the 1970s. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler had essentially ignored the small pickups being imported by Toyota and Datsun throughout the previous decade, blissfully ignorant of the fact that a growing cohort of buyers was willing to take a chance on a “foreign” brand if it meant an easy-to-drive truck that offered decent practicality and a low purchase price. In fact, it’s safe to say that Datsun (now Nissan) carved out its first important foothold in America by way of its 320/520 series of mini-trucks.

Scrambling to capture a demographic they hadn’t even known existed, Michigan’s best minds had to come up with a compromise, and quickly, until they could marshal the resources required to develop their own homegrown trucks. The result was a series of captive imports rebadged to battle the best that Japan had to offer … with the best that Japan had to offer. Each automaker was able to avoid the egregious 25-percent “Chicken Tax” by importing its rigs in chassis cab configuration for final assembly stateside.

Let’s take a look at the trio of mini-trucks fielded by Detroit for that awkward 10-year stretch that lasted right up until the likes of the Ranger and S10 took over the reins.

Chevrolet LUV

GM’s ace in the hole when it came to dealing with the nascent mini-truck madness was that it owned a sizable chunk of Isuzu. After a few terse phone calls, Chevrolet had its first compact truck ready to go, sent across the Pacific in droves to America where it would receive both the Bowtie and the unusual “LUV” badge, an acronym for Light Utility Vehicle.

The LUV was as basic as you could get when it appeared in 1972, offering a 1.8-liter, 75-horsepower, four-cylinder engine; four-speed manual gearbox; and 88 lb-ft of shrub-pulling torque. With a 102.4-inch wheelbase and 1400 pounds of cargo capacity, Isuzu’s finest was a paragon of pint-sized practicality.

In 1976, the LUV would gain a three-speed automatic and front disc brakes. By the end of the decade it was possible to snag a chassis-cab version of the truck, choose between 6- and 7.5-foot bed lengths, add four-wheel drive, and benefit from an additional five horsepower from an upgraded four-banger. A number of styling changes would also come and go with the Chevrolet, including a switch from quad headlights to a simple pair in 1978.

Chevrolet was strategic in spreading the LUV, making the truck available first in parts of the country where buyers had already demonstrated significant interest in smaller pickups. As a result, the LUV sold in huge numbers, with sales shooting from just over 20,000 in its first year all the way to a peak of more than 100,000 in 1979.

The second-generation truck that appeared in 1981 adopted styling that resonated with fewer buyers, but it wouldn’t matter that sales were cratering because the S10 was right on the horizon—and besides, Chevy had little to complain about having moved 462,000 LUV units since the model was introduced. Not bad for a segment that no one saw coming.

Ford Courier

The Ford Courier was another example of an American institution leaning on a Japanese partner to fill a hole in its product planning. In 1972, Mazda was already selling the B1600 in the United States (and had been offering the more powerful B1800 in Canada since 1970), but it hardly minded when the Blue Oval strong-armed its way into the mini-truck mix by rebadging the B1600 as the Courier. Besides, Mazda had the Rotary Pickup waiting in the wings, so what did it matter if Ford wanted a few thousand piston-driven trucks in the meantime?

Ford took a more aggressive approach to updating the Courier than Chevy did with the LUV, at least when it came to drivetrain choices. Whereas the LUV would stick with its original powerplant throughout its entire production run, the Courier’s initial 1.8-liter four—with 74-hp and 92 lb-ft of torque—was eventually complemented by a roughly 90-hp, 2.3-liter option lifted from the Pinto (for its 1977 redesign), and then replaced entirely by a 2.0-liter mill (in ’79).

Ford also made a three-speed automatic available alongside the truck’s standard four-speed manual right from the start, adding a five-speed option in 1976. Strangely, despite the ostensibly identical Mazda delivering 2250 pounds of cargo capacity, the Courier matched the LUV with an advertised 1400-pound carry rating.

Other changes throughout the decade included the unusual decision to lengthen the cab by three inches in 1976, one year before the second-generation model debuted. Also strange was the availability of third-party four-wheel drive (most notably under the Courier Sasquatch name) in the absence of a Ford-developed system.

If you’re an EV historian, then you’ll also be intrigued by the ultra-rare Jet Industries ElectraVan 750, a battery-powered version of the Courier that offered 60 miles of range on a single charge.

The Courier would survive until 1982, when it was retired in favor of next year’s iconic Ranger.

Dodge D-50 / Plymouth Arrow

Chrysler leaned on its long-standing history with Mitsubishi when it came time to tackle the surging mini-truck threat. Unlike Mazda and Isuzu, however, Mitsubishi was pickup-poor throughout most of the ’70s, leaving the Pentastar on the outside looking in at all of the action being soaked up by Ford and GM.

It wasn’t until 1979 that Dodge would import the Mitsubishi Forte, which had gone into production the year before, relabeling it the “D-50.” Deciding that the best way to make up for lost time was to double its efforts, Chrysler also tagged Plymouth into the pickup game with the Plymouth Arrow, which was identical to the Dodge.

With a wheelbase seven inches longer than that of the LUV, and featuring a choice of engines delivering between 93 (from a 2.0-liter four) and 108 (from 2.6-liter four) horsepower, the Mitsubishi twins were certainly competitive. This was especially true when considering the larger motor’s 139 lb-ft of torque, and the availability of three, four, or five forward gears. Payload remained locked at the seemingly industry-standard 1400 pounds and was delivered by a 6.5-foot bed (with another 100 pounds of bed capacity added the following year).

In 1981, the D-50 would be renamed the Ram 50, and while the Arrow would disappear by 1982, the Dodge version would continue on for an astonishing 13 additional years (finally leaving the American market in 1994). During that time it would gain four-wheel drive, a four-door model (in addition to extended-cab versions), and endure a brief flirtation with diesel power.

Why did the Ram 50 endure? Truth be told, Chrysler was in total chaos in the early ’80s and had no money to throw at a dedicated compact-pickup platform. While Ford fans and Chevy loyalists were enjoying the Ranger and S10 for the 1982 and ’83 model years, Mopar maniacs were instead gifted with the ultra-weird (and short-lived) Dodge Rampage and Plymouth Scamp, L-body front-wheel-drive haulers that had more in common with the Subaru Brat than they did a legitimate truck. These were followed by the unibody Jeep Comanche in the middle of the decade, which was itself joined by the mid-size, and full-frame, Dodge Dakota in 1987, creating a confusing-at-best situation at Mopar dealerships for much of the ’80s.

That confusion seems appropriate considering how long it took the Big Three to figure out there was a mini-truck market in the first place.

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You may have heard about Fordlândia, Henry Ford’s hubristic attempt to start a prefabricated company town and rubber plantation in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil to supply Ford Motor Company with rubber, getting around a British monopoly on natural rubber. Planned for 10,000 residents, construction on Fordlândia was begun in 1926. The town included American-style houses, a school, hospital, library, and hotel as well as recreational facilities including a swimming pool, a playground for children, and a golf course for the adults. Residents were expected to live their lives the way Henry Ford expected them to live.

The plan began with great fanfare with the Brazilian government granting the automaker approximately 5000 square miles of land for the project, but Mr. Ford abandoned his eponymous Brazilian town less than 10 years later in 1934.

While the notion of a “company town” today seems quaint, archaic, and even exploitative, they were not uncommon in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and Fordlândia was not Henry Ford’s only attempt to create a self-contained Ford community. Interestingly, he also located another Ford company town in another remote forest, far from the nearest city. It was, however, a bit closer to FoMoCo headquarters in Dearborn than Brazil. Alberta, Michigan, located northwest of Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is about 500 miles from Detroit. Unlike Fordlândia, which became a ghost town, Ford’s Alberta operations continued for decades, and the small community that he built there still exists—as does the sawmill that Ford built there to employ the town’s residents.

It was natural for Henry Ford to look north for wood. Michigan is well known as the location of the Motor City, but less well known is the fact that Michigan was the leading U.S. producer of lumber from 1860 to 1910. By the turn of the 20th century, over 160 billion board-feet of lumber was harvested from Michigan forests. That’s a lot of White Pine. (I use the term harvested rather than logged because much of the state’s forest was clear-cut.) While northern Michigan is heavily forested today, with four national forests there is very little *old-growth timber left.

Ford had massive land holdings in the U.P. for his lumbering operations that supplied the wood needed to build Ford cars. It’s estimated that each Model T required about 100 board-feet of lumber in its production, and wood was also needed for “woodie” station wagon bodies, as well as crates for Ford-produced parts. To supply that lumber, Ford Motor Company had large, industrial-scale sawmills in Pequaming and L’Anse in the U.P. as well as a wood processing factory in Iron Mountain that employed as many as 7000 workers. The sawmill at Alberta, in contrast, was a much more modest operation, and the town was only planned for hundreds of people, not thousands, with lots platted out for just 70 homes, only 12 of which were completed. Also more modest than Fordlândia was the fact that Ford named Alberta not after himself but after the daughter of his head of northern Michigan operations.

So why did Henry Ford build Alberta if he didn’t really need it’s lumber output? The answer is in the archives of Michigan Technological University, to which Ford Motor Company donated the mill and town in 1954 when production at the sawmill stopped. MTU continued to operate the sawmill as part of its forestry and lumbering programs and turned the town into a conference center. The archives of the town show that, like Fordlândia, it was as much a social experiment as it was an industrial operation. Alberta was part of Henry Ford’s “Village Industries” program. In the 1920s and ’30s, he set up about 30 small factories for making small parts and tools, mostly at mill and dam sites on rivers in small towns in Michigan (Ford was a fan of hydroelectric power, which he called “white coal”). Ford was a farm boy at heart and part of his idea was to provide seasonal employment for farmers so they would not be in financial risk of losing their farms.

Unlike most of the Village Industries sites, which were often repurposed mills, Ford built Alberta from the ground up. He had the Plumbago Creek dammed to create a 20-acre lake for supplying the sawmill and town with water. A large metal sign with the Ford script logo still sits on the north bank of the lake, a waymark for northbound visitors on their way to the Huron Mountains or “copper country” in the Keweenaw Peninsula . The sawmill, pumphouse, and town were located on the other side of US-41. In addition to the town residents’ need for water, the pumphouse supplied water for the sawmill’s boilers (the mill originally ran on steam power but was later converted to electricity) and for the small, heated holding pond used to convey logs into the mill.

Coincidentally, the sawmill at Fordlândia is one of the few original structures there that still stands, so that’s another commonality between the two sites. Another similarity is that for someone who was raised on a farm, Henry Ford wasn’t very good at picking places to grow things, as you’ll learn below.

Unlike Fordlândia, however, Alberta is not a ghost town. All of the original structures are intact and the little town still has residents. Three-quarters of the homes that Ford built are long-term rentals, while the remaining four domiciles are used to house conference center visitors or lodgers looking for an alternative to hotels or Airbnbs.

The sources agree that Alberta was named after the daughter of the manager of Ford’s Upper Peninsula operations, but it’s not entirely clear if that was Frank Johnson, or his predecessor, Edward Kingsford, who built Ford’s large factory in Iron Mountain.

The sawmill started operations on September 1, 1936. When operating at full capacity, while modest compared to Ford’s other three U.P. sawmills, the Alberta mill could produce 14,000 board-feet-per-day of hardwood and more than 20,000 board-feet-per-day of softwood that was used in the manufacturing of Ford automobiles. However, the first lumber that was milled there didn’t go into making Ford cars but was rather used to build the first houses in Alberta. A small neighborhood was constructed, including sidewalks and streetlamps. Two small schoolhouses were also constructed.

As with Ford’s other northern Michigan lumbering operations, the Alberta sawmill recycled. Bark, trimmings, and scrap wood were used to fire the boilers that heated the holding pond and originally provided steam power, and a clever gravity-fed system collected virtually all of the sawdust that was created, and a conveyor belt carried it from the mill’s basement to the boilers. That system not only kept the mills relatively clean, it also helped prevent fires from the highly flammable saw dust and powder.

Ford wanted Alberta to be a self-contained town, but it could never achieve that goal because it lacked the things that make a town. Oddly, for a company town, there were no stores, not even the kind of company-owned store that contributed to company towns’ exploitative reputation. Though they were likely planned, a church, bank, clinic, or post office never existed in Alberta either. Residents had to leave Alberta to buy basic goods, cash their paychecks, receive treatment from a doctor, or mail a letter.

Ford allocated some of his timberlands to the Alberta project. The idea was that each worker would have access to a 60-acre woodlot that they would log to supply the mill with timber, as well as a smaller two-acre plot for farming food. That way the workers would have the job security of winter logging, summer farming, and working in the mill. Henry also wanted the public to see a working mill and his ideal community. Period signs for the facility adjacent to US-41 say “Visitors Welcome.”

As with many of Henry Ford’s plans (like the backup diesel generators the Village Industries plants used when hydro power wasn’t sufficient) things didn’t work out as planned. It quickly became obvious that the mill workers could not produce enough logs from their woodlots to keep the mill operating all year, and Ford Motor Company started using outside suppliers and its own logging operations to feed the Alberta facility. As for farming, just as Fordlândia’s location wasn’t ideal for growing rubber, the Alberta area’s soil had trouble sustaining food production, and Northern Michigan’s huge deer population feasted on what little could be grown.

By the time domestic automobile production resumed in 1945, after the end of WWII, the use of wood in car production had plummeted. While Ford continued to build “woodie” station wagon bodies at Iron Mountain, the company had little need for the Alberta sawmill’s output. Also, Alberta’s patron, Henry Ford himself, passed away in 1947. As with other Village Industries sites, it was his pet project, and it didn’t really matter if it was profitable for Ford Motor Company or not—at least while he was still alive. By 1954, Alberta had lost both its need and its patron, and Ford closed the mill on June 30th of that year. Five months later, the Ford Motor Company deeded the sawmill, houses, schools, and over 1700 acres of forest to the Michigan College of Mining and Technology in Houghton, now Michigan Technological University. Michigan Tech renamed the site the Ford Forestry Center and built additional structures. Today, Alberta houses the school’s experimental research station, educational laboratory, learning center for MTU’s School of Forestry and Wood Products, and a small conference center. The sawmill continued to operate as a learning laboratory for decades.

In 1997, Ford Motor Company donated $100,000 to be used to restore the mill as a museum and interpretive center for the public, reviving one of Henry Ford’s original plans for the site. A consortium of MTU faculty and staff, retired Ford employees, and local sponsors started the restoration project and prepared exhibits, however because of possible liability and the state of the sawmill’s lighting, walkways, and electrical systems, the facility doesn’t meet current year standards for visitor safety and the museum is closed to the public.

Though Ford stopped operating the mill in 1954, Alberta, unlike Fordlândia, never became a ghost town. All of the original Ford structures are still intact and in use. While the museum is closed to the public, there is a gift shop with memorabilia available for purchase in the adjacent pumphouse.

The sawmill is also closed to the public, but Ford Center operations manager Jim Tolan graciously gave Hagerty access, along with a personal tour, so that we could collect photos and video.

In 2022, MTU announced that it was considering tearing down the old sawmill, as the building is starting to deteriorate from the elements.  Though the main building with post-and-beam construction is still structurally sound, “good bones” as they say, there are a couple of leaks in the metal roof and it could use a sensitive restoration. Reopening the museum is probably not practical, as it would require substantial period-incorrect renovations to meet current standards for visitor safety but it would be a loss to history if the facility was demolished. Old industrial sites typically get redeveloped so there are very few still-extant pre-WWII factories whose buildings are in original condition, let alone still being fully functional with all machinery intact. Besides being an important artifact of general industrial history, the Ford Alberta Sawmill sits at the nexus of what have likely been the two most important industries in Michigan’s state history, lumber and automobiles.

The announcement about the possible demolition galvanized a coalition of activists, including students, faculty, and staff at MTU, area residents, and Michigan history buffs that so far has persuaded the university to put off any immediate plans to tear down the mill.

If you’d like to visit Alberta, it’s about 60 miles west of Marquette and about 70 miles north of Iron Mountain.

*If you’re in northern Michigan and you’d like to see some of the remaining old-growth forest that fed mills like Alberta’s, much of what remains has been preserved in state and national parklands and is accessible to visitors.

The post Alberta, Michigan: Henry Ford’s Northwoods Fordlândia appeared first on Hagerty Media.

As the first-generation Mustang got bigger, heavier, and more expensive with each passing year, Lee Iacocca (who became president of Ford in 1970) decreed that a smaller second-generation model would be developed. This car, the Mustang II, first hit showrooms as a 1974 model, which turned out to be absolutely perfect timing after the OPEC oil embargo of October 1973 caused fuel prices to go through the roof. Here’s one of those first-year cars, found in a Denver-area self-service yard recently.

The original Mustang was designed as a sporty-looking commuter based on Ford’s smallest North American–market car of its time, the Falcon. The second-generation Mustang was based on a platform derived from Ford’s smallest North American–market car at that time: the Pinto.

This adaptation made sense from an engineering standpoint, since the Pinto used a modern lightweight design and was set up to use efficient engines from Ford’s European operations. The Mustang II’s chassis differed from the Pinto’s in significant ways—the most important being the wheelbase, which was longer—but the idea of a Mustang that shared ancestry with a tiny economy car originally designed to compete against the likes of the Volkswagen Beetle and Toyota Corolla caused—and still causes—discomfort to some enthusiasts.

None of this really mattered in the American Ford showrooms of 1974, where the Mustang II was an instant success. Sales of the 1974 Mustang were nearly triple those of the 1973 model, and they remained respectable throughout the Mustang II’s production run from 1974 to ’78. Some Mustang II sales may have been cannibalized by Ford’s own Capri, which was badged as a Ford in its European homeland but sold through Mercury dealers (without Mercury badging) in the United States; the Capri was a few hundred pounds lighter and shared the inline-four and V-6 engines used by the Mustang II.

The 1974 Mustang II was available with a choice of two engines: a 2.3-liter, single overhead-cam four-cylinder and a 2.8-liter pushrod V-6, both designed in Europe and both destined for long and successful careers in the global Ford Empire. This car has the 2.3.

This engine was rated at 85 horsepower, while the V-6 made 105 horses. Power numbers were down across the board for new cars sold in the United States when this car was built, due to stricter emissions and fuel-economy standards plus the switch from gross to net power ratings that had been mandated a couple of years earlier. Even so, the 2.3-powered 1974 Mustang II had a better power-to-weight ratio than the 1973 Mustang with the base 250-cubic-inch straight-six engine, and it boasted far superior handling and braking.

A four-speed manual transmission was base equipment in the Mustang II, and that’s the gearbox in this car. A three-speed automatic was available as an option.

1974 was the only model year in which there was no V-8 engine available in the Mustang, which stung. For the 1975 through 1978 model years, a 302-cubic-inch V-8 was available as a Mustang II option.

Another thing that made 1974 unpleasant for owners of Mustang IIs (and owners of all new cars sold in the United States for that model year) was the much-hated seat-belt starter interlock system. If all front-seat occupants (or grocery bags) weren’t wearing their belts, the car wouldn’t start; this sounded sensible in theory, but most Americans refused to wear seat belts at that time and the technology of 1974 made the system maddeningly malfunction-prone.

This car is a Ghia, the most expensive new Mustang II model of 1974. The Ghia package included a padded vinyl roof and a snazzier interior; its MSRP for ’74 was $2866 (about $18,866 in 2024 dollars).

The Ghia name came from Carrozzeria Ghia, an Italian coachbuilder and design house founded in 1916. Ghia was behind such beautiful machines as the Fiat 8V Supersonic, Renault Caravelle, and the Chrysler Turbine. The company ended up in the hands of Alejandro de Tomaso, who sold it to Ford in 1970. After that, Ford used the Ghia name to designate luxury trim levels on its vehicles throughout the world; in the United States, car shoppers could get Granadas and even Fiestas with Ghia badges.

This car has the “Westminster cloth” seat upholstery and shag carpeting that came with the Mustang II Ghia package.

The interior in this one is still in decent enough condition for its age, though junkyard shoppers have purchased the door panels.

The radio is a Philco AM/FM/eight-track stereo unit, likely installed by the dealer but perhaps by an aftermarket shop. It would have been very expensive in 1974, but worth it in order to listen to the Mustang-appropriate hits of that year.

According to the build tag, this car was built at the storied River Rouge plant in Michigan in April of 1974. The paint is Saddle Bronze Metallic, the interior is Tan, and the differential ratio is 3.55:1. Interestingly, the DSO code shows that the car was built for export sale. What stories could it tell of its travels?

The High Plains Colorado sun is murder on vinyl tops, and this one got nuked to oblivion long ago.

For the 1979 model year, the Mustang II was replaced by a third-generation Mustang that lived on the versatile Fox platform. Ford nearly replaced that Mustang with one based on a Mazda-sourced front-wheel-drive platform, but ended up keeping the Fox going through 1993 (or 2004, if you consider the Fox-descended SN95 platform to be a true Fox) and sold its Mazda-based sports coupe as the Probe. For what it’s worth, a stock V-6 Probe will eat up a stock same-year V-8 Fox Mustang on a road-race course; I’ve seen it happen many times in my capacity as Chief Justice of the 24 Hours of Lemons Supreme Court (the Fox Mustang has a pronounced advantage over the Probe on the dragstrip, though).

Worth restoring? You decide! The good news is that this yard will, unusually, sell whole cars. Perhaps someone will rescue this Mustang II from its inevitable date with The Crusher.

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The post Final Parking Space: 1974 Ford Mustang II Ghia Hardtop appeared first on Hagerty Media.

For those of us who call Michigan home, there was something sorely missing from this year’s Super Bowl: our Detroit Lions. Again. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. 

Sadly, the Lions—whose principal owner is Sheila Ford Hamp, a descendant of both the Ford and Firestone families—weren’t the only Detroiters who didn’t show up for the big game. For the third straight season, Ford Motor Company sat out too, choosing not to spend $7 million for a 30-second commercial on CBS. General Motors? Nope. Stellantis, the conglomerate that owns Ram, Jeep, and Chrysler? Nada.

Fortunately, several automakers played like champions. So did the Kansas City Chiefs, who after a slow start defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime to claim their second consecutive Super Bowl title. Cheers to all who entertained us on and off the field, and even those who tried and failed. We appreciate the effort.

Touchdown

Volkswagen USA: “Arrival”

Most great Super Bowl commercials are great because they make us laugh, but some hit us right in the heart. Count Volkswagen’s “Arrival” among the latter. Celebrating VW’s 75 years in the USA, starting when the Beetle turned heads and changed minds upon its arrival in 1949, this commercial is actually an “American Love Story.” Using Neil Diamond’s impassioned 1971 hit “I Am … I Said” as the soundtrack and utilizing both actual and recreated film footage and photos, VW did the opposite of its award-winning “Think Small” ad campaign. It dreamed big and absolutely nailed it, right down to its ending tagline: “We shape its metal. You shape its soul.” (We’ve included the two-minute version above because it’s twice as nice as the one-minute version that ran during the third quarter.)

BMW i5 M60: “Talkin’ Like Walken”

Admit it: You’ve done your own Christopher Walken impression before. Lots of times, in fact. You probably started way back in 2000 when Walken appeared on Saturday Night Live and scored laughs (even from the cast) in his role as record producer Bruce Dickinson. “I have a fever, and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!”

BMW knows us all too well. From the valet to the coffee barista to the tailor to the makeup artist to the waiter, everyone in this ad for the new i5 M60 electric sedan is “Talkin’ Like Walken.” The commercial ends with a proclamation from the announcer: “There’s only one Christopher Walken, and only one ultimate driving machine,” before he goes into his own Walken impersonation: “The rest are just imitations.” Walken, driving his BMW, laughs: “Come on.”

Nailed it.

Toyota Tacoma: “Dareful Handle”

Toyota had a banner day Sunday, especially considering that (according to Ad Age) it was going to skip the Super Bowl entirely until CBS came calling. Thankfully, Toyota’s marketing team already had a great commercial in the can: “Dareful Handle,” which refers to that handy dandy interior safety feature that we often call the “Jesus Bar”—as in, “Oh, Jesus, please save me while I hang on for dear life.”

As the camera jumps from one frightened passenger to the next, we’re shown an orange Tacoma kickin’ up dust while doing donuts and other herky-jerky maneuvers at high speed. “Introducing the most powerful Tacoma ever,” the announcer says, “With [echoing the truck’s flustered passengers] the ‘Shut the Front Door!’ handle … also known as the ‘Seriously Rob!’ handle … or the ‘Woah, woah, woah … woah, woah!’ handle … or the ‘No Me Gusta! (I don’t like!)’ handle … standard.”

Kia EV9: “Perfect 10”

Kia went the VW route, tugged at our heartstrings, and delivered another winner. Showcasing its new EV9, “the first mass-market three-row EV SUV in the U.S.,” the car isn’t just for transportation, it’s designed to be a mobile power source. When a young skater’s grandfather misses her performance, she brings the show to him and dazzles on a lighted rink just outside his window—and the Kia EV9 provides the juice. Well done.

BONUS: Toyota Tacoma: “Celebration”

This ad was among those offered up during the week leading up to the game, so even though it didn’t have an official time slot, we thought we’d include it. In “Celebration,” a herd of Tacomas—and motorcycles, and even a souped-up riding lawn mower—roar through a canyon before stopping, en masse, at a desolate cabin. When a bearded man comes to the door, one of the Tacoma drivers asks, “Can Billy come out to play?” The man, who we quickly deduce is Billy, shouts “YES! Woohoo!” and jumps into his own Tacoma to join the fun.

Field Goal

Kawasaki Ridge: “Mullets”

In this mildly amusing spot, everyone who comes in contact with Kawasaki’s up-market, four-cylinder side-by-side—even a (formerly) bald eagle and wrestler Steve “Stone Cold” Austin—suddenly wears a mullet. “Business in the front, party in the back. The all-new Kawasaki Ridge.”

Pluto TV: “Couch Potatoes”

Cute. And yes, we know, it isn’t an automotive commercial. But it has a fictional Pluto tractor in it, so it gets in on a technicality. “This here, this is Pluto TV country. Here on this farm, we grow couch potatoes.” The best line in this ad, showing potatoes glued to their couch, thanks to Pluto’s streaming television service? “I like anything where a hot person throws a glass of wine at another hot person.”

Turbo Tax: “Streamer”

Kris came to Turbo Tax because she “switched gears from delivering part-time to streaming full time.” The ad has almost nothing to do with cars, except that when she makes the switch she suddenly becomes part of a fast-driving video game. “That’s how you corner chat!” Don’t we all wish filing our taxes was this fun?

OFF-SETTING PENALTIES

The Dawn Project: “Boycott Tesla Now”

Like a football referee who calls out both teams for messing up, we’re introducing this new category for an ad that ultimately left nobody in a better position.

Dan O’Dowd is a tech entrepreneur who heads The Dawn Project, a group that wants to ban Tesla’s “defective self-driving software,” which “drives like a drunk teenager.” The fact that Tesla tends to pirouette away from liability claims when its cars get into accidents while using the autosteer system is not lost on The Dawn Project. It’s the second year in a row the group has purchased ad space during the big game to criticize Tesla, according to The Washington Post. We agree, of course, that software shouldn’t put the lives of people at risk, but a night of festivities and sports didn’t feel like the right venue for this ad.

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The world lost a musical great last year when Jimmy Buffett passed away at the age of 76. While he was known for songs about a laid-back life on the water, he was also a big fan of cars and pickups. One piece of his fun car collection is currently up for bid on GAA Classic Cars. Buffett’s 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint convertible looks ready for top-down summer cruising and features some interesting modifications.

When it was purchased in 2002, the Falcon reportedly had just 8578 miles on the odometer. In the 20 years since, it has racked up only 3300 more. The listing doesn’t specify, but we assume that with that mileage the engine is the original 260 that came with the car when new. The Falcon was not offered with any rowdy powerplants in 1963; those would come later as the 289 debuted for 1964.

The small-block convertible was hot-rodded by Buffett, who added a four-barrel intake and a matching Holley carb for a bit more power. The most noticeable addition to the car is a roll bar that serves as a surfboard rack, proving that you don’t need a surf wagon, or even a hardtop, to bring your board to the beach. On that subject, a board is included in the sale, as pictured on the car. We sort of expected Buffet to be a long-board guy, so maybe we shouldn’t have judged a surfer by his chill beach music. Buffett also added a sound system, with a trunk-mounted amplifier and subwoofer. A Fender Squier Stratocaster with Buffet’s autograph is also a part of the auction.

A look at the Hagerty Price Guide shows 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint Convertible prices down just a bit over the year, with a #2 (Excellent) condition worth $27,800 currently. That said, this car’s provenance should come into play. We asked valuation specialist and Hagerty Price Guide Publisher Dave Kinney to weigh in. “Jimmy Buffett might not be remembered as a car guy in the same vein as Paul Newman or other celebrities, but he was, through and through,” Kinney said. “That, and since Parrotheads are an enthusiastic bunch, I expect bidding for Buffett’s Falcon is likely to go well above its condition value.”

This well-kept convertible seems to be ready for another surf-loving owner, and we hope it goes to one of Buffett’s many fans who will appreciate it, as we’re sure he would have wanted. We fully expect the custom stereo system to be put to proper use playing Buffett’s expansive catalog of albums.

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At the 66th Grammy Awards on Sunday night, country music star Luke Combs surprised in-person and television audiences alike when the curtain dropped ahead of his cover of the song “Fast Car”. As the familiar guitar riff began, the lights lifted to reveal not Combs, but rather, the song’s original creator: singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman.

The two artists alternated verses before joining for the chorus bringing the house down with a duet for the ages. But it was the brief film shown before the performance, an interview and montage with Combs, that gave us the automotive connection beyond just the notion of a car that could “get us outta here.”

“My dad had a 1988 Ford F-150 pickup truck,” said Combs to the producers. “It had a cassette player in it, and my dad would play me that Tracy Chapman self-titled album. That song, ‘Fast Car’, it was my favorite song before I even knew what a favorite song was.” Over a collage of photos from Combs’ younger days, from school pictures to early gigs at local bars, Combs shared how the song became a foundational part of his musical blossoming. “I’ve been playing that song since I could play guitar, honestly. I just love that song.”

Combs recorded a cover of the song as a part of his most recent album, titled Getting Old. When the cover first appeared on his record, Chapman, who has since retreated to a more reclusive life, was courteous and earnest in her support of Combs. “I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman told Billboard in an exclusive statement. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”

The song has been a staple at all of Combs’ live shows for a while now, often sung alongside an audience that routinely joins him in belting out. It’s also proving to be quite successful from a charts and awards standpoint. Combs’ cover has reached as high as number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has topped country music charts everywhere. Along the way, Combs earned two Country Music Association awards in 2023 for single of the year and song of the year.

Of course, “Fast Car” was already an established hit before Combs’ soulful vocals lifted its lyrics. When Chapman first released the song in 1988, it earned her three Grammy nominations of her own: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, the latter of which she won in 1989.

The duet, then, was a fitting high point for the two artists. Fans of Combs and Chapman alike flooded social media with personal connections to the song, often involving an automobile of their own.

The Grammy duet caught the eye of Ford CEO Jim Farley as well. “It was such a moving performance and one of those shared cultural moments that everyone was talking about at work the next morning,” Farley said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press last night. “It’s special that a Ford truck was a little part of the backstory.”

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This Ford fanatic found, restored and ultimately lost a Shelby Mustang race car. Today, his ride pays homage to that very special machine.

Phil Jacobs is a Ford guy. A one-time dealer tech, he proved outstanding in that role, so Ford brought him into the mother ship to answer service and repair questions for dealer mechanics nationwide. He has a particular fondness for Mustangs and has owned several, including a 2006 Mustang GT that is the current object of his affection.

That Mustang GT stands out in a crowd. Sure, it’s a pretty red car in pristine condition, but that’s not what draws your attention. Rather it’s the car’s dressage, a near-perfect livery of the Shelby Trans-Am Mustang in which Jerry Titus won his class at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona. Why? The simple answer is that the ’06 Mustang’s graphics are meant to honor Titus, the Trans-Am Mustangs of the late ’60, and, most importantly, a very special Shelby Trans-Am race car that Jacobs will never forget.

Titus was a journalist who had shown promise behind the wheel of several race cars when Carroll Shelby offered him a place on his SCCA National Championship Trans-Am team. I can attest that those kinds of offers seldom come to those of us who wield the pen. But Titus quickly proved his worth, winning the Trans-Am series driver championships in ’66 and ’67 while helping clinch the manufacturer’s championship for Ford in that second season.

Titus’s successful ’67 season made him solidly number one on the ’68 Shelby Terlingua Racing Team, and, along with his co-driver, he began the campaign with a class win at the 24 Hours of Daytona. A big number 1 on the door would later identify his red Mustang as the car to beat. A second Shelby Trans-Am Mustang was prepped for Horst Kweck and various name racers who opted in for a single event or more. Ford provided a third Mustang for the Shelby team, but it was never raced and probably never fully prepped for battle. Instead, it gathered dust in the Shelby garage.

The Shelby team suffered multiple engine failures and a rash of DNFs during the ’68 season. According to Jacobs and other sources, the engine failures were largely the result of Ford’s insistence that the race car engines could only be built at company headquarters in Dearborn. In ’66 and ’67, the Shelby team had developed its own engines. To further complicate things, the ’68 engines were a new design that used tunnel-port heads similar to those used on the big-displacement NASCAR engines, and they initially proved difficult to tune. With the lack of team control over assembly, and problems dialing in the tunnel-port engines, the results were disastrous.

By the end of the season, with no Mustang championship in sight, Titus jumped ship and signed on with the Pontiac Firebird team. He saw some success in ’69, once again winning his class at Daytona but again frequently failing to finish. He was tragically killed in an accident while practicing for the 1970 Road America Trans-Am race.

Jacobs was still a youngster when Ford dominated Trans-Am early on, but he was old enough to relish their success. With a passion for Mustangs, he bought his first, a ’71 Mach 1, shortly before starting as a Ford dealer repair technician in 1977. He put his mechanical skills to work on that Mustang and had it running 12-second elapsed times at the Milan, Michigan dragstrip. But he was a road racer at heart and longed to take to the track in a car like those his heroes drove in the late ’60s.

Meanwhile, the third ’68 Shelby Mustang Trans-Am, the one that had never seen a racetrack, was passed from one owner to another. Shelby first sold it to an independent Trans-Am racer by the name of Bill Pendleton. Before Pendleton could prep the car for competition, he signed on with a race team and sold the unfinished car. In subsequent years, it apparently went from one owner to the next, all planning to complete it but never succeeding. After nearly 20 years of foster care, it went to John Hancock, an Oregon enthusiast.

Hancock knew he had what was likely a historic automobile but was unable to document it to the satisfaction of the Shelby American Automobile Club (SAAC). At the time, the club, which was founded in 1976, had yet to develop a comprehensive registry. Frustrated, Hancock decided to sell it. Jacobs heard of the car through his Ford connections and suspected it was truly one of the Shelby race cars. In one of the great automotive bargains of all time, he purchased the rusting hulk for $1500 in 1987. The price for shipping it from the West Coast to Michigan was a hundred bucks more than the cost of the car.

With the bare bones of a Trans-Am Mustang in his garage, Jacobs went to work learning as much as he could about the Shelby race cars, traveling to swap meets to hunt for parts, calling former Shelby crew members, and more. To say he was thorough would be an understatement.

“I didn’t start working on the car until I had a full picture of exactly what an authentic ’68 Shelby Trans-Am Mustang should be,” said Jacobs.

Several years of research provided that picture, and in 1990, he got to work. Some of the metalwork was completed by a respected restorer of Ford automobiles, but Jacobs did much of it himself. The finished car was exactly what it would have been in ’68 had the Shelby team completed it.

Jacobs was as particular about the powertrain as he was with the sheet metal and was able to obtain a tunnel-port 302 cubic-inch Ford engine that was a duplicate of those that the team struggled with in ’68, but he also built a standard-port engine, an identical copy of the ’67 version that had earned Ford and Titus a championship. That engine generated 442 horsepower and 372 lb-ft of torque, using only the hardware on which the Shelby team had relied. With more modern systems, the engine could have been more potent, but Jacobs is big on authenticity. Despite not having as much power as some vintage racers, he was still able to win four of the 12 vintage races he entered.

It wasn’t only Jacobs’ engine that was a copy of the one that took Titus to championships. The paint scheme and graphics were what Titus used as well. Although the ’68 car was red at Daytona, yellow was the predominant Shelby team color. Jacobs duplicated that yellow paint and made exact copies of all decals and trim.

Although completing the restoration was rewarding, authentication and affirmation were important to Jacobs as well. His extensive research and efforts to fully document the car finally paid off in full when SAAC acknowledged that the Jacobs Mustang was one of the three cars that Ford had provided for the Shelby race team.

Jacobs continued to race the Shelby ‘Stang for 15 years, enjoying every minute of it. In a Trans-Am vintage race in Waterford, Michigan, he held the lead until the last lap when he braked late and ran off the track. Although he lost the overall battle, he got back on track in time to win his class. In a Shelby event at Tulsa, Oklahoma, he beat a big-block ’69 Mustang for the overall win. And in a mixed-field vintage race at Mid-Ohio, he was sparring with an L88 Corvette that would put bus lengths on the little Mustang in the straights, only to be passed in the corners. As Jacobs recalls, the Corvette owner was both distressed and impressed.

In 2005, divorce changed everything. Given Michigan’s divorce laws, the Shelby Trans-Am was community property. Without the funds needed to buy out his ex-wife, Jacobs was forced to sell the Shelby ‘Stang. It went for $125,000, a substantial amount thanks to the extensive provenance that Jacobs had developed and the authenticity of the car’s restoration. Had the Shelby team used the car in competition, it probably would have sold for twice that.

Jacobs missed his very special car but got on with his life and kept on smiling. “I was a mechanic,” he says. “I never had much, but the funds generated from the sale of the car enabled me to buy a house.”

In that house, he put together an elaborate race-themed man cave with many photos of his race car, hundreds of models, and a wealth of Ford racing memorabilia.

Although he was no longer the owner of a Shelby race car, Jacobs had developed a love of road racing, so he rented a spec ’95 Mustang GT race car from a friend and ran several Camaro Mustang Challenge races sanctioned by the National Auto Sport Association. At Indiana’s Putnam Park Road Course, he qualified number one and set a new lap record but was experiencing health issues and couldn’t continue.

Those health issues were revealed to be due to a cardiac problem that required surgery and left Jacobs ineligible for a competition license.

While he could no longer rub sheet metal on the racetrack, he bought the slightly used 2006 Mustang GT and dressed it in Titus livery. Jacobs was, and so remains, a committed Mustang lover.

But old racers rarely hang up their helmets for good. And they don’t have to, thanks to track days where one can enjoy the thrill of hitting the apex and roaring down the straightaway without serious risk. So, these days, Jacobs can be seen at track days throughout the Midwest, driving a beautiful red Mustang GT dressed in the livery of a car and driver long gone.

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Ford is giving its Explorer SUV a makeover for the 2025 model year, with the brunt of the effort going to the interior and the technology suite. A revised cabin design features a new dashboard layout, plenty of new materials for seats and touchpoints, and the introduction of the Ford Digital Experience, which the automaker says will “allow customers to access their digital life inside the car.”

We’ll start with that last one because it certainly raised our eyebrows. Ford says that its new digital experience will enable customers to enjoy a greater level of personalization with their ’25 Explorer through specific profiles (that presumably have saved settings for things like climate control, radio presets, and more), content, and apps. It looks like most of this experience will take place on the 13.2-inch central touchscreen. One image shows the car displaying a YouTube video for front-seat occupants, and Ford says you can also watch Prime Video.

The system also has Google Maps and will use Google Assistant as the default aid, although Amazon Alexa is also included. Through either, you can do things like set the vehicle temperature, search for and find destinations, request radio stations, and manage basic phone functions like calling or sending texts, just with your voice. Google Play is also offered, enabling streaming through Spotify, Amazon Music, Audible, and more. If you’re parked for a long time, the system can also pair with a Bluetooth gaming controller to access a growing list of games through Google Play. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will come standard across the lineup.

Customers can opt for one of four trims for the new Explorer, in ascending order of price and standard features: Active, ST-Line, ST, and Platinum. Notably, that adventure-focused Explorer Timberline is nowhere to be seen, at least for the time being.

Certain trims (ST-Line, ST, and Platinum) of the ’25 Explorer will also come equipped with BlueCruise, Ford’s hands-free highway driving system. Features such as lane-change assist, in-lane repositioning, and automated braking + acceleration in traffic jams are all included. Customers buying properly equipped Explorers can activate BlueCruise for a one-year plan at the time of purchase with a complimentary 90-day trial, and then add or deactivate the system as needed following that. (Sigh.)

Within the cabin, the dashboard has been pushed forward to open up the front-row seating a bit. A new integrated tray below the center screen can be equipped with a wireless phone charger. Trim-specific interior color schemes are new as well, with the high-end Platinum getting flourishes such as a leather instrument panel to match the new leather seats. That 13.2-inch center screen is no longer upright, as it was in the outgoing 2024 model, but laid horizontally across the dash. The tweak should also add to the airiness of the cabin.

All 2025 Explorers will feature a new face with a different grille for each trim. The grille is noticeably larger, now stretching down into the lower bodywork that spans the front bumper. Fog light openings and cooling intakes along the lower outsides of the front fascia have also been redesigned. Platinum, ST, and ST-Line Explorers can get an optional black painted roof, the trendy styling choice of the modern era. There’s also a redesigned liftgate out back. Along with the four different grille designs (each trim gets a unique face), Ford is bringing seven wheel designs to the Explorer, with limited accessibility across the choices based on what trim you opt for.

Powertrain offerings are largely carried over. The Explorer Active will get a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder making 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The ST-Line will make do with the same engine. The Explorer ST is the first trim that grants access to the twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6, which is good for 400 horses and 415 lb-ft of torque. Explorer Platinums will get the 2.3-liter four standard but offers the V-6 as an option. All Explorers come with standard rear-wheel-drive and a recalibrated 10-speed automatic transmission, though every model does offer four-wheel-drive as an option.

Order books open today, says Ford. Starting MSRP for a 2025 Explorer Active with no options is $41,220, including the destination fee. Vehicles are expected to arrive at dealerships next quarter.

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At an Automotive Press Association appearance on December 4, 2023, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said GM was considering bringing back hybrids. “We have the technology,” she said. “We’ll continue to look at where the market is, where the regulatory environment is.”

Now, market factors such as customer demand, problems with building electric models, and government pollution standards have caused Barra to admit that GM will begin building plug-in hybrids. Her comments came last Tuesday in a fourth-quarter earnings call with analysts.

She reiterated that GM is still on track to convert its portfolio to all-electric by 2035, as it promised in January 2021, “but in the interim, deploying plug-in technology in strategic segments will deliver some of the environmental benefits of EVs as the nation continues to build its charging infrastructure.”

She declined to say when we’ll see plug-in hybrids, or in which market segments GM will offer them. “We plan to deliver the program in a capital- and cost-efficient way because the technology is already in production in other markets. We’ll have more to share about this down the road.”

It’s lost on no one that GM had a leg up on plug-in hybrids with the Chevrolet Volt, which went on sale in December of 2010. The second-generation Volt, which had an upgraded powertrain and more battery capacity, went on sale in October of 2015. But GM pulled the plug on the slow-selling Volt in 2019 and began doubling down on plans to produce electric vehicles.

GM likely should have further refined a hybrid portfolio, as other manufacturers such as Toyota and Hyundai were doing, rather than dropping the technology altogether. “GM not only had a head-start on hybrids with the Volt but also with the SUVs more than a decade ago,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president for global forecasting for Pennsylvania-based AutoForecast Solutions. “Had they not decided on taking the all-EV route, they could have had a usable, and arguably more popular, hybrid lineup.

“The emissions regulations are going to require something more than the eventuality of electric vehicles,” he continues. “With the slowing transition to EVs, it makes sense to add hybrids to your lineup, especially since many of your products are V-8-powered trucks, and what are traditionally high-polluting models.”

Also in play is a “slowing of the transition to EVs,” Fiorani said. Early adopters jumped on EVs when they first became available, but the balance of customers have been more cautious about entering the EV market when they perceive that range and infrastructure may not be at the levels they require to abandon their ICE vehicles.

“Everybody anticipated that the growth would continue at this sharp angle, and it’s just not happening,” Fiorani said. “As we transition out of the early adopters, it’s been more difficult to move customers out of their ICE vehicles and into an EV.”

Indeed, simply building EVs and getting them to market has been difficult for GM, in part due to issues with weakened demand and with producing the Ultium battery platform. In a February forecast by AutoForecast Solutions, GM said it planned to build 416,300 EVs in 2023. Actual production was 120,900.

Presently, the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the only hybrid in GM’s North American lineup. As Barra mentioned, GM builds hybrids in other markets, most notably China.

But Fiorani said that simply bringing the Chinese hardware and software here won’t solve GM’s problems. The Chinese hybrids are mostly smaller vehicles, and one issue will be finding a vehicle small enough in the U.S. fleet to use the same technology. “There’s a potential that they could use it in vehicles the size of the Chevrolet Trax, which is produced in South Korea. But the big meat will be hybrids that compete with Ford and Toyota in full-sized trucks.” Both Ford (as of the 2021 model year) and Toyota (as of 2022 MY) currently offer hybrid versions of their full-size trucks, and hybrid offerings in that segment would go a long way to helping GM meet emissions goals across its portfolio.

So when can we expect to see some new hybrids from GM? “This will not be an overnight thing,” Fiorano said, because GM will have to bring back engineering they haven’t used in a decade and raise it to current levels.

“It’s important to note that GM and the rest of the industry should have seen this coming,” Fiorani said, “and should have been better prepared. Toyota, Ford, Honda—a few of these companies have hybrids in their lineup, and companies like Toyota didn’t expect the transition to EVs to happen anytime soon. Something between those two extremes probably would have been the best course of action.”

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Well, here’s a line shift that won’t draw a penalty—or any complaints from the Detroit Lions or their gritty head coach, Dan Campbell.

General Motors has delayed Sunday’s 10 p.m.–7 a.m. shift at its Flint Assembly plant, which is roughly 70 miles northwest of Detroit, so that employees won’t miss any of the Lions’ NFC championship football game in San Francisco. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST. The contest is the first NFC title game the Lions have participated in since the 1991 season.

In a social media post informing its 1500 third-shift workers of the change, GM wrote, “We recognize the Detroit Lions playing in an NFC Championship game as a rare, unique opportunity that warrants this temporary schedule adjustment to allow employees to enjoy the game and to make it to work on time.”

GM spokesman Kevin Kelly confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that normal production will begin at 10:42 p.m. for Body and Paint, and at 11 p.m. for General Assembly. The Flint Assembly plant is the only GM plant with a third shift on Sundays. It builds the HD, or heavy-duty, versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.

So far, no other Detroit-based automaker has followed suit. In fact, Stellantis (which owns the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands) has already punted the idea. A spokesperson says that although the automaker “is proud of our hometown team … Stellantis will run normal production schedules on Sunday to meet the expectations of our customers and dealers.”

Prior to this month’s NFC playoff victories over the Rams and Buccaneers, the Lions hadn’t won a playoff game in more than three decades, so naturally the reaction to General Motors’ announcement was met with jubilation. One person wrote on Reddit, “This brings a tear to my eyes.” Another joked, “‘We aren’t going to give you a raise, but we’re going to let you watch the Lions game [instead]. Ok, I’m good with that.” A third wondered, “So what happens if the game goes into overtime???”

Perhaps the best comment of all (posted on Instagram) was discovered by the Free Press: “In my 13+ years at GM I’ve never seen a postponement to start the week … even 2 feet of snow wouldn’t do it lol. This is for the city! Go Lions!”

While many commenters suggest that GM is just trying to avoid mass absenteeism at the Flint plant, there’s no doubt that the automaker’s decision is at the very least a great public relations move. It certainly isn’t a free gift, however, as third-shifters will lose an hour’s pay.

That brings us to this: Although the Lions are owned by the Ford family, Ford Motor Company has not yet announced if it is going to adjust its third-shift schedule. Perhaps it is holding out for a Super Bowl? Regardless, we’re guessing there will soon be a massive outbreak of the Silver and Honolulu Blue (Oval) flu … right about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Here’s our prescription: Football, pizza, and beer. Cheers to Detroit.

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When the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion celebrates the history of racing August 14–17 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 12 of the 13 classes of competition will now be associated with legendary drivers.

“This year’s 50th-anniversary salute to historic racing will be a grand celebration unlike any we’ve done in the past,” believes Barry Toepke, director of heritage events for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. “Every aspect of the 2024 Rolex Reunion is being examined and elevated in a sense. The entire team is abuzz with new ideas and ways to honor the significance of historic racing and the addition of these gentlemen has only fueled that engine.”

They are as follows:

Mario Andretti Trophy (1966–85 Formula 1): Andretti is the only person to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967), and the Formula 1 World Championship (1978). The Turn 2 hairpin at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is named in his honor.

Scott Pruett Legends of Endurance Cup (1991–2011 IMSA ALMS, Grand Am, FIA): California native Pruett began his career in karting at the age of eight. He broke the record for the most IMSA wins in 2016 when he won his 60th race (since eclipsed in 2020 by another Californian, Bill Auberlen). Pruett won at the Rolex 24 at Daytona five times. He has five Grand-Am championships, two IMSA GTO Championships, and a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He continues to win awards with wine produced at Pruett Vineyards.

Parnelli Jones Trans-Am Trophy (1966–72 Trans-Am): Parnelli Jones’ story weaves in significant accomplishments in IndyCar, Trans-Am, off-road racing, and in the history of Laguna Seca. At 90, the oldest living winner of the Indianapolis 500 had one of his most acclaimed wins in 1970 when, at Laguna, he almost lapped the entire Trans-Am field in his Ford Mustang Boss 302. He went on to win the season championship.

Dan Gurney Saloon Car Enduro (1955–69 saloon cars): Dan Gurney was a Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, Can-Am, and Trans-Am race winner, becoming the first of three drivers to win in each series. He also started the champagne-spraying celebration in 1967 after winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans, now an integral post-race ritual. In 1961, in the thick of his F1 career, Gurney rebuilt a Chevrolet Impala and entered it in saloon races in Europe where he made history outrunning the dominant Jaguars.

Ken Miles ’60s GT Trophy (1955–67 SCCA large-displacement production cars): Miles, now widely known from the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari, is a 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring race winner. Along with Carroll Shelby, Miles was deeply involved in the development of the Ford GT40 that he raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He often raced at Laguna Seca in Shelby Cobras, and he also drove Porsches for car dealer Otto Zipper.

Jim Hall USRRC Cup (1963–68 sports racing cars): Hall, 88, is one of the most successful USRRC drivers, including winning back-to-back USRRC championships and the 12 Hours of Sebring. As a race car builder, his products have won in ‘most every series they’ve competed in, which includes USRRC, Can-Am, Trans-Am, Formula 5000, World Sportscar Championship, and the Indianapolis 500. He was a leader in the innovation and design of aerodynamics and ground effects, as seen through his Chaparral cars.

Peter Gregg Trophy (1973–81 IMSA GT, GTX, AAGT, GTU, FIA): Gregg had many important race wins and championships across multiple series. He was the Trans-Am champion in 1971 and 1973, and he had wins at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1973, ’75, ‘76, and ’78. Gregg also took four IMSA GTO championships and a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Hurley Haywood Trophy (1981–91 IMSA GTP, GTO, FIA, Group C, Trans-Am): Arguably America’s greatest road-racing endurance driver, Haywood is a five-time winner of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, a three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, and a two-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner. Haywood’s record also includes a 1988 Trans-Am Series title with Audi and two IMSA GT championships.

Pedro Rodriguez Trophy (1961–75 FIA Manufacturers Championship): Rodriguez was a popular Formula 1 driver between 1963 and 1971, winning the 1967 South African Grand Prix and the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix. With his brother, he won the 1961 Paris 1000km and the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans. According to the Laguna Seca track, driving for Ferrari between 1957 and 1970, he stood on the podium steps an impressive 40 of 94 races.

Briggs S. Cunningham Trophy (1947–60 front-engine GT, Sports Racers, and American specials): American sportsman Briggs S. Cunningham owned and raced Jaguars, Ferraris, Corvettes, Listers, OSCAs, and Abarths, but he is mostly known for constructing and fielding teams in the ‘50s with Cadillac- and Chrysler Hemi–powered Cunninghams. Third-place finishes at the 1953 and 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans were his highest, but Cunninghams captured impressive wins at Sebring, Elkhart Lake, and Bridgehampton. Adding to his legacy, Briggs successfully skippered America’s entry in the 1958 America’s Cup.

Skip Barber Cup (1967–81 Formula Fords): Barber is a back-to-back-to-back SCCA National Champion and back-to-back Formula Ford National Champion. He also raced in Formula 1 at the Monaco, Dutch, U.S., and Canadian Grands Prix. Upon retiring from racing, he founded the Skip Barber Racing School, the largest racing school in the world that holds programs at 10 different tracks in the U.S., including Laguna Seca. He is often credited by pro racers as laying the foundation for successful careers.

John Morton Trophy (1955–67 SCCA small-displacement production cars): After successfully competing in the SCCA National Championships, Morton’s talent and versatility caught the eye of Carroll Shelby, who teamed John with Ken Miles to drive for Shelby American Racing at Sebring. He catapulted into prominence with Peter Brock’s BRE team. He raced in IndyCar, F5000, Can-Am, and nine times at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he won in class twice. Morton’s expertise and involvement in racing had an impact on the development and performance of many iconic automotive brands.

Ragtime Racers Exhibition (1920-and-earlier vehicles): It can be argued that this group, known as The Ragtime Racers, celebrates the start of motor racing. Sporting long-ago brands such as Chalmers-Detroit, National, Packard, and Franklin, the owners of these vehicles bring the history of motor racing to life for fans of all ages.

For more information on the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion visit WeatherTechRaceway.com and click on the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion event page.

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It’s not unusual to see a Ford under the Mecum auction tent. By our count, 126 Mustangs crossed the block in Kissimmee last week, to say nothing of the other Blue Oval muscle and collector cars that were part of Mecum’s 4000-car Florida cavalcade. It’s quite a rare occurrence, though, for a Ford GT40 to come to public sale.

Naturally, then, our ears perked up when we got wind that a 1966 GT40 Mk I Road Car would be offered. Its sale last Friday for $6,930,000 including fees put a fresh marker down for the values of the ultra-rare road-going GT40s, but it also said something about where Mecum appears to be headed with its ever-growing Kissimmee event.

This example, chassis P/1052, was purchased new by an Italian buyer and specced with some race-oriented tweaks over the standard street GT40. The engine is noted on the build sheet as “High Performance with Weber [carburetors],” and also lists a “[r]ace exhaust system supplied in addition to Road Exhaust, one rear wheel and tyre extra, [and a] High Pressure (Race) Oil Pump.”

Two years later, three-time Targa Florio and Sebring race winner Umberto Maglioli purchased the car. It then went on to two subsequent owners, both in Germany, the latter of whom owned the car from 1994 on.

Mecum states that RUF Automobiles, the famed Porsche modifier, restored the car. Though by anyone’s standards RUF creates excellent cars, that seems an odd choice given that there are known, capable GT40-specific restorers just across the English Channel from where the car resided. Still, the car presents very well, and appears to retain many original components. It’s a solid example of Ford’s original supercar.

Pricing GT40s can be tricky, though, especially when it comes to the road cars. Provenance can be a trump card for the race cars—those that were successful on track or driven by the likes of Ken Miles or Bruce McLaren are likely to be more valuable. Famous butts sitting in seats, along with famous accomplishments, aren’t as frequent and don’t carry as much weight in a road car.

“I think originality is probably the biggest thing to consider with a road GT40,” says Gary Bartlett, a collector and owner of a road-legal Mk III. “Looking at the car’s history is important—whether it’s been wrecked or burned up and subsequently rebuilt—the usual things that can happen to these old cars. To me, originality is paramount because most of them don’t have that interesting racing history to rely on.”

The other sticky wicket with GT40s is that they simply aren’t very good cars for the street. “My wife and I quickly discovered just how hot they are in street use,” says Bartlett. “I had no idea. I don’t mean the heat of the engine—I mean inside the car. This was in April on what was probably a 70 degree day, and I thought my wife was going to pass out.” Since then, Bartlett has been more strategic about deploying his GT40: “I’ve got around 2000 track miles on my GT40,” he says. “But I’ve only put maybe 150 miles on the road. They’re amazing to drive at speed, but they’re incredibly uncomfortable in street use.”

That said, the road-going GT40s’ place in automotive royalty is recognized. A Mk I sold at Amelia in 2016 for $3.3M, and later that year another brought home $2.9M in Monterey. Those comparables are closing in on eight years old, however. Bartlett indicated that, given the car’s solid restoration, overall originality, and the age of prior sales, he was unsurprised the price landed where it did. Incidentally, the Hagerty Price Guide #2 (Excellent)-condition value for a ’66 Mk I GT40 is $6.7M, not far from the $6.9M final sale.

Along with establishing a new data point for the values of the Mk I GT40, this sale may have planted a flag regarding Mecum’s intent for their flagship event. Long a home to American muscle and comparatively attainable collector cars, this American blue chip GT40 rests at the confluence of Mecum’s roots and where Kissimmee is headed.

That’s not to say Kissimmee is no longer affordable—contributor Rick Carey noted in his post-auction report just how much is available at all price points and for all car enthusiasts at this 4000+ lot event. The median sale price was still an earth-bound $38,500. But, and this is significant, this year’s $17.875M high sale, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, pummeled last year’s top car by a resounding $14M.

Adding blue chip cars makes sense for a live auction, even one as large at Kissimmee. Though it’s become a destination—something more than just another auction—there’s no escaping that online auctions are gaining the most traction with sales of mass-produced collector cars in the sub-$250k arena. Live auctions are still holding sway toward the top of the market, so featuring cars like this GT40 is a smart move. It’s a big tent, and there’s room for more than a few big cars.

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Today if you’re looking for family transportation, your choices are limited if you want some style. Maybe a Mercedes-Benz E-Class wagon or Volvo V60—are they still available in the U.S. or only Europe now? No, the common family transportation choices are largely devoid of head-turning looks. You have your choice of a spud-shaped Equinox, spud-shaped CR-V, spud-shaped Highlander, and other extremely similar-appearing options. No stand-up hood ornament. No whitewalls. No chrome-plated heraldic crests. No hidden headlights. And certainly no Di-Noc-clad, simulated-woodgrain paneling on the sides!

But, oh! Once upon a time, when America still made cars instead of trucks and the aforementioned spud-shaped rolling stock, you had all manner of attractive luxury station wagons just beckoning to you from your friendly local Ford, Chevy, or Chrysler-Plymouth dealerships. Kingswood Estates, Sport Suburbans, and, of course, the venerable Ford Country Squire. And if you wanted to spend a little more, you could get even swankier with an assortment of Bonneville Safaris, Mercury Colony Parks, and Chrysler Town and Countrys.

But even if you remained within the “Low Priced Three’s” wagon choices, you gave up little in luxury and comfort, especially if you chose the top-trim models. But if I expand much more on the state of American station wagons in 1968, we’ll be here all day, so let’s get back to today’s featured “longroof,” the ’68 Country Squire.

The 1968 Fords were essentially heavily facelifted ’67 models. Gone were the vertically stacked headlights that had been a big Ford trademark since 1965, replaced with horizontally-oriented quad lamps on the lesser models, with hidden headlights installed on the flossier LTDs—and the Country Squire.

The ’68 Country Squires came in six- and nine-passenger versions, retailing at $3539 (about $31,000 today) and $3619 ($31,687), respectively. Production was 33,994 six-passenger versions and 57,776 nine-passenger variants. The new 302-cubic-inch V-8 with a two-barrel carburetor was standard with a synchronized three-speed manual transmission. Of course, Select Shift automatic transmission was extremely popular. Bigger 390- and 428-cu-in V-8s were also optionally available.

Today’s car was spotted by my friend Jayson Coombes at a show in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, back in September 2022, in what appears to be Meadowlark Yellow. I was immediately taken with it when he texted me pictures of it back then. Of course, I forgot about it as I went to more shows and saw other fine examples of vintage Broughamage.

But lo and behold, early this summer my friend Sal Darigo sent me a care package of vintage brochures he’d run across, and one of them was the full-size 1968 Ford brochure. It immediately triggered my memory, and I spent some time tracking down the correct photo file on my computer. And here we are!

I really do miss the “standard Ford” LTDs, Galaxie 500s, Custom 500s, Fairlanes, and the like. The final vestige of that great line of Ford automobiles was the Ford Taurus, which sadly ended production after the 2019 model year. And the ’19 Taurus Limited was a great car. Sadly, today all you can get car-wise is a Mustang. Which is a shame. But for those who march to the beat of a non-crossover drummer, check the classic car listings and you’ll find all manner of fine LTD Country Squires—with style in spades!

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New truck shoppers know the Ford F-150 Lightning as the electrified version of the venerable F-150. Enthusiasts might think of the model a little differently, and remember the thunder of a V-8 backing up the name. As the hot-rodded version of the F-Series that debuted in 1993 as Ford’s entry into the on-again, off-again full-size muscle truck segment, the ‘93-95 Lightning has spiked in value as it rides a wave of interest among collectors.

Unlike with their segment-creating Mustang, Ford wasn’t the first mover when it came to fast trucks. Dodge lays claim to that title, having installed the 426-cubic inch Wedge engine into a very limited run of its D-Series pickups from 1964-66. They returned to the theme in the late ’70s, this time going all-out with stickers, exhaust stacks, and a big V-8. The 360-powered ’78-79 Lil Red Express made a splash as one of the quickest and most ostentatious vehicles on the market, only to disappear as quickly as it arrived.

A decade later, Chevy decided to capture the full-size muscle pickup segment with the 1990 454SS. Available in black or red, the bowtie pickup had the sandbox to itself for a couple years till Ford decided there was enough of a market for a little healthy competition, and debuted a powerful truck of its own.

While Chevy went with the basic approach of dropping a big block in the lightest possible configuration, Ford decided to have its Special Vehicle Team tweak the 351-cubic inch engine with a bevy of go-fast bits. Most noticeable when you pop the hood is the specially tuned intake manifold, but SVT also added GT40 heads, a larger throttle body, a more aggressive camshaft, and revised exhaust to maximize airflow. This resulted in 240 horses and 340 lb-ft of torque, 40 more in both measurements than the base 351. Putting power to the ground is a recalibrated four-speed automatic, aluminum driveshaft, and limited-slip differential.

Inside, adjustable high-backed bucket seats embroidered with “Lightning” set the interior apart from the average F-150. On the outside, the Lightning is clearly not your average early ’90s work truck, but it’s also not nearly as overt as Dodge’s Lil Red Express. Lightning graphics on the bed, 17-inch alloy wheels, color-matched grille and bumpers, and a front spoiler all suggest this is a sport(ier) pickup, but the look isn’t over the top.

No one will mistake a stock Lightning for an autocross champ, but SVT did make some handling improvements, too: lowering springs, improved dampers, bigger sway bars, and sticky tires completed the package.

The result is a truck with plenty of personality, if not outright performance. These first-gen Lightnings are a far cry from the brawn and capability of their 700-horse F-150 Raptor R descendants, and that’s ok. Sometimes a good-looking truck with clean lines, a decent-sized bed, and a nice, throaty burble is enough, and based on the Lightning’s valuation data, it seems that plenty of enthusiasts agree.

Like much of the rest of the collector market, these trucks began to appreciate in 2021. Where they differ from many popular models is that their prices continued to surge through the end of 2022 (after the market’s peak), and then, as the rest of the market began to taper, the Lightning has held steady. This generally tracks with the pickup segment as a whole, which has posted only minor losses compared to significant drops in more mainstream segments like sports cars and the once-white-hot collector SUV segment.

Also similar to broader market behavior, the cleanest examples have surged in value more than driver-quality vehicles, and the value delta between conditions has been magnified. That said, the ones you wouldn’t be afraid to throw two-by-fours in the back of are still relatively attainable, with #3 (Good)-condition Lightnings around the $25k mark and solid drivers hovering around the $10,000 range.

The outlook appears steady for the Lightning’s future, as well. About 71 percent of buyers are from Gen X and younger generations, and that share has been the same the past three years. Millennial interest is particularly strong, representing a nearly 30-percent share of Lightning insurance quotes, outstripping their market share by seven percent. Quote volume was up a healthy 13 percent in 2023, too, indicating growing demand.

No, the first-gen Lightning won’t power your job site like the new one can. It does, however, offer a durable, usable, and attainable entry point into the collector pickup world.

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If I say “turkey,” you will probably think about a sandwich. If I say “Turkey, the country,” you might think about a kebab or baklava; a car is unlikely to come to mind. And yet this nation lying at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East built about 1.3 million vehicles in 2022. Fiat, Ford, and Renault independently run decades-old operations in Turkey, and the Blue Oval’s division traces its roots to a failed attempt by a brand named Anadol to create a range of Turkish-built cars.

Anadol built approximately 62,000 fiberglass-bodied, Ford-powered cars over 19 years. Spotting one in the wild takes a great deal of patience and a little bit of luck; I didn’t have either, so I spent some time with five models tucked away in a dusty corner of the Rahmi M. Koç museum not far from downtown Istanbul.

Grab a coat—we’re off to Turkey.

Anadol’s beginnings

Turkey’s first home-brewed car, the Devrim, made its debut in October 1961. It was developed at the request of the government, as part of an industrialization plan, and built by a state-owned firm that specialized in manufacturing locomotives. Four prototypes were tested before the project collapsed.

Koç Holding, a massive industrial conglomerate based in Istanbul, was undeterred by the failure of the Devrim and reasoned that there was still space in the market for a Turkish car brand. It asked a subsidiary called Otosan Sanayi to find a partner with whom to design cars. England-based Reliant answered the call in 1963.

Developed largely in England, the first prototype was known internally as the FW5 and powered by a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine sourced from a Ford Anglia Super. Turkey’s two-door sedan used a fiberglass body to keep weight and manufacturing costs in check, and it featured a fairly elegant exterior design with little in the way of trim.

(Fear not, it wasn’t the Regal kind of Reliant—it was fitted with four wheels.)

As the production deadline approached, officials held a nationwide contest to find a name for the brand. “Anadol” emerged as the winner right before December 1965, when a prototype triumphantly drove into Istanbul, completing a 63-hour trek that had started in England. With this feat accomplished, higher-ups signed off on the project.

A1 (1966)

The Reliant RW5 became the Anadol A1. Not much changed as it transitioned from a prototype to a production model. Launched in December 1966, it was offered only as a two-door sedan powered by a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine designed by Ford and rated at 48 horsepower. The engine spun the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission linked to a shifter mounted on the floor. Although far from epoch-shaping, the A1 did precisely what it was supposed to do: give Turkey its very own car.

While the A1 wore a “made in Turkey” label, many of the parts used to build it traced their roots to England. In addition to a Kent-built engine, which powered Fords like the Cortina, the electrical system of Anadol’s first car used Lucas parts and Smiths gauges. The suspension system was a blend of Triumph and Ford. With that lineage, it’s no surprise that the A1 enjoyed a successful career on the Turkish rally scene.

Anadol made several updates to the A1 over its nine-year lifespan. In 1968, the company fitted the 54-horsepower, 1.3-liter Kent engine in 1968, and it launched a redesigned model five years later. About 20,000 units of both A1s were built before production of the model ended in 1975.

A2 (1971)

Anadol’s goal wasn’t to remain a one-model brand, and it took a big step toward the mainstream when it released a larger four-door model, the A2, in 1971. The firm leveraged its expertise in fiberglass construction to create what’s widely credited as the world’s first mass-produced fiberglass-bodied four-door sedan.

Beyond keeping production costs in check, the composite body unlocked a significant and somewhat unexpected advantage: it was easy to chop up. Commercial vehicles were in short supply on the Turkish market during the early 1970s—Anadol offered a pickup starting in 1971 but had trouble keeping up with demand—so customers modified numerous A2s into home-brewed trucks and vans.

Early versions of the A2 looked a lot like the A1, with round headlights and a bright grille, and they used a 1.3-liter version of the Kent engine. Anadol launched a facelifted model in 1972 whose design was more closely aligned with the styling trends of the 1970s, and 1976 brought the second (and final) evolution called A2 SL. The sedan stayed in production until 1981. Approximately 35,000 units of the A2 were built, making it the brand’s most successful sedan. Many were used as taxis.

SV-1600 (1973)

With the sedan segment covered, Anadol turned its attention to the wagon market. While the SV-1600 was related to the A2, it received a more contemporary-looking front end and a slanted hatch that made it less boxy than some of the other wagons sold new in the 1970s (we’re looking at you, Volvo). The body of the SV-1600 was made from fiberglass, and the interior received folding rear seats.

Anadol made several changes to the SV-1600 during a production run of roughly 6000 cars that ended in 1981, notably a two-tone paint option made available shortly after the model’s launch. Not a lot changed under the hood; the SV-1600 was exclusively available with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine sourced from Ford.

STC-16 (1973)

In the early 1970s, Anadol set out to prove that it could do more than meet the basic transportation needs of Turkish motorists. It began to develop the STC-16, its first, last, and only sports car, with an eye on international rally competition. Beating a company like Lancia on its home turf would generate a significant amount of publicity for the brand and increase its sales—and perhaps it would open the door to export markets? In less than a year, Anadol had built the first three prototypes.

Designers gave the coupe a look of its own rather than borrowing styling cues from the A2. Again made with fiberglass, the model wore a long hood, a roof line that recalled the Datsun 240Z and flowed into a big hatch, and a Kammback rear end with four lights. The body hid a shortened version of the platform that underpinned Anadol’s other models, and the STC-16 used an 82-horsepower evolution of Ford’s familiar 1.6-liter four-cylinder Kent engine. The displacement, measured in cubic centimeters, allegedly explains the name: Sport Turkish Car 1600.

STC-16 production started in April 1973, and you can probably guess the rest. Six months later, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) announced an embargo against the United States, sending global oil prices on an unprecedented hike. Not only did the STC-16 burn more fuel than a run-of-the-mill sedan, but the cost of manufacturing its fiberglass body skyrocketed.

Production of the sports car ended in 1977 after merely 176 units were built, according to the museum. Many ended up racing, as the company had intended; the example pictured here was modified with twin Weber carburetors, a more aggressive camshaft, and a redesigned cylinder head that together increased its output to around 145 horsepower.

Böcek (1975)

Anadol’s entry into the beach buggy segment looked like a concept car that had escaped from the auto show circuit. Developed largely for Turkey’s tourism industry, the Böcek (which translates to “bug” in Turkish) was characterized by a flat and steeply raked front end, a soft top that snapped onto the top of the door sills, and a spare wheel placement on the rear-end that was both befuddling and innovative.

The closer you look, the wilder the Böcek gets: there are three lights on the driver’s side of the rear end but two on the passenger’s side. An assortment of five mirrors mounted above the windshield gives the driver a view of what’s behind the car. Turkey’s beach buggy is considerably more modern-looking than the open-top cars that ruled European beaches, like the Citroën Méhari, the Renault Rodeo, and the Mini Moke.

Power came from a 1.3-liter, 63-horsepower Kent engine that spun the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. Anadol had high hopes for the model, and even envisioned a pair of gullwing doors, but production ended in 1977 after about 203 units were built. Historians cite the economic situation in Turkey and the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis as reasons for the failure of the Böcek.

Anadol’s last stand

The A2’s successor, the futuristic-looking A8-16 sedan, was the last new car released by Anadol. It featured a wedge-shaped front end and several parts sourced from within the brand, such as windows from the SV-1600 and rear lights from the Böcek. Around 1000 units were built from 1981 to 1984.

After that, the curtains dropped. Gradually moving closer to Ford in the late 1970s and early 1980s allowed Anadol to replace the A8-16 with a Turkish-built TC3-generation Taunus, though it continued making pickups until 1991. Ford Otosan still operates today as a joint venture of Ford and Koç Holding, and it builds the Transit van for many global markets (the United States isn’t one).

The idea of a Turkish people’s car could have been reborn with Saab bones. In 2015, the Turkish government bought the platform of Saab’s 9-3 from NEVS for €40 million, and the group unveiled a pair of Pininfarina-designed prototypes four years later. Production should have started in 2022; it didn’t. In practice, the current Fiat Tipo (known as the Ægea locally, where it’s built) has become the new Turkish people’s car.

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Welcome to Original Owner, a series showcasing—you guessed it—people who bought a classic car new and still own it. The cars don’t need to be factory-original, just still in the hands of the first owner and still getting driven. Got a tip? Email tips@hagerty.com —Ed.

From April through October 1964, about 24 million people filed through the New York World’s Fair, held at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. Among the highlight attractions, spread over 650 acres, were the Swiss Sky Ride over the Fairgrounds, a working video phone shown by AT&T, a genuine jetpack flight demonstration, and even a nine-minute speech by an animatronic Abraham Lincoln.

From the automotive world, the General Motors Futurama display introduced concepts for future cities and transportation on Earth … and the moon. Chrysler’s very real Turbine Car suggested a possible alternative to the piston engine.

At the Ford Pavilion, however, there was a car that excited fairgoers could go out and buy right away: the 1965 Mustang. Unveiled there on April 17, the spicy-looking compact coupe went on sale across America the same day. Its $2368 starting price was affordable, and Ford dealers reportedly took 22,000 orders.

By that October, when the New York World’s Fair closed for the year (it would reopen for a second season in spring 1965), some 200,000 people had purchased Mustangs. Two months later, millions of moviegoers in America watched a Mustang driven by Tilly Masterson (played by Tania Mallet) duel with a gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery as James Bond in Goldfinger.

To keep up with demand, Ford was building the Mustang in three assembly plants (Dearborn, Michigan; San Jose, California; and Metuchen, New Jersey). By the following fall,  the automaker had made a hair under 681,000 1965 Mustangs over an extended 18-month model year for this milestone car. America was head-over-heels for what the media dubbed the “pony car.”

Bruce Butler, however, was not swayed. In basic training with the U.S. Army National Guard, the 23-year-old was, naturally, aware of the public’s feverish reaction to the Mustang. Still, the Eastern Washington native was happy to trundle along in a 1961 Volkswagen Beetle he’d bought used while serving his enlistment at Fort Ord, California. Besides, Butler had his own classic Ford back home, a Model A barely capable of 50 mph.

“I was not impressed by the Mustang at first,” Butler, now 83, recalls.

Mustang Attitude Adjustment

His attitude would change the following year. At the time, he was working in his first job out of college. On May 27, 1966, the Friday before Memorial Day, Butler bought one of the 607,568 Mustangs Ford built for that model year. More than 57 years later, he still owns the Night Mist Blue Mustang hardtop he bought from Market Ford in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Butler’s Mustang came with the standard three-speed manual transmission and, for options, the 200-horsepower 289 cubic-inch V-8 and two-barrel carburetor, AM radio, tinted glass, heavy-duty battery, whitewall tires, trailer hitch, and day/night rear-view mirror. The sticker price came to $2757.97, including $67 for freight, and that is what he paid. The dealer gave him $288 for his Beetle trade-in.

According to Mustang: The Complete History of America’s Pioneer Ponycar by Gary L. Witzenburg (1979), 58.3 percent of 1966 Mustangs came with the optional 289 two-barrel engine, and 30 percent had the standard three-speed stick. (Nearly 63 percent had the automatic transmission, and just 7 percent had the four-speed.)

Job changes over the following decades would take Butler and his family around the Midwest, then out to Olympia, Washington, and finally back east to Spokane Valley, where he grew up. He took the Mustang with every move, but along the way, he came close to selling it. After a long storage period, the car emerged in 2022 and is back on the road for weekend fun.

Butler had expert help to get it there; Andy’s Classic Mustangs, a restoration, sales, and service shop for Ford’s classic pony car, is right in town. Butler also gave into temptation there: In spring 2023, he sold Andy a ’66 Mustang convertible he’d bought decades before but never restored. He then bought from Andy’s a restored ’66 V-8 convertible, also painted Night Mist Blue, just like his coupe.

Factory Basics: 1965–66 Mustang

Ford captured lightning in a bottle with the 1965 Mustang. Championed by Ford Motor Company’s brash vice president and general manager, Lee Iacocca, savvy product planner Hal Sperlich led a quick development program for an affordable compact car that would appeal to young buyers.

Iacocca recognized the market potential of the post-WWII baby boomers who would begin graduating from high school in huge numbers in 1964. He envisioned a kind of “poor man’s Thunderbird” priced around $2500 that could also appeal as a second family car with style and verve.

With Ford still reeling from the $250 million Edsel failure a few years before, a new car for a segment that didn’t yet exist proved a tough sell to the boss, Henry Ford II. The persistent Iacocca eventually won him over. Given a low $40 million budget, the designers and engineers concocted the right-time, right-look, right-price car based on Ford’s popular (and cheap) Falcon compact. The Mustang name was decided upon late in the car’s development.

Though many refer to the first six months of Mustang production as “1964-1/2” models, all first-year Mustangs were in fact 1965 cars. The distinction, more accurately, applies to several running production changes made in September 1964: Ford offered three body styles, including the hardtop coupe, fastback, and convertible. The 1966 model was largely a reprise with some exterior and interior trim differences.

Enthusiasts who grew up with 5.0-liter Fox-body Mustangs and the more modern models may think of Ford’s pony car only as a muscle car, but performance-optioned 1965–66 Mustangs accounted for a very small percentage of sales. The early Mustang had fulfilled its mission as a kind of mass-market “Thunderbird Lite.”

Catching Mustang Fever

Butler elaborates on his journey from Mustang skeptic to half-century-long owner:

“In the service, I had a buddy in the same company, John J. Haffner from Peoria, Illinois. All he could talk about was buying a Mustang when he got off active duty. On a three-day pass, we drove my Volkswagen to a dealer near Los Angeles to see the Mustang. This dealer had a 1930 Model A coupe in a glass display case. While John drooled over the Mustangs, I drooled over the Model A.”

After his stint in the service and with college completed, Butler started his career as an internal auditor for Rock Island Railroad in Chicago. Soon afterward, he became a claims adjuster for the company and transferred to Des Moines, Iowa. That’s when he first got to drive a Mustang.

“I had a girlfriend with a green ‘65 Mustang coupe with the Pony interior,” Butler says. “I still had my Volkswagen and began thinking it’d be fun to have a nice car before I wind up in the family way with a sedan. I kind of got Mustang fever at that point.”

Shortly before Memorial Day weekend in 1966, Butler rode a train to St. Louis for a weekend and rented a Mustang from Hertz. “That finalized my decision to get one,” he remembers. “Back in Des Moines, I saw a newspaper ad for Mustangs in stock at Market Ford in Minneapolis. I took a train up there and bought mine on the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. I was 23, and the salesmen was not much older. My 24th birthday was just a couple weeks later, so I called the car my present to myself.”

Criss-Crossing the West

When Rock Island Railroad acquired an IBM System/360 mainframe computer, which filled an entire room, Butler accepted company training to become an operator. He would remain in the computer field for 37 years. While still in Iowa, he drove a 1966 Plymouth Fury sedan as a company car. The small house he was renting had a two-car garage, and that’s where he parked his new Mustang and his Model A. The Plymouth stayed outside.

When Butler moved back to Chicago for his new computer job with the railroad, he stayed in a friend’s house that had a two-car garage. He kept the Mustang and Model A there and could take the train to work.

“The Mustang didn’t get a lot of miles in Chicago,” he says. “I met my fiancée there. After we got married in summer 1968, we rented a duplex in Blue Island, Illinois that had a garage. The Mustang was our daily driver until we had kids. Over the years, several people tried to trade me for cars that would have been more suited to my needs. One guy offered a ’68 Ford wagon, which was worth more money than my Mustang at the time. It was a nice car, but I didn’t want it.”

More Moves with the Mustang

Butler made his way back to Washington in the Seventies, taking a job with the state in the capital, Olympia. “We had an apartment, and for a while the Mustang was parked on a carport. We bought our first home shortly after that, and it had a kind of a shelter for the car,” he says.

In 1977, now with two sons, Butler moved his family back to Spokane Valley where his parents still lived. He picked up a ’66 Mustang convertible project car a few years later, which he planned to restore but never did. After retiring from the computer field in 2006, Butler found a new calling as a train engineer. “I had a 15-year post-retirement career working for a small railroad that ran 90 or so miles out west into central Washington,” he says.

Other changes came, bringing sadness. Butler’s wife died in 2020.

“I’ve adjusted, done better than I expected,” he says. “She never drove the Mustang much, because she wasn’t a very good driver, and she knew it. But she was more than happy letting me drive. I retired for good at the end of 2021. Then I finally had time for the cars.”

Mustang Memories

Hagerty: Did you drive the Mustang a lot when you first bought it?

Butler: After I picked up the car new, starting out of Minneapolis, I wanted to see how many states I could hit in the first 24 hours. I notched off Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and then the next morning I got up and drove over to Indiana.”

Hagerty: How long did you use the Mustang as a family car?

Butler: The Mustang was my primary vehicle until 1987, logging 142,902 miles. It was never abused, but not babied either. It has been driven very little since then.

Hagerty: What made you hold on to the Mustang for so long?

Butler: I somehow always felt that the Mustang would be a classic, and it happened faster than I thought it would. I’d say by the early-to-mid-Seventies, they bottomed out at 800-900 bucks and started going up in value after that fairly quickly.”

Hagerty: Did you run the car or drive it after putting it in storage?

Butler: I started it for the first time in seven years on June 6, 2006. Then, in 2014, we moved about 10 miles away. I got the Mustang started and was going to drive it. I went up the driveway, stepped on the brake and the pedal went clear to the floor. So, it made the trip to our new home on a trailer. I’d built a workshop by then and kept it in there.

Hagerty: The early Mustangs were rust-prone. How did you preserve yours?

Butler: The car has been garaged nearly all its life. If I parked it on the street, it wasn’t for long. The Mustang wasn’t as practical as I needed, so it mostly sat. It stayed in a shed under cover for 20 years, and I didn’t drive it.

Hagerty: Did you drop the Model As after getting the Mustang?

Butler: No. At one point I had two Model As and the two Mustangs. We had a double garage. I told my wife, ‘I need to get rid of the Model As or the Mustangs.’ I didn’t care which ones I sold, but the Model As sold first, so the Mustangs stayed.

Hagerty: What spurred you to finally get the Mustang back on the road?

Butler: Last year, I finally decided I wanted to have a little fun with it. I took it to Andy’s Classic Mustangs and said, ‘Let’s make this car safe to drive.’ Andy went through it. It got a new radiator, new water pump, fuel pump, gas tank, clutch, and a front disc brake conversion with dual master cylinders. It drives very nicely.

Hagerty: Was the goal to keep the car close to original condition?

Butler: I can’t say the car is a hundred percent original. It was in a couple of minor fender benders, and the rear quarter panels started to rust. I got those repaired, so it’s had some minor body work. The rest of the paint is original. I figured it could make a good car for a concours restoration, but there are already plenty of those around.

Hagerty: How did it feel to get back behind the wheel of this 57-year-old car?

Butler: Getting used to the stick shift after many years of driving automatics was a slightly bigger challenge than I expected, but I’m getting better at it.

Hagerty: Do any memories of the Mustang stand out?

Butler: One time, near Galesburg, Illinois, when I was still single, I had some friends in the car. There was nobody around, no traffic. I got the Mustang up to 100 mph, and I realized we were quickly approaching a curve in the road. I shut that down real quick.

Hagerty: Are your sons involved with the Mustangs?

Butler: One already has a classic Mustang of his own, and the other wants my hardtop. I’m 83, so I don’t know how much longer I’ll be around. The convertible will also likely remain in the family.

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Car: 1966 Ford Mustang V-8 Hardtop

Owner: Bruce Butler

Home: Spokane Valley, Washington

Delivery Date: May 27, 1966

Miles on Car: ~150,000

Are you the original owner of a classic car, or do you know someone who is? Send us a photo and a bit of background at tips@hagerty.com with ORIGINAL OWNER in the subject line—you might get featured in our next installment!

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Wayne: One of the first memories I have of meeting Miranda’s parents, Jim and Joyce Watterworth, is of a truck cab in Jim’s shop. I had no clue what it’d look like completed. That changed, as Jim had no problem sharing with me (or anyone) his ideas for the ’49 Ford.

His vision slowly took shape: sandblasted and painted frame; Chevy small-block (engines were his specialty); Golden Oak stain for the interior (same color as Joyce’s kitchen cupboards). The truck was all him.

Miranda: Mom passed in 2009. When Dad found his way back from that, the truck was waiting. He was nearly finished when he got sick. Limited physically, he sat at the kitchen table making lists of parts needed.

In 2014, five months after cancer diagnoses, his list turned into ours. The truck moved to storage until a friend of a friend found someone to finish it. Enter Rob Burkholder. If Rob and Dad had ever met, they would’ve talked old cars for hours. Rob lost his battle with cancer in 2017. We are so thankful for the work he did.

Dad had said our son Jesse, who often sat in the cab pretending to drive, should get the first ride. Yet in 2019, Jesse was killed by a drunken driver. His ride was with Wayne and me, leading his funeral procession. The truck lost power outside the cemetery and had just enough momentum to coast through the gates. Jesse and the truck weren’t ready to go there.

As Dad would have, we’ve been driving the truck. Dad meant a lot to people; this truck means a lot too.

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Car people dream of winter wonderland conditions for a couple of reasons. Some look forward to holing up in the garage and working on their project car, drinking a warm cup of coffee while reading a great book about road trips, or maybe even planning their next drive when the salt finally washes away. If you are faithful to a brand and not the car itself though, the winter season holds plenty of interesting options that encourage you to make the most of the fluffy power while we have it. Here are four examples of car makers embracing the winter season.

BMW Bobsled

Audi might have climbed the ski jump, but BMW took sliding back down the hill to a new extreme when it partnered with the U.S.A. bobsled team to crate its racing sled. While there might not be an engine, the heavy use of lightweight materials and complex aerodynamics is where the automaker’s knowledge came into play. The Bavarian-designed sleds first went dashing through the snow during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and replaced a 20-year-old platform that Team U.S.A. had previously been using. The top speed was just shy of 80mph at the bottom of the run.

Chrysler Sno-Runner

For those who prefer a more adventurous route down the mountainside rather than a perfectly smooth one, Chrysler has you covered. Well, not technically covered, but at least an option for getting around out in the fluffy snow. The Sno-Runner was born in the late 1970s out of Chrysler’s desperation to make a profit. In 1979, this wild cross-breed between a snowmobile and a minibike was unleashed into the wild.

The narrow rear track is powered by a West Bend two-stroke engine originally produced for chainsaw use. The frame is sealed and holds fuel that is pumped into the cylinder by a type of carburetor rarely found on motor vehicles. A single ski up front makes for interesting handling and the whole operation does not do great with loose, fluffy snow but it stands as an interesting attempt at something different.

Ford’s snowblower

The Sno-Runner was Chrysler trying new things, but Ford has typically been more risk-averse and keen on partnerships. That’s why you could be forgiven if you forgot about the Ford Snowblowers. Some people love to work, or at least love to get out of their driveway in the winter months, and that can often mean clearing your own escape route. Ford was still in the tractor and implement market in the 1970s, but rather than produce everything itself, it decided to re-brand machines built by outfits known for various products. These two-stage snowblowers were produced by Gilson or Jacobson and then painted Ford Blue and branded. They can still be found in the secondhand market today if you are looking for just the right snowblower to match your vintage pickup.

Porsche snow bike

Porsche was a brand born on the Austrian ski slopes as Ferry motored up and down the mountainsides in what would become the 356. The brand evolved over the years and has put the Porsche name on a good number of non-Porsche-built items, but the Avora-Porsche 212 Skibob is one we learned about recently and still has us a little perplexed. The first bicycle with skis instead of wheels was patented before 1900 but it took until the mid-1950s to have an international race of skibobs or snowbikes.

From there it only got weirder. This Porsche-branded skibob is from the 1970s. It’s constructed of molded polyfoam and folds up neatly for transport to and from the slopes. With no brakes, limited suspension, and small skis that attach to your feet to help aid in balance, it sure seems like skibob riding is only for the brave. The handling characteristics of the rear-engined 911 might be interesting, but this is another level entirely.

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Before we proceed, let’s ensure we are all on the same page on the concept of trolling, as Merriam-Webster defines the act as to:

“Antagonize (others) online by deliberately posting inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments or other disruptive content.”

Let’s focus on the phrase “disruptive content,” because the disruption presented here is on par with Amazon versus Sears. The trolling you feel isn’t a mirage: The oddly proportioned, first-generation Mustang seen above isn’t AI generated, and its owner uses this creation as a daily driver.

Contrary to information posted elsewhere on the internet, this “Honda Stang” was placed on Facebook Marketplace with the sole intent to raise the collective blood pressures of social media users. It worked, spurring another automotive news outlet to ask, “What would possibly compel someone to do something like this?” Sadly, they answered their own question with conjecture in lieu of reaching out to the owner for an interview. Kristofer (the seller) didn’t much care for what he was reading online, but luckily we here at Hagerty have the latitude to actually interview someone before publishing a story.

I reached out and got the truth about this Honda-infused Mustang. As our phone call progressed, Kristofer started shutting the Mustang’s doors/hood/trunk while asserting, “Tell me if there’s another Honda that sounds like that!”

He’s right; the Honda Stang made metallic thuds like every first-generation Mustang I’ve experienced. Kristofer’s choice in a commuter vehicle is certainly bold, and he wasn’t shy about the ramifications of his purchase decision:

“I know this is an insult to several generations of enthusiasts with a single car, and I bought it because my co-worker hated it. I drove 14 hours to buy it: Ford people hate it, Mustang people hate it, Honda guys hate it. I’ve hit a trifecta here, but I never thought a troll post would take off like this. I mean it’s got a backup camera for god’s sakes.”

And Kristofer wasn’t kidding when he said his troll post stirred things up. The feedback from Facebook users was both frustrating and amusing, as the positive comments were occasionally overshadowed by the most offensive words you can imagine. The lack of humanity in some people is tragic, as Kristofer notes the Honda Stang is “just a car…metal, cloth, rubber, tires. It’s not worth this.” At least the misleading reporting he read elsewhere on the internet was far more entertaining. So he was thrilled to set the record straight with Hagerty, and he shared things he did not post in the listing.

Kristofer openly admits that he was neither the builder nor the intended recipient of the Honda Stang, but he’s doing what it was designed for: It’s used for commuting to work and has needed nothing aside from maintenance and regular upkeep expected for an 18-year-old Honda.

Our treats from the owner started with shared photos of the original donor cars, complete with a listing for the rust-free doors needed to make that 1965 Mustang shell into a road-worthy body transplant. The donor Mustang was indeed left to rot in a field, and the builder was the only person interested in saving it. Or ruining it, and the same could be said for the (presumably) usable 2005 Honda Accord sedan that donated its heart and soul to this project.

The build pictures of the Honda Stang show how “disruptive” things got before the final coat of shiny paint was applied. This is a hat car in all its glory: The rusty shell of a Mustang was dropped onto the Honda Accord and modified as needed to fit into its new home.

While both cars have nearly the same wheelbase (the Honda is 0.1-inch shorter), the location of the cowl in a front-wheel-drive Honda necessitated moving the Mustang’s front wheel arches further back to get the dashboard in the right spot. From there, the rear also had to move back. The custom rocker panels (lower than a stock Mustang) and deep chin spoiler (to protect the radiator support) further show how the Mustang was altered to be a Honda Accord under the skin.

A set of 17-inch Torq Thrust style wheels from a 2005 Mustang GT completes the deception, as the Honda and the S197 Mustang use the same bolt pattern. Or, as Kristofer put it,”the Honda Stang is not a K24 in a Mustang, it’s a Mustang on a Honda!” The Honda DNA truly shines in its 30-mpg fuel economy, ice cold A/C, great heat, cruise control, airbags, catalytic converters, and full OBD-II diagnostic functionality. Modifications to the Honda part of the Mustang are modest, as it sits on coilover shocks and has a Flowmaster muffler.

“Its not a Mustang sitting in a field anymore, it even gets driven in the snow.”

The “hat” car adage of being able to get anything from the local parts store also holds true, as Kristofer recently grabbed a power steering line for his “2005 Honda Accord” and installed it without a hitch. He kept the Honda-themed rocker panels but notes that passersby unexpectedly hate the non-standard fuel filler location, as it looks too much like a Mustang II. But since Honda demanded a filler neck location in that quarter panel, the Honda Stang abided.

The reality of Honda Stang ownership is that Kristofer has also been trolling his neighbors in real life. He gets negative comments on a regular basis, and is “flipped off twice a week,” as you’d expect from a four-wheeled troll with world-class engineering. But with 8000 miles of commuting under its belt, it’s hard to deny the allure of daily driving with an interior sporting the modern comforts we expect, but in a vintage wrapper complete with crank windows and a pillarless hardtop.

The interior is familiar to anyone who has been in an Accord, but the Tesla-style touchscreen in the center stack is a nice upgrade. The stereo definitely adds to the experience, complete with a Pioneer amplifier and a subwoofer from a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS. Kristofer admits he is brand agnostic in his choice of subwoofers, but the hat car purists among us would insist it needs either a Honda or a Ford loudspeaker instead … am I right or what? 

That upgraded stereo runs off the Honda’s dashboard wiring, to the point the fancy screen is integrated with the airbag-equipped steering wheel’s audio controls. That was by design, and Kristofer asked me the rhetorical question, “Why should I lose creature comforts in my ’65 Mustang?”

While other automotive news sources questioned the cleanliness of the carpets, their condition is to be expected in a vehicle that sees work boots on a daily basis. Kristofer is a mechanic by trade, and the Honda Stang is his mighty steed for just about everything. He noted how the new Honda floor created a far more cavernous trunk than that of a stock Mustang, a feature he regularly puts to the test as a commuter car.

Contrary to other reports in the media, Kristofer is a dyed-in-the-wool Blue Oval fan. “I have 2011 Ford F-350 Powerstroke with 643,000 miles, and I love Ford aside from the Focus DCTs.” He just has no problem trolling people—and enjoying the fruits of combining two fantastic vehicles into one nearly perfect daily driver.

But there’s an irony in Kristofer’s “disruptive” behavior, because he received two offers at his $15,000 asking price. Both are from out of state, however, so cash wasn’t exactly flashed in his face, ensuring that “the offers are tempting but it’s hard for me to let go.” Perhaps he should actually sell, as Kristofer is still in touch with the builder, and this troll post emboldened them to go even further. There’s a chance a rust-bucket 1965 Mustang fastback will donate itself to a Subaru WRX chassis in the future. Wow.

Watch this space for any updates, and follow Kristofer on TikTok, as there’s likely more to come on this story.

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In the late, great 1970s, Detroit vans were absolutely “it.” Surf wagons. Yamahaulers. Shag wagons. Call them what you will—and use them as you would—these big boxes on wheels offered everything we young people wanted in the day.

Being partial to Ford, I craved a second-gen Econoline that could haul bikes, boards, and babes, so I put my back into earning one. I pumped gas, worked as a wrench and a parts man at three dealerships, and flipped cars and bikes until I had the 2000 clams needed for a used long-wheelbase 1971 SuperVan. I’d really wanted a 1955–57 Thunderbird, but they were outta sight at $5K. And since I rode dirt bikes a lot, the van made great sense. And so, boy, was I happy.

The Wimbledon White E-100 had slotted chrome-reverse rims, hood pins, primer spots, groovy walnut paneling, and threadbare carpeting atop its 10-foot floor, but I didn’t mind; the 302’s compression was spot-on and the Cruise-O-Matic three-speed shifted great.

There’s a scene in the movie On Any Sunday where Mert Lawwill drives between races with his left foot atop his Econoline’s dash, a reprieve from the skimpy floor area pinched by the wheel arch and engine cover. For me, slogging along L.A.’s 405 freeway proved a breeze this way, bulking up for motocross with a hand-grip strengthener that hung on the turn-signal lever when not in use, and listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours on the tape deck. You can relate, right?

Happily, the SuperVan proved super. In three years, hardly any negatives intruded—just a bum ignition coil, one window broken by vandals, and a cracked gas-tank vent hose that gave everyone inside a headache. Overall, though, that workaday Econoline enabled so many fun times that I now sorely want one again. Such emotions clearly drive the classic car hobby. Because when your best life and times conjoin with even a common, low-value vehicle, why, that’s real love.

The romance lasted until full-time employment called; the E-100 then exited for what I’d paid for it, to some guy I met up with in a parking lot. Today, a comparable one might bring $10,000 to $15,000—hardly a win had I kept mine for decades. So, while the Econoline failed at profit-making, that wasn’t the mission. Instead, it was all about living. And for that, the SuperVan was the right plan.

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I bought my first car, a powder-blue Mk. I Ford Escort Mexico, before I had a license. I would start the car and listen to the radio, thinking I was the coolest kid in town. I passed my driving test when I was 17 (first attempt). When you live in a small Scottish town, having the ability to escape to other places is immense.

Many years and many Fords later, I moved to Los Angeles and worked as an archivist for Warner Brothers, where I looked after studio artifacts. I drove the Batmobiles, the General Lee, and even the Ford Gran Torino that Clint Eastwood drove in the eponymous movie. A fast Ford, but not really the one I wanted.

The holy grail to Escort fans was an RS2000. I started looking in earnest for one 15 years ago. I wanted left-hand-drive, original as possible, and, if I had a choice, Signal Orange. About a year ago, after placing yet another advert, I was contacted by a man representing the seller of a very original, LHD 1978 RS2000. Signal Orange. Expensive? Yes. Did I want it? You bet.

One of my best friends, based near London, checked it out. He called on his way home. I asked him what it was like. “I’m driving it now!” he replied. He’d bought it and eventually delivered it to the Southampton docks.

I checked the location of that ship dozens of times. Then, it was here, across the Atlantic, a lifelong dream cocooned in my attached garage. My wife’s Toyota Venza sits on the street. She never complains. She knows I love her more than anything—but the Escort is a close second.

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The latest rendition of Hagerty’s timeless Redline Rebuild video series has arrived, and it might just be our favorite one ever. The lucky engine in question is a Ford 351 cubic-inch Cleveland V-8, pulled from a 1972 DeTomaso Pantera that Tom Cotter and the Barn Find Hunter crew rescued from a four-plus-decade slumber a while back.

While the crossover nature of how this engine came to find its way into our shop is as serendipitous as it comes, the romance didn’t last long when it came time to get down to business. “We know the motor’s stuck,” says Davin Reckow, the greasy knuckles behind the Redline Rebuild series. This one was always going to be a bit of a battle to make happen. But seized engines are no match for Davin and the crew. (Remember that Buick Nailhead revival? That thing was a doozy.)

With the engine removed from its dusty resting place, it was time to make the trek north to our shop and begin the teardown process. Almost immediately, Davin and the team identified what they thought was a blown head gasket, an ailment that would quickly prolong how much time it would take to bring the Cleveland back to life. Deeper into the teardown, their prognosis changes a bit, and they theorize that at one point, the engine suffered an overheating event that caused damage to multiple cylinders. Ruh-roh.

Concerned but not flummoxed, the team pressed on. No amount of slime nor sludge—and as you’ll see, there was plenty to go around—was going to halt this rebuild. With everything apart, it was time to send the parts through the washer and get to work rebuilding the block. After a trip to the machine shop to ensure healthy mating surfaces for the heads and clean cylinder walls, the team decided to sleeve one of the gnarliest cylinders. “We’re only sleeving one, so that’s a good sign,” notes Davin.

Davin and the team decided to make a few modifications to the Clevland in the interest of performance and durability, including new ARP main bolts and an adjustable valvetrain for the cylinder heads. They also made a tweak to the way the lubrication system functions. “Cleveland blocks had a tendency to over-oil the valvetrain and starve the rods,” explains Davin. The fix, as you’ll see in the video, was to install a “bushing” in the oil passageways that reduces the flow rate for the oil headed to the valvetrain, ensuring that plenty of lubrication remains available for the rods. Davin and the crew also increased the oil pan size, upping the engine’s oil capacity from six quarts to nine.

With durability modifications complete, it was time to send the Cleveland off to the salon for a glow-up. Sit back, grab a cup of eggnog, enjoy the time-lapse rebuild, and be sure to stick around to hear this engine roar back to life for the first time in more than four decades—of course, not without a little drama first.

What engine do you want to see Davin work his magic on next? Let us know in the comments below.

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You’ll likely get no argument, even among Ferrari diehards, about the legendary prowess of the Ford GT40. After Ferrari won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans six consecutive times, it was the GT40 that finally put an end to the streak in 1966 … and the car kept on winning the French endurance race through 1969. The GT40’s story—and the rivalry between Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford II—is so compelling that decades later Hollywood turned it into a blockbuster movie, Ford v. Ferrari.

Now the Revs Institute, located in Naples, Florida, is shining a spotlight on the GT40’s legacy with a special exhibition called “Pony Pedigree,” which features three generations of GT40s. Highlight of the exhibit is an exceptional 1967 Ford GT40 Mark III on loan from the Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The car is one of only seven built.

“Pony Pedigree,” which runs through July 2024, traces the iconic model’s evolution from the Mustang I concept to the groundbreaking design of the GT40, which blossomed under the direction of Carroll Shelby. Powered by a 4.7-liter V-8 and driven in the period by the likes of A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Bruce McLaren, and Jacky Ickx, the GT40 burst onto the international stage by sweeping the podium at Le Mans in 1966.

The Revs Institute exhibition also includes an Mk I and Mk II-B from the Miles Collier Collection, housed at the museum.

“Hosting three generations of the GT40, including the rare 1967 Mark III, in one exhibition is a way to give our visitors both a truly special experience and a deeper understanding of Ford’s road to victory at Le Mans,” says Lauren Goodman, Supervising Producer of Media and Exhibitions at Revs Institute. Goodman describes the exhibition as a deep dive into the ingenuity and ambition that drove Ford to international racing success.

“Rivet for rivet, I’m not sure you can find a car that matches the Ford GT40’s raw collectibility,” Hagerty’s Conner Golden wrote last spring, attempting to explain the allure of the GT40. “Ford’s mid-engine wunderkind exists at the intersection of historical importance, motorsport legend, iconic personalities, exemplary engineering, and pure desirability. Not every Ferrari race car is important, but I reckon every GT40 built is noteworthy by its existence alone … It’s not an everyman car, but it is a storybook car—maybe the storybook car in America’s sports car history.”

The Revs Institute, which touts itself as “a haven for scholars, preservationists, and passionate connoisseurs of automotive history,” operates as a working facility and contains more than 100 significant automobiles built between 1896 and 1995.

The museum is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All visitors are required to reserve tickets online in advance of their visit. There are no walk-up sales.

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Ford’s sand-shredding Raptor R supertruck just got even gnarlier. The 2024 Raptor R now produces 720 hp, a gain of 20 ponies over the outgoing model. That’s enough added shove to render it the most powerful high-performance pickup you can buy new, clipping the soon-departing Ram TRX, which delivered 702 hp. (No, we’re not counting Hennessey’s 1000-hp upgraded version of the TRX in this fight.)

The extra 20 horses come from “reduced air inlet losses coupled with an optimized calibration that also results in a wider torque curve,” according to Ford. Those air inlet losses, according to Ford spokesperson Dawn McKenzie, are the byproduct of a revised hood and body close-out that increase airflow into the intake, rather than a whole new intake system.

The Raptor R uses a revised version of the 5.2-liter supercharged Predator V-8 that debuted first on the Shelby GT500 (you can also get the engine as a crate motor). In the truck, the engine uses a smaller supercharger pulley to build boost quickly, enabling better low- and mid-range power. The 640 lb-ft torque figure remains the same as the earlier Raptor Rs, but maximum twist is now available 50 rpms higher (4300 rpm vs. 4250), which will encourage drivers to run up the tach even more.

The Predator engine pairs with a 10-speed automatic transmission, as before. When the going gets tough, 4×4 duties are handled by a two-speed automatic transfer case with a 2.64:1 4-low ratio and the ability to set the drivetrain to neutral for towing the truck behind a motorhome. The rear axle features an electronic locker and a 4.10:1 final drive ratio.

The Raptor R is Ford’s F-150 supertruck taken to the extreme. With ultra high-tech Fox Live Valve shocks helping soak up the desert whoops, absurd, 37-inch tires fitted as standard, and a honking supercharged V-8 soundtrack, this thing is all about performance excess. While we’re not sure anybody would consider the outgoing Raptor R underpowered, who looks 20 gift horsepower in the mouth?

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These 10 selections are part of a whopping 100 new photographs of Ford concept cars released by the generous folks at the Ford Heritage Vault. This includes 45 new vehicles the Internet has likely never seen before, bringing their total count up to 378 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury concept vehicles. The Detroit Free Press reports they now have 1,844 concept car images from 1896 all the way up to 2021: judging by the sheer volume of photography, brochures, and press releases in the Heritage Vault’s arsenal, this number is certainly not overselling what their website has to offer.

So I went through their website yesterday to see what they’ve unearthed, and automotive concepts enlightened me at every click. They are a delight for all generations to appreciate. But the last time we covered the Heritage Vault, we inadvertently participated in the crashing of their website. Guess what happened this time?

It was more of the same, but having wagon imagery with a website failure is far cooler than yesteryear’s Twitter Fail Whale. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person behind the website crashing, and everything will be back to normal by the time you read this. Everyone at Hagerty Media sincerely thanks the Ford Heritage Vault for finding these treasures right before Christmas, especially since some of these gifts are completely overlooked these days!

Unlike the 007-themed Ford Thunderbird from 2003 that made production, this 1965 Mustang was intended for the 1964 blockbuster film Goldfinger, where James Bond successfully takes down the villain known for a penchant for gilded items. But the real Goldfinger was a well-regarded mid-century architect, and a Wimbledon White Mustang convertible was actually used in the movie.

This 007 Mustang coulda brought movie fame to Mustangs beyond the cult-classic nature of Bullitt, so it’s too bad this gold delight never saw the silver screen.

1992 Bronco Boss

This isn’t the Bronco Boss from 1969, but the 1992 Bronco Boss offered significant body modifications that could have made the Bronco a better performer with more style. The rear hatch is a bit Pontiac Aztek from some angles, but the lack of a removable top likely stiffened up the platform. While the top doesn’t come off, the Boss’ new roof is retractable and the side glass is removable. The rest of the styling is pure 1990s excess, with a radical “Lone Star” yellow paint scheme and organically shaped chrome wheels. But lose the concept car bits and the Bronco Boss would have been an amazing street truck, as the front end looks ready to sit in a showroom next to the bespoke front end bits found on 4×4 Rangers at the time.

Too bad Ford phased out this body style a few years later. And it’s a shame people were buying the smaller Ford Explorer (in both four- and two-door configurations) at a rate that would make anyone forget the Bronco had a following because the Bronco Boss had merit and potential.

2000 Ford 24.7 Truck

First, there was Google’s original driverless car. Then we had Waymo and a bumper crop of tech companies looking to make autonomous vehicles, some of which are no longer with us. But who forecasted this dystopian future way back in 2000?

Meet the Ford 24.7 concept truck, the most insane out of a trio of 24.7 branded miniature vehicles that focused on technology and put the software on center stage—the other two 24.7s were two- and four-door CUV concepts. Many (most?) of us scoffed back then, but this was during the first tech bubble, and it’s pretty clear that people will still invest in technology that pertains to the automobile. If the 24.7 truck came out today, it’d steal plenty of glory from Tesla’s Cybertruck. It might be a better vehicle for many folks who want a small truck for increasingly densifying cities. Too bad this one can’t make a comeback.

1962 Ford Seattle-ite XXI

Designed for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, this concept was a 3/8th scale “Dream Car” that Ford designed to explore ideas like fingertip steering, jalousie windows, variable density glass, and tandem-mounted front wheels. The latter, according to Gene Bordinat (Ford Design VP) can make “a self-contained, easily interchangable power capsule, allowing countless styling treatments for the ‘trailing’ vehicle that would house the passenger compartment.” The Seattle-ite’s seats were part of the concept’s structural frame, and Ford claimed the separate power capsule aided in NVH reduction. It’s a shame Ford didn’t make this one into a 1:1 scale concept car, the design was just a bit too far ahead of its time.

Ford LTD Berline I and II (1969/1971)

It’s clear that Ford designers were looking to make Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen feel welcome at the Ford Motor Company when he took the role of President in 1968. The Pontiac-like “Bunkie Beak” front fascia made production in the 1970 Thunderbird, 1970 Mercury Montego, and Ford’s full-size sedans for 1971. But before the Big Bird got this schnoz, would you believe the Ford Galaxie/LTD got it in 1969? And then again in 1971?

That’s precisely what happened, as the Berline Concept went through two iterations of being a custom-bodied LTD coupe that was a lightly disguised rendition of what hit Ford showrooms in 1971. Time has been kind to most Bunkie-beak Fords, proving the look outlasted the executive’s tenure in Dearborn.

1969 Ford Econoline Kilimanjaro

This concept took the custom van to a new place, being a Safari vehicle decades before GMC used that name for its own minivan.  The leopard skin accent likely made sense at the time, while the integrated storage in the custom rocker panels look very similar to those found in Ford trucks of the era. The bodyside’s four recessed steps (for roof access) would look right at home on a modern SUV.  Well, if modern SUVs actually went off road, and if only some of the features presented in the Econoline Kilimanjaro made production. (Leopard print trimmings aside!)

1981 Ford EXP II

Ford bought Carrozzeria Ghia in the 1970s, and made numerous concept cars for Ford of Europe and even became the top trim level for everything from the Ford Sierra to the Mustang. This Ford EXP II concept uses bits from Ford’s parts bin (wheels from the American Ford EXP, ironically) but wraps it all in aerodynamic style and plastic cladding worthy of a late ’70s concept car, and a sign of things to come for production models. The hatchback roofline is a bit Porsche 924, but it’s clear this concept was still a design study: check out the different-sized quarter windows from left to right. One thing’s for sure, the EXP II’s sleek front end was robbed for the original Ford Tempo, right down to the droopy headlight buckets and pointed turn signal lights.

1957 Ford X2000

The X2000 was the successor to Ford’s X-1000 concept car, having all the jet-age styling wishes, but with a cab-forward design allowing for a more Jetsons family-style approach to the era’s obsession with air and space travel. The X2000 was only built as a scale model and never became a 1:1 concept car, much less a production vehicle. Yet just like the Ford 24.7 concept above, it foretold of a future where technology outshadows traditional automotive design. It could be a modern autonomous driving pod, except with a sense of style that would get more people on board. (Literally!)

1972 Ford Experimental Safety Vehicle

Back in the early 1970s, a host of manufacturers made concept cars that prioritized safety in harmony with the US Department of Transportation’s Experimental Safety Vehicle (ESV) initiative. We covered the Mercedes ESF 22 in a previous article, and it sported energy-absorbing materials in the front end to protect pedestrians much like this Ford ESV from 1972. But unlike Mercedes’ efforts, Ford challenged their design team to integrate safety into the body more elegantly. The soft plastic bumpers wrap around the body, much like the 1980 Thunderbird and every Ford going forward. The integration had the added benefit of streamlining the Ford Galaxie’s lower body and gave us a convincing look into our automotive future roughly a decade later.

Not all with the ESV design is perfect, as the gasoline filler neck was routed to the C-pillar and a solid B-pillar ensured the top-level Ford LTD would never have its pillar-less hardtop design again. The price we pay for safety!

1972 Pinto Sportiva

Aside from the B-pillar’s implementation of a window slit in its tiny footprint, the custom roofline of the 1972 Pinto Sportiva concept looked ready for production. That roofline became standard fare for Ford coupes a few years later, thanks to successful implementations with the 1977 Thunderbird and 1978 Fairmont Futura. The Sportiva was an upmarket move for the cheap and cheerful Pinto and featured a removable targa roof and an integrated roll bar in that tiny rear pillar. The wheels were period correct, the door handles came from larger Ford products, and the custom interior accents look very similar to the ones that made production in future Pinto models. It’s a shame this one didn’t make production either, as it could have been the rear-wheel drive father of the Honda Del Sol from the 1990s.

Again, we have only covered 10 of the 378 concept cars you can find on the Ford Heritage Vault’s website, so do yourself a solid and check out more of them for yourselves!

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By most accounts, the term “Malaise Era” was coined by journalist Murilee Martin. Taken from Jimmy Carter’s famous speech, it reflects the pervasive funk that the U.S. found itself in post-Vietnam, though Martin and fellow car enthusiasts tend to further focus it as the term to define a decade’s worth of lackluster autos. The period was marked by rampant inflation and a frustratingly stagnant economy. Everything from American exceptionalism to oil, and even natural fibers, seemed to be on the way out, replaced with polyester leisure suits, disco, and well, seemingly not much else. Most importantly, horsepower took a lengthy holiday as fuel prices and insurance rates went up while speed limits went down.

We’re about to mark a truly happy milestone, however: By my count, 2024 marks the 40^th anniversary of the end of this much-maligned era. Four decades on from 1984, maybe, just maybe the cars that helped us get back to horsepower and driving enjoyment can find a more appreciative audience, and we can take a more charitable view of the re-emergence of the American performance car. On the other hand, maybe it’s still too soon.

The onset of the Malaise Era came with shocking speed. In 1972, big blocks were as easy to find as Triceratops in the late Cretaceous period. Just two model years later, they had nearly disappeared. The twin asteroid-like impacts of the 1973 oil embargo and the recession that it triggered quickly made the American performance scene look like a post-apocalyptic wasteland. By the 1974 model year, things looked bleak indeed. Horsepower was down dramatically and rising curb weights from things like mandated diving board five-mph impact bumpers helped further blunt performance. By 1978, things had gotten so bad that the fastest American car was actually a truck. The Dodge Lil’ Red Express pickup was one of the few vehicles you could buy that was capable of a sub-seven second 0–60 time.

The degradations that the era spawned have been well-documented—from the Mustang II to the 305-cubic inch “California” Corvette, and the Iron Duke Camaro. All of these were fodder for the “Rust in Peace” series I did for The New York Times in the early 2000s. Even the once-feared Pontiac Trans Am, one of the few large-displacement cars to survive the big block mass-extinction, was only able to extract a pitiful 200 hp from its massive 455 cubic inches in 1975, mimicking the output of a cheap, loud, “as seen on TV” juicer. If you had the distinct displeasure of living through it, the Malaise Era seemed to last as long as the most recent ice age. Bright spots were few and far between, and often, they weren’t American—the Porsche 930 and the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 were fast but crazy expensive, and unless you lived in New York or L.A., you likely never saw one.

Help eventually arrived—fuel injection, three-way catalysts with oxygen sensors, multi-valve cylinder heads, turbochargers, and finally variable valve timing, all did their part to make horsepower a thing again. The Buick Regal Sport Coupe/T-Type brought turbocharging to American showrooms around the same time that the Saab 900 SPG Turbo started making its reputation as a seriously quick car. By 1984 the turbocharged, V-6-powered Regal Grand National was making 200 hp and an astounding 300 lb-ft of torque, figures that had rarely been seen since the early ’70s. (It’s important to remember, too, that 200 hp in 1984 SAE net was probably closer to 250 hp in pre-Malaise SAE gross measurement.)

By 1984, America’s premier pony cars were becoming de-zombified as well. The Z/28 Camaro of that year made 190 hp, and the 5.0-liter Mustang 175 hp. By the next model year, both had cracked the 200 hp mark. 1984 also introduced the fourth-generation Corvette, a dramatic upheaval from the early ’60s roots of the prior generation. The Malaise era was definitively over, although its last vestige, the reviled 55 mph national speed limit, hung on until it was modified in 1987 and then fully repealed in 1995.

Malaise Era cars have certainly found collectability over the last 10 to 15 years—Urethane-nose, late ’70s/early ’80s second-generation Camaro Z/28s, and Bandit Trans Ams, (so-called “mustache muscle”), certainly have their fans, but then oddly enough, so do the Charlie’s Angels-era Mustang II Cobras. These, however, are mainly novelty/irony/nostalgia buys. I suspect few people are likely to care about them after the generation that came of age during the Smokey and the Bandit and Fast Times at Ridgemont High days passes from the scene.

It’s the cars that brought an end to the era, the turbocharged Regals, IROC-Zs, and post-1983 Fox-body Mustangs, that we should be building bronze statues to, or at the very least, collecting with more gusto. They truly saved driving and ensured that horsepower didn’t become just another quaint unit of measurement (like pennyweights or Macedonian cubits), understood and remembered only by our grandparents and great-grandparents.

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Ford’s somewhat recent decision to stop making cars (that weren’t Mustangs) was such a big deal that even franchised dealerships felt the need to write about it on their websites. Except there’s more to the story, because websites are managed by a third-party vendor, and said vendor often farms out dealership blogs to freelancers who specialize in writing Google-friendly articles. Consider this seemingly irrelevant anecdote as a passing of the buck from company to company. And then from a company to some person “no longer associated with the business.”

It’s hard to know where things originate these days, but it was far more straightforward in the past. The tide turned when Ford Jac Nasser went on a global buying spree for Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover in the late 1990s, forever altering the automotive landscape of Dearborn and beyond. Globalism became policy. Even Ford CEO Alan Mulally couldn’t unring the bell, though he wisely ended all that nonsense less than a decade later. In some ways, we are worse off because of Ford’s rush to globalize. And we will never recover.

Thanks to Motorweek for this trip down memory lane, when America had “full line” automakers with a portfolio of subcompacts, sedans, coupes, station wagons, minivans, SUVs, pickups, and performance cars. Annual changes were newsworthy and possibly even exciting, because money wasn’t spent elsewhere in appreciable quantities. Can you imagine Ford investing in a tech company—with no experience making cars, which had nevertheless bought an old Mitsubishi factory and was making its own pickup trucks, etc.—back in 1993? Getting involved with Aston Martin back then was enough drama for most.

Compared to Ford’s current portfolio, stripped down of anything even resembling inefficient use of its funds, this 1993 snapshot had an astounding eight different platforms for sedans, coupes, and station wagons of various sizes. And every platform had a plethora of four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines in tow. Even better, most were designed and made in America North America, with little parts interchangeability elsewhere.

As Motorweek details, the 1993 model year resulted in incremental changes ranging from forgettable (a pointless chrome grille on the “Aero” Crown Victoria) and regrettable (the sin of an automatic in a Taurus SHO, sales increases be damned!) to downright collectible (the arrival of the Mustang Cobra). A new Ranger also came out, the same one that died 18 years later when the factory shut down. It was a sign of things to come, as Ford’s global partnerships were gaining prominence, foreshadowing a future with less control from the Detroit mothership.

But the products behind these partnerships were still curiosities; they were not the norm for multiple continents. They had modest long-term utility for retailer, consumer, and stockholder alike. Although the Nissan Maxima was a fantastic sedan by most metrics, it didn’t necessarily make for a great Villager minivan for Mercury’s long-term fiscal health. One of the few Detroit/Import mashups that is generally well regarded (by gearhead and bean-counter alike) was the Ford-Mazda love affair that birthed the Probe sports coupe. Which is a shame, because their Festiva offspring was a surprisingly fun and relevant South Korean import … whenever high gas prices punctuated its need for existence outside of CAFE mandates.

But the world of Ford for 1993 wasn’t just a case study in incremental improvements, joint ventures, and a new Ranger. The Motorweek video dedicates a large chunk of time to personal luxury, a wholly American genre never to be seen again. The personal luxury car was first made by Edsel Ford as a Lincoln Continental, then by William Clay Ford as a Continental Mark II, then pragmatically crafted by Lee Iacocca as the Mark III. The Conti was such a success that Ford cemented the personal luxury genre for years to come. And this next/final generation bordered on being a spare-no-expense design, an heir to the Continental throne with some of the best stuff to come from America at the time.

The eighth-generation Mark Series even splashed the cash for Jeff Goldblum voiceovers—before he became the voice of Apple Computer. But it goes deeper, as the Mark VIII’s block engine was cast in the same place that did Ferrari motors. There was a fully independent suspension with enough aluminum components to make a C4 Corvette blush. Heck, even the differential housing was made out of aluminum. And that four-camshaft, 4.6-liter V-8 was given to Lincoln three years before the Mustang Cobra got it in 1996, a full 18 years before morphing into a 5.0 Coyote. It may not be cutting edge (as Mercedes and Lexus beat Ford to the punch), but it was the start of something quite special for enthusiasts.

And haters can bite their badge-engineered tongue, as none of this stuff was available on the smaller Thunderbird platform.

Clearly I have bias in the matter, as my daily driver is a Mark VIII LSC. I know its dirty little secrets, things you can’t see behind those almond eyes that occasionally bore troublesome HID light bulbs. The flaws are obvious, but the timelessness endures: Aside from more safety equipment and the glaring lack of an 8-speed automatic transmission, there’s precious little a new luxury vehicle offers that a well maintained, lightly modified, 30-year-old Mark VIII cannot provide. (The same applies to many vehicles from the 1990s, I might add.)

And when the Mark VIII was new? Good luck pulling ahead of it, unless you were in a Corvette or a Supra Turbo. Its straight-line thrust compensated for the poorly matched set of sway bars, the nerdy ride height, and the BMW-like vinyl coatings in lieu of traditional wood-grain trimmings. A great first effort, but it sadly points to Ford’s lack of commitment just a few years after this episode of Motorweek hit the airwaves. Introductions like the 1993 Mark VIII will likely never see the light of day again: American heroes (that aren’t Tesla or Lucid) rarely have easy-to-spot American DNA with very obvious pros and cons against their foreign competition.

We now live in a world as homogenized as a NASCAR race field. Modern product introductions are a plain vanilla crossover utility–themed hellscape of two-box designs with four-cylinder hearts. The only difference is that some automakers have a better topping bar for your sundae, packed with turbocharging, hybrids, and a variety of luxurious sprinkles. While cars like the Lexus LC, specialty trucks, and every Mustang have merit, the landscape has still changed dramatically since 1993.

Or perhaps the contrasts between 1993 and 2023 aren’t worthy of such a rant. Maybe rose-colored glasses are just that. So please, dear reader, tell me which automaker makes the best 2.0-liter turbocharged engine for a crossover? Because I’d love to know.

***

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Welcome back to the Hagerty Bull Market List, our annual deep dive into the collector vehicles climbing the value ranks. This year, 2024, marks the seventh installment of our expert insights. Click to read past Bull Market Lists from 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

You could be forgiven for thinking we’ve had it easy the past few years. The Bull Market List is our annual selection of vehicles likely to appreciate the most over the next 12 months, and amid the pandemic-fueled spending spree of 2021 and 2022, that was basically shooting fish in a barrel.

Things look a little different this year. Adhering to the most fundamental of investing principles—what goes up must come down—the collector car market as a whole softened in 2023. The Hagerty Market Rating, our monthly measure of the heat of the market, dropped to its lowest point in two years primarily due to inflation and declines in prices achieved at auctions.

Did that make us hesitate in our selections for 2024? Not at all. Even in a slowing market, there are vehicles poised for big gains. To identify them, we looked beyond top-line sales figures and dug into our trove of pricing and demographic data (for a detailed explanation of our methodology, click here). This year, we have everything from a 1940s woody to a 1990s rally truck originally sold only in Japan.

In any event, the point of the Bull Market List has never been to celebrate cars becoming more expensive or to position cars as investments. Rather, our goal is to make collector car ownership a bit more attainable and maybe a bit less intimidating by pointing out that with due diligence and a smidge of luck, you can get your money back and then some. So long as fun is your main goal, a classic car will never let you down.

Meet the Bulls: 2024 Lineup

• 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary
• 1946–1950 Chrysler Town & Country
• 2008–2013 BMW M3
• 1997–1999 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution
• 2011–2016 Ferrari FF
• 2000–2005 Jaguar XKR
• 1965–1970 Chevrolet Impala SS
• 1981–1986 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler
• 1964–1966 Ford Thunderbird
• 1997–2002 Plymouth Prowler

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1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

Rarely are sequels as good as the originals, but when Lamborghini replaced its groundbreaking and gobsmacking Miura with the even more outrageous Countach in 1974, the world bowed down to the sign of the bull. Although the car is a product of the 1970s, we tend to think of it as a child of the frizz-haired, neon-jumpsuited 1980s, thanks in no small part to cameo rolls in such period screen icons as The Cannonball Run and Miami Vice. And no version of the several Countach iterations represents that decade better than the final opus, the 1989-model-year 25th Anniversary, so labeled to celebrate the 1963 founding of Automobili Lamborghini.

Thanks to Chrysler’s purchase of the ailing automaker in 1987, much-needed cash flowed into Sant’Agata, and the Anniversary would prove to be, in many ways, the best Countach as well as the most produced, with around 650 examples cranked out in a relatively short period. The car’s long battle with U.S. safety and emissions laws was finally resolved with DOT-certified bumper grafts and EPA-blessed Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection for the four-cam, 48-valve, 5.2-liter, 7000-rpm V-12 (Euro versions still had carbs). The rated 455 horses was the highest the Countach ever achieved.

Composite body strakes meant to update the Countach’s styling—as though updates were needed—were developed by a young Horacio Pagani, who went on to start his own eponymous hypercar company. Power seats and a stronger air conditioner controlled by a digital panel were Anniversary touches that Chrysler undoubtedly thought necessary for a car stickering at $225,000. Despite the luxury flourishes, however, the Countach’s incandescent machismo was barely dimmed, and the lack of ABS or anti-spinout systems means it takes a certain fearlessness to hustle one anywhere near its limits. Feet squeezed into the tiny offset pedal box and hands gripping the small wheel and tall shifter face heavy resistance on all fronts. The visibility out is only slightly better than a gopher hole.

But driven with the proper measure of courage and skill, the Countach is a wailing wonder of sound and fury—at least until something breaks. Lamborghini’s greatest sex wedge has a well-earned rep for bleeding owners white, and with so many Anniversary Countaches having been driven hard and put away bent, it’s easy to fall into a bottomless pit of four- and five-figure repair bills. Owner Antonio Marsillo, a former New York City police detective who started a successful business offering VIP protection services (past clients include Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, and Jim Carrey), searched for four years, rejecting as many as 20 cars before finding this 4000-mile unmolested gem in 2013.

That was back when used Anniversaries were at the bottom of their steep depreciation curves. And right before the film The Wolf of Wall Street graphically sacrificed one on the altar of cinematic art, sending Anniversary prices rebounding. They have only continued to build steam. Marsillo parks his in a one-car garage on a lift underneath his other 1980s hero car, a Ferrari Testarossa that once belonged to Billy Joel. He has spent far more time detailing the Lamborghini’s exhaust and undercarriage with a toothbrush than he has driving it, and it is subsequently the best preserved Countach we have ever experienced, barking to life on the button and showing no evident signs of its 35 years. Simply bawdily bellissima! —Aaron Robinson

1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

Highs: A genuine icon with a 7000-rpm V-12; those crazy doors; your chance to meet dozens of strangers every time you stop.

Lows: A workout to drive; has put lots of children of mechanics through college; your chance to meet dozens of strangers every time you stop.

*Price Range: #1 – $770,000  #2 – $612,500 #3 – $435,000 #4 – $345,000

*Hagerty analysts evaluate vehicle condition on a 1-to-4 rating scale to help determine its approximate value range. All factors, including aesthetics and mechanical condition, are considered. Most collector vehicles are in #3 (Good) condition. Read more about our rating system here.

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Not long ago, ‘serious’ collectors considered the later Countach, with its scoops and cladding, to be a bastardization of an iconic design. But the children of the 1980s and ’90s think otherwise. Although 1970s examples are still worth the most, the final-year Silver Anniversary edition is gaining ground.

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1946–50 Chrysler Town & Country

The war was over and the troops were flooding back desperate to buy cars. Chrysler Corporation, which had been cranking out tanks, trucks, engines, and munitions, turned to face the future, and the future was wood. Or, at least, Chrysler president David Wallace thought so. It helped that Wallace was also president of Pekin Wood Products, a Chrysler subsidiary in West Helena, Arkansas, that had spent the war making shipping crates for aircraft engines. Pekin had supplied the ash and Honduran mahogany for the very first Chrysler Town & Country, a spectacular 1941 woody wagon so named because its chrome-rococo face said “Hello” while its cavernous barrel-back rear said “Howdy.”

However, when Chrysler belatedly went back to building cars late in 1945, delayed because of strikes and raw materials shortages, the Town & Country wagon was gone. In its place, the company offered a few gussied-up versions of the 1942 New Yorker, including a Town & Country sedan, a T&C convertible, and one of the industry’s first two-door pillarless hardtops, which was basically a T&C convertible with a roof bolted on.

At nearly $3000, the pricey Town & Country was an odd mashup of 1940s streamlining and rectilinear right angles. And though it was never built in huge numbers—fewer than 15,000 between ’46 and ’50—it was immediately embraced by East Coast patricians and West Coast Hollywood types as a rolling status symbol. Who else but the rich could afford a car that evoked the Stickley-style and art deco furniture of the finest houses while, according to the owner’s manual, needing to be revarnished every six months to preserve its exterior?

Initially the T&C’s ash framing was structural, comprising the doors and trunklid and held together via complex joinery that no doubt taxed Chrysler’s Jefferson Avenue body assembly shop as much as it has restorers in the years since. However, the weight of the car’s cost and build complexity (at a time when anyone would buy anything new at any price) bore down, and by 1949, the ash was merely decorative, bonded to a conventional steel body shell and accented by fake vinyl mahogany.

David Kraus didn’t set out to buy a Town & Country, exactly—he set out to buy a convertible. Any convertible would do, and this ’47 T&C was priced right at $200. Did we mention that this was back in 1965? Kraus, now a retired aviation lawyer from northern New Jersey, spent a few years and another $800 painting the car, redoing the top, and restoring the interior, and he has been happily motoring in it ever since. Still original are the 324-cubic-inch flathead straight-eight and Fluid Drive four-speed, a kind of semi-automatic that takes much longer to explain than it does to learn how to use it. You sit up high in the T&C and roll in velvety if not speedy comfort, the engine seeming to operate only between a low idle and a high idle. For years, the winners of the Miss Arkansas pageant rode in the back of T&Cs in parades, and that is perhaps the best use of any Town & Country. —Aaron Robinson

1947 Chrysler Town & Country

Highs: Everyone loves a woody; A piece of art deco furniture you can drive; America’s favorite parade car or fun for six on a night out at the drive-in.

Lows: Built before Eisenhower’s interstates and geared like it; the wood is difficult to restore and maintain; restorations are financial sinkholes.

Price Range: #1 – $144,000  #2 – $81,400 #3 – $52,500 #4 – $28,400

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

There’s a theory that young enthusiasts only want newer cars. Our data show that’s dead wrong. The best older classics, like the T&C, will endure. But find a good one, as restoring a 70-year-old wood-bodied car can be costly.

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2008–13 BMW M3

If you want a visceral sense of the je ne sais quoi, the undefinable feeling that makes collectors go gaga over so-called modern classics, drive a 2007–2013 M3. No need to go very far or very fast. After the 4.0-liter V-8 has warmed up—you’ll know because the electronic redline on the tachometer automatically raises from about 6000 rpm to 8400 rpm—give the gas pedal a tap. Just a tap. In about the time it takes your thought to travel from your brainstem to the fast-twitch muscle fibers in your foot, the car lunges forward. A modern M3, which is powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder with some 100 more horsepower, may well be quicker, but it feels nowhere near as immediate or responsive.

It’s tempting to describe this experience as analog, yet this M3—or E92 in BMW chassis-code parlance—was a technological tour de force, from its carbon-fiber roof to its adjustable rear differential and optional dual-clutch automatic. The engine was the first (and, so far, the last) V-8 offered in an M3, but it weighs less than the inline-six in its predecessor thanks to extensive use of aluminum. Each cylinder has its own throttle controlled by a separate electric motor—the 21st-century version of a rack of Weber carburetors. It all conspires to make this era M3 feel exotic, even if it looks for the most part like a workaday 3-Series. (Design chief Chris Bangle’s avant-garde “flame surfacing” was wisely kept to a minimum on this bread-and-butter model.)

Despite the E92’s sterling performance credentials, it depreciated swiftly. By 2018, excellent examples were going for less than $40,000, according to the Hagerty Price Guide—chump change considering the window stickers commonly exceeded $70K with options. Like many tech-forward German performance cars of the early 2000s, the M3 became cheap to buy in large part because it is expensive to own. In addition to swilling premium (an EPA-rated 14 mpg in city), the engine’s electronic throttle actuators are known to fail—there are two, one for each cylinder bank. Also, the bearings that protect its fast-spinning connecting rods can wear prematurely.

Yet there are multiple signs that this generation M3 is leaving “used performance car” territory for the rich green pastures of “modern classics.” Interest in the car, as measured by the number of people who call Hagerty about insurance on them, is increasing. These M3 seekers are disproportionately Gen Xers or younger—a cohort that has driven huge increases on other modern performance cars in recent years. Those include the 2000–2006 BMW E46 M3, now valued at a cool $54,300 in our price guide, as well as early 2000s (996- and 997-generation) Porsche 911s, which trade for similar money or higher.

Values for M3 sedans and coupes in excellent condition have already made their way above $40,000. Those equipped with manual transmissions tend to net a premium, as do limited-build Lime Rock Park Editions like the one we borrowed from Hagerty member Darren Berger, as they combine several desirable performance options. If you want to hear more of the V-8 and can stand added weight, convertibles (technically called E93s) sell for slightly less. Yet the most important feature to look for when buying an M3, in light of the noted mechanical complexity, is a comprehensive service history. —David Zenlea

2013 BMW M3

Highs: Engine nearly befitting of an exotic; peak BMW chassis balance.

Lows: Conservative styling; poorly maintained examples can cost an arm and a leg to fix.

Price Range: #1 – $65,800  #2 – $51,600 #3 – $40,600 #4 – $29,200

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Interest from young enthusiasts is a factor for all Bull Market cars but is absolutely the factor favoring this M3. The ‘kids’ are not only shopping for the car but are also consistently willing to pay more for it than older folks. Meanwhile, the aftermarket has come up with fixes for many of the mechanical/durability issues.

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1997–99 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution

And now for something completely different: a Japan-only off-road rally special built around a commonplace SUV and styled to look like the Bat Truck. People who aren’t ready for a deep dive into the nerdy world of Japanese Domestic Market specials can stop here; for the rest, konnichiwa!

It has been a long time since Mitsubishi dominated anything, but the three-diamond brand once ruled the brazen and dangerous 6000-mile-long Paris-Dakar Rally, with a string of wins in the 1990s and 2000s using modified versions of its Toyota Land Cruiser fighter, the Pajero SUV (Montero in the U.S., Shogun in the U.K.). As with a lot of interesting cars, the Pajero Evolution was born in a smoky backroom of a motorsports sanctioning body. In the mid-1990s and with the Dakar at its peak in popularity, the organizers created a production-based class requiring manufacturers to build a minimum number of homologation cars that had to be road-legal and salable to the public. Mitsubishi was down to party, producing about 2500 of the Pajero Evolutions, which shared basic sheetmetal with the second-generation (1991–1999) body-on-frame two-door Pajero/Montero. (Side note: America never saw two-door versions of the gen-2s, or indeed the gen-3s, owing to the so-called chicken tax, a 25 percent U.S. duty on imported two-door trucks.)

Underneath, there’s lots of special geekery for JDM geeks to geek out on, including a 276-hp version of Mitsu’s iron-block 3.5-liter V-6 running four-cam cylinder heads, the company’s MIVEC variable valve-timing-and-lift system, and gasoline direct-injection. Further, the stock Pajero’s torsion-beam front suspension and solid-axle rear were replaced with double wishbones in front and multilinks in back, with Torsen lockers at both ends. Special Recaro buckets, skid plating, more butch front fenders, and body cladding complete the Evo’s persona.

If you’ve ever driven a U.S.-spec gen-2 Montero—your author has owned two—then you know that these ships of the desert are sturdy but not exactly frisky. However, shorn of almost a foot of wheelbase compared with the four-door and blessed with nearly a third more horsepower, the Pajero Evolution achieves genuine sportiness. Quicker steering paired with a carlike chassis awakens the handling, while the power can be managed through a manual-shift function of the automatic that is unique to the Evo (a true manual was also available, but they are very rare).

Thanks in part to a long association between Mitsubishi’s Ralliart operation and martial arts superstar Jackie Chan, Pajero Evos have always been collectible in Japan. And now that the 25-year rolling import exemption is up to 1999, they are dribbling into the U.S., though they are still impossible to legally register in some states (we’re looking at you, California). Of course, coddled rally specials such as the Pajero Evo are less about what they can do—few Evos have likely ever tasted dirt—than about the conversations they spark. If you fancy driving a rolling billboard advertising your arcane knowledge of Japanese automotive esoterica, then your Bat Truck has arrived. —Aaron Robinson

1997 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution

Highs: There’s no kind of cool like JDM cool; handles far better than your typical SUV; a rolling piece of (obscure) motorsports history that can also carry a sheepdog.

Lows: Lots of money that will buy respect from only a select few; aging Japanese cars tend to have slim parts availability in general; likely has quite a few bits of unobtainium.

Price Range: #1 – $70,000  #2 – $50,000 #3 – $35,000 #4 – $17,900

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Japanese Domestic Market cars were once unobtainable for all but the most determined enthusiasts due to the logistics of importing them. In recent years, though, as more millennials look to make their video game dreams reality, a cottage industry has cropped up to bring JDM cars stateside.

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2011–16 Ferrari FF

Several philosophers and at least one Doobie Brothers album have observed that vices, if repeated enough, have a way of becoming acceptable habits. That’s one way—just a bit cynical, we’ll admit—to explain why we’re bullish on the Ferrari FF.

When the car debuted a little over a decade ago, the notion of an Italian exotic with all-wheel-drive, four seats, and no clutch pedal still seemed a bit transgressive. Since then, nearly every premium automaker—including Bentley, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and even Ferrari itself—has developed a fully fledged SUV. This lithe and low-slung shooting brake is, by comparison, a purist’s delight.

The simple truth is that more and more car buyers expect some utility, even in their passion purchases. This became particularly evident during the pandemic, when collectors zealously snapped up vehicles capable of going on longer drives with more passengers. Everything from vintage SUVs to restomods (classic cars with modernized powertrains and brakes) shot up in value as a result. There are also long-term demographic trends at play. Collectors who are Gen Xers or younger now make up the majority of the market and are more likely to have kids at home, jobs to commute to, and stuff to haul. They want their classic cars to be, you know, cars—capable of ferrying people and things from place to place without fuss.

These are overwhelmingly the folks buying FFs. More than 80 percent of those who call Hagerty about insurance on one are Gen Xers or younger, and they tend to drive many more miles than we see for other Ferraris. The owner of the FF you see here, Daniel Giannone, readily admits he wanted an enthusiast car in which he could take his young children on Sunday drives.

Yet there’s one more thing about the FF that needs to be taken into consideration: It’s a Ferrari. There’s a mystique that comes with the Prancing Horse that usually translates to appreciation, both for the vintage Enzo-era cars and, increasingly, for more recent efforts. In the past few years, we’ve seen run-ups and record sales for everything from F50s and Enzos to 612 Scagliettis. The FF, despite its practicality, maintains that invaluable Ferrari-ness. Its naturally aspirated V-12 puts out 651 horsepower—more than an Enzo’s—and makes all the right noises. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic works seamlessly, with none of the herky-jerky annoyances of Ferrari’s earlier sequential gearboxes. The all-wheel-drive system, which powers the front wheels via a novel two-speed transmission, kicks in when needed but otherwise doesn’t intrude on the experience. Not everyone loves the Pininfarina styling—particularly the jack-o’-lantern smile of the grille—but the basic proportions are just right.

FFs are nearly new, so they are still depreciating and presently can be had in excellent condition for less than $150,000, a bargain considering they stickered around $300,000. You’ll want one that’s been fastidiously maintained—we are, after all, talking about an Italian exotic with 12 cylinders and two transmissions. But a properly cared for FF should provide years of practical fun and, if the Doobie Brothers are correct, long-term appreciation. —David Zenlea

2014 Ferrari FF

Highs: Grocery-getter practicality with the heart of a supercar.

Lows: There are prettier Ferraris; AWD service is pricey.

Price Range: #1 – $177,000  #2 – $143,000 #3 – $125,000 #4 – $106,400

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Two of the most striking changes in the classic car market in the past decade have been an influx of younger buyers and a shift in preference toward ‘usable’ vehicles. The FF, with its youthful demographics and practicality, checks both boxes. The fact that it’s a Ferrari (a relatively rare one at that) certainly doesn’t hurt.

***

2000–05 Jaguar XKR

The Ford Motor Company purchased Jaguar in 1989 and began brushing the cobwebs out of the British carmaker’s assembly hall at Browns Lane. Dearborn emissaries laid plans for long-overdue updates to the XJ sedan and XJS two-door. Although markers of country club status, the Jags were known in the wider culture as being reliably unreliable, a situation made increasingly untenable by the arrival of Lexus and its world-beating quality.

So the next generation of Jaguar’s two-door, the brand’s image leader, had nowhere to go but up. Design chief Geoff Lawson penned a low, lovely, and sleek grand tourer whose oval snout evoked the E-Type even as the overall design was pointed squarely toward the 21st century. Take that, upstart luxury brands from the Far East! Instantly identifiable as a Jaguar by even casual observers, the 1997 XK8, named for the postwar XK 120/140/150 line, was exactly the car Jaguar desperately needed, and not a moment too soon: The XJS had been on the market, largely unchanged, for more than two decades.

The XK8 team had to make do with a heavily modified XJS platform, but Ford had funded a bespoke engine for Jaguar rather than repurposing the DOHC V-8 being developed for Lincoln and Ford. Displacing 4.0 liters, the same as the Lexus V-8, Jaguar’s DOHC aluminum AJ-V8 replaced Jaguar’s inline-six and sent 290 horsepower and 284 lb-ft of torque through a five-speed ZF automatic transmission.

Compelling, but Jaguar had more plans for its first-ever V-8 engine, attaching an Eaton supercharger to supplant the previous optional V-12. The resulting XKR debuted for the 2000 model year with a mesh grille insert, 370 horsepower, and a swagger not seen out of Coventry in decades. With both the XJR sedan and the XKR, Jaguar was finally able to compete with the high-performance models from Mercedes, BMW, and even Aston Martin.

Automotive critics were thrilled for Jaguar as it came out swinging against the German and Japanese brands. “Just look at Jaguar’s XKR. It’s sex on wheels!” enthused Car and Driver. “A lot sexier than the naturally aspirated XK8 upon which it’s based… provocative, confident, not at all trashy, with an upper-class British accent.” At about $80,000 for the coupe and $85,000 for the convertible, the XKR was not cheap, but it still undercut the V-12 Mercedes-Benz SL600 roadster by tens of thousands.

Looks aside, the XKR twins were rapid and refined steeds, the AJ-V8 delivering gobs of low-end torque and smoothly powerful acceleration with a muffled supercharger whine. Car and Driver clocked the run to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. The XKR’s Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS, get it?) provided the composure and comfort Jaguar is famous for along with reasonably sporty handling. Our photo car, owned by Bob Levy of Westport, Connecticut, is a 2006 model, meaning it benefits from the larger, 4.2-liter AJ-V8 mated to a six-speed gearbox that Jaguar introduced in 2002.

Today, good examples of the XKR can be had for the low $20,000s—not bad for styling that has aged well and for one of the world’s great V-8s. Driving an XKR reminds us of hope and promise, an era when Ford’s billions combined with British resolve to reinvigorate one of the greats. —Joe DeMatio

2006 Jaguar XKR

Highs: Silky-smooth supercharged V-8; sensuous good looks, particularly the rare coupe; as cheap as a used Camry.

Lows: Cramped cabin; back seats for groceries only; many were used hard; maintenance records are essential; no manual gearbox.

Price Range: #1 – $38,900  #2 – $26,700 #3 – $16,100 #4 – $8300

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

The most important data points here are pretty simple: power and price. Enthusiasts of all ages love performance, and there aren’t many cars that offer more of it for less money. Cost of maintenance and repair must always be a consideration with Jaguars, but the XKR—relatively speaking—has proven reliable.

***

1965–70 Chevrolet Impala SS

If there is nothing more American than baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet, then it’s quite possible that there is no car that is more Chevrolet-y than the Impala. Named after a type of African antelope, the name first appeared in 1956 on a General Motors Motorama show car, a handsome, four-passenger sport coupe with Corvette-inspired design cues. In 1958, the Impala was introduced as the top-of-the-line model for the bowtie brand. Over the next six decades and 10 generations, Impala was Chevy’s full-size offering, until the market’s insatiable appetite for crossovers and SUVs brought an end (or a pause, perhaps?) to the nameplate in 2020.

The scene looked much different in 1961, when Chevy debuted the SS (Super Sport) option as the Impala’s performance package. With either the 348-cubic-inch V-8 or the legendary 409 serving duty under the hood, the Impala SS was a performance powerhouse. The fourth-generation, all-new Impala was introduced in 1965; that year, the model’s annual sales hit an all-time industry record of more than 1 million cars. (For context, total sales across all GM divisions in 2022 was 2.27 million). The Impala was rebodied in 1967, and from ’67 to ’69, the top engine was the 427. The 1969 LS1 427 V-8 on base Impalas made 335 horsepower (measured by the old, inflated SAE gross-output yardstick); on SS models, the L36 V-8 made 390 ponies, while the ultra-rare L72—of which only 546 were sold—made 425 horsepower.

The example on these pages is a ’69 Impala SS L36 paired with a four-speed manual. The car is owned by Hal Oaks, who bought it new in 1969. “I had a ’65 Chevy Super Sport with a 283 that couldn’t get out of its own way,” Oaks remembers. “I was 19, I had a full-time job, and I decided I wanted something new. I was a Chevy guy, so I went to the Chevy dealer looking for an L79 Nova. The only one the dealer had was Nassau blue, and I really didn’t like that color. I went back the next day, and I was still undecided. The salesman said, ‘I got one more car to show you. We ordered it for someone who decided they didn’t want it.’ That was the black car that I still have today.”

Behind the wheel, you can roll at 35 mph in fourth gear with no problem thanks to the drag-race gearing and buckets of torque cranked out by the 427. The engine sounds great as it exhales through the tubular headers and 2.5-inch pipes and mufflers that Oaks installed. As with most of the cars of that era, there is no pleasure to be found in operating the vague gear shifter. The steering is similarly ambiguous, which is fine, since the grip-free bench seats that were standard for ’69 discourage anything except straight-line driving.

Over the course of the 55 years that Oaks has owned the Impala, it has become a part of the family. “I drove it to my wedding, and I drove both of my daughters to their weddings in it, too,” he reflects. “Through the ups and downs of life, raising a family and building a house and buying houses, somehow I managed to hang on to it. I’ll never sell it.” —Kirk Seaman

1969 Chevrolet Impala SS

Highs: Perhaps the most American of American cars; parts aplenty; cruise night or the drags—it does both.

Lows: Needs a big garage; ‘60s fuel appetite; likes straights more than curves.

Price Range: #1 – $44,500  #2 – $30,100 #3 – $22,200 #4 – $14,600

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Young enthusiasts love American muscle as much as their parents do but generally don’t have the cash for the most famous models. That leads them to alternatives, including this Impala.

***

1981–86 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler

The love child of the sturdy Jeep CJ-7 and a pickup truck, the CJ-8 was a long-wheelbase version of the CJ-7 that combined the go-anywhere-ability of the CJ (“civilian jeep”) with the utility of a cargo bed. Produced by American Motors from 1981 to 1986, fewer than 30,000 CJ-8s sold, appealing to a small sliver of the market that appreciated the virtues of four-wheel drive paired with open-air motoring and a 1500-pound payload.

Often called the Scrambler (the name of a popular trim package), there wasn’t a lot of scrambling going on here, what with the anemic 82-hp, 2.5-liter Iron Duke four-cylinder sourced from General Motors under the hood. In 1984, AMC upgraded that base four-cylinder to its own 2.5-liter four, good for 105 horsepower. The legendary 4.2-liter inline six-cylinder was offered as an option, making 115 horsepower but, more important, cranking out 210 lb-ft of torque at 1800 rpm. Transmission choices were either a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic; in 1985, a five-speed manual was available.

Early adopters of the Scrambler included Ronald Reagan, who received his as a gift from wife Nancy and used it to maintain their ranch outside Santa Barbara, California. About the same time the Gipper was using his CJ-8 to clear the brush on his ranch’s horse trails, our owner, Andrew Del Negro, fell in love with one as a sophomore in high school. “The passion came from my first Jeep experience when my parents moved me from Connecticut to Tennessee. I didn’t know anybody at the new school,” he recalls. “The first friend I made there had a ’76 CJ-5, and he and I took that thing everywhere.”

Del Negro’s own Jeep journey began with a ’77 CJ-5. “It had a 304 with headers and glass-pack mufflers,” he enthuses. “It was loud, it was badass.” Since then, Del Negro estimates he has owned between 30 and 40 Jeeps. “Between CJs, Cherokees, Grand Cherokees, Commanders, I’ve had everything. When I got married, my wife and I had pictures of every Jeep that I had owned to that point as the centerpieces on our guest tables.”

His current passion is this 1983 Scrambler that he bought in 2021. “This Scrambler was my dream vehicle. I wanted this specific color scheme and one that wasn’t perfect but original and in nice shape.” He found this rust-free example in California and set out to make it his own. “I’d always wanted a 360 V-8, so I had one installed and added fuel injection, then put on a set of Western turbine wheels.” Today, Del Negro cruises town and uses it to take the kids to soccer; he taught the oldest of his four children to drive a stick on his YJ Jeep, so they’re ready to drive the Scrambler with its four-speed manual. “They’re all dying to get into the Scrambler and drive it. They all love the Jeep.” —Kirk Seaman

1983 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler

Highs: Irresistible Tonka-Toy looks; utility with invincibility; rare and collectible 4x4s are hot.

Lows: Anemic base engines; not waterproof; creaky body structure.

Price Range: #1 – $52,600  #2 – $41,400 #3 – $31,700 #4 – $16,100

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Off-roaders have been some of the hottest vehicles on the market in recent years. The Scrambler, given its distinctive configuration and rarity relative to regular Jeeps, has room to continue growing.

***

1964–66 Ford Thunderbird

Thunderbird, you are go for liftoff. Climb into the cockpit and you might imagine yourself at the controls of an Apollo moon module or a starfighter straight from sci fi. Thunderbirds have had a strong tie to the jet age from the beginning. The first Baby Birds, the four-seat Square Birds, and the early ’60s Bullet Birds all had large, round booster taillights and wings that made them look like they could take flight. But those ’Birds were heavily influenced by an earlier fins-and-chrome aesthetic. This 1966 Thunderbird, a so-called Flair Bird, is planted firmly in the straight-edge 1960s, and it is far out.

The ride is soft and comfortable in these cars, if not for a bit of leaning and floating over curves and bumps (Flair Birds are not quite as dialed in as their Grand Prix and Riviera contemporaries). The 1964 model’s standard 390-cubic-inch V-8, with its 300 horsepower and 427 lb-ft of torque, doesn’t exactly blast off as the traffic light goes green. In fact, it’ll take a full 11 seconds to get to a cruising speed of 60 mph. So, it’s not really a rocket, despite the aeronautical exterior styling.

However, by the time Ford unveiled its 1966 Thunderbird, the fourth generation had hit its stride, making notable improvements where it counts. The base 390 engine added 15 more horsepower. Also available in ’66 was an optional 428 V-8, the powerplant under the hood of the car seen in these pages. With that engine, you get from a stoplight to 60 mph in just 9 seconds. Perhaps you’re not Chuck Yeager behind the wheel, but putting some speed on, nonetheless.

But this is the Flair Bird, so what you notice most when approaching the car is its style. A large Thunderbird greets you first, spread across the front grille. It’s a wow factor—much more so than the daintier Thunderbird lettering and smaller nose logos of the prior two years’ design. Our photo car is owned by Ron Campbell of Barkhamsted, Connecticut. It is a final-year convertible with lots of bells and whistles, including a dealer-optioned tonneau cover and an eight-track player, along with AC and power everything. Inside, the Thunderbird is a midcentury design study. There’s a gorgeous linear speedo readout nestled in the dash and little podlike gauges to inform the driver that all systems are optimal as you fly down the highway. The tilt-away steering wheel and sequential taillights are groovy, too. The long, sculpted fairings of the tonneau that marry the front seats into the back deck of this car, not unlike in a ’60s Indy racer, make it seem like you’re going that much faster.

Trends say younger classic buyers (born sometime after Neil Armstrong landed on the moon) are interested in Flair Birds. They do have a hipper, more mod vibe than the earlier Thunderbirds. This generation wants something different from Dad’s old ’55 T-bird. Fond memories of watching Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis soaring one off a Grand Canyon cliff in the climactic final scene of Thelma & Louise can’t hurt. Or maybe it’s just that everyone dreams of being an early astronaut for a moment. This mid-’60s Thunderbird just might be the closest you’ll ever get, Major Tom. —Todd Kraemer

1964 Ford Thunderbird

Highs: Style for days in a number of configurations (coupe, convertible, sports roadster, town sedan, and landau); a comfortable ride; disc brakes!

Lows: Wallowing, softly sprung suspension; not a lot of get-up-and-go from a standing start.

Price Range: #1 – $56,400  #2 – $41,300 #3 – $27,400 #4 – $17,300

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Thunderbirds from this era have long lived in the shadow of two contemporary icons from Ford Motor Company—the Mustang and the Lincoln Continental. But as those cars have climbed out of reach, younger collectors have rediscovered the charm of midcentury luxury.

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1997–02 Plymouth Prowler

In the auto industry, if you want to sell fun cars, first you’ve got to sell a bunch of not-fun cars to support your endeavors. A prime example of this reality is the Plymouth Prowler, one of the strangest fun cars ever to make it to the showroom floor. A four-wheeled love letter to the hot-rod scene, it was funded by the financial success of a trio of sedans from the Chrysler, Dodge, and Eagle brands. In the early 1990s, these shapely sedans (code-name: LH) helped the beleaguered Chrysler Corporation win back customers who had turned away from the automaker’s aging K-car lineup.

The only problem was that Chrysler’s fourth brand, Plymouth, was never given a version of the LH, and with sales stagnating, Chrysler execs wanted to give Plymouth a little love. They had learned from the 1989 Viper concept that a single auto-show debut could generate lots of media ink and showroom traffic, so company leaders cast about for another hit. A cadre of designers at Chrysler’s California styling studio had the idea for a hot-rod concept car, and the decision was made to bestow the razzmatazz on staid Plymouth.

“No mainstream car company had ever done anything this bizarre,” recalled Kevin Verduyn, one of the Prowler’s principal designers, in a 2018 Hagerty interview. The Prowler concept was the hit of the 1993 Detroit auto show, tangible evidence that Chrysler might be the smallest of the Big Three but also the bravest, the cheekiest, the most creative, and the automaker that knew how to do more with less.

Even more amazing: Chrysler execs, led by president Bob Lutz and design chief Tom Gale, greenlighted the car for production. And yet the Prowler wasn’t just for kicks, as the project allowed Chrysler to delve into the emerging use of structural bonding adhesives as well as aluminum for castings, extrusions, body panels, and suspension parts. So, although the Prowler was clearly inspired by hot rods that used the 1932–34 Ford as their lodestar, it was, at least in terms of body structure, the most technically sophisticated automobile yet conceived by the Pentastar.

The situation under the production Prowler’s tapered hood was not nearly as advanced, since there was room only for the LH’s 214-hp, 3.5-liter SOHC V-6. The sole transmission was a lackluster four-speed automatic that dominated the Chrysler lineup. But under the direction of Gale, who at the time was himself building a hot rod based on a 1933 Ford, the designers got the look right, with the Bigs and the Littles (rear to front wheels), the cascading slit grille, the exposed front-suspension members, and the high-back styling. In an era of retro designs, it stretched the imagination.

Perhaps surprisingly, members of Gen X (born between 1965 and 1980) are now trickling into the Prowler, slowly supplanting the boomers who were the initial target when the car was conceived. Our low-mileage 1997 photo car, generously lent to us by Chris Santomero of West Harrison, New York, was in factory-fresh condition. Sure, we would rather have had a V-8, as the V-6 has not exactly grown on us over time. But the Prowler’s open-air charms, its unapologetic stance, its very existence, are all entirely worth celebrating. —Joe DeMatio

1997 Plymouth Prowler

Highs: Sophisticated structural engineering; still highly affordable; optional trailer is bizarrely cool.

Lows: No V-8; no manual; interior is a little pedestrian; not especially rare, with 11,702 built 1997–2002.

Price Range: #1 – $45,500  #2 – $34,800 #3 – $29,200 #4 – $15,700

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

So-called restomods (old cars with modern guts) are big business these days—customizers regularly charge six figures to fit a fuel-injected engine, disc brakes, etc., into an old rig. It’s only a matter of time before enthusiasts discover the Prowler, which is essentially a factory-built restomod offered at a bargain price.

Editor’s Note: As always, the 10 cars that make up the 2024 Bull Market List are those we believe are poised for growth. To arrive at these predictions, the Hagerty Automotive Intelligence team uses some of the most exhaustive data in the industry—price guide research, owner demographics, private sales, public auctions both online and in person, and import/export numbers. Our goal is to help you benefit from up-to-date research in order to make an informed purchase now and a profitable sale later.

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Take a look at this coupe. If it looks unpolished, it’s because the hunk of metal has had one heck of a life. With the help of a dozen students, Charlie Hascall, a high-school welding and fabrication teacher in Dayton, Oregon, created this vintage-style drag racer in a single summer from little more than a wad of sheetmetal.

The coupe first came to Hascall’s attention when a friend purchased it for yard art. The car, a Ford from 1933 or 1934, had been burned and bent into a pile of scrap. Everyone else had given up on it; no one even considered the car as a project. Whatever skid steer or tractor had been used to push the burned hulk to its resting place had crumpled the Ford’s original floorboards so much that the rocker panels were touching.

Though Hascall has been a fan of traditional hot rods for decades, he had never owned a ’33 or ’34 Ford coupe—one of the most popular (and most coveted) hot rod foundations. While his friend was pretty intent on keeping the shell of the coupe and displaying it as-is, Hascall stubbornly insisted on a more productive course of action. There were far too many salvageable pieces to keep the rusty hulk lying around the yard. His friend relented and sold Hascall the car.

Hascall has taught a welding and metal fabrication class at western Oregon’s Dayton High School for five years. He thought that the car would provide a great lesson on bodywork, allowing him to show the students a practical application of his lessons on cutting and separating spot welds. Like a hunter salvaging the backstraps off a buck that had a run-in with a Peterbilt, Hascall and his students would butcher the car and save the best parts: the B-pillars, firewall, and cowl vent.

With the body shell placed in his classroom, Hascall used a piece of chalk to sketch out some proposed cut lines on the car. Before anyone made a cut, some students began to wonder if the Ford had more potential. Soon, they were asking Hascall if it could be built into a race car. This was in June of 2022, which meant school was almost out for the year, but the idea of resurrecting the car took root. Hascall and five students decided to spend the summer pounding the beat-up panels back into something resembling a car.

In a matter of weeks, students had cut off the worst of the bashed metal. They used hammers and elbow grease to bang some shape back into them. “The quarters were kind of looking like quarter-panels again,” Hascall said.

Hascall drove south to visit the Pomona Swap Meet and scour the sprawling asphalt bazaar for original parts to complete the project by summer’s end. He was able to secure a frame, a grille, and a trunk lid. He also caught leads on roof pieces, that happened to be located in Oregon, from a two-door sedan of the same vintage.

Hascall and his students worked on the car the entire summer, putting in hours of reconstruction work each day, even on weekends. By the time school started in September, the car was all together and they’d chopped the roof. The group took inspiration for their build from the Pierson Brothers coupe, a radically chopped two-door of hot rod and vintage land-speed-racing legend.

Echoing its iconic influence, the Taco Coupe’s windshield was raked back dramatically to meet a much shorter roof, itself cut down at the B-pillars. In the case of the Pierson Brothers coupe, the chop helped optimize aerodynamics by reducing the racer’s frontal area and reducing drag. (Less drag means more speed!) In addition to giving the Taco Coupe a proper land-speed look, the aggressive chop had practical roots: “We didn’t have enough metal to make the roof any taller anyway,” Hascall admitted.

During the build, Hascall became friends with Tommy Secora, who brought the long-lost Omaha Coupe back to life. Since the Omaha Coupe was also inspired by the Pierson Brothers coupe, the two talked about the best way to give the car the proper look of a late-’40s hot rod.

In-progress photos of the car began to spread on social media. In early October 2022, Hascall got a call from Mel Stultz, organizer of The Race of Gentlemen (TROG)—a traditional hot rod and motorcycle event focused on heads-up racing. Typically held on the shores of Wildwood, New Jersey, TROG’s 2022 event was canceled after a storm surge flooded the beach. To fill in for the canceled festivities, Stultz organized the Flabob Airstrip Drags in Riverside, California.

With just over two months to go until the event, Stultz invited the Taco Coupe to be a guest of honor. Hascall was thrilled at the opportunity, but the timing seemed tight. There was still so much to do on the car, and neither Hascall nor the students were willing to compromise their vision: a hot rodded ’33 or ’34 Ford as it would have been built after World War II.

The coupe still needed an engine, but Hascall had an ace up his sleeve. Years ago he had purchased a 286-cubic-inch, 24-stud flathead V-8 topped by Offy heads, a Thickstun PM7 intake, and a pair of Stromberg carburetors—performance goodies from brands trusted by any hot rodder. The engine has a racing pedigree, and its lumpy camshaft speaks to that history.

Like every other aspect of the build, the engine proved an object lesson for the students: Hascall taught them the fundamentals of how the flathead engine design works. Theirs is still running a points distributor—an old-fashioned way to provide spark to the fuel-air mixture in each cylinder—so the students learned how to sand the points and use a feeler gauge to set the gap. Hascall and his students even made the headers—the beginning of the exhaust system, where it sprouts from the engine block—for the car.

Hascall wasn’t about to go to The Race of Gentleman without his students. He had always funded the car’s parts himself, but he couldn’t pay for all the students’ travel expenses. Hascall and his fabrication students got some help by enlisting students from the high school’s business class to draft a business plan to help pay for the trip by selling shirts, hats, and other merchandise featuring a logo of their own design. The school and community rallied behind the idea, loaning the students the money required to make the trip to Riverside.

The first week of December, in the same calendar year that Hascall and his students had started building the car, the kids flew to southern California while Hascall trailered the car down. Three chaperones and 10 students—five from Hascall’s fabrication class, and five from the business class—attended the races in which the car participated. The Taco Coupe was a hit, drawing a crowd and winning five of the six rounds of racing in which it ran. The punchy flathead was doing its job, and Hascall seemed to have the knack for driving it, but the car sheared an axle key on its last pass. That put an end to what was otherwise a winning outing.

The Riverside event was a big success and, thanks to the sale of their merch, the students recouped the cost of the trip and paid back their loan.

“The kids were just in heaven. They didn’t understand that it would be that popular.” —Charlie Hascall

When they began helping out on the project, most of the students didn’t even drive. Now, some of them have some seat time with the Taco Coupe, though not in competition: “They got a real feel for how cars were before there were rubber bushings,” Hascall said. When they got their hands on the old parts for the first time, things were gritty, stuck, and corroded. Now that everything is properly reassembled, the Taco Coupe is working great and just needs regular lubrication and maintenance.

Racing the coupe is a bit of a challenge, although by the time we met Hascall at Speed Week 2023 he seemed to have it down pat. With such a gutsy engine and a low rear-axle gear, the car doesn’t have trouble leaving the line. “I try to hardly use first gear,” Hascall said. “It has so much power [the car] will wheel-hop.” Shifting into second gear, Hascall slips the clutch a bit and then just floors the gas, and the eager flathead hits third gear by the time the eighth-mile race is over, running in the high 60s (mph) on the dirt. “We were sidewinding the whole way, and I never let up,” Hascall said of the car’s race performance.

The 48-inch hairpins, which Hascall bought at the swap meet at the RPM Nationals, give the original Dago front axle nine degrees of caster without having to drop it too far. Hascall notes that the Ford can “feel like a funny car if you hit a bump at low speed,” although compared to Hascall’s other Ford hot rod, the Taco Coupe is a bit heavier and also has a longer wheelbase, so it’s also a bit more stable.

Three of the students who worked on the Taco Coupe have since graduated high school. Some of them hope the car will stay as-is, but Hascall tells us he might smooth out some of the wrinkles or perhaps give the Ford a traditional-looking paint job.

There’s also one more modification that Hascall is considering that wouldn’t alter the car’s looks too much: “I’d like to see the car get a quick-change [rear end],” Hascall said. The gearing is set up for eighth-mile racing, and he’d like to be able to dial in the car with the gears and the tire size to get the best performance at the track with the flexibility to easily swap gears for the street.

Hascall saw potential where others saw folded-up junk. But it was his students who dreamed big and envisioned an entire car. Because the school board and community had faith in the project, the Taco Coupe became not only a lesson in hands-on tech and hot-rodding history but also an exercise in business and marketing. Our hats are off to Hascall and the many students who put their hard work into this kick-ass project. Hopefully, the Taco Coupe and its story can inspire future educators to get their students’ hands dirty. Oftentimes, that’s what it takes to bring history back to life.

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James writes:

Sajeev, the quintessential Ford dude! My wife has a 2018 Ford Explorer Limited with 52,000 miles. It’s been good so far. I’ve heard horror stories about the N/A  3.5 V-6 having catastrophic water pump leak/failure issues. A few questions:

1. Is it buried down in the “V”?
2. Are there warning signs?
3. Will this happen?
4. Should we sell before this happens?
5. When will it happen?

Sajeev answers:

This is a fantastic question with ramifications as deep as the location of the water pumps in these 3.5-liter Cyclone V-6 engines. The economic differences between an OEM’s production costs and the individual owner’s service expenses are somewhat fascinating.

But before I go into a huge nerd hole trying to convince you of that, let’s quickly answer James’ questions.

1. You bet! Ford put the water pump inside the timing cover, spinning it via the timing chain on front-wheel-drive vehicles.
   • Yes, it’s quite expensive to repair ($2000 or more), unless you can do things like dropping a vehicle’s front subframe in your own garage.
   • This applies to both naturally aspirated and EcoBoost 3.5-liter applications.
   • This doesn’t apply to the Mustang or F-150, as these have externally mounted water pumps like traditional American engines.
2. You are supposed to see a leak near the alternator, and it’s usually not too late if you keep an eagle eye on that area.
3. All water pumps fail eventually, but regular coolant services as per owner’s manual will extend the lifetime significantly.
4. People kick the can down the road for many reasons, and this is a darn good one. Just be straight up with the next owner, or trade it in and make it the dealership’s problem. (They lowball used cars for good reason!)
5. Given your mileage, if you flush the cooling system immediately and keep an eye on that alternator leak hole (technical term) you aren’t likely to have the problem for well over 100,000 miles.
   • The informative YouTube video below also mentions doing an oil analysis, if you really want to be ahead of the game. While I pinned it to the most enlightening part, watch the whole thing for more details.

And this is where we go deeper, considering the customer’s tolerance for repair bills years after the warranty expires. Who out there actually wants to service their coolant regularly, much less spring for an oil analysis on waste motor oil?

There’s a better way to force coolant services: by using a replaceable timing belt instead of a timing chain. That’s what countless belt-driven imports from the last 40+ years relied on, and it’s contributed greatly to their reputation for durability over American brands that avoid timing belts. Put another way, neglect a “not mandatory” coolant service in a 1990 Essex Continental and you quickly blow the gaskets between its aluminum heads and iron block. Bad news, but neglecting coolant in a 1990 Lexus LS400 has zero downsides because a blown timing belt ensures regular coolant servicing. I’m not suggesting the Lexus LS wasn’t a tour de force in luxury car quality, just that the delta between them and others doesn’t reflect its need for mandatory servicing.

It’s as if Ford gets timing systems and internal water pumps wrong far too frequently. Like back in 1981, when the Ford Escort “World Car” utilized Ford of Europe’s CVH engine. It, like the Pinto before it, had a timing belt. Unlike the Pinto, it was an interference engine. Ford’s American clientele clearly didn’t learn from blowing belts on Pintos, forcing the automaker to make broken-timing-belt-friendly pistons by 1983. The clarion call likely went like this:

“I’m not gonna service my Ford like some Yuppie European Weenie, you can’t make me, and your dealerships better be nice to me when I break something!”

But the 3.5-liter mill is nothing like yesteryear’s Escorts, because adding timing chains to an internal water pump makes it bit more durable. But it comes at major expense for the poor sap who owns it 8+ years into ownership, because labor costs are orders of magnitude more than servicing an old ‘scort in modern times; I got an entirely new cooling system, new power steering pump/hoses, new alternator, new A/C compressor, and a new timing belt in my 1982 Ford EXP for less than the price of a water pump swap in a modern 3.5-liter Ford.

It’s a shame, because the 3.5-liter Ford coulda been just as durable as the previous 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 found in older Ford Fusions, Five Hundreds, and Freestyles. External water pumps ensured the 3.0’s rotating assembly was essentially bulletproof, making for a compelling purchase at the bottom of the depreciation curve. But the “quintessential Ford dude in me” reminds everyone that Dearborn wasn’t the only manufacturer to do something this ridiculous. Chrysler did it with the 2.7-liter V-6, and several VW engines followed suit.

But they added a plot twist: VW’s internal water pumps came with the added bonus of plastic impellers. VW was successfully hit with lawsuits, but similar efforts against Ford’s superior-ish design have yet to succeed.

It’s a shame that somewhere in the hallowed halls of these automaker’s office buildings are people thinking of ways to advance the automobile at the expense of longterm ownership. This is a terrible way to treat your brand, but one perk of the EV revolution (as it were) is that all automakers are slowly adapting to the electric vehicle’s simple powertrain architecture. There’s so much less to screw up in an EV, especially compared to a plastic impeller VW or a 3.5-liter FWD Ford product.

The only flaw in my logic is the EV’s battery, but it’s never a hidden “gotcha” like these awful water pumps. And how great is that?

Have a question you’d like answered on Piston Slap? Send your queries to pistonslap@hagerty.com—give us as much detail as possible so we can help! Keep in mind this is a weekly column, so if you need an expedited answer, please tell me in your email.

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People like to poop on Mustangs for all sorts of reasons, but one popular refrain is that they’re a dime a dozen. Sure, fine, they’re not rare cars, and by August 2018 Ford had built 10 million of the things. But there’s something to be said for democratizing performance, and anyone who has ever mashed the throttle of a V-8 Mustang has done so gladly and with a smile on their face.

Over the years there have been plenty of rare variants, and those tend to bring big bucks and occasionally make headlines when they come up for sale. No Mustang has brought bigger bucks than the 1968 Highland Green 390 fastback from the movie Bullitt, which sold for $3.74 million in January 2020. But it’s the run-of-the-mill Mustangs that make for easy access and touch the lives of the most people. And while Mustang ownership is technically easiest with a slushbox-shifting base-model with as few cylinders as possible, enthusiasts are after a bit of V-8 kick and they’re willing to fork over a few extra dollars to get it.

Still keeping both V-8 and value in mind, here are the cheapest eight-cylinder Mustangs by generation (we price the first through fifth gens) and #2 condition (Excellent), value in the Hagerty Price Guide.

First gen (1965–73): 1970 Mustang Coupe, $18,100

With a few minor updates (notably a return to single headlights), the 1970 Mustang was largely a carryover from ’69, and Ford built nearly 191,000 of them for the model year. Nine different engines were offered, including a pair of sixes, 428- and 429-cubic-inch big-blocks, and the new 351 Cleveland V-8, a $48 option. The base V-8 coupe, however, with its two-barrel 302 making 220 horsepower, slots in as the most affordable V-8 of the bunch today. Cars equipped with an automatic offer a slight discount, but then where’s the fun in that?

Second gen (1974–78): 1975 Mustang II Coupe, $14,100

Many enthusiasts view the Mustang II as a dim, dim light in the Dark Ages of American performance cars. One of the more generous views is that it was “the right car at the right time.” It was a car, alright, but in those post-performance years, this pioneering pony car served a different master: economy.

As such, the II was smaller than its predecessor in every way. Little changed inside or outside the car during its production run but, mercifully, a 5.0-liter V-8 joined the 2.8-liter V-6 and 2.3-liter four on the spec sheet for 1975. With 8.0:1 compression and 122 horsepower, it was nothing to write home about even in the mid-1970s, and we’re pretty certain no one ever did. For a very long time, these were $5500 cars, but since late 2020, values have skyrocketed, relatively speaking. Still, the V-8 Mustang II coupe slots in as the most affordable of the era.

Third gen (1979–93): 1987 Mustang 5.0 LX Coupe, $16,600

What a trooper the Fox-body Mustang was. Few cars soldier on for so long yet still sell like gangbusters. In fact, by the time production ended after that 15-year run, about 2.7 million of them had hit the road—that’s a Fox-body Mustang for every citizen of Botswana.

As for the ’87 model, there were big changes. For starters, the Mercury Capri went away, as did the turbocharged SVO Mustang, as did the V-6 option, which left only LX and GT Mustangs with four (yuck!) or eight (yay!) cylinders. Front and rear fascias were updated, aero-look headlights showed the way, and lower bodyside moldings framed the Mustang in a more Euro fashion. An LX will always lack the cachet of a GT, so it’s no surprise they are the cheaper option among enthusiasts today. But—spoiler alert!—you still get a five-speed manual and that great 5.0 with its 225 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, so we’d hardly call this a loss.

Fourth gen (1994–2004): 1996 Mustang GT, $11,800

The venerable 5.0 V-8 soldiered on in the first couple years of production of the Mustang’s SN95 generation, but it was replaced with Ford’s new overhead cam 4.6-liter Modular unit for 1996. Despite being smaller, the more refined engine made the same power while delivering better fuel economy and reduced emissions. The change made plenty of people grumpy, which may account for the ’96 slotting in as not only the cheapest Mustang of the generation, but the cheapest V-8 Mustang overall.

For how long is anyone’s guess; values have been flat for a decade but that could mean an opportunity for collectors in the near future. In a model year that offered the potent Cobra and the crazy Mystic paint job, this regular old GT may seem pretty plain, but it’ll still put a smile on your face.

Fifth Gen (2005–14): 2005 Mustang GT, $22,700

The Mustang got a ground-up redo for 2005, with a new chassis, throwback styling, and an all-aluminum 4.6-liter V-8 featuring variable camshaft timing and making a quite respectable 300 hp and 320 lb-ft—enough to propel the car to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. To the surprise of many, Ford kept the Mustang’s solid rear axle but vastly upgraded the ancient four-link way it had been tended to, with improved shocks, softer springs, and control arms that benefited from the addition of a Panhard rod. In short, the new Mustang was fast and it handled itself well. If those things are important to you, it’s probably well worth your time to seek one out, especially because values have been on the rise for the last 24 months.

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America couldn’t get enough of the space race in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Seemingly everything carried the theme, from consumer products to TV programming to automotive design. Ford eagerly got into the mix, and introduced the Galaxie as the top trim name for the Fairlane 500 in 1959. The Galaxie became its own model the following year and didn’t look back. Now, as collector cars, Galaxies have quietly—and significantly—increased in value.

The Galaxie found itself in constant evolution after it branched off from the Fairlane. Its debut in 1960 presented a step away from the frippery of 1950s design and toward a cleaner, more streamlined look. A swath of engines were available, from a 223-cubic-inch straight-six to a trio of powerful 352-cubic-inch V-8s. Despite the new look and power under the hood, however, sales tumbled to 289,268 from 1959’s 464,100. Couple that with the fact that cross-town Chevy had a winner on its hands in its full-size cars, and particularly the Impala, Ford had to stay on its toes and decided on an immediate update.

1961 brought styling that could be considered less distinctive but that was more in line with conventional tastes. Full, round taillights came back, and the fins, while still carrying a style line from the front door to the back of the car, grew more vestigial. Up front, the grille’s shape was simplified. Alongside these updates came the availability of the 390-cubic-inch FE V-8 making 375 horsepower. Stronger still was the 6V 390, which was Ford’s odd way of sharing that the engine came with three two-barrel carburetors sitting atop an aluminum intake manifold. In this guise, the 390 made 401 horses and 430 lb-ft of torque. Production began to rebound, falling just shy of 350,000 units.

Fins left the Galaxie for good in 1962, the same year that brought the phrase “Xtra Lively” into the mix. That’s what the XL stood for in the new 500 XL trim, which positioned itself against the Impala SS. The 500 XL featured sportier finishes inside and out, along with standard bucket seats and a center console. Two versions of the 406-cubic-inch V-8 became available, though the 352 and 390 mills remained.

1963 was a big year for the Galaxie. Sales, which had been trending upward with Ford’s constant tweaks, peaked that year at 648,010 cars. It was also when Ford introduced the “Total Performance” marketing campaign for the brand, and the famous 427-cubic inch V-8 between the Galaxie’s front fenders. The Sports Hardtop, with a more-raked-but-not-quite-fastback treatment to the rear roofline, became available as well, helping Galaxie-driving NHRA and NASCAR teams with a welcome aerodynamic complement to the added power of the 427. The Galaxie was now a force to be reckoned with on the sales sheets and on the track.

With the winning formula determined, Ford only made minor visual changes in the ‘64 model year, the final one of the Galaxie’s second generation. The Sports Hardtop became the standard roof design for all non-wagon, fixed-roof Galaxies, and engine choices remained the same as those from 1963.

These regular improvements in the breed (and GM’s official withdrawal from racing) led to more than a couple of trophies for the Galaxie. Perhaps its biggest victory came at the hands of Dewayne “Tiny” Lund at the 1963 Daytona 500. Lund got his chance to race for the Wood Brothers that year after their driver, Marvin Panch, was injured in a sports racer ahead of the 500. Ford finished first through fifth that year, boosting the Galaxie’s popularity, while Lund’s win helped set the course for the Wood Brothers to secure the NASCAR Owner’s Title.

The Galaxie’s prowess wasn’t limited to turning left or hitting the quarter mile, however. Jack Sears piloted a ’63 Galaxie (as well as a Jag and a Mini) to the British Saloon Car Championship. In a beautiful display of period saloon-car racing, touring car pilot Sam Tordoff’s impressive drive from last to third in 2020’s Goodwood Speedweek is an ample reminder that big doesn’t have to mean unwieldy.

Despite its capability, the Galaxie isn’t widely considered as popular a canvas for customization as the Impala. While not all Hagerty insurance policies indicate modifications, 6.7 percent of ’60–64 Galaxies are noted as modified, while 12.7 percent of ’61–64 Impalas are so listed. Interestingly, values for both suggest that modified examples are more prized than those left stock, with values for modified Galaxies and Impalas sitting at 37 and 45 percent higher, respectively.

Speaking of values, between engine choices, body styles, and trims within the Galaxie’s second generation, we could create dozens of valuation charts. To simplify things, we picked #2 (Excellent) condition values for three coupes—which, along with convertibles, are at the top of the valuation heap in terms of body selection—using varying trim and engine choices from the final year, 1964. Naturally, 427-powered cars lead the way, and they have done so to a dramatic degree, skyrocketing over 65 percent in value since the beginning of the pandemic boom. More entry-level cars with the 392- and 352-cubic-inch engines have also seen healthy bumps in value, but crucially, all have held their place in orbit even as the market has cooled over the last year. The average value for Galaxies listed with Hagerty in 2023 is about $21,800, so despite some flashy numbers up top, it is possible to get into this big Ford for reasonable money.

Quote data, a metric we use to infer who is buying specific models, has risen among Gen X and younger buyers for the Galaxie over the last four years. Gen X interest is up just under seven percentage points since 2020, while millennial and Gen Z interest is up about four percentage points. That said, interest in the Galaxie among folks under 40 still lags their overall share of the market.

These early Galaxies proved their mettle through regular refinement and evolution. Their proven reputation on track didn’t hurt, either. While the Galaxie might not be as emblematic of its era as the Impala, their values have demonstrated that enthusiasts believe Galaxies belong in the firmament of full-size muscle.

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In fall 2022, Ford revealed the S650 Mustang, the seventh generation of its inimitable pony car. The new machine was met with fanfare for a multitude of reasons, the most poignant being that as its cross-town competitors began to wind-down their versions of the Great American Muscle Car—either with about 400 special editions or with absolutely zero ceremony—Ford was picking up the banner and carrying it well into this decade.

Late last week, a report from Muscle Cars & Trucks seemed to mark an end of the road for the current Mustang. In the report, MC&T cited language in the new labor agreement reached between Ford and the UAW that pointed to the current-generation Mustang ceasing production in 2028.

“Thanks to the details disclosed from the new Ford-UAW labor agreement, information has been released to the public regarding plans for vehicles along with their designated assembly plants, and the latest points towards the end of production for the S650 Ford Mustang in 2028, meaning after the 2028 model year, the current Ford Mustang will bid us all farewell.”

However, in a statement provided to Hagerty, Ford spokesperson Brandon Turkus says otherwise: “The Muscle Cars & Trucks report about the Mustang is not accurate. Beyond this, we don’t comment on speculation about future products.”

One could infer that Ford is taking issue with the date mentioned (2028), and that in fact there are plans in the works to keep the Mustang rolling well past that point. Using history as a rough measuring stick, the previous generation of Mustang enjoyed an eight-year run, debuting in 2015 and then being replaced in mid-2023 by the new one. For the S650 to only have a run time of half the previous model seems unlikely, though there are certainly far more challenges around gas-powered vehicles facing this new generation.

What’s more, Ford hasn’t chosen to focus the new Mustang at just one sort of buyer. The Mustang is a true choose-your-own-adventure car: There are convertibles, fuel-sipping four-cylinders, thundering V-8s, a track-tuned Dark Horse, a cruise-ready California Special, and even a supercar-slaying Mustang GTD that will ring the register for $300K-plus. These cars don’t sell in the numbers they once did, but it seems far-fetched that Ford would completely run out of buyers for the Mustang as it currently stands by 2028.

Ahead of the S650’s reveal, there were speculations that the car would offer some sort of hybridized drivetrain. Those rumors didn’t pan out, but that’s not to say that the prospects of a hybrid Mustang simply died on the vine. Perhaps Ford is planning to add hybridization to the Mustang, and those changes will arrive conveniently close to the 2028 date mentioned in the labor agreement? Again, hard to say, because Ford (and basically every other manufacturer, to be fair) almost always refuses to comment on future products.

Whatever the actual truth ends up being here, there’s no need to go all Chicken Little and say “the pony car sky is falling!” Though it’s the only automaker still building such a machine, Ford is certainly still putting big effort into the Mustang for the time being. If you want to get your hands on one, there’s no time quite like the present.

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You know how many newer cars have a little cradle in the center console to hold your cell phone, which charges it as you drive?

Imagine a stretch of road that charges your electric car as you drive over it.

This actually exists: A quarter-mile of road in Detroit has just opened, constructed with copper coils beneath the pavement to charge your car as you pass over it. Well, maybe not your car, but those fitted with a receptor system manufactured by the technology’s owner, Electreon, described as the “leading developer and provider of wireless charging solutions for electric vehicles.”

At present it would appear that just one Ford research van is equipped with the technology, but it’s a start. Here’s how the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) describes it: “14th Street between Marantette and Dalzelle streets is now equipped with inductive-charging coils that will charge electric vehicles equipped with Electreon receivers as they drive on the road. The road will be used to test and perfect this wireless-charging technology in a real-world environment and perfect it ahead of making it available to the public in the next few years, helping to further establish Michigan and Detroit as leaders in innovation and technology.”

Given the amount of salt Detroit uses on its roads in the winter, if the coils can survive there, they can survive anywhere.

“We’re excited to spearhead the development and deployment of America’s first wireless charging road,” said Dr. Stefan Tongur, Electreon’s vice president of business development. “Alongside Michigan’s automotive expertise, we’ll demonstrate how wireless charging unlocks widespread EV adoption, addressing limited range, grid limitations, and battery size and costs. This project paves the way for a zero-emission mobility future, where EVs are the norm, not the exception.”

When a car with a receiver nears the charging segments of the road it transfers electricity wirelessly through a magnetic field. This electricity is then transferred as energy to the vehicle’s battery, charging it. These charging segments can transfer electricity to the receiver either when the vehicle is parked or when it is driving. “The electric road is claimed to be safe for drivers, pedestrians, and wildlife,” says DDOT.

“Each coil in the road is activated only when a vehicle with an approved receiver passes over the coil. This ensures that energy transfer is controlled and provided only to vehicles that require it.” It’s unclear how long a car would have to pass over the electrified road to gain any meaningful amount of charging.

The charging road runs alongside the Newlab at Michigan Central Building, home to more than 60 tech and mobility startups. In 2024, the Michigan Department of Transportation will begin seeking bids to rebuild part of Michigan Avenue, which will see additional inductive charging installed. Electreon has also installed two static inductive charging stations in front of Michigan Central Station, which will be able to charge Electreon-equipped vehicles while they are parked. The company has 18 similar projects around the world, most in Europe and Israel.

Here’s how Electreon plans to make money: “Electreon provides accessible financing options including Charging as a Service, customized to meet the needs of fleet vehicle operations. We cover upfront costs, including the infrastructure, implementation, and operations.

“Our customers can choose to pay a monthly subscription, or pay for wireless EV charging as they use it… We place our unique copper coils just below the surface of the road—along highways, at bus stations, in parking lots, and at logistics centers. Deployment takes place at night to minimize disruption. The coils are then covered with asphalt and the Electric Road is ready to begin charging EVs.”

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Tradition means more to some people than to others. Folks in and around the U.S. Taxi industry hoarded the last remaining examples of the P70 long-wheelbase Ford Crown Victoria for good reason, especially in cab-centric places like New York City. But that was over a decade ago. Now, the New York Times reports that only two taxi drivers in the Big Apple remain loyal to the Crown Victoria, and each is skirting the law in doing so. The example owned by Ravinder Sharma currently has over 550,000 miles, and the unit owned by Haroon Abdullah has accumulated a mere 491,000 miles.

Both men kept their Crown Vics in good shape, as the NYT suggests the cars “are shiny and quiet, even if weathered.” Holding firm with Panther Love is easy to do, but it isn’t unique to Messrs. Sharma and Abdullah. Jason Kersten, spokesperson for the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission, was interviewed by the NYT, telling them he once used a Crown Vic “as a moving van and loaded everything he owned into the trunk” when he was a college student. (When I was in college, a Detroit cabbie once explained how much more luggage could fit in a Crown Vic vs. in a Chevy Caprice.) Kersten certainly embraces Panther Love, but he suggests that like “the Model Ts, Checkers, and Caprices before them, their final act of safety must be a well-earned retirement.”

The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission doesn’t mess around, either; there’s a mandatory retirement for any car after it has spent seven years as a taxicab. Even the Ford Escape Hybrid is almost impossible to find on NYC’s mean streets. These two Crown Vics could theoretically be shut down right now, as the commission could deactivate their fare meters wirelessly. But their time of reckoning comes instead on December 8, 2023, as both men have their day in court (so to speak) to explain why they’ve avoided the commission’s mandated taxi inspections. Their cabs passed state inspections, and the commission allowed them “given pandemic extensions.” But the situation for these two cabbies looks dire. If (when?) they lose this uphill battle, they could face a $500 fine and have their licenses suspended.

While this is only about two Crown Vics and their drivers, the heart of the NYT‘s story would be completely different had Mother Nature not intervened back in 2012. We’d likely have a few more holdout drivers with keys to their Panther-chassis cabs had one storm’s trajectory merely moved east instead of west.

Hurricane Sandy destroyed the last 200 new examples of the P70 long-wheelbase Crown Victoria as they awaited shipment to Manhattan Ford. It’s clear that Ford dealers in Metro NYC knew back in 2011 that the Panther gravy train was ending, so they bought a huge stash to keep cabbies happy for as long as humanly possible. Abdullah is proof of this: He bought his cab from a Ford dealer in the Bronx after his last Crown Vic was destroyed by Sandy. If only those flooded units survived to become taxis, there’s a chance their owners would be much like Abdullah and Sharma, fighting the good fight for their livelihoods. At the same time, the two drivers are also fighting for the value proposition of body-on-frame Fords.

Perhaps I am exaggerating the plight of these two cabbies and their 4.6-liter sleds. Or perhaps the Crown Victoria isn’t just a great cab, it’s also the last gasp of middle-class existence for cab drivers. We all know the damage inflation has wreaked upon our economy in the last few years, and it’s definitely hurting Abdullah. He told the NYT that he needed a $30,000 down payment to buy a new Toyota Sienna Hybrid but said, “I’m behind on my mortgage, I’m behind on my bills.” He added, “If they don’t allow me to drive this car [the Crown Vic], I won’t make the income I need to buy a new car.” Sharma is in a similar position: The NYT reports he owned four taxi medallions and “lost his savings when the medallion bubble burst in 2014.”

Personal finance and everything it impacts is beyond our scope here at Hagerty Media, but there’s little doubt that the Crown Victoria’s ease of collision repair, its curb-jumping suspension durability, and its low-stress powertrain makes it financially possible to drive harder throughout the day, collecting more fares in the process. Fuel economy is a concern, but Sharma said, “I don’t think about the gas. I’m 64. I raised my children. I just drive.”

You may try to treat another cab like a Crown Vic, but you’re probably gonna regret it. CV axles on front-wheel-drive vehicles aren’t cheap, and I suspect no cabbie is gonna hop a curb to avoid Manhattan traffic jams like their predecessors did in Checkers, Caprices, and the once-ubiquitous Ford Crown Victoria. (I’ve seen it with my own eyes.) Since newer cabs have to be babied to minimize future repair costs, I wonder if these last two Crown Victorias are another vestige of the behaviors and attitudes found in Dirty Old New York City. You know, the time before Manhattan was a tourist trap and Brooklyn was hipster bait. They are fun memories for some, but the future is nothing to fear.

Time stops for nobody, and modern NYC has plenty to offer resident and visitor alike, with space-efficient vans and hybrid-powered taxis offsetting the city’s mass transit systems. I remember the Dirty Old New York City days, when concierges at hotels told you not to leave after sunset. I remember how much smog was in Manhattan’s air during times of peak congestion, and things are better now. So perhaps it’s better for everyone that future congested urban spaces don’t include Ford’s Crown Victoria. No matter what fate the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission hands down to Sharma and Abdullah come December 8, history has been made. And it’s been a great ride.

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As someone who has owned three GM pony cars, I find myself firmly in the camp that is celebrating the life of the Camaro this month. Even I admit there would be no Camaro without the Mustang, though, and Rob Sass’ opinionated musings below are a clear-eyed reminder of the root of the Camaro’s origin. Maybe, too, they are a reminder of why the car is soon disappearing. —EE

If you sensed that there was a little something special in the way the earth tilted on its axis in 2010, you probably weren’t imagining things. The original pony car got back its most bitter—and consistently credible—rivalry that year, and for more than a decade, both the Camaro and the Mustang were the better for it, continuously goading each other to reach new heights just as they did after the Camaro burst onto the scene in 1967.

As it turns out, though, the flame that burns bright also burns short—the Camaro’s Transformers–fueled revival didn’t quite make it a decade and a half, and barring some sort of misguided EV revival, the Camaro nameplate seems destined to become part of the automotive fossil record. Not so (at least not yet) for its Mustang sparring partner, and to a degree, we all know why. Storied and beloved though the Camaro is, honest enthusiasts have to acknowledge that since it was created as a response to the Mustang, it could never occupy the same hallowed space in the car-crazy American psyche as the original. Though there were several moments in their intertwined history where the Camaro came out on top, the Mustang was always the one that mattered most.

The original

Ford, and specifically one Lido Anthony Iacocca, were the first ones to do the math. 1964 marked the beginning of a tsunami for the youth market, not just for cars but for every imaginable consumer good. The postwar baby boom that had started in 1945 was poised to deliver millions of people with some actual spending power and Ford got there first with something sexy. Hell, the name of the entire segment, “pony car” was inspired by their product. GM was inexplicably—remember, this was the fearless company trying innovative concepts like the Corvair and penning some of the most beautiful cars ever, like the second-gen Corvette—and inexcusably late to the party, and that colossal error in product planning has always hung over the Camaro and its long-gone Firebird sibling.

Indelible personalities

It’s not as though there was no Camaro royalty—people like Don Yenko, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, Roger Penske, and Mark Donohue are all certified legends, but none could compete with the dynamic duo of self-promotion that Carroll Shelby and Lee Iacocca represented. Both are household names, well-known even outside of car enthusiast circles. Both knew that in order to secure the Mustang’s future, its success was as dependent on marketing as design and execution. More than ten years after Carroll signed the last glovebox, the legacy of the original Shelby GT350 and the Shelby name itself still loom large, while the magnificent Yenko and COPO Camaros are mainly museum pieces, important mainly to those in the know.

Mustang’s motorsports success meant more

This one comes as close to a draw as possible, as over the last 50-plus years, the Camaro has taken its share of motorsports wins over the Mustang. But the fact is, by the time Mark Donohue delivered the first Mustang spanking at the hands of his Penske Camaro, besting Parnelli Jones in the 1968 Trans Am season, the Mustang had already established its reputation as a winner—the  Shelby GT350 Mustang won the SCCA B Production championship in 1965, and the Mustang took the Trans Am championship in 1967. The Falcon-based pony was firmly rooted as the athletic and fun car to have in the eyes of the American public. Once again, it pays to be the first mover.

Styling, and timing, were almost always on the Mustang’s side

Styling is subjective, but some things about the Mustang’s looks aren’t in dispute. The Mustang created the template for the pony car—long hood and short rear deck, and while the original notchback and convertible body styles were nice to look at, it was the 1965 fastback that became iconic. Chevy seemed to recognize that, abandoning the notchback design for the second-generation Camaro in 1970, producing what was arguably the prettiest Camaro ever. They managed to keep it nicely updated with a smart urethane nose that looked good even as the 1980s dawned and with Ford selling the infamous Mustang II, the Malaise Era should have been Camaro’s opportunity to crush the Mustang. Chevy did manage to eke out a couple years of sales victories as the ’70s drew to a close, but once again, GM dithered, its updated third-gen Camaro following the sharp Fox-body Mustang by three critical years. Momentum lost once again. The ’90s were a bit of a draw, with both cars suffering from the melted, jellybean, overhang-rich styling trends of the time.

History repeated itself in 2005 when Ford introduced the brilliant Sid Ramnarace–designed S-197 Mustang, which incorporated some of the best-loved design elements of the first-generation car. GM waited an excruciating five years to decide that there might be some life left in the segment after all. In 2010, almost a decade after killing the Camaro/Firebird F-body twins, GM gave us the best-performing Camaro yet, but inexplicably, it drew its stylistic inspiration from the first-generation Camaro, rather than the much prettier second-generation car. Perhaps it saw the original notchback coupe design as a way to differentiate the car from the fastback Mustang. At least to my eye, nearly every variety of post-2010 Mustang is both prettier and more distinctive than the Camaro, which suffered from a series of uninspired redesigns and mid-cycle “enhancements.” With about half as many Camaros sold as Mustangs in 2022, the buying public clearly knows what it wants.

Which brings us to today. The Camaro heads off into oblivion, or at least its second purgatory, while a brand-new generation of Mustang launches into an admittedly uncertain future. The traits the Mustang had from the get-go—first-mover advantage, performance identity, baked-in marketing mojo, big personalities, an eye for what design would resonate—all built one of the strongest-ever brands in American cars, and arguably the momentum that’s keeping the Mustang alive for another generation. That said, we’ll all miss the rivalry. Regardless of where you stand, it unquestionably made both cars better.

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I love mid-summer—peak car show season. In back-to-back weekends I saw at least a dozen amazing cars that I will likely write up soon, but today’s subject was the result of a change in plans due to an extra-hot week in the Midwest.

Every Wednesday during the summer there is an evening cruise in on the Davenport, Iowa, riverfront. Sometimes there is a great turnout and sometimes there are only a few cars. Of course, this is dependent on what the weather is like. Extremely hot and humid, usually means a low turnout, so I wasn’t expecting much, but since my office is nearby I figured I’d swing by for a quick look.

As I crossed the bridge, I could tell there were only two cars, one which may have not even been vintage, so I just continued on through downtown. And as I passed the Hotel Blackhawk, I spied this magnificent 1973 Ford Thunderbird.

I immediately vectored my car into the nearest empty parking spot and frantically ran over to gawk at it—no surprise, as I’m frequently spied in the greater metropolitan area darting into traffic to geek out at some well-preserved example from the Brougham Age.

This car was a sweetheart. I’ve seen a few of these around, including a very sharp white one with dark green leather and dark green top, but this was amazingly nice. I couldn’t find a thing wrong with it, not a ding in a wheel cover or one sprung stitch in the upholstery. I was also particularly fond of the ice blue metallic paint with navy top and cloth.

This was the second year of the “Thunderbrougham,” as I call them. Never again would the T-Bird be so large or extravagant. Built from 1972–76, it shared its body and chassis with the Continental Mark IV.

Some wags have said the Mark was simply a dolled-up Thunderbird, but as I recall, the Mark IV was designed first, then the Thunderbird was adapted from it. Either way you slice it, these were large, imposing personal luxury coupes. My friend Carmine refers to them as the “Thunder Thighs” T-Bird.

The ’73s, like all other cars that year, had a new bumper designed to withstand a 5-mph knock with no damage. This resulted in the “park bench” bumper style that became so common on cars in the U.S. in the mid-to-late ’70s. In addition to the new bumper, the T-Bird got a new eggcrate-style grille to replace the ’72’s horizontal-bar version and revised front turn-signal lenses, and the headlights moved into separate pods, replacing the previous year’s style, where they were housed in a shadow box-type chrome frame with a repeating pattern from the grille within them.

The trim rear bumper and full-width taillights carried over for 1973. Thunderbirds now had a base price of $5577 ($38,646 today) and weighed in at an impressive 4572 pounds. It was a very good year for personal luxury coupes, and the T-Bird was no exception: 87,269 were built for the ’73 model year.

The new front bumper stretched the overall length to 218.9 inches (in 1972 it was was an even 216 inches). Wheelbase was 120.4 inches and height was 53.1 inches. To put that in perspective, a 2023 Cadillac Escalade is 211.9 inches long with a 120.9-inch wheelbase! The 429-cubic-inch V-8 with 201 horsepower was standard, with a 219-hp 460 optional. Both breathed through a four-barrel Motorcraft carburetor.

As you’d expect of Ford’s top luxury coupe, standard features included power steering and power front disc/rear drum brakes, along with AM radio, spare tire lock, ample sound insulation, full wheel covers, side body protective moldings, Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission, and power ventilation. An amazing 23 colors were available, eight of them at extra cost.

Options included SelectAire air conditioning, a power sunroof, the Exterior Decor Group, deluxe bumper group, leather interior, bucket seats with matching center console, cornering lamps, and a power antenna.

Our featured car is finished in Silver Blue Fire, which was one of the optional exterior paint choices. An identical one was shown in the ’73 Thunderbird brochure. I later found out that it had a reputed 20,000 original miles and was equipped with the 460 V-8. It was a beauty, and it more than made up for that messed-up cruise-in!

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What’s that you say, “but it’s only a Ford”?

A Ford that sold for the mind-numbing figure of £596,250 ($714,091) with fees at Silverstone Auctions earlier this year, in fact—a record for the model. But that should come as no surprise: The Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 is no stranger to breaking records. That it became one of the most successful saloon racing cars of all time is only part of the story. What makes it so desirable is that (and the name gives it away) only 500 were built. And although Ford is a colossal company, the RS500 and the car from which it evolved, the Sierra RS Cosworth, were both developed by two very special engineering teams based in Essex.

Ford Special Vehicle Engineering, where the Sierra Cosworth was created, consisted of just 34 engineers. Ford Motorsport, which prepared the racing versions, had only 32. Actually, the Cossie’s core engineering team was much smaller than that, as SVE boss, Rod Mansfield, told me when we met in 1987 to chat about the forthcoming RS500. “For a major project like Cosworth, 4×4 Sierra, or Scorpio,” he explained, “I need 10 engineers and on a rule of thumb basis, a minimum of two years. The most luxurious timing is nearer three, but the Cosworth was under two.”

Why were so few built? The original “Cossie,” with its famous whale tail, was a “homologation special” produced not as a boy-racer road car, but to make it eligible for Group A international racing, which dictated 5000 of the basic car must be built and sold. Taking a couple of standard Sierras and bolting on a huge spoiler and turbocharged engine to go racing just wasn’t allowed. The regulations said the features must be “homologated,” so included as standard on a production version anyone can buy. Group A regulations also allowed an “Evolution” version with further modifications, of which 500 were to be built and offered for general sale.

So the story of the RS500 started in 1987, a couple of years before it was revealed, with the sensation that was the Sierra RS Cosworth. Two men were directly responsible for the hottest Sierra yet. The first was Stuart Turner, the recently appointed director of motorsport at Ford Europe. The second was Mansfield, head of Ford SVE. Both men already had a dazzling track record in delivering word-beating competition cars.

Turner headed the BMC competitions department in the Mini’s heyday when the Cooper S was beating all-comers in world rallying. Appointed Ford director of motorsport in 1970, he was largely responsible for the Mk1 Escort RS1600 (the first Ford RS homologation special) and its road-going spin-offs, the Mexico and RS2000. Later, he headed the special division set up in Essex to build them, Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations (FAVO). In 1983, he became director of motorsport at Ford of Europe and soon after, the Group B RS200 happened.

Mansfield became chief engineer at FAVO in April 1980 and took the helm of the new Special Vehicle Engineering at Ford Europe, based at Ford’s Research and Development headquarters at Dunton in Essex. SVE would develop the high-performance road-going cars, and Ford Motorsport, based at Boreham, would do the full-house race and rally cars. These included the Escort Turbo and Sierra 4×4. SVE had also been responsible for the Capri Injection, the Fiesta XR2, and Escort XR3i.

Roll back the clock to the middle of 1987 again and Rod Mansfield was explaining to me how the Sierra Cosworth story had begun a few years earlier with a meeting in Stuart Turner’s office. “He just said, ‘What can we do?’ He realized SVE was the area to build him his basic vehicles. We had some marketing people there for a brainstorming session. Stuart said he needed something to go rallying with and needed something Escort, so the Escort Turbo was born. Then he asked what else we could do and the marketing people wanted support for Sierra. I mentioned the fact that there was a normally aspirated Cosworth engine around the place that might work for turbocharging and wouldn’t that make a nice car for touring car championships.”

The signature whale-tail spoiler of the Cossie that followed almost became something else. The motorsport people originally wanted it to be doubled-up, with the main wing supplemented by an additional, small, bootlid spoiler. For whatever reason—possibly styling—it didn’t happen and the single version was adopted, producing 20 kg (44 pounds) of downforce at high speed. It was significant because during testing, the standard Sierra body shape, which had never been designed for that pace, generated enough lift to make the car unstable. The single whale tail combined with the low front spoiler fixed that, and fixed it well.

At around the same time, I paid a visit to the hallowed ground of Ford Motorsport at Boreham airfield in Essex, this time to meet Mike Moreton, the project manager of Ford Motorsport Europe. As if “Boreham,” as it was economically known, wasn’t legendary enough, its location in a former wartime RAF airfield and ramshackle appearance made it even more so. Moreton’s office wasn’t located in one of the glass towers you might expect for an operation that had dominated much of the world’s saloon-based motorsport for almost quarter of a century, but in a single-story building made of wood. While the material side of the place may have been shaky, the atmosphere made up for it, and the workshops where cars were prepared were impressively spacious.

The first thing I wanted to know was how powerful would this Sierra Cosworth evolution be. Moreton was coy, saying only that in international touring car racing, “It should completely dominate the class.” He also explained how the difference between it and the Sierra Cosworth wouldn’t be that great in road-going form. “In round figures, the car already does 150 mph, is there any point in producing a car that does much more? A little extra speed was added to the specification, more to justify the extra cost than anything. Most of the changes to the evolution car were made to allow for the requirements of Group A and, as Moreton explained, “the regulations forbid the adding of metal.”

That’s the best clue as to what the RS500 is like to drive as a road car, and in back-to-back testing with my original long-term test Sierra Cosworth, we found it disappointing. Why? Because most of the mechanical additions for Group A didn’t do anything on the road-going version and they weren’t expected to. Only when they were “actuated” in racing car form would the brutal reality of the difference they made hit home.

The double rear spoiler is an example. “The original spoiler wasn’t put there to cope with the 150 mph of the road car,” said Mansfield. It was to deal with the problem we knew we would have at 180-mph-plus on the race track. The spoiler wasn’t engineered for maximum road speed, though we don’t recommend anyone takes it off because it does have a significant effect.”

“All along, Motorsport wanted a spoiler that we never got,” explained Moreton. “Now the two rear spoilers give us an additional 105 kg (231 pounds) downforce at 100 mph and the front spoiler changes give us an additional 20 kg (44 pounds) over the standard Cosworth.”

The re-engineering of the spoiler was typically informal and made at the Ford wind tunnel in Cologne. This was all pre-computer-aided design, remember. “Eberhard Braun, a motorsport engineer, took a car and some bits of card and aluminum into the wind tunnel at Merkenich,” Moreton told me. “From there it went to the design studio, where it was properly designed by Tony Grade. The panels were made by Phoenix, a German company.”

The official maximum power of the RS500 was 224 bhp (221 hp), against 204 (201) for the Cossie, but maximum torque was only 3 lb-ft more. In race trim, though, we now know the engine will make north of 550 bhp (542 hp) in a Group A racer, transforming the quite benign road car into beast. Some crucial bits of “added metal” on the RS500 included a much larger Garrett T31/T04 turbocharger with pressurized bearing lubrication, providing enough air to generate so much power. The turbo went hand-in-hand with a substantially bigger intercooler. It’s the huge turbo and air intake system that dulls low-down punch of the RS500 compared to the original.

On the road car, the boost remained the same as the Cossie, at 9 psi, but in the racers the “wick” would be turned up much higher. More fuel would be needed to generate the extra power, so there was a second row of “yellow” fuel injectors (yellow denoting higher capacity) complete with wiring and pipework to feed them, but on the road car these weren’t active. Rear suspension changes would allow racers to change the angle of the semi-trailing arms to alter camber and tracking as the car cornered hard.

The engine’s iron cylinder block was cast with thicker walls surrounding the cylinders. The bolts fastening the cylinder head to it, rather than simply screwing into the top, ran right the way through to prevent head gasket failures at the awesome pressures it would be running. There were even stronger forged pistons, a beefier oil pump, and oil spray cooling for those pistons. All these mods hinted at the massive potential the engine had.

“This car was designed to be the winning car in Group A,” said Moreton. “And the evolution car has some very significant changes in it. I don’t think anyone realizes how significant they are when it comes to reliable, high-power 24-hour racing.” As a road car though, the RS500 lacks the driveability of the original Sierra Cosworth, only getting going at around 4500 rpm, compared to 3500 rpm, making it feel laggy and less punchy. That compromised flexibility showed up when Performance Car (of which I was the editor at the time) tested it at Millbrook Proving Ground. Against the standard Sierra Cosworth, the RS500 was actually slower from 50 mph to 70 mph in fourth and fifth gears.

So what of the design? My third stop in the RS500 story was a visit back to Dunton and a chat with Ford of Europe’s director of design in 1987, Andy Jacobson. In those days, Ford exteriors were designed in Germany while interiors were penned at Dunton. His opening gambit at our meeting was, “I have two Cosworths, one here and one in Germany.” At the time, Ford execs traveled regularly between the two sites. “The fantastic thing about having one in Germany is being able to use the car at full throttle, at top speed, without going to jail.” Jacobson was chief designer in the UK when the original Sierra Cosworth was designed and recalled, “If you’re designing a car like the RS200, you know damn well all you’re really going to need is a credit card and a tooth brush. With the Cosworth, you can have your cake and eat it. That, to me, is a really good piece of design.”

If it’s the ultimate driver’s car you’re after, don’t choose the RS500, because the original Sierra Cosworth is that much nicer to drive and looks just as good, if not better, with its cleaner rear end. If it’s rarity you’re after, then the RS500 is the choice for collectors. That said, perhaps the value of the RS500 today is not just about scarcity, because it didn’t just triumph over the opposition in world-class saloon car racing—it pulverized it.

The legend is fuelled by numerous videos of the RS500s at Bathurst and elsewhere on YouTube, which are truly gobsmacking to watch. When I met Rod Mansfield for a story on the Sierra Cosworth RS500’s namesake, the Focus RS500, years later, he pondered those days of the Sierra supercars. “Even before it was built, the intention was for it to be the European Touring Car Challenge champion,” he said. “And it was.” And that pretty well sums up why collectors today are willing to pay north of half a million pounds for an old Ford.

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Ready the cannons, ’cause this is an explosive send-off. Last weekend, Ford debuted the final iteration of its vaunted GT supercar in public for the first time. The 800-horsepower Ford GT Mk IV was a blur of red, white, and blue as it scorched around Sonoma Raceway in California’s wine county.

Billed as the “ultimate and final track-only Ford GT,” the Mk IV adds power and downforce to the Blue Oval’s mid-engine supercar formula.

For this ultimate expression of the production GT, Ford again turned to long-time partner Multimatic. The Canadian manufacturing and engineering firm provided assembly for the third-generation Ford GT, launched for the 2017 model year. In 2019, the company’s performance arm, Multimatic Motorsports, developed the Ford GT Mk II for customer track use. Just 45 examples were built.

Last December, Ford announced that production of GT road cars was coming to a halt, making the 2023 model year the supercar’s final one. To commemorate the run, Ford revealed plans for a juiced-up “long-tail” sequel to the Mark II track-only car, this time dubbed the Mark IV in reference to the final iteration of the original Ford GT40 that conquered Le Mans back in 1967. Appropriately, Ford planned to build 67 examples.

Nearly a year later, Ford yanked the silk off the GT Mk IV at Velocity Invitational, a historic motorsports gathering that attracts the finest vintage race cars to Sonoma, California. Multimatic’s ace driver, Scott Maxwell, was on hand to exhibit the Mk IV’s impressive pace on the 12-turn, 2.5-mile road course.

In addition to racing professionally for Multimatic since 1992, Maxwell served as lead development driver on the third-generation Ford GT road car, the Le Mans-winning race car, and Multimatic’s GT Mk II. “This is a much more aggressive car,” he said, motioning toward the Mk IV parked on Sonoma Raceway’s pit lane.

Maxwell has driven the low-slung supercar on most of North America’s premier tracks, from Laguna Seca to Road Atlanta. “Anybody can hop in a Mark II and drive it fast or slow and be comfortable. It’s the easiest supercar I’ve ever driven in my life. The Mark IV is more raw. It likes to go quicker because that’s when the downforce kicks in.”

 

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According to the Multimatic Motorsports team, the new GT posts lap times that rival those of the LMP2 prototype race car. Compared to the Mk II, this follow-up is approximately 400 pounds lighter and has about 40 percent more downforce. Even the car’s tub was reworked to accommodate a different roll cage.

All told, the new machine’s body and ground effects generate 2400 pounds of plant. “The aerodynamics are pretty spectacular,” said Sean Mason, motorsports manager of Multimatic’s Special Vehicle Operations department. “We could get more downforce, but we don’t want to overload the tire.” In addition to aiding stick, the new carbon-fiber bodywork gives the car a refreshing appearance.

“There’s not a hell of a lot left from the Mark II,” said Mason. “The tail lights are the same,” he added wryly.

Likely, competitors will see much of those old lamps, because this thing is fast. The twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 engine behind the driver can produce north of 800 horsepower on pump gas. The Mark IV also features Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) suspension. As the car drives around the track, the adaptive suspension’s spool valves constantly adjust the dampening based on inputs from the driver and the track surface.

Buyers aren’t expected to tame this beast entirely by themselves. Ford Performance will host driving days for customers and their new playthings, and Multimatic, including Maxwell, will be in attendance to support.

To answer the question we’re all wondering: Cost is a cool $1.7M. Though, like many limited halo machines of this nature, all 67 are sold as of this writing. That’s more than triple the cost of the standard-issue road car, which commanded a price of around $500,000.

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Following a teaser dropped in a tweet yesterday from Ford CEO Jim Farley, the Blue Oval today revealed the 2024 Mustang GT California Special (GT/CS). Like the original GT/CS, which debuted back in 1968, the new one seems to capture “California’s optimistic and carefree driving culture,” says Joe Bellino, Mustang brand manager.

The 2024 GT/CS will use the color Rave Blue in a host of accent flourishes that make it stand out. On the exterior, you’ll find the color adorning the nostril intakes flanking the grille, as well as on the trim-specific graphics along the lower bodysides. You’ll also see Rave Blue on either of the two 19-inch wheel options: the standard carbonized gray wheels with a GT/CS logo printed on them in blue, or, the performance pack wheels, which combine a machines face with sweet-looking Rave Blue pockets. The 5.0-liter badge and the GT badge at the back will also get the blue treatment, as does the GT/CS badge in the front grille.

Inside, Mustang designers used the blue for accent stitching on the black seats, dash, and doors. The same stitching, which also has a trace of gray thread to add a bit more pizzaz, is available for the steering wheel and center console as well. Other interior flourishes include a “California Special” badge on the instrument panel, and floor mats with the GT/CS logo on them.

The California Special package will add $1995 to the price of a Mustang GT Premium, which starts at $47,410 and includes the 480-hp Coyote 5.0-liter V-8, as well as Brembo brakes, aluminum pedals and door sill plates, and an optional active valve exhaust system that will keep things muffled on cold mornings so as not to wake the neighbors. All-in, you’re looking at just shy of $50,000.

Ford will sell you a Mustang GT California Special configured as either a coupe or a convertible, and you can also choose between the six-speed manual and the 10-speed automatic transmission. Opt for that convertible, and you’ll have to add another $5500 (the upcharge for a GT Premium convertible) to the sticker price, putting a drop-top GT/CS like the one pictured here at $54,905. Order banks open today. The Mustang GT/CS will be revealed in the metal at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16.

Ford’s most famous car is getting ready to turn 60 next year, and the automaker is casting its net wide, seemingly engineering and designing a Mustang targeting just about every relevant buyer for this S650 generation. From the modest, but still plenty of fun Mustang EcoBoost, to the performance-oriented Mustang Dark Horse, to the supercar-slaying Mustang GTD, and now the cruising-ready GT/CS, you really are spoiled for choice if you’re looking for a new Pony car.

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The new Mustang’s styling and interior electronics may not suit the tastes of traditionalist fans, but that isn’t stopping Ford from tweaking its perennial pony car with even more exterior styling and performance enhancements. The Dark Horse high-performance Mustang even added a new name to this S650-generation lineup. Now with but a tweet on X, Ford CEO Jim Farley is hinting that the model’s famous GT/CS badge could bring some Mustang heritage back into the mix.

Can’t wait to show you what’s next for Mustang… pic.twitter.com/V3FM2m8fQI

— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) November 8, 2023

For those in need of a translation, that GT/CS suggests that a new Mustang GT will get the California Special treatment, which comes with 55 years of history in tow. The 1968 Mustang California Special is one of the more well known special editions from the first-generation Mustang. Just like that teaser pic, the original version was also referred to as the GT/CS; it shared cosmetic upgrades with the Shelby GT500, most notably its unique fiberglass decklid and rear spoiler. A diverse array of options were available, much like every other Mustang from that era. Over 4000 GT/CS models were made in 1968, all two-door notchback coupes.

Diversity in body configurations came with future examples of the GT/CS: The 2007-08, 2016-17, and the Europe-only 2022 Mustang GT/CS were also available in a convertible, but only based on the Mustang GT with its singular V-8 engine—far fewer options compared with the 1968 model. (These subsequent versions came with more standard features than the original, of course.) No matter the year, all later GT/CS models paid homage to the original with unique trim. For this next GT/CS for the seventh-generation, S650 Mustang, we’d expect it to follow tradition and use the GT Premium Fastback as its basis.

Other users on X, formerly Twitter, brightened up the teaser image to reveal a date of November 9—what we presume to be the official unveiling tomorrow. Hold on to your convertible tops until then!

Considering how radical the base 2024 model looks these days, the next GT/CS has to clear a high bar to differentiate itself. Maybe it should only be available in a 2-door notchback coupe body style? Just kidding … probably. 

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The door shuts, the key turns, and there’s a whirring of the fuel pump before the starter motor cranks away and the engine catches. There’s an explosion as fuel is compressed and ignited, and the 5.75-liter V-8 settles to a chugga-chug-chug, fumes filling the air and hydrocarbon flecks spitting from the exhausts. It is everything and more you’d hope from a 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1—theatrical, attention-seeking, and a hint of the anti-establishment, ready to melt rubber into the road and race for pink slips.

The Mach 1, however, is being moved to make way for a 1965 Mustang of an altogether different kind. When the key is turned in that car’s dashboard, there’s no explosion of internal combustion and no fumes from exhausts to melt the hairs in your nose and bring tears to your eyes. Instead, you hear the faint whir of electrical systems waking up and running checks. Then you turn the key further, ease down the brake pedal, and nudge the short shift lever from neutral to drive, before leaning into the accelerator.

The imperious hood of the Mustang coupe emerges from the workshop of Alan Mann Racing, and a passing driver of a delivery van appears somewhat perplexed that an American pony car is moving without making a sound—or rocking on its suspension to the beat of a V-8.

It may be equally perplexing to those familiar with Alan Mann Racing (AMR), the British team that ruled the grid during the swinging Sixties. The company was founded in 1964 by Alan Mann, after his success in motor racing impressed Ford so much that the carmaker effectively set him up as its European racing operation. Alan Mann Racing became part of the blue-blood brotherhood, and Fords would capture the most high-profile championships of the era, including the British Saloon Car Championship, the European Touring Car Challenge, and the FIA World GT Championship for Manufacturers. Meanwhile, the drivers behind the wheel were the best of the best: John Whitmore, Jacky Ickx, Bo “Bosse” Ljungfeldt, Graham Hill, Frank Gardner, Jackie Stewart, Richard Attwood, and Bruce McLaren all did battle in AMR cars.

Ford pulled the plug on its “Total Performance” strategy, and in turn its European satellite racing operation, at the end of 1969. Alan Mann switched to aviation, developing Fairoaks Airfield, on the doorstep of his old racing workshop in Surrey, as well as a successful helicopter leasing business. It wasn’t until 2003, and an opportunity to share driving duties at the Goodwood Revival, that Mann got the bug for racing again, reviving Alan Mann Racing for historic motorsport.

Mann died in 2012, which left AMR in the safe hands of his sons, Henry and Tom. Today, the workshop is a handful of miles from the site of the original garage in Byfleet. And the first question for Henry Mann is obvious: Why electrify a Mustang?

“We’d always wanted to do a Mustang restomod,” says Henry, “because we’d done so many rally and race Mustangs, and quite a lot of road cars too, and figured we could do a half-decent job of a restomod Mustang.” In February 2022, Ford contacted Henry and Tom, inviting the brothers to the unveiling of its Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition, a special version of the supercar that paid tribute to AMR’s lightweight 1966 Ford GT experimental race cars. During the event, held at the Chicago Auto Show, Henry was rather taken by a 1978 F-100 pickup “Eluminator” concept that Ford had played around with, dropping out its straight-six engine and fitting the battery-electric powertrain and front and rear electric traction motors from a 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT. “It was really popular, and the lines to ride in it were huge. There was so much interest in it.”

While at the show, Henry met another Henry—another Henry Mann, in fact—who happened to be the first owner of the 2022 Ford GT Alan Mann Heritage Edition. The two concluded that an electrified Mustang with the Alan Mann Racing name attached to it would be a very cool thing indeed.

After more than a year of development, in partnership with Nick Mason, a former vehicle development engineer at Ford who founded EcoClassics in Maldon, Essex, AMR had a prototype up and running.

Henry explains that beneath the surface of this standard looking 1965 Mustang—called the Alan Mann Legacy ePower Mustang—sits an off-the-shelf inverter, motor, and battery management system, all sourced from China, while the two battery boxes were designed in Britain specifically to fit the Mustang. The motor and one battery sit in the engine bay, the other battery is in the boot, giving a 50/50 weight distribution, while power is sent to the back wheels through a Torsen limited-slip differential.

The battery is a 77-kWh unit, able to accept AC and DC charging, and is claimed to give a touring range of up to 220 miles. Using DC rapid charging, Henry Mann says the battery will charge from 20 to 80 per cent in 40 minutes. In muscle car terms, that all translates to an output of 300 hp, and there’s 228 lb-ft of torque as soon as you flex your right foot. For a 1965 Mustang, that’s impressive. It means the car is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60mph in 5.2 seconds, with a top speed of 97 mph.

On the rain-soaked roads around the company’s workshop, the silent Mustang provides a brisk turn of speed up to around 60 mph, in part thanks to impressive traction that comes from AMR’s years of experience building racing Mustangs. The suspension design has been changed to incorporate independent double wishbones with coilovers all around, and from a standstill there’s just the slightest skip from the back wheels as they claw at the road before the Mustang whines away.

That suspension is complemented by rack-and-pinion steering in place of the old worm-and-sector steering box, and together they create a more modern driving experience, where the car rides our lumpy, bumpy British roads better than a Mustang on rear leaf springs; it tracks true and straight and stays flat and planted through twists and turns. Admittedly, the steering is heavy—too heavy for some tastes, perhaps. But the weight when loaded up beyond the straight-ahead gives a feeling of confidence in what the front tires are up to.

As I make a beeline for the historic Old School Café, and a mug of builder’s tea, it’s clear that the car’s acceleration tails off beyond 60 mph, but it gets there briskly enough, and it’s arguably plenty enough for today’s busy roads. What’s not so welcome is a resonance coming from the propshaft, between 40 and 60 mph, something Henry Mann later tells me they’re working to remedy. There’s gentle energy regeneration when you lift from the throttle, and when you stand on the brake pedal, the effort and impressive stopping power of the uprated system (six-piston calipers at the front, four-piston items at the rear) remind me of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy racing car I drove a few years back.

There are other modifications, too, which will be welcomed by some. The updated instrument cluster, for example, looks period-correct but displays all the information an EV driver could want. Or the touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Best of all are the modern front seats, complete with integrated seatbelts, which are noteworthy for being so solidly mounted, while proudly displaying the Alan Mann Racing logo, stitched into the headrest. Perhaps the neatest touch of all, however, is the location of the charging port. When I ask Henry Mann where they’ve hidden it, he flips down the front number plate and there it is.

Sipping my tea at Old School Café, I wonder whether AMR team members and drivers may have gathered here, back in the Sixties, after shaking down race cars at the nearby Longcross test track (now used exclusively used for blockbuster filmmaking). I wonder what they might have thought of the ePower Mustang parked out front.

I jump back in the Mustang and drive past the track, and I encounter a large, smooth, open roundabout where it’s possible to explore the limits of grip. The suspension and steering, as well as the new bespoke subframes to carry the battery packs and motor, give the Mustang a robust feel. Old cars of this era should pitch, dive, roll, and heave on their suspension, while the body flexes under load, but there’s none of that in this Mustang, and when the tail does let go, I’m surprised at how high the limit of adhesion is.

At this stage, I can sense some will be shaking their heads at the thought of an electric classic Mustang. After all, the pony car was enjoyed by many as a tire-smoking attention-seeker, not a zero-emissions solution for London’s ever-expanding Ultra Low Emissions Zone. But given there were more than 1.3 million Mustangs made in the first two years of production alone, converting a small number to electric propulsion isn’t going to endanger the species.

Personally, I’d rather my Alan Mann Racing Mustang come with those suspension and brake upgrades, some additional structural bracing, and a rocking V-8 that shakes my neighbrs’ windows every time I start it up. After all, when you take the soundtrack out of an old car, all it serves to do is exaggerate the noise of all the other moving parts and squeaking trim.

I do wonder, however: Does the current approach not endanger the very existence of Alan Mann Racing? After all, if EV retro-fit conversions of classics really catch on across the hobby, might legislators take a dim view of fire-breathing racing cars and noisy, smelly race meetings?

I put that question to Henry. “I think with the rise of synthetic fuels, there’s plenty of argument for keeping these [racing cars] as they are. But I think some people are going to want electric just because of the tailpipe emissions issue, and the quietness and the more civilized behavior in a city, where you’re not belching out unburnt hydrocarbons when idling at the lights. And it’s such a negligible contribution to the overall emissions of the road transport fleet that I hope it [legislation] wouldn’t be changed.”

The thorny issue for potential buyers in Britain is that the extensive changes made during the conversion mean the car could not retain its original registration number. Instead, it would have to be submitted for an Individual Vehicle Approval test, and that would require further changes to the car, which AMR are weighing up “depending on customer demand.”

Interested parties in America, meanwhile, will be able to have the complete conversion carried out by Alan Mann Racing’s U.S. partner, Mann ePower Cars, based in Hatboro, Pennsylvania. The cost will be a minimum of $250,000 (£203,000), says Henry Mann, for a turn-key car. He adds that sum could be lowered if an owner has a donor car in good condition.

So, the retro-fit electrified Mustang is a curious thing on all sorts of levels. It’s not a muscle car as we know it. And it can’t be bought as a turn-key car in the U.K., only the US. And if you had the conversion carried out on your classic Mustang in the U.K., it would lose its original registration, due to the rule-makers at the DVLA. Such is the price of progress, I suppose.

Things used to be a lot simpler, and noisier, in the Sixties.

***

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Ford is launching a new half-day program for its Bronco Off-Roadeo school. It’s the first time that the hands-on driving experience will be open to non-Bronco owners.

For $795, the Half-Day Adventure (not very imaginative with the name there, Ford) will offer anyone who ponies up the cash a chance to experience the Bronco’s adventurous capabilities under the guidance of expert instructors. “While our Bronco owners have loved Off-Roadeo, we’ve been asked by non-owners how they could experience the Bronco’s legendary off-road capabilities,” said Matt Simpson, general manger, Ford Enthusiast Vehicles. “The new Half-Day Adventure is a great way for those to be fully immersed in the Bronco brand and create an unforgettable memory.”

The program will consist of hands-on coaching from trail guides that will help you navigate the Bronco through plenty of rugged terrain, picturesque scenery, and specially-designed training trails. You’ll receive instruction on how to select a line, throttle control, and traction maintenance, all of which are crucial skills to know before venturing off on your own down a rocky two-track.

You’re allowed to bring up toe three guests with you to the program, as well. Participants will also get a little history lesson on the Bronco brand, a chance to view special Bronco gear, and more, because this offering is ostensibly about drumming up interest in potential buyers.

Interested in getting out where the blacktop ends? You can book your reservation for one of three existing Off-Roadeo locations—Horseshoe Bay, Texas, Moab, Utah, or Las Vegas, Nevada—through Ford’s website, broncodrives.com.

Half-day not enough for your liking? Remember, all Bronco, Bronco Sport, and Bronco Raptor buyers get a one-day, 10-hour experience at one of the four Off-Roadeo locations (the three mentioned above, as well as the Gunstock Moutain facility in Gilford, New Hampshire, which as of now, doesn’t offer the half-day course) for free with the purchase of their vehicle.

***

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Regular readers know me as oddball-car diehard, one unafraid of high-stress projects that would dissuade the hobbyist of sound mind. But even I need the occasional outlet, so I jump to a number of backup hobbies to prevent mental burnout. Right now it’s fall foraging time in Appalachia. The muscadines and scuppernongs are turning sweet and the paw paws and persimmons are starting to hit the ground. With everything going to seed and bearing fruit, I figured I’d give my mind a break from car projects.

A free Ford F-100 was not on my radar.

Here’s how it went down: A few weekends back, my wife and I decided seek out some house furnishings at various antique shops and variety stores in the nearby Carolina mountain towns. I have enough project cars for for three lifetimes already, so I hereby swear, dear reader, that my eyes were fixed on roadsides solely for home goods and indigenous plants.

After securing some lamps and door hardware, plus a few heads of blossoming native Joe Pye weed (butterflies love it), I spied a decent-sized-yet-almost-certainly-closed variety store situated aside an old mill. After my third pass walking around the building, a friendly woman’s face popped out of a side entrance. She invited us inside.

The wood-floored warehouse housed a large doll collection. A thousand square feet of their weird little eyes stared at me as I perused the place for stray books and tools of interest.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any vintage car memorabilia, would you?” I asked.

“No sir, not unless you’d want the old truck on my property!”

My internal 33 1/3 scratched to a halt. “Old truck? Wha-wha-what kind?” I inquired, cool very much intact.

“Oh, I don’t know, some old thing that got left out there about … 27 years ago. If you want it, it’s yours.”

She rifled through her phone and found a couple of pictures of a sorry-looking 1963 Ford F-100 short bed Unibody. Our respective senses of trash and treasure were clearly reversed, because I recognized as rare and very interesting—one of just 5000-or-so such trucks produced. It was rough, yes, but exactly the flavor of fallen fruit I like. I thanked her profusely and promised I’d get back to her within the week.

My wife and I headed back to the road. Try as I could, however, neither art vendors in Blowing Rock nor goldenrod seed heads, could quiet the devil on my shoulder. (I’ll spare you the specific rhetoric, but the little guy made a convincing case.)

Later that afternoon, I called Barb that I’d be coming for a look. She gave me truck’s general location, an area far removed from any other attractions. She offered a text message stating official approval of my snooping should I run into any human resistance, and two possible gate codes to enter the remote mountain subdivision (if you could call it that).

The following weekend, I coerced a new hire from my motorsport engineering day job to meet me at my house, 7 a.m. sharp.  “It’s part of the cultural onboarding,” I explained as the sun was coming up over my chicken coop. “You know, doing normal North Carolina car person things.”

I had already secured a trailer, hitched to my wife’s 4Runner. The Toyota’s cargo area was filled to the brim with tools, ropes, and chains. I punched the vague description of where were were going  (just a street name and a county) into my phone. Off we went.

Rain arrived, falling hard through the tree canopy above narrow, winding roads of Iredell and Catawba counties. As we climbed in elevation, lined roads changed to narrow tracks, which morphed into gravel passes. Into 2WD locked-diff mode I went. The tires were grappling for grip as we finally arrive at the entrance to the gate. Why there was a gate I had not a clue, but I did remember Barbara’s words of warning: “Last time someone went down there, he went down the wrong drive and my neighbor caught him on the deer cam and called the cops.”

I deduced from this information that I was entering a private area full of private people. (My zero bars of cell service said as much.)

After trying both codes under the gaze of a Ring camera, the gate lifted and we entered on foot. Armed with no address and only a plot number, we resorted to scanning temporary power poles for numbers; Barbara said that at one point the lot number was 42, then it got changed to 899, and its current status was anyone’s guess. Having burned two hours poking around various plots and critter-namesake driveways, I was certain that the local sheriff, highway patrol, and militia was hot on our tail.

We needed another approach. Given our soaking-wet clothes, the new angle involved heated seats and a drive toward cell service. After only about a mile, I was able to pull over, hit the hazards, and study the county geological survey to find the exact plot per its original number. We geolocated it to a bend in the gravel road we had already taken many times. Now confident enough to venture boldly, we climbed over a cable strung between two knotty pine trees. We slipped down a steep trail while getting slapped in the face with wet loblolly branches. Finally, the Unibody came into view.

I must admit that I made a grave mistake in the scope of my preparations. Barbara’s cell phone pictures showed the Ford in a clearing, one I had imagined I could back my trailer through and nose right up to the truck. Thanks to the overgrown foliage, 20-percent grade on mossy rocks, and handful of hairpin bends, there was no way in hell I could get a trailer within 200 feet of the F-100.

I jacked up all four wheels and tried to breathe life into the tires. None would hold pressure. How winching it on to the trailer on four flats? That seemed possible, but the thought of dragging it up a slippery slope on non-steerable wheels did not. Getting my wife’s Toyota down to the area was a bad idea without a chain saw and divorce papers at the ready. This adventure seemed destined to be, uh, fruitless.

Looking at the poor Unibody—its severely rotten body seams, missing underhood components, and soggy hot pink shag dashboard—did not invoke any desire in me to risk my wife’s car in pursuit of rescuing it. The widened steel wheels, its 9-inch diff, and general rarity couldn’t overcome my instinct to leave empty-handed. I turned to my co-worker (also named Matt) and said something that might have been vocalized just to convince myself of its truth: “There are so many better free vehicles out there for so much less effort.”

He nodded. With that, we marched our soaked selves up the hill, turned on the heated seats, and headed for a hot Mexican lunch.

On our way home, I was able to stop and grab a few things for my home garden. It made me feel like the day wasn’t a total loss. And who knows, maybe I’ll head back in the spring with a fresh set of wheels and tires, plus a plan to bring home some ramps, forest mushrooms, and a free F-100.

The post Against All Oddities: An F-100 ripe for the taking appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Ford Performance Parts has opened the barn door to reveal a bolt-on supercharger kit that gives the Mustang the power of 800 horses.

The kit is suited to all seventh-generation Mustangs with the five-liter V-8, while Dark Horse owners will get an even bigger bump in power with a bespoke kit “in the near future.”

Suitable for manual and automatic transmission models, the package has been comprehensively tested, comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty, and is CARB compliant, if fitted by a dealer or certified technician.

Everything you need to your Pony Car galloping is included, with the main component being a three-liter, sixth-generation Whipple twin-screw supercharger. A patented dual air pass, dual water pass, intercooler chills the air feed, and there’s an oversized heat exchanger and high-flow intercooler pump. The fuel system gets an update with high-flow dual beam injectors and  billet high-flow fuel rails. There’s also a an integrated intercooled air-bypass system, a 92mm throttle body, 120mm dual air intakes and high-flow filters. A Tomahawk V2 flash too with data logging capacity ensures the ECU is programmed correctly.

Once fitted you’ll see a boost from the standard 480-hp of the Mustang GT to a full 800. A look at the dyno chart (below) shows a linear power curve peaking at a heady 8000 rpm, while the V-8’s torque looks to cap out at over 600 lb-ft at 5500 revs (up from 415 lb-ft), although there’s still more than 500 lb-ft available from as little as 2500 rpm. Ford has yet to reveal any acceleration figures, but we’d bet on 0-60 mph somewhere around three seconds and a top speed north of 180 mph.

“The Ford Performance supercharger kit means more power and more excitement for Mustang owners,” says product manager Michael Goodwin. “With at least 800 horsepower, this Ford Performance option takes the already-powerful Ford Mustang GT to an extreme level that should satisfy even the most demanding driver.”

The kit, which launched at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, will be on sale in early 2024. If you’re tempted we’d highly recommend browsing the Ford Performance Parts catalog for brake and suspension upgrades or your Pony will be a helluva handful.

***

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You may have heard that Italian design firm Pininfarina—famous for the Ferrari Testarossa, among other automobiles—has turned its proverbial pen to rework the Zamboni ice resurfacer. What better time to reshare the story of the original Zamboni and the man who invented it?  —Ed. 

You might be surprised that the Zamboni Ice Resurfacer, the motor vehicle most associated with ice hockey, was not invented in some frigid northern clime like Minnesota or Canada. In fact, it was created in a place not usually associated with ice at all—southern California. Frank Zamboni (1901–1988) first moved to southern California in 1920 with his brother Lawrence to work in their older brother George’s car repair shop, but the two younger Zambonis soon struck out on their own and opened an electrical repair service to install and repair refrigeration units for local dairies.

The pair eventually expanded their business to include block ice, which shippers of California produce used to keep goods fresh when shipped across the country; however, as the railroad and trucking industries embraced refrigeration, demand for block ice dropped and the Zamboni brothers started exploring other ways they could exploit their expertise in refrigeration and ice-making.

By the late 1930s, touring shows by Olympic figure-skating champion Sonja Henie and the Ice Capades greatly increased the popularity of ice skating, though there were few recreational rinks in southern California. Seeing an opportunity, Frank, Larry, and one of their cousins built the Iceland Skating Rink in Paramount in 1939. With 20,000 square feet of ice surface, Iceland was, and still is, one of the largest skating rinks in the United States. And with room for up to 800 people to skate comfortably, Iceland was an immediate success.

However, in a classic case of “what were they thinking?” the Zambonis initially built Iceland as an open-air rink, not considering how southern California’s intense sun and hot, dry Santa Ana winds could affect the ice surface. A dome was quickly added to the structure to shade the rink.

Next, Frank Zamboni devoted himself to solving a problem facing rink operators and hockey teams across North America: how to resurface the ice to repair the wear and tear from skaters degrading the surface and producing cracks and ruts.

At the time, rink operators resurfaced their ice by shaving the surface with a scraper pulled by a tractor. A handful of workers would use shovels to gather up the shavings and then clean the surface by spraying it with water and then using rubber squeegees to get rid of the dirty water. Clean water would then be applied to create a smooth new surface as it froze. The whole process could take up to an hour.

Frank thought that a dedicated resurfacing machine might do the job better and faster. His first prototype in 1942, a machine built into a trailer-towed sled, was not successful. Five years later, he re-approached the problem with a more holistic solution: a single machine that would shave the ice, remove and store the shavings for disposal later, wash and squeegee the ice, and put down fresh water for a new surface.

Frank built that prototype in the back of the Iceland rink, located just a few blocks from the current Zamboni factory. Using war surplus material, the engine and transmission from a Jeep, and the front-wheel-drive front axle from a military truck, Frank fabricated a front-drive, front-steering ice resurfacer with water tanks up front and a tank for the snow shavings in the back. That prototype showed promise but was abandoned because of problems with a chattering scraper blade, a too-small snow tank, and traction issues—even when using tire chains, which were counterproductive to a final, smoothly-finished ice surface.

To overcome traction issues, the next prototype had both four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, since Zamboni used the same surplus front-wheel-drive axle at both ends. Happy with the results, he applied for a patent in 1949, and in 1953, U.S. patent No. 2,642,679 was granted to Frank J. Zamboni.

The first truly practical Zamboni machine, the 1949 Model A, used a hand-built chassis and surplus components, as mentioned, in addition to a hydraulic cylinder repurposed from a Douglas bomber. It added a cover for the shavings conveyor so shavings wouldn’t fall back onto the ice surface, a large wooden tank for the snow, and an in-tank snow-melting system. The sides of the snow tank were hinged so the shavings could be removed with shovels.

The Model A introduced a feature used by every Zamboni machine since, a wash-water system that first cleaned the ice surface and then recycled that water before laying down a thin layer of clean water to create a perfectly smooth surface.

Frank found that while four-wheel drive was definitely an improvement, four-wheel steering was not. When driving near the side dasher boards of the rink, trying to steer away from the boards made the rear wheels steering directly into them, so the Model A had conventional two-wheel steering via the front wheels. Zamboni’s Model A was used exclusively as a prototype and resurfaced the ice at the family-owned Iceland rink in Paramount where it still resides, having been restored in the late 1990s.

In 1950, Sonja Henie’s ice show was using Iceland as a practice facility during a West Coast tour. After seeing how quickly the Model A put down a mirror-smooth surface, she asked Frank Zamboni if he could build one for her in time for an upcoming show in Chicago. By then, Frank had redesigned his machine to be mounted on a conventional Willys Jeep. The Willys’ four-wheel drive and front steering matched the layout the resurfacer needed and came ready-made as a functioning vehicle with a drivetrain. Frank worked day and night to make the resurfacer’s parts and then piled them into a U-Haul trailer, which he towed to Chicago with the machine’s own Jeep before assembling everything in the Windy City.

Zamboni would end up building four Model Bs, one for the Winter Garden rink in Pasadena, one for the Ice Capades, and two for Ms. Henie, who had one shipped to Europe for her across-the-pond shows.

With orders pouring in, Frank incorporated Frank J. Zamboni & Co. It wasn’t because he was bragging. He originally planned to call it the Paramount Engineering Co., after the city where his original Iceland rink was located, but that name was already taken by another firm.

The Model C and Model D machines, from 1952 and 1953 respectively, had noticeable changes though they were still built over a complete Jeep. The rear-seated driver’s position was raised and the snow tank lowered to improve the driver’s view and increase the tank’s capacity.

It was with the Model E that Zamboni standardized his resurfacers. Prior to the E, each successive unit had slight changes. In 1954 and 1955, the Zamboni company built and sold 20 Model Es.

One of them was purchased by the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, which came about thanks to the Ice Capades. The touring skating group had an evening show scheduled in the Boston Garden arena for New Year’s Day in 1954. Bob Skrak worked for the ice show and was responsible for operating the Model B Zamboni that traveled with the show. The Bruins had a day game, and after the teams practiced, Skrak took the Zamboni out to resurface the ice for the game. Bruins management was so impressed that it ordered a machine and even took out some of the Garden’s seats to facilitate getting the Zamboni on ice. In 1988, when the Bruins took delivery of a new Zamboni machine, they had their Model E restored by the manufacturer; it is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

As ice skating’s popularity increased, so did Zamboni sales. Rink operators wanted machines that could carry more water and hold more shavings, so to gain more space, Frank switched from mounting everything on an already-assembled Jeep to using the chassis without a body for the Model F. Sales were high enough that Zamboni started dealing directly with the Willys factory in Toledo to source the chassis and other components.

In 1964, the Zamboni HD was introduced, which is the machine many people associate with the brand, since many are still in service. Zamboni eliminated the conveyor for shavings, replacing it with a vertical auger system in the back of the vehicle, and sped up the process of dumping ice shavings with a hydraulic lift on the snow tank. The HD was the first production Zamboni resurfacer to use a dedicated Zamboni chassis, rather than the frame from a stripped-down Jeep.

The year 1978 saw the introduction of the 500 Series Zamboni machines, the world’s most popular ice resurfacer. It was originally available with a choice of air-cooled or liquid-cooled engines but is now also available with battery power. Remember, ice resurfacers generally operate inside of closed buildings. Back in the 1950s, exhaust emissions from a Zamboni machine’s Jeep Hurricane engine were probably not noticeable, thanks to all of cigarettes and cigars then smoked at hockey games, but indoor air quality is a serious issue today. Many community rinks host youth hockey, and nobody wants kids needlessly exposed to exhaust emissions.

The Zamboni Model 550 was the world’s first production battery-electric ice resurfacer, and today the Zamboni company offers the model 560AC, which is not only battery-powered and emission-free but has also has automated many of the tasks that used to be operated by the driver. (As yet, however, Zamboni hasn’t offered a touch-screen-based infotainment system, or a driver-selectable Sport mode.)

By the way, it’s not really called a Zamboni. Just as not every hook and loop fastener is Velcro, not every ice resurfacer is a Zamboni. That basic patent expired a long time ago and the company does have competitors, so it prefers the trademarked name, the Zamboni Ice Resurfacer.

The post How Frank Zamboni’s frankensteined Model A revolutionized ice rinks appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Cute, isn’t it?

This 1961 Chevrolet Corvair pickup represents an unusual chapter in automaking history, when Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge offered “flat-faced,” cab-forward vans, and modified them into light-duty pickup trucks, a formula made popular by Volkswagen. This example is offered on Hagerty Marketplace.

This pickup’s formal name is the Chevrolet Corvair 95, so named because of the very short 95-inch wheelbase (the wheelbase of a modern Honda Civic wheelbase is a foot longer). This made the Corvair 95 maneuverable and easy to park, and the bed allowed for a lot of cargo room.

This Rampside version, built from 1961 through 1965, is so named because of a fold-down ramp on the passenger side, making the loading of motorbikes, karts, or lawn equipment (the Corvair 95 was popular with landscapers) simple and easy. There’s even a rubberized edge at the top so the paint doesn’t get scuffed. The Rampside was also popular with West Coast surfers, who could just place their boards in back and head for the ocean. There’s a rear tailgate too, of course.

The engine is a rear-mounted flat-six-cylinder displacing 145 cubic inches. It has 80 horsepower and 128 lb-ft of torque, and is listed as having the Corvair 95’s “beefed-up” engine “with more durable exhaust valves, exhaust valve rotators, lowered compression, and carburetors with larger jets for cargo-transporting duties.” It’s air-cooled, and you can see the vents in the rear quarters.

There’s 80 cubic feet of load space. Payload capacity is a healthy 1900 pounds.

The transmission was typically a three-speed, but this example has the more coveted four-speed manual transmission, operated via a floor-mounted shifter.

Inside, the 1961 Corvair 95 is pretty bare-bones, with a vinyl-covered bench seat. Aftermarket accessories include a steering column–mounted tachometer, and a dash-mounted Kenwood stereo. The big two-spoke steering wheel is nearly horizontal, like a bus driver’s, to make ingress and egress easier. Mileage shown is just over 75,000, but it isn’t known whether or not that’s correct.

Baby-moon hubcaps and thin whitewall tires complete the period look. Many Corvair 95s were two-toned, but this one is refinished in a single blue color with a matching dashboard. It wears chrome bumpers front and rear.

It’s a bit unusual to find a classic that is willing and able to work for its keep, but this Corvair 95 is. It’s available on Hagerty Marketplace, with closing bids due Tuesday, November 7, at 3:50 p.m.

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The Mach-E may never be a real Mustang in many people’s minds, so what will the naysayers (or should that be “neigh” sayers?) make of the Alan Mann Racing Legacy Mustang which swaps the pony’s original engine for an electric motor?

The British classic car racing team has been competing with Blue Oval badged cars since the 1960s, building Cortinas and Falcons, running Ford-powered Shelby Cobras in the World GT Championship, and even GT40s. In 2004 Mann revived his team to focus on historic racing and his cars featured regularly at the Goodwood Revival and other events. Mann passed away in 2012 and it’s his sons Tom and Henry who are leading this new generation of Mustang restoration.

“We have been watching the incredible growth of so-called resto-mods with interest,” says Henry Mann. “We’ve seen cherished cars that owners want to improve, and we’ve seen those that owners want to future-proof, and we believe our new 1960s Mustang Coupe meets both needs.”

Starting with any 1960s’ Mustang donor car AMR will fully strip and restore the shell, fit double wishbone suspension with billet aluminum uprights, and upgrade the brakes to all round discs with six-piston callipers up front and four-pot units at the rear. A regenerative braking system is also added to feed power back into the 72 kWh battery pack.

AMR says that the electrical system weighs only a little more than the original engine and transmission, and with a significantly higher 300 horsepower available the ePower Mustang can hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds using its launch mode. Top speed is limited to a modest 97 mph, while the range on a full charge is claimed to be 220 miles. AC and DC charging is available.

On top of the electrification there’s power steering and a torsen limited slip differential creating a more modern driving experience, but AMR has resisted the temptation to completely overhaul the interior. There’s a focus on maintaining the period-correct look, although you will find modern racing seats, climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and a small screen.

An AMR electro-modded Mustang costs from around £200,000 ($242,000) in the U.K. while U.S. partner Mann ePower Cars will handle builds on this side of the pond.

“This future-proofs our own business as legislation continues to tighten around the use of classic cars and combustion engines,” says Mann. “We will always love the sight, sound and smell of a finely-tuned internal combustion engine, but we recognise there may come a time when they are no longer viable. We believe electrification is a good way to keep these fabulous cherished classics on the road.”

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Is your Ford Model A crying out for emergency underhood attention? Thanks to a Campbell, California, entrepreneur, you can now update your car’s powerplant with 21st-century design features created using the latest engineering and manufacturing methods.

Enter Terry Burtz, a retired Lockheed mechanical design engineer and 60-year Model A enthusiast. “I believe Ford Model As are the backbone of the antique car hobby—a pastime I definitely want to endure,” he says. After rebuilding several Model A engines, Burtz identified their many weaknesses, including the materials they were originally made of. By inspecting engines that had been modified for oval track competition and Bonneville speed record attempts—plus a few used to power aircraft, where reliability means the difference between life and death—Burtz was able to develop major design improvements.

“Over the years I discovered that only one in twelve Model A engine cores are suitable for rebuild because of rust, water jacket cracks, and/or poor machining by past rebuilders.”

Burtz currently owns half a dozen Model As, and he takes great pride in his $4000 upgrade kit, which consists of a fully machined block, new connecting rods, and a crankshaft incorporating features Henry Ford never dreamed of.

Using computer-based design imaging called Solid Modeling, Finite Element Analysis to measure stress and strain, 3D printing to make core patterns, and CNC machining methods, Burtz created a replacement cylinder block and various internal parts incorporating this wish list of modern features:

• 5 main-bearing supports instead of the original 3
• Larger, 2-inch-diameter crank and rod bearings
• 5 bearing journals to support the camshaft
• Shorter-length bearings to facilitate a stiffer crank configuration
• Commonly available bearing inserts to replace the antiquated poured Babbitt bearings
• Replaceable cam bearings
• A fully pressurized lubrication system with drilled oil galleries feeding 17 main, rod, cam, and thrust bearings—and the ability to add a full-flow oil filter
• 8 crankshaft counterweights to provide primary balance
• A new radial-lip rear main seal
• Thicker block webbing and sidewalls for improved rigidity
• Larger streamlined intake ports for better breathing
• Steel exhaust valve seats to increase longevity

Burtz’s simulations proved his design tough enough to provide 150 hp at 5000 for hours on end. In a 2020 road test, a 5-window Model A powered by the new engine ascended 1700 feet of elevation in just over 7 minutes on a five-mile Colorado mountain run.

In his efforts to improve the A’s engine, Burtz was careful to replicate Ford’s original factory appearance with its exterior. “Having judged at several Model A national conventions and other events,” he says, “I learned that no owner wants an engine or component part at odds with original appearances.” Furthermore, this new gray iron block is machined with all the interfaces and dimensions needed to bolt on original factory components.

Premium materials, including a modern alloy for the cylinder block, forged connecting rods, and a nodular iron crankshaft and camshaft, combined with induction hardening, help assure high-mileage longevity in tough applications such as trailer towing and mountain climbing. “Model A owners want enough power to accelerate well on freeway entrance ramps and sufficient cruising speed to avoid impeding traffic,” Burtz says

“Another notable discovery of mine was that a new Model A engine cannot be affordably made in the USA. I learned the hard way that West Coast foundries are not up to the complex block casting process. Like several OE brands selling vehicles in the U.S., we turned to China for this engine project.”

Burtz’s strategic partner is John Lampl of Leesburg, Virginia, who brings over 30 years of Asia-based manufacturing and product development to this project. Burtz and Lampl shook hands in 2019 to begin collaborations. Lampl had already successfully created a remake of the four-cylinder engine built by Willys and Ford for WWII and postwar Jeep use. Using that experience and the same Asian manufacturing operations greatly accelerated the fruition of the new Model A engine project.

The new parts are being produced in several factories that combine an entrepreneurial spirit with modern manufacturing methods. To date, more than 460 “New Engine” kits from several production runs have been delivered.

In addition to the $4000 block, crank, and connecting rod package, Burtz offers new 30-pound flywheels for $375, cylinder heads with a 6.5:1 compression ratio for $400, and replacement camshafts for $400. All parts are covered by a 1-year limited warranty, so long as they’re not used in motorsport or aircraft applications.

“Our combination of quality, reliability, price, and factory appearance means that we have no direct competitors,” Burtz says. If you’re looking to keep your Model A humming sweetly, now you know where to look.

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The Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo is a hallmark event for the nation’s automakers, an annual occasion to drum up excitement for future models‚ both potential and planned. Ahead of 2023’s show, which runs from Thursday, October 26 to Sunday, November 5, Toyota unveiled a slew of concepts that signal the direction in which the automotive titan hopes to march. Sure, the electric Land Cruiser might be the sexiest idea, but this small truck is what really caught our attention.

It’s called the EPU, and it looks like a counterpunch to Ford’s red-hot Maverick, the first truly small pickup sold to consumers in years. The EPU is just a concept right now, but that shape looks remarkably attainable from a design, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance standpoint.

According to the limited details provided by Toyota, the EPU utilizes monocoque construction—a unibody, in other words—like that of the Maverick. The EPU is also a battery-electric vehicle, a characteristic that would set it apart from the Maverick, which relies either partly or fully on an internal-combustion engine.

Toyota calls the EPU a midsize pickup, but a glance at the dimensions reveals a machine that’s somewhere between a compact pickup like the Maverick and a midsize pickup like the Ranger or Tacoma. Of note: The EPU’s proposed overall length is 199.6 inches, which is actually 0.1 inches smaller than the Maverick. Width-wise, the EPU is 2.6 inches broader than a Maverick. Overall height is down 1.4 inches, Ford to Toyota.

The 131.9-inch wheelbase of the EPU, however, is nearly 11 inches longer than the Maverick’s. In fact, the wheelbase of the EPU is 3.2 inches longer than that of Ford’s new Ranger, which, as of the 2024 model year, is now exclusively offered with a crew cab and the 5-foot bed. Specs aren’t available yet for the all-new fourth-generation 2024 Tacoma, but if we lay the EPU’s dimensions next to those of the outgoing, third-gen Tacoma, the concept has an additional 4.5 inches between the wheels there.

The rest of the EPU looks quite promising. Toyota says that “the rear of the cabin links boldly with the deck to accommodate diverse user preferences.” Our suggested translation: The rear wall of the cabin, the one that separates passenger occupancy space from the truck bed, will fold to swallow lengthy objects. (Sound familiar? Chevrolet’s Silverado EV promises the same party trick.)

Earlier this fall, we noted that Toyota’s North American dealers were clamoring for a small truck to compete with the Maverick (and Hyundai’s Santa Cruz, although the latter has taken a significant backseat to the Ford when it comes to sales). While those discussions orbited around a gas-burner possibly underpinned by the Corolla platform, we wouldn’t be surprised if Toyota announces that it will hold off on a gas-powered little hauler and instead prioritize a battery-powered model like the EPU.

That said, can we work on the name please, Toyota? This trucklet seems like the perfect opportunity to revive the Stout nameplate, the small truck that helped spearhead Toyota’s breakthrough into the American market.

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It’s not easy being a fan of ’80s and ’90s American luxury grand touring vehicles. People look at you funny at car shows, in ways they don’t at German or Japanese luxury sedan owners. Maybe it’s because the usual enthusiasm for cas from this era focuses on vehicles marketed as “Ultimate Driving Machines,” or those “Engineered like no other car in the world,.” Even those in the “Relentless Pursuit Of Perfection“! That’s fine, unless you’re like me and take issue with Camaro owners scoffing at a Nova, or Barracuda diehards downplaying the Dodge Dart.

While it’s no big-block Dart, the Essex V-6-powered Continental has a lifecycle resembling a boomerang. The 1988-1994 Essex Continental rode the tidal wave of good vibes from the sistership Ford Taurus, and it sold swimmingly at the outset. Then it fizzled; head gaskets/transmission/air suspension problems proved fatal flaws that drove these cars to the bottom of the depreciation curve. Cash for Clunkers in the 2000s was not kind to the Continental, either. For those would-be owners in the modern age who were lucky enough to stumble upon a survivor, the boomerang came back around.

These days, the little Essex Continental remains a shockingly competent machine. There are reserves of new, affordable spare parts so abundant that my fans of foreign would literally kill for them. I discussed this previously, and it still holds true: finding what I need online (Rock Auto, eBay, NOS Ford parts vendor) is the rule, not the exception.

There were a shocking number of cutting-edge parts on these cars, enabling surprisingly flat cornering with the very best of Detroit’s smooth-riding boulevardiers. Remember, Ford was riding high after the 1986 Taurus, emptying a bank vault for the Essex Continental. The 3.8-liter V-6 engine’s aluminum heads and magnesium valve covers surely incite jealousy in fans of Buick’s more conventional engine of the same displacement. Ford threw more at this mill for the upcoming Thunderbird Super Coupe, but in the end, both of its two- or four-door flagships sported an impressive adjustable suspension and steering system. That’s almost expected for a T-bird of this era, but in a Lincoln Continental it was borderline heresy revolutionary!

In 2014, on a fateful test drive, I took a fast sweeper in a dark blue 1989 Essex Continental. It hooked me, riding better than any Town Car but chowing down on corners like a Mercedes. “How on earth did that just happen?” I remarked while nestled amid the Essex’s decadent blue leather interior. (Which I paid $900 for, not just because it was one dead battery away from the junkyard and I pitied it, but also so I could clean it up and SHO it off.)

Aside from the original Lexus LS400, most luxury automakers didn’t have the nerve money to offer goodies like effortless-seeming air suspension, dual-mode Tokico shocks (yes, really), variable-effort steering with impressive breadth, ABS brakes, and even dual airbags (1989+). And all this amazing kit was standard with the Lincoln. The only weak link was that Essex engine, leading to speculation that Lincoln would also get the Taurus SHO’s Yamaha V-6.

I won’t tell you how much money I spent reconditioning the exterior of my Essex Continental with fresh paint, trim de-cluttering, and NOS lighting pods. Nor will I blab about my extensive maintenance regiment (even though parts are cheap and labor ain’t half bad when you’re already in there). But I will tell you that $250 on eBay nets you an absolutely mental amount of low-end torque after sending the factory Y-pipe and its disturbing 90-degree bends into the scrap metal pile.

All this is why I no longer pine for a Lincoln Town Car, as the Essex Continental’s stiffer body, rear strut tower brace and four-wheel independent suspension provide a better real-world ride on modern roads at modern speeds. I still love bigger German sedans from the same era, but they are lighter on luxury, have miserable audio systems and mediocre HVAC, and can only take down the Essex Continental on a long enough straightaway.

Most old luxury sedans from this era tend to be unreliable this far on. But in the Conti’s case I don’t cry when I need a tow to a shop, as this isn’t an imported car with imported-car parts availability and expense. Instead, the flat bed’s hydraulic noises suggest I’m about to perform the equivalent of thrift store shopping spree, opening a few browser tabs to hunt for leftover NOS bits at fire sale prices. I’ll admit to you, dear reader, this is automotive retail therapy in 2023; that wasn’t the case back when the Essex Continental was a few years old.

And when it was new? Don’t read the rantings of some other brand loyal idiot journalist wearing rose-colored glasses, as Motorweek tested a pre-production Essex Continental and came to similar conclusions. They said it was putting European marques on notice, just like the Taurus only two years before. The engine absolutely “runs out of steam” before hitting up the aftermarket for the aforementioned exhaust goodies. But the slalom course shows those dual-mode Tokicos in beast mode, conjuring up references to the 7 Series BMW in terms of a ride and handling balance.

I can hear your keyboards warming up, ready to roast me in the comments for neglecting to mention how front-wheel drive platforms understeer, especially something as softly sprung as a Lincoln. But wait! Motorweek noted how well the rear wheels follow the front, thanks to ideally matched sway bars and the aforementioned rear strut brace. It’s a flat-handling SHO-stopper.

The variable-rate steering even cosplays as an E-Class Benz at speed, just as convincingly as it plays a Lincoln Town Car while parallel parking. This was a stellar first showing for 1988, but much like the 2002 Ford Thunderbird, Ford stopped the music well before the dance was over. That’s fine by me. I am content with owning a vehicle that lost far too many true believers as the boomerang traveled farther and farther away from its origin.

I am regularly stopped by Gen-Z types that are curious, excited, and blissfully unaware of the Essex Continental’s hefty historical baggage. They know it isn’t a Town Car, but they can’t figure out what Lincoln would have such a pointy beak, blackwall tires, and a hunkered-down demeanor on alloy wheels. I tell them what I’ve told you, and they dig it because this “OG” paved the way for the computerized icons that came in its hefty wake.

The folks at Car and Driver had this to say in their 1989 “10Best” list:

“With the Continental, Ford’s engineers have accomplished something we never quite believed we’d see in a full-size American luxury car: they have combined a pillowy ride with surprisingly capable handling.”

It’s a telling quote that sums up all my experiences with the Essex Continental. So I bought the rag and stuffed it in the Mercedes-alike storage nook (that Ford made for the 1986 Taurus). I remove it on occasion when an onlooker shows appropriate interest. (Two times and counting.) Those wise words wouldn’t mean so much in 2023, when every modern luxury icon handles great, but I’d wager that their 19+ inch wheels shod in rubber band tires would send thumps into the cabin if even a paper clip falls on the road.

All that NVH gets old quick. Better to have an Essex Continental in your arsenal. Finding one of these odd Lincolns on the road today is akin to a boomerang in a haystack. Maybe you should start looking.

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When Dominic Palazzolo’s highboy Ford Model A Roadster rolls into a cars and coffee or a cruise night gathering, he can be pretty sure he’ll have the only “gow job” on the premises. What on earth is a gow job? In brief, it’s a stripped-down high-performance automobile built and equipped as it might have been in the early 1930s. In other words, a prototypical hot rod.

Most of today’s automotive enthusiasts peg the birth of the hot rod in the late ’40s or early ’50s, when returning G.I.s, bursting with pride, energy, and dollars they’d been unable to spend on the battlefield, embraced four-wheel excitement in the form of cars modified to look good and go fast. Quite often, the object of their affection was one of the abundant and inexpensive machines of the ’30s, usually a V-8 Ford Model B, and quite often a roadster. While this performance revolution undoubtedly kicked off the post-war hot-rod craze, it wasn’t the first time America had fallen in love with fast cars. The fathers and grandfathers of the ’50s rodders took a high-speed turn at the wheel as well. And at least for a time, their cars were called gow jobs.

I had never heard of gow jobs until I met Palazzolo at a “Parking at Pasteiners” gathering on Metro Detroit’s Woodward Avenue and did a little research. “Gow,” I learned, was a slang term for opium, in the wild and crazy days of the jazz age. At the time, the drug was used to hop up racehorses. Since the cars of the ’20s were only a generation removed from the horse as a primary means of transportation, gow job was an obvious choice of terminology when it came to describing automobiles modified to perform better than factory-issue vehicles. “Hot rod” was both a term and a notion still far in the future.

The first gow jobs were Ford Model Ts, but the more advanced Model A became the vehicle of choice in the late ’20s. Modified carburetors, higher compression ratios, and larger displacements, along with a variety of other techniques, served to increase the horsepower output of the four-banger engines. Removal of extraneous body parts, like fenders, interior trim, and even windshields made the machines lighter. Roadsters could be driven on the street, yet they were light enough for competition. Some of the most serious racers went even further, creating “speedsters” that were stripped of all sheetmetal save the cowl and cockpit.

Of course, grandpa had to test his machine in competition, and for the Southern Californians who led the charge, the venue of choice was Muroc Dry Lake, now part of Edwards Air Force Base. Situated in Antelope Valley, just 100 miles north of Los Angeles, it was close enough for a day trip, even in a modified car. At Muroc, the expansive and sunbaked lakebed provided ample room for acceleration, and the young daredevils pushed their modified machines to speeds that Henry Ford had never intended.

Most of the competition results weren’t recorded. At the time, no one suspected we might be interested in learning more about their speed contests almost a century later. But there are records of a few events, including one held in 1931. At that meet, the winner was Ike Trone driving a 1929 Model A Roadster. Trone’s Ford four-cylinder had been fitted with a Riley cylinder head, dual carbs, and various other goodies, supplied by nascent SoCal speed shops, some of which would eventually become part of the huge California automotive performance industry.

Palazzolo might never have owned a Model A gow job were it not for his long-time friends, Keith and Judy Allen. The Allens are Model A aficionados, senior citizens, and restoration experts. They’ve repaired and refurbished many a stock Model A for car owners across the country. In fact, one of their Model A coupes, a rusty unrestored survivor, was once displayed at Hagerty headquarters in Traverse City, Michigan. Devotees of traditional Ford performance, the Allens have hopped up early Fords to varying degrees, ranging from slightly warmed over to hot as heck. While much of their work has been for customers, they have also built several cars to satisfy their own Model A cravings, including a stripped down, hopped-up gow job that they cobbled together about 14 years ago.

The Allens, with an almost obsessive love of the Model A, would never butcher a survivor car, so for the gow-job build they picked up parts where they could—here, there, and everywhere. Knowing the Model A community very well, they were able to locate pristine Model A body parts in the Irish Hills area of Michigan. A sheetmetal expert who specializes in prewar Fords assembled the panels using original Model A rivets.

A chassis was purchased from another supplier of Model A hardware and was fitted with rebuilt original parts, including brakes, steering, and drivetrain. Judy Allen scoured swap meets, picking up parts here and there. The transmission and rear end were rebuilt using stock Model A parts. An old engine that had seen many miles of service was mildly modified and installed in the chassis.

Keith and Judy Allen drove the assembled car for a while, occasionally pushing it to its limits, and its old engine predictably gave up the ghost. That opened the door for a fully rebuilt, more extensively modified engine, or as they were called back in the day, a “banger.”

Allen’s Model A experience had taught him that pistons from a 327 cubic-inch Chevy V-8 would work nicely in Model A cylinders, once overbored to 4 inches. That yielded a displacement of approximately 216 cubic inches.  Aftermarket Model A pistons are available for a 4-inch bore, but used Chevy pistons are less expensive and lighter. An overbore increases the compression ratio, and to boost it further, the cylinder head was milled. A camshaft with a bit more lift and duration was installed, along with stainless steel valves. The stock intake manifold with its single updraft carburetor gave way to two Zenith carbs on a Vortex manifold. To enhance the engine’s high-rpm capability, Allen machined 13 pounds off the flywheel and installed a later-model Ford clutch and pressure plate. The vast majority of the parts that went into the engine and drivetrain would have been available to a 1930s enthusiast building a gow job.

Palazzolo and the Allens have been friends for many years, so it wasn’t long before he saw the roadster and fell in love. The Allens were reluctant to part with the car but their friend was persistent, so they agreed to sell him the car—with stipulations. It could never be equipped with a V-8 engine and no changes to its configuration could be made without the approval of the Allens. Although Palazzolo had no intention of modifying this very special car, he understood why his friends wanted to safeguard their baby.

With the Model A tucked away in his garage, Palazzolo made a few allowable modifications. First, he revamped the interior, replacing the Model A bench seat with what we would call bucket seats from a Ford Tudor. Back in the day, they were called “jump seats,” because moving from one seat to the other required a jump of sorts. He also added a folding canvas top, an accessory considered unnecessary by dry-lake racers, but a nice addition for a Michigander who might encounter nasty weather on the road.

Like many of us who are very fond of an automobile, Palazzolo drives his Model A with caution, but he has occasionally had it over 70 mph on those narrow bias-ply tires. That can get exciting given the way those tires squirm, but that’s not the kind of excitement he enjoys. Both he and Allen think the car is probably capable of 80 mph. That would be downright thrilling. They know the dry-lake racers of almost a century ago would approve.

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The story of Ford getting close to buying Ferrari in 1963, only for Enzo to back out from the deal at the last moment and send the Americans back home empty-handed, is so widely known it even made it into a Hollywood movie. But what most people don’t know is that two decades later, Ford executives once again went on an Italian shopping trip. And this time, their target was Alfa Romeo.

By the mid-1980s, the increasing success of high-end European imports on the U.S. market sent Detroit automakers scrambling to capture some of that elusive Old World allure. GM famously established “the longest assembly line in the world” for the Cadillac Allanté, while Ford began marketing the German-made XR4Ti under the Merkur brand.

However, a more straightforward approach was possible. The Germans were going from strength to strength, but elsewhere in Europe there was plenty of fallen automotive nobility rich in cachet but starved for cash. Perhaps none more so than Alfa Romeo.

Founded in Milan in 1910, Alfa Romeo spent the first three decades of its existence gaining sporting success and international prestige while burning through prodigious amounts of money. In fact, by the time the Italian government nationalized it in 1933, Alfa had already flirted with bankruptcy at least twice. But even though there wasn’t much left of Alfa Romeo once the Allied bombers were done with it, the postwar years saw the Milanese company mount a phenomenal comeback, thanks to enlightened leadership and favorable circumstances.

Facing little direct competition in their home market, cars like the Giulietta and the later Giulia allowed Alfa Romeo to ride the wave of new wealth generated by the booming Italian economy. But the optimism of the 1960s led Alfa Romeo to embark on an overambitious expansion plan for the 1970s that backfired amidst socioeconomic turmoil, tanking productivity, and political meddling. As a result, by the end of that decade, the company’s financial situation had become untenable, and that’s when prestigious international consultancy firms were brought in to help draw up a strategy to get Alfa Romeo back in the black by 1985.

That year marked the 75th anniversary of Alfa’s founding. By then, the product range had been refreshed, and significant progress was made in terms of quality and productivity. Nevertheless, there was very little to celebrate about the company’s prospects, because it all proved to be too little, too late. Instead of breaking even by selling 307,000 cars as planned, Alfa Romeo in 1985 sold fewer than 165,000 cars and lost yet more money. But this time, its paymasters were running out of patience.

By the mid 1980s, even the byzantine realm of Italian politics wasn’t immune to the powerful winds of neoliberalist economic ideas blowing from across the Atlantic. In a moment when the state’s role in the economy was increasingly under discussion, Alfa Romeo’s endless plight led many to question whether the state had any business owning it in the first place.

Alfa’s management explored various possible industrial collaborations as an alternative strategy to the outright sale of the company. Still, the latter idea gained momentum following the explicit interest expressed by Ford in the spring of 1986. High-level meetings were held in Great Britain and Germany between April and June of ’86 to discuss the possible synergies between Alfa Romeo and Ford Europe’s future projects. Among the attendees was Domenico Chirico, the engineer then in charge of Alfa’s product development, who shared the story in his 2007 memoir L’Alfa e le sue auto (Alfa and its cars).

Alfa Romeo’s 164 sedan, designed on a front-wheel-drive platform shared with Fiat and then in the final stages of development, was not only to spawn a station wagon and a coupe but also a restyled Ford-badged derivative slated to begin production in Alfa’s Milan factory by 1990. The smaller Alfa 75 sedan (known to U.S. enthusiasts as the Milano) was expected to soldier on until 1992, to be replaced with an all-new model sharing Ford’s new FWD platform under development for the ’94 Mondeo/Contour sedan.

Alfa’s twin-cam four-cylinder engines, whose basic design was 30 years old and which were manufactured using obsolete tooling, were to be replaced by Ford units from the new “Zeta” family then under development. Interestingly, though, Alfa Romeo’s lusty V-6 engines were not only to remain in production but also would power several Ford models. Last but not least, Alfa’s long-serving Spider was to be replaced by an all-new model for 1993, developed in both Alfa and Ford versions.

But the sorry state of Alfa’s finances was no secret to anyone, and that’s probably the reason why in its takeover offer, formalized in September 1986, Ford committed to purchase only a 20 percent stake in Alfa Romeo, with the option of building up to a majority holding over the following three years and complete takeover five more years later. This meant that Italy’s state-owned conglomerate, IRI, would have had to remain invested in Alfa Romeo well into the 1990s, which would prove a decisive factor once Fiat entered the fray.

Keen to block such a large competitor from gaining a manufacturing stronghold on Italian soil, in October 1986 Fiat presented its offer for the complete and immediate takeover of Alfa Romeo. With a catch, though: Fiat would pay in five installments starting in 1993 and would only be liable for around 70 percent of Alfa’s considerable debt burden. Nevertheless, Fiat’s offer was formally accepted in November 1986, and Alfa Romeo ceased to exist as a corporate entity by the 1st of January, 1987. The rest, as they say, is history.

It’s impossible to say whether car enthusiasts would have been better served by an Alfa Romeo under Ford’s control. Although it’s fair to imagine that with access to Ford’s dealer network, Alfa Romeo never would have left the U.S. market, the rest is anyone’s guess. Still, it makes for an intriguing “alternate history” scenario as well as a piece of Alfa Romeo lore that’s all but forgotten, even in its home country.

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Matteo Licata received his degree in Transportation Design from Turin’s IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) in 2006. He worked as an automobile designer for about a decade, including a stint in the then-Fiat Group’s Turin design studio, during which his proposal for the interior of the 2010–20 Alfa Romeo Giulietta was selected for production. He next joined Changan’s European design studio in Turin and then EDAG in Barcelona, Spain. Licata currently teaches automobile design history to the Transportation Design bachelor students of IAAD (Istituto di Arte Applicata e Design) in Turin.

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Ford aficionados may well be aware of the seven Mk3 GT40s developed as road cars, but this isn’t one of those—it’s even more rare.

Chassis number P/1069 is actually a Mk1 GT40 built to order by the Blue Oval and then loaned to the Scuderia Filipinetti racing team for display at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show. It left the factory painted in Opalescent Silver Blue, but for the Swiss show it was repainted in Metallic Bormeo Green.

After performing its display duties the car was sent back to Britain where Ford used it as a press car, road registering it in 1968.  It featured in motoring magazines and was also driven by Formula 1 World Champion Graham Hill.

The GT40 was on show at Geneva again in 1969 and then sold to a private collector in 1971 who had the paintwork updated again, this time to yellow. Over three decades later a new owner was bold enough to put the car back on track where it belonged, competing in historic racing, including the Goodwood Revival

In 2007 it was returned to road specification and at some point also restored to its original blue hue. It hasn’t had a U.K. MOT test since 2009 when the odometer showed 6003 miles, exactly the same as it had two years earlier, suggesting the car wasn’t actually driven on the road, despite now being legal.

The car is for sale by Fiskens with no price listed, but its unique provenance should see it fetch a tidy sum.

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The Pinto you see here probably wasn’t exactly what Lee Iacocca had in mind when he initially pushed for Ford to create an affordable compact car, but the 1970s had a funny way of transforming all sorts of Detroit iron into colorful, bestickered lifestyle expressions. We’re still benefitting from that today, and this 1978 Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon is proof.

Born quickly—just 25 months between conception and production—the Pinto debuted in 1971 as Ford’s answer to the Beetle and the growing compact car segment. Initial offerings began humbly with the Pinto sedan, and the Runabout hatchback followed soon after. The Pinto wagon rolled onto America’s streets in 1972, though at the time the most personality the little longroof could muster was the faux wood-sided Squire trim package.

In response to domestic competition, Ford steadily increased the displacement and power under the little Pinto’s hood, but like most cars of the era, even the most powerful options weren’t going to do more than help the car get out of its own way. By 1974, Ford’s overhead cam 2.3-liter four cylinder became optional, and its 2.8-liter Cologne V-6 arrived the following year as the top available engine.

As the decade progressed, Ford steadily added colors, stickers, and style to its little economy car. The Sprint Decor Group and subsequent Sprint and Luxury Packages kicked things off, with 1976 bringing the Stallion’s sporty blackout package. Likely 1977 through 1980 may go down in history as peak theme and sticker, as least as far as American cars are concerned. Headlined by the flaming chicken on Pontiac’s Trans Am but spread across pickups, large coupes, and economy cars from just about every American manufacturer, nothing was immune from wild, character-imbuing packages. Enter the Pinto Cruising Wagon.

Making hay out of the nationwide van craze, Ford started with the Pinto wagon and replaced the rear windows with panels and distinctive bubble windows. They added slotted wheels, a stand-out sticker package, and some truly outrageous color offerings, including the Tangerine you see here. The interior positively screams style, with orange, plaid, and stripes everywhere you look.

For as many as Ford made, there aren’t a whole lot of Pintos left in good condition, much less these time-capsule Cruising Wagons. This example, available on Hagerty Marketplace, shows 58,919 miles and presents very well. Aside from its outgoing personality, this Pinto also features the venerable 2.3-liter four-pot backed by a four-speed transmission, air conditioning, a wealth of optional equipment, recent service, and fresh tires. Sold on Bring a Trailer earlier this summer, it does take a certain type to proudly parade around in this Pinto. Hop in, stick your favorite Styx cassette in the stereo, and relive one of the brightest moments in the Pinto’s history.

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Back in 1966, $17 a day, 17 cents a mile, an early enough birthday, and a Hertz Sports Club membership got you a sexy and striped 306-horsepower Mustang from the guy who built the Cobra. We’re talking, of course, about the GT350H, an endeavor that got both Hertz and Shelby a lot of great publicity. (The “rent-a-racer” term, however, was not used at the time.) For the program, Hertz order 1000 Shelby GT350 Mustangs and rented them out to thrill seekers and speed freaks all over the country, leading to countless stories and legends of unsanctioned on-track antics before returning to the Hertz counter on Monday. The GT350H is probably the most famous rental car of all time, as well as one of the only rental fleet veterans anyone would actually want to own, and it’s was just the entry point in a long line of fast Fords you could pick up from Hertz over the years. One of them, a Cougar XR7-G, is up for Mecum auction this month.

Once the ’66 GT350Hs had been retired from service and sold off into private hands, Hertz continued to offer Shelby Mustangs at the counter with 1968 and ’69 GT350s as well as 1969-70 Mach 1 Ford Mustangs. By this time, Shelbys were heavier, softer, less overtly sporty, and built in Michigan rather than California. Carroll Shelby had little direct involvement in their production. But bloated or not, a Shelby Mustang was still way cooler than the dowdy sedans in the Hertz lot, and so were the hot Cougars also available from Hertz.

Introduced in 1967 on the same chassis as the Mustang to fill a semi-luxury, semi-sporty gap between it and the Thunderbird, the first-generation Cougar is sort of like a Mustang in a nice suit. But any Bond movie proves beyond doubt it’s still possible to move pretty quickly in a coat and tie, and from 1968–70 Hertz would gladly loan out the Cougars with the sharpest claws: the Cougar Eliminator and the Cougar XR7-G.

While the 1969-70 Eliminator was basically equivalent to the Mustang Boss 302 and Mach 1, the 1968 XR7-G was a one-year only performance model with more of a Shelby connection. Shelby Automotive ran the project and the “G” stands for “Gurney,” as in racer Dan Gurney, who drove the Bud Moore-prepped Cougar in the 1967 Trans Am series. Conversion to “G” trim was carried out at the facilities of a supplier called A.O. Smith in Ionia, Michigan.

At first glance an XR7-G doesn’t look that much different from a normal ’68 Cougar, but there are several details that make these cars special. A special fiberglass hood scoop, hood pins, Marchal or Lucas driving lights, a Talbot racing mirror, XR7-G badges, and special Rader wheels (later recalled because of a defect) distinguished the Shelbified Cougar. A sunroof by American Sunroof Company also offered blue sky views. XR7-Gs also came with a 390-cubic-inch V-8 engine and C6 automatic transmission as well as power front disc brakes, tilting steering column, Whisper-Aire air conditioning, and an accessory gauge pack from Shelby.

Just 619 of these 1968-only Cougars sold, with 200 of them going to Hertz for its rental fleet and scattered throughout America’s airports and train stations. After that, they went on to private owners, sold as used cars through local Ford and Mercury dealerships, with some sources saying they were sold as “demos” or “executive program” cars. (It sounds nicer than “ex-Cleveland airport rental car.”)

The XR7-G up for auction with Mecum in Tennessee this month is one of those 200, is powered by its original “S-Code” 390/325-hp engine and transmission, and has been restored in its original colors of Black Cherry with black vinyl roof over dark red leather. Crossing the block on Saturday, October 14 at Mecum’s Chattanooga auction, it has no presale estimate, but the Hagerty Price Guide puts XR7-Gs at $66,200 in #2 (Excellent) condition or $47,200 in #3 (Good) condition.

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Holley’s Intergalactic Ford Fest brought in Blue Oval fans from all over North America to Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for autocross, off-road, drift, and drag-racing fun. Any vehicle was allowed, as long as it was powered by a Ford engine. That meant that there were Mustangs and F150s of all generations in attendance, with drag-race Fox-bodies and drift-ready S550s galore.

We spoke to several of the 2023 attendees who had some of our favorite engine swaps and assembled this list for those who couldn’t be there. Let us know if one of these six Ford-powered vehicles inspires you to do a swap of your own.

Godzilla, King of the Mustangs

Texas Speed & Performance brought out an SN95 Mustang to show off the shop’s latest foray into Ford performance: the 7.3-liter Godzilla crate V-8. The monster tunnel ram makes the engine tall, but the V-8 isn’t really that big.

Its 4.22-inch bores just about max out the real estate on the block’s 4.5-inch bore spacing. Those big bores and intake help the CNC-ported heads produce around 660 hp at the flywheel. Texas Speed was making some shakedown runs with the car and Luke Haley, product manager at Texas Speed, told us that the Mustang just made a 6.84-second pass in the 1/8-mile @ 104 mph, proving the pushrod V-8 is putting in some solid work.

Broncigator

At LS Fest in 2022 Michael Hunt and Lee Clayton, the guys at TredWear, had just completed a body swap with a 1977 Trans Am and a C5 Corvette Z06. This time they accomplished the same feat using a 1979 Bronco body placed over the running gear and interior of a 2003 Navigator.

They chose a Navigator of that particular vintage because 2003 was the last year that Ford offered the 5.4-liter four-valve engine after the second-gen Navigator adopted independent rear suspension. A factory joint on the frame was carefully opened up by removing the welds, and 15 inches of length were removed to hit 104 inches, the same as that of the discarded Bronco chassis.

The retro livery is what the TredWear crew imagined Ford might have campaigned if the Blue Oval had tried its luck in the East African Safari, with James Garner behind the wheel. We like the artificially aged red, yellow, and orange graphics, which were also carried into the interior. Hunt told us that the 5.4-liter and four-wheel independent suspension transformed the Bronco, and we imagine it would: The Navigator’s 5.4-liter has a lot less weight to haul with two fewer doors and an entire row of seats missing.

Boss Fox

Every good-looking Fox-body Mustang within a 300-mile radius was at Ford Fest, or so it seemed. We couldn’t count the restomodded 5.0-liter hatchbacks and notchbacks in attendance at the show and also on the drag strip, but this one may have been our favorite.

This 1992 Mustang was Josh Miller’s first car. He spent the last eight years giving it a full-bore restoration and pulling out all the stops. The vivid red paint is from DeBeer, and the Gen 1 Coyote engine is topped by a Boss 302 intake that’s also wearing DeBeer paint. There’s a Tremec TKO behind the Coyote, which runs on Holley Terminator Max ECU. We kept coming back to this thing to see it glow. It’s just so red.

Godzilla vs. Trans Am

Mike Bozzelli dropped a 7.3-liter Godzilla into his 1969 Pontiac Trans Am clone and trailered it all the way from Toronto. He joked that he was trying to balance out all of the GM-swapped Fords, but his decision to engine-swap this Pontiac came down to his excitement about a big, new pushrod V-8 from Ford. Holley’s new intake manifold helped the swap thanks to its compact size; it saved about two inches in height compared to the factory intake. It did take some fine adjustments to get the engine to sit exactly where it needed to go. “She fits in there pretty good, I can’t complain,” Bozzelli said, adding, “It looks right at home.” We’ve got to agree.

Questionable decisions

Jared Pink from Gainsville, Georgia, runs the Questionable Garage YouTube channel where he makes doubtful automotive choices so you don’t have to. His latest questionable decision was to compete at LS Fest, MoParty, and Ford Fest … with the same car. That’s three separate engines in less than a month. At this year’s LS Fest, Pink ran an LS3 in his Duster. In two and a half days he installed a Gen III Hemi and got it back on the road. Nine days later the Duster was powered by this Ford Coyote V-8 and tearing up the autocross at Beech Bend with its third V-8 powerplant in as many weeks.

The pushrod V-8s had enough power to cause axle wrap, leading to unpredictable power delivery. As if he wasn’t busy enough, while the Coyote swap took place, Pink also installed a four-link rear suspension. When we asked him how the engines differ, he said: “I’m learning, because it has such a high-rpm powerband, that my gearing doesn’t work well.” He found that he wanted a gear in between first and second on his TKX transmission when he was hitting the autocross.

“It’s the wrong choice, it’s way too big,” Pink said of the Coyote V-8. He’s going to go back to the appropriate Mopar powertrain, the 426 Gen III Hemi stroker that he scored when buying what he thought was a 6.1-liter Hemi from a junkyard. “That was a junkyard lottery find,” Pink admits, “It blows the tires off. That’s the long-term engine.” He also loves the way the 426 Gen III sounds.

His conclusions: The Hemi is the proper choice for the Mopar, the Coyote was fun and revved nicely, while also shedding more than 100 pounds off the nose compared to the iron-block Hemi, but he also appreciated the LS3. “It was so easy to install,” Pink said of the LS3, “when it comes to engine swaps, that’s the winner.”

Turbo Oddball

It’s not too often you find a second-generation Ford Courier, and it’s even less common to see one sporting a turbocharged 2.3-liter engine. Jon Hagan, from Owensborough, Kentucky, put his turbo-swapped Courier to the test and smoked the tires in the burnout contest. We asked how the project came to be and Hagan, whose first car was a Mustang SVO, made it sound like the logical thing to do. “I had a bunch of 2.3-liter turbo stuff around … it somehow made its way in there.”

He plumbed up a VS Racing turbo himself, building just about all of the fabricated parts in the engine bay except for the valve cover and the intercooler. He even tunes the truck himself. It puts out about 500 hp, which was enough to break the drivetrain until he upgraded to a larger bell housing that uses parts designed to stand up behind a 5.0 liter.

Let us know in the comments: Which engine swap is your favorite?

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Erik Hansen built The Bat Outa Hell in his spare time while working at CAL Automotive Creations in Bennington, Nebraska, a shop he has been with for more than 10 years. He was still a new hire when he got to put his traditional hot-rod knowledge to work on the flathead-powered Checkered Past, the ’40 Ford coupe built by CAL Auto Creations for Ron Cizek that won the Ridler Award—hot rodding’s Nobel Prize—at the 2013 Detroit Autorama. Hansen was also heavily involved in the Buick Invicta that won the Al Slonaker Memorial Award at the 2023 Grand National Roadster Show. You might also recognize him if you remember the feature we did on the Omaha Coupe; Hansen helped to get it back on the road and was behind the wheel during the photoshoot.

Each year since the late 1940s, Bonneville Speed Week brings the promise of land speed racing to a salt flat in northwest Utah, organizing cars by engine type into classes that honor the genesis of hot-rodding as we know it. Even when rain soaks the dry bed of Lake Bonneville and records remain elusive, as they did in 2022, a migration of traditional hot rods rumbles into Wendover to celebrate the past.

This year, just as much as we were looking forward to racing, we were looking forward to seeing and riding in this 1931 Model A coupe, recently back on the road after a thorough reimagining by Erik Hansen.

This coupe wasn’t Hansen’s first hot rod. “I started building a rat rod with a flathead when I turned 16,” Hansen told us. Inspired by his great-grandfather, who rode a Harley-Davidson flathead to college and ran the local stockyards in addition to being a blacksmith, Hansen got to work fixing a 1924 Model T that had been sitting at his great grandfather’s shop for 40-plus years. The makeshift pickup was stock from the cowl forward and had an all-original Model T drivetrain, but it had sat outside in the rain for so long that the engine was locked up. The banger motor had to go, and the T became Hansen’s first flathead V-8 hot rod. It gave Hansen a lot of experience and also a desire for a traditional, racy hot rod. Ford’s successor to the T, the Model A, would be that car.

“I think I was probably 18 when I picked it up,” says Hansen, who is in his early 30s. The exact date isn’t that important to him, as the sad Model A he found in the early 2000s was never supposed to be the actual project—just a placeholder. The A had been dragged, unceremoniously, into a field and was full of brush. It seemed its last task was to serve as a dirtbike ramp. The sorry condition was no problem, because the price was right: For $100, Hansen bought the reference he needed to build a chassis for what would be his real hot rod, set to come at a later date.

Over the course of six years he replaced, piece by piece, all of the panels that were too far gone to be salvaged. The field-find began to resemble his vision of a proper hot rod Model A. Since he knew from day one that he wanted to run his Model A fenderless, Hansen built quarter panels from scratch, shaping 20-gauge steel on an English wheel. The new quarters raise the rear wheel arches to match the line of the tires and maintain their radius, much like the arches on a ’32 Ford. He also wrapped the bottom of the quarter panels underneath, curving them like those on a ’32.

“Model A guys are always trying to make it look like ’32 stuff because we can’t afford a ’32,” Hansen joked.

Hansen also made the doors from the beltline down as well as the decklid skin. Its inner structure is from Brookville, however.

Most of the roof is original, although Hansen had to massage it back into shape: When the body was pushed around the field where it previously resided, the roof had taken a beating. Hansen chopped the top four inches, giving the car a purposeful look while still leaving plenty of room inside the cabin.

Some of the quarter window steel is original, as Hansen found some Ford sheetmetal that was left over from an inventive farmer. Due to rationing during WWII, and because Ford stopped making commercial vehicles to shift to military ones, farmers often cut the roofs and decklids of Model A coupes and sedans to create makeshift trucks, a body style that offered more utility on the farm. Somehow, the quarter-window frame from one of those converted A coupes was passed down to Hansen.

After working in his spare time for six years, Hansen got the car on the road. He spent a lot of time with it, driving the car from his home in Nebraska to the Hot Rod Hillclimb in Colorado, to Austin, Texas, and to Dubuque, Iowa. He racked up about 20,000 miles over the course of three years, but he never really liked the way the A looked with the previous chassis.

About three years ago, Hansen started this version using Speedway Motors ’32 Ford frame rails. The rails were pie-cut and pinched in at the cowl to be around five inches narrower at the spreader bar while also being kicked up an inch and a half to drop the front end. A ’32 grille shell was pinched to match. Both ends of the frame are bobbed, so there are no frame horns sticking out at the front. The rear of the chassis also angles up a few inches thanks to a Z in the frame. With the dimensions all sorted, Hansen added an X-member from a 1935–40 Ford and boxed the rails, setting the boxing plate just inboard of the ends of the C-channel to give him a place to hide hoses and brake lines.

There are lots of interesting things going on with the suspension, but the modifications are well hidden. The trickery is only really noticeable if you inspect what looks like a factory Model A shock: It’s really just a shell. Hansen gutted the internals and replaced them with bronze bushings that mount a shaft that has a bellcrank connected to a tube shock. Transverse springs—both Posie Super Slide—mount a heavy ’32 Ford axle up front and a ’57 Ford nine-inch in the rear. Both axles are mounted with a Watts link to keep the axles centered under the car, and both use an antiroll bar. Self-energizing 11-inch front drums and ’57 Ford 10-inch drums in the back provide plenty of stopping power for such a light car.

One of the few “modern” components Hansen used in the coupe’s build is the T5 transmission. This one, from a GM F-body, moved the shifter rearward in the cabin, which was just what Hansen wanted. The transmission’s .72:1 overdrive allowed for aggressive, 4:56:1 gears in the Ford nine-inch rear axle, a ratio that really let the flathead V-8 wind up in the lightweight coupe.

Front wheels are 16×4.5 inches, similar to those found on a ’40 Ford. They wear Firestone 5.50×16 tires. For the rears, Hansen chose “kind of an oddball”: A ’50s light-duty International pickup yielded a pair of 16-inch Kelsey Hayes wheels with a Ford 5×4.5–inch bolt pattern, and Hansen widened them to be six inches across. They wear 7.50-16 tires.

There really was no question when it came time to select a powerplant for the coupe: Hansen is a huge Ford fan and loves everything about the flathead V-8, from the engine’s aesthetics to its sound and, of course, its proven history in racing. This block is a ’49 8BA bored .060 inches over with a set of Aries forged pistons, a stock Mercury crank, and 8BA connecting rods. Displacement works out to 265 cubic inches.

Sharp heads, pirated from a retired local dirt-track car, originally offered 9:1 compression. The heads were corroded and had some broken fins, but they still had the right look. Once Hansen welded them up and cut larger valve reliefs to help with flow and to drop compression a touch, they offered some big performance gains. A set of Cometic MLS gaskets seals everything up.

Hansen has modified the engine since the A initially hit the road. The first iteration of the flathead provided too much boost, and the cylinder pressure didn’t agree with the threads in the head. On a quick trip for lunch with a friend, as Hansen tells it: “I got on it and blew the spark plug. The spark plug wire held onto it and whipped it into the ditch.” Delayed but not discouraged, Hansen found the plug beside the road, cross-threaded it into the head, and got back in the car. He now uses a set of steel inserts to keep the plugs in place, and the blower is now underdriven to provide less boost.

To mount a supercharger on top of the flathead, Hansen started with an Offy four-barrel intake. He milled the top off and flattened it down to accept a one-inch-thick aluminum plate, which he welded in place and then milled to fit a GMC 4-71 blower. The blower is also a vintage piece, removed from a road grader that Hansen found in a junkyard. While he was milling the intake, Hansen added a burst plate in a hard-to-see spot, down low. If a massive backfire ever happens, the pressure has a place to go, and it won’t blast the blower off the manifold.

Hansen’s handiwork can be spotted all over the engine. Some of our favorite details are the front drive idler pulley and the generator/alternator mount. Each looks like it is cast in one piece, but only because Hansen put in a lot of effort. He tapered the belt tensioner in a lathe before heating it up in his forge and bending it into shape. The clamshell clamp for the generator/alternator he fabricated from several milled parts, welded, and then blended in the welds with a die grinder and sanding discs.

After the gaps and edges were even, the aluminum parts, including the heads, blower, and blower snout, were needle-scaled and then bead-blasted to make them all look like raw castings. Trail Performance Coatings powder-coated the blower and heads to give them a magnesium look. While you might think the fins on the castings are bare, they too are finished in clear satin powdercoat.

Holley 94s are Hansen’s go-to two-barrel. Their long production run makes parts easy and cheap to find, and he seems to have a knack for tuning them. The three carbs, each topped by a Grace & Co. air cleaner, use a progressive linkage that allows the flathead to run on the center carb for the first half of the throttle’s travel. That keeps the power manageable while fuel economy is a respectable 16–18 mpg on the highway. Not bad considering its aerodynamics, as Hansen puts it, are like, “a big parachute with that visor on it.”

He could drive the car cross-country and use just the center carb. Once the throttle passes 50 percent, the outboard carbs begin to open up. That’s when things start to get fun. “As soon as the secondaries open, the blower can become efficient,” Hansen says. The boosted flathead is good for about 300 horsepower, more than enough to be rowdy in a car that weighs around 2000 pounds.

The car is reinforced with a 1-5/8-inch DOM roll cage, made up from several pieces left over from the tube chassis used in a land-speed race car, a competition coupe built by CAL Auto Creations. Hansen doesn’t have any lofty racing aspirations; the cage is there “mostly just because there’s no wood structure left in the body.”

The shift boot uses upholstery from a ’57 Chevy project built at CAL Auto Creations. The owner brought in a beat-up original seat to get reupholstered. However, there was enough material from low-traffic areas to salvage and sew up a shift boot. That project also donated the bit of ’60s or ’70s tuck-and-roll vinyl that Hansen used as his coupe’s headliner. Both bits of material seem appropriate for the build. Even better, they have the perfect old-car smell.

This version of Hansen’s coupe, though recently completed, has already driven the 3000 miles from Omaha to Bonneville and back, with just a few teething issues. Overall, it seems that the time spent on the new chassis was well worth it: Hansen reports that his shop-brewed suspension is a great match for the car, and it drives just as he had hoped. “It handles phenomenally. I can just slide it around a corner,” said Hansen.

Ever the perfectionist, he’s scheming on future projects with the car: “I’m probably gonna chop it more someday.” Like any true hot rod, the Bat Outa Hell will never be quite finished.

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The collector-car world loves a good barn find, and this 1936 Ford Model 48 Fordor Deluxe Sedan certainly qualifies: Just look at the vertical dust lines across the windshield and the length of the car, marks that confirm that it was parked and neglected years ago. If you’re a barn-find aficionado, you’re already salivating.

This handsome sedan is more than an 87-year-old car somebody forgot about, however. It’s an 87-year-old car that’s almost completely intact. Nothing rotten. No missing hard-to-find trim pieces. Reasonably tidy engine and interior. A perfect candidate for a mechanical refresh or full restoration.

The Ford Model 48 was introduced in 1935, and behind the car’s tall, vertical grille was a 221-cubic-inch flathead V-8 that produced about 90 horsepower and was mated to a three-speed gearbox. Although V-8s weren’t a new thing in the mid-1930s, the simplicity of Ford’s flathead V-8 made it more affordable for more people, an important factor during the Great Depression. In addition to the four-door sedan, the Model 48 could be had as a two-door roadster, four-door convertible, or four-door station wagon, each priced below $600 (or about $13,253 today). The car was a hit; Ford sold 820,000 Model 48s in 1935.

Improving upon one of the most significant automobiles ever produced by the Ford Motor Company, the 1936 Fords offered updated styling, including an inverted pentagonal grille with all-vertical bars beneath a longer hood, as well as three horizontal chrome side strips on DeLuxe models.

The ’36s also featured redesigned fenders and wheels—pressed steel instead of wire—that gave the car a more modern appearance. And, yes, finished in black, it also has the look of something a gangster might drive. Inside, the Fordor offered comfortable bench seating, stylish Johansson instrumentation, and typical amenities of the era.

This seller of this barn find, which is offered on Hagerty Marketplace and located in Van Nuys, California, notes that the Deluxe sedan (Chassis/VIN 2560487) features pivoted rear quarter windows, one-piece welded steel wheels, torque-tube drive, double-drop X-type frame, downdraft carburetor, and rearview mirror. The odometer displays 65,431 miles, but its actual mileage is unknown. Bidding sits at $1500 with nearly a week left in the auction, which ends Wednesday, October 11 at 4 p.m. EDT. A spare driveshaft and additional leaf-spring suspension components are included.

Since a similar 1935 Ford Model 48 Fordor Sedan Deluxe in #4 (Fair) condition has an average value of $11,400, the potential buyer of this ’36 Fordor Deluxe might be able to snag a deal. The barn-find dust is a bonus.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Monday it was expanding its investigation into Ford SUVS and pickups over possible “catastrophic” engine failures caused by the fracturing of engine intake valves.

Affected are the 2021 Ford Bronco (25,619 vehicles), as well as additional Ford “populations” equipped with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine including the 2022 Bronco (33,106 vehicles), 2021–2022 F-150 (155,619 vehicles), 2021–2022 Edge (6889 vehicles), and 2021–2022 Lincoln Nautilus (8596 vehicles). 

Said NHTSA’s investigation: “Under normal driving conditions without warning the vehicle may experience a loss of motive power without restart due to catastrophic engine failure related to an alleged faulty valve within 2.7 L and 3.0 L EcoBoost engines.” NHTSA will add the 2021–22 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator with the 3.0-liter engine to the investigation.

The investigation began with owner complaints over the 2021 Ford Bronco 2.7-liter engine, but has expanded to other 2021/2022 vehicles and the 3.0-liter engine, which is from the same engine family.

“During the investigation,” NHTSA said, “multiple contributing factors were identified which can lead to the fracturing of the intake valves in the subject engines. Ford acknowledged that a fractured intake valve can result in catastrophic engine failure and a loss of motive power and noted that following a valve fracture, a vehicle typically requires a full engine replacement.

“Ford advised that the defective valves were manufactured out of a specific alloy known as ‘Silchrome Lite’, which can become excessively hard and brittle if an over-temperature condition occurs during machining of the component.

“A design modification was implemented in October 2021, which changed the intake valve material to a different alloy known as ‘Silchrome 1’ that is less susceptible to over-temperature during machine grinding. Ford has identified that the defective intake valves commonly fail early in a vehicle’s life and has suggested that the majority of failures have already occurred.”

The investigation will precede a decision by NHTSA and Ford to decide whether a recall is warranted.

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If you are like many vintage car fanatics you do a little window shopping from time to time. You’re often held back from chasing project car fantasies by the distance between you and the hulk of a car you’re looking at, thanks the unlimited reach of the internet, and the likely limited reach of your budget.

Bit it’s fun to think of what could be with project cars. And the latest to catch our eye is one that promises to deliver your dreams—after all, it is a mail truck.

Found on eBay, this vintage Ford was originally listed as a 1932 but the seller has updated the listing, as the very smart Model A community has chimed in to assist in creating an accurate account. The difference between a 1932 Model B and a ’31 Model A can be subtle to the uninitiated, as most are used to 1932 Fords all being Model 18 cars which came with the flathead V-8. The Model B was instead equipped with an evolution of the 40-horsepower inline-four that was the only engine option from 1928 to 1931.

If the engine was not the first giveaway as to the origin, other clues like the firewall-mounted fuel shutoff and front sheet metal make it all but undebatable that this is not a ’32. Another thing that is undebatable is that this project has potential to be cool all get out. I don’t think anyone is going to be surprised at the wear and tear on the wood body, but with some careful work it wouldn’t be absurd to think this could turn a lot of heads at a cars-and-coffee meet if it was mechanically sorted, and the rest more or less left alone.

The seller is being transparent in the listing and the Pennsylvania location means if you were to drive and pick this project up after the Sunday end time, you could stumble a little further and find yourself at the Hershey AACA fall swap meet, where you can find enough parts to build a Model A from scratch. So finding what you need for this—no matter what your plan is—should be pretty simple. What would you create with this as the start of your project? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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When we drive our cars, they collect signs of that use—patina, in collector-car speak. The latest issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, in which this article first appeared, explores the delight found in such imperfect cars. To get all this wonder sent to your home, sign up for the club at this link. To read about everything patina online, click here. 

Once, on the way to school, I looked over at my father in the driver’s seat of our battered Suburban and asked him how he knew the past was real. He snorted a laugh, his eyes never leaving the road ahead, and said, “Because I have the scars.” It was the kind of answer that tumbles from a tired father’s mouth without a second thought, laden with heavier truths than he likely realized. Over the years, I’ve found it applies to more than busted knuckles. When it comes to cars, so much of our fascination is wrapped up in questions of authenticity and honesty. In proof of the past. Did Fangio sit here? Did Chapman put his hand on this panel? Does the machine have the scars that prove it suffered the slings of time and survived anyhow?

When I brought home my ’67 Mustang, I knew better than to believe it would ever be concours perfect. The original straight-six and three-speed automatic had long vanished. The cowl and floors had been carved out and replaced with cheap patch panels. There were at least eight layers of paint, some of it covering finger-thick Bondo. There was rust. There were dents and dings. The interior looked like someone had loaded a 12 gauge with self-tapping screws and pulled the trigger, but despite all of that, I loved it immediately.

I didn’t want a $100,000 pony car with mirror-finish paint and panels straighter than anything that ever came out of Dearborn. I wanted something I could use. Something I could beat on with a hammer without batting an eye. A canvas for spray paint and cut springs that I could street-park with the windows down or fling at a curled mountain pass in the rain. I wanted a car that would remind the world why we all fell in love with these things to begin with, back when they weren’t investments or heirlooms. When they were simply the key that unlocked the brightest moments of our lives.

***

The idea was pretty simple: What would a former Trans-Am racer-turned-PI drive in 1974? Probably a hammered notch. The day after I got the car running, I unbolted the pony from the grille, pulled off the crooked fender emblems, and discarded the rocker trim, not bothering with the holes left behind. I tossed the dog dishes on a shelf in the shed and was left with a car that looked half a shade less grandmotherly than it had an hour earlier. Over the next few months, I threw a rash of speed parts at it, the only concession to modernity being a five-speed gearbox from a Fox body.

I raided Shelby’s cupboard for handling tricks, relocating control arms and cutting down coil springs with a hacksaw until the front hunkered low and right. A pair of reverse-eye leaf springs in the rear brought the back down, the car suddenly hunched over tall rubber and 15-inch Torq Thrusts sprayed gray. Magnesium 15s are a king’s ransom, but Rust-Oleum is still cheap as chips. I rolled the fenders, hammering them out until the body filler popped and the arches accommodated the Mustang’s new posture.

But this wasn’t just an aesthetic exercise. Sure, I’d spent hours scrolling through images of grainy SCCA events, the Terlingua cars hammering through corners. I’d watched and rewatched Bullitt. But I wasn’t building an Eleanor or some cosplay racer. My garage is half an hour from the Tail of the Dragon, U.S. Route 129. I needed this car to be capable of hounding a tourist in a new Corvette up and down the hollers between Tennessee and North Carolina. That meant Porterfield pads and a Borgeson steering conversion, gracing the car with a steering ratio quicker than a Miata. It meant an aggressive limited-slip differential and a 3.55 gear. An aluminum driveshaft and a 13-pound flywheel. Tri-Y headers breathing out barely muffled side-exit pipes. It meant giving the car all of the menace that the exterior promised.

Inside, I abandoned the factory gauges. I wanted the Stewart-Warner dials found in the Cobra, but modern reproductions don’t have a sterling reputation, so I settled on AutoMeter’s take on the same. And because this car pulls double duty as both back-road weapon and road-trip darling, it needed to have a decent stereo. I sent the previous owner’s gross single-DIN CD player to the dumpster, sourced a factory FoMoCo FM unit, and had its innards replaced with an Aurora Design Bluetooth system.

So much of modifying a car comes down to feel. Sometimes that’s the physical touch of the thing. Does the sideview mirror telegraph cold chrome or cheap plastic? Does the shifter notch into gear or flop over, lifeless? Other times, it’s what the components evoke inside you. The emotions they stir up in your chest in spite of yourself. When you’re behind the wheel, your field of view narrows to a handful of bits: the gauges, the wheel, a mirror or two. Get those wrong and it’ll feel like a poorly tuned guitar. Maybe that’s why it took me so long to find a steering wheel.

Having spent some time in a friend’s 289 Cobra, I knew I wanted a Moto-Lita, but a wood-rimmed hoop seemed out of place in the all-black cabin. Half a bottle of Willett and some eBay scrolling returned an immaculately hammered leather-wrapped tri-spoke. All black, with the cursive “Excalibur” barely visible just below the horn. Perfect.

***

Somewhere along the way, I accidentally built something I hadn’t had since I was 20 and sold my street/track Civic to buy our first family vehicle: my car. A machine built expressly around how I enjoy spending time. My wife, Beth, and I began taking it everywhere. Finding excuses to pile in and head off for the hills for impromptu overnights in Highlands or Asheville in North Carolina. Daring January snows and mid-June rainstorms. Arcing this ancient, hammered Mustang from one glorious apex to the next, the tired 302 shouting at the river and trees along the way. Or picking up our daughter from school, letting her slot that cue-ball shifter from one gear to the next from the passenger seat.

The shock is not how well the car drives or the wide smile of everyone I put behind the wheel. It’s how the world responds to this tattered old Mustang. It is universally loved. Regardless of age, gender, race, or creed, people smile at it. Have a kind word for it. The old guys who had one in high school see something more accurate than the Barrett-Jackson beauties that clog our Instagram feeds. The baristas see something more genuine than the usual parade of Teslas. In all my days of driving, I’ve never experienced anything like it. Sure, the Mustang is an American touchstone, a bit of the blood and bone of us, but it’s more than that. This car shows its faults and bruises, and despite its black hat stance and antisocial exhaust, that makes it approachable.

Makes it a thing worth loving. Maybe that’s what all of this chipping paint and dented metal offers us: a measure of honesty. Proof of the past. In a world so obsessed with the appearance of perfection and brighter futures, that’s more valuable than any concours trophy.

***

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“Modern licensing for modern living,” is the motto for Reviver, the California company that offers digital license plates. And now comes word that Ford is the first manufacturer to embrace Reviver’s “world’s first” digital plates, legal in Michigan, California, and Arizona for all users. They are also legal in Texas, but just for commercial fleet vehicles.

Under the agreement with Ford dealers in the legal states, the RPlate, which is what Reviver calls the plate, will be assigned a Ford part number. Drivers will be able to purchase the RPlate via catalog or in person at a dealership.

“To be associated with a landmark brand in the automotive industry such as Ford is truly gratifying,” said Reviver founder and chief strategy officer Neville Boston. “We are very proud to have met the rigorous requirements for the company’s evaluation of potential suppliers and look forward to adding the innovations of digital license plate technology to their offerings.”

Count digital license plates as something you never knew you needed. “Everything about the driving experience has evolved in the last 100 years,” Reviver says, “except license plates.” Yes, well …

“Reviver’s digital license plates are not just a cosmetic upgrade; they are a testament to progress. Depending on the model, key features include personalized displays with custom messaging, location tracking, effortless registration renewal through a user-friendly mobile app, real-time alerts when the vehicle is moved, tamper-proof mounting, and robust anti-theft measures.”

The plates, says Reviver, also mean metal plates won’t clog landfills, assuming that’s an issue somewhere, thus leading the automotive world “into a greener future.”

Reviver offers both a user-installable model, with a replaceable battery, and a hard-wired, professionally installed version, meaning there are two ways to go: The Battery RPlate, with a five-year battery and with no location tracking, or the Wired RPlate, which does include location tracking and requires installation by a pro.

The price starts at $599, plus the service plan, something you never thought you would need for a license plate. Your RPlate does not need an active service plan to display your license plate number. “However, you will not be able to utilize any personalization or compliance features as listed above. Without its connection to our platform, the registration year on the plate will not update.”

Sixty days of service are included with purchase. After that period is up, you will pay $8 a month or $75 a year for battery-powered RPlates, and $10 a month or $95 a year for wired RPlates.

Unfortunately for Reviver, the photos of digital license plates on its website pretty much look like regular metal plates; they don’t do a lot of tricks. But for those Jeep Wrangler buyers who insist on putting every accessory that exists on the vehicle, well, this is one more thing.

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Victor writes:

Sir, you were very helpful to me before, and I hope you will take the time to shed some light on my latest issue.

The slave cylinder on my 1979 Ford Courier, four-speed with the 2.0-liter engine, started leaking. I ordered a replacement Lux brand slave cylinder,  but when I attempted to thread the hydraulic line to the cylinder it would start to thread on but then bind up. I was very careful to make sure I was not cross-threading it. After numerous attempts I tried screwing the line back onto the old slave cylinder and it threaded on. Thinking that maybe the threads were bad on the new cylinder I sent it back to Parts Geek and ordered a Dorman slave cylinder. Exact same thing happened; it would only screw on partly and would then bind up.

I have looked at the threads on the supply line and do not see anything wrong with them. I was able to order a rebuild kit and will attempt to rebuild the old slave cylinder and see if that works.

I am not a mechanic, and my level of ability is mainly limited to changing the oil, filters, coolant, and spark plugs, but I did think this was a job I could handle. Thank you for your time.

Sajeev answers:

Hello, Victor. Thank you for reaching out; I am happy to help. This absolutely sounds like something you can do, provided the part was actually manufactured like the original bit from Ford/Mazda. I have a feeling that the best move is to ship your old slave cylinder to a place like this and have them rebuild it. You might have a hydraulic shop in your city that can also do the same service, and it’s always great (and convenient) to support a local business.

I reckon there is a manufacturing error on all these new slave cylinders, and there’s only one factory in China making them for all brands. Or perhaps there was a design change over time, and the automated system online isn’t letting you buy the right part. You can try ordering multiple cylinders at a part store too; they will be happy to help. But I think getting yours rebuilt might be the best move. Tell me what you think.

Victor replies:

Thank you for the quick reply and advice. I will send the slave cylinder off to the company you recommend and have it professionally rebuilt. Would it be a good idea to start and run the engine every so often while the truck is sitting with the slave cylinder off?

Sajeev answers:

Running the motor in the meantime is certainly not a bad idea, but there’s no need to do it. Depending on the age and formulation of the gasoline in the tank, a vehicle can sit for many weeks while you wait for the new part. I can keep my cars sitting around for months (not by choice), so keep that in mind.

Let me be clear on one thing, however: I do NOT have experience with the company I referred you to. I just wanted you to know such places exist. You should look into multiple vendors across the internet, maybe use this link to find one. I’ve said it before, and this question proves it, the Google “near me” search is absolutely crucial if you own a classic with limited parts support. (You know, not a Camaro, Ford Truck, Corvette, etc.)

Have a question you’d like answered on Piston Slap? Send your queries to pistonslap@hagerty.com—give us as much detail as possible so we can help! Keep in mind this is a weekly column, so if you need an expedited answer, please tell me in your email.

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The first-ever Grand National Truck Show kicked off festivities at the Pomona Fairplex in California with hundreds of trucks, vans, and SUVs of every make and model. In addition to vans and SUVs, the show welcomed any vehicle that was built after 1900 and had a bed. That included ’60s utilities like El Caminos and Rancheros but also ’30s roadster pickups. While this was a first-year show that brought out a fraction of the cars that regularly show up to the Grand National Roadster Show, held at the same venue, there were still more than 400 attendees.

Despite the aforementioned restrictions on body styles, the huge range of years allowed for a wide variety of vehicles on display. Here are just some of our favorite Fords in attendance.

For the first time ever, 18 invitees competed for the title of America’s Most Beautiful Truck. The build dates of the competitors ranged from the 1930s to the 2000s, and the styles of the vehicles were just as varied. When the judging was complete, the winner was Greg and Penni Tidwell’s 1940 Ford, built by South City Hot Rods in Hayward, California.

The truck’s subtle modifications and flawless attention to detail made it tough to beat. It rides on a Scott’s Hot Rods chassis and is powered by a triple-carbed 383 Chevy small-block.

Several of the 17 other competitors were also Blue Oval–made, including a pair of unibody F100s, a 1961 owned by Kent Matranga, and a 1962 owned by Mark and Diane Bell. The deep red 1961 is powered by a Ford Coyote V-8, while the orange 1962 uses LS3 power.

There were also a pair of 1932 Ford roadster pickups among the 18 competitors. Gary and Deborah DeVine’s “War Paint” was built by Denny Lesky at Ionia Hot Rod Shop and Dave Shuten at Galpin Speed Shop.

John Sutherland’s 1932 Ford roadster pickup is powered by a Ford Coyote V-8 fed by a pair of Nelson Racing Engines mirror-image turbos that are tucked away inside the headlight housings.

Brent Hunsaker’s “Stranger” is one of the most well-known minitrucks in the country. The interior, inspired by that of an Edsel, is a great way to make the controversial grille design into a beautiful, functional center stack.

Darin Gilchriese brought this ’56 F-100, which wore deep green paint to show off the model’s instantly recognizable curves.

The final Ford entry was Jerry Logan’s 1934 Ford. It deservedly won Best Engine for its twin-supercharged Y-block Ford V-8 that featured six throttle butterflies, three per side.

This was just a taste of the Fords in attendance, we’ll share more in galleries that are still to come.

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You’ve heard our bleating little complaint before: Why does Europe get all the cool stuff? That isn’t really the case, of course, but it kind of seems that way when we see products like the first plug-in hybrid Ford Ranger, which starts production in late 2024 with deliveries in early 2025.

“The Ranger Plug-in Hybrid will help customers step forward into an electrified future, with more confidence and capability than ever before, while keeping Ranger at the forefront of innovation and leadership in the mid-size pickup truck segment,” said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe.

The Hybrid will deliver more torque than any other Ranger by combining the 2.3-liter Ford EcoBoost gas engine (we’ve changed that from “petrol”) with an electric motor and rechargeable battery system—also enabling it to be driven in pure electric mode for a targeted driving range of more than 45 kilometers, known to millions as 28 miles. “Pure electric drive capability opens new possibilities for business owners in growing numbers of towns and cities with low emissions zones,” Ford says.

The maximum braked towing capacity of the Ranger Plug-In Hybrid is a targeted 7016 pounds, or 3,500 kilograms.

Ranger Plug-in Hybrid will also offer Pro Power Onboard, enabling customers to power their power tools and appliances on a worksite or remote campsite by plugging them into power outlets in both the cargo bed as well as the cabin. “That means noisy, bulky, heavy generators can be left at home, leaving more space in the cargo bed for other gear and equipment.” The Ranger Plug-In Hybrid also comes equipped with four-wheel drive and selectable drive modes.

“Our customers want electrified vehicles that deliver strong performance and affordable cost of ownership without compromising what they love about their truck,” Schep said. “The Ranger Plug-in Hybrid is a best-of-both-worlds solution for work, play, and family—offering customers zero-tailpipe emission EV driving for short trips, or hybrid performance that delivers incredible off-road, payload and towing capabilities. And, with Pro Power Onboard for the first time, Ranger owners can power their work sites and campsites easily.”

No word yet when and if the electrified Ranger will be sold in the U.S., and what the European price is, which just saves us the trouble of having to look up the conversion rate. The U.S. 2024 Ranger starts at $34,160, including shipping.

Should Ford consider adapting this powertrain setup for the North American Ranger as well? Let us know in the comments.

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Remember the good old days of the late 1990s? That’s the decade that reintroduced cars from the even better old days! Be the VW New Beetle (1998) or cars with throwback influences (Plymouth Prowler, PT Cruiser, Audi TT, and Chevrolet SSR, to name a few in a long list), automakers quickly figured out that going retro meant raking in the cash. The market was primed for Ford to do the same, and that’s what it did … eventually. In the case of the Thunderbird, half-heartedly.

The new, retro-styled T-bird was introduced at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Its retrofuturist design pulled at all the right heartstrings and utilized Ford’s upscale DEW98 chassis, which also underpinned a pair of aspirational upstarts, the Lincoln LS and the Jaguar S-Type. The detuned Jaguar V-8 ensured the T-bird would rumble, and an impressive palette of eggshell-inspired colors completed the ’50s look. The stage was set for a rapid progression from concept to production.

But this period in Ford’s history was marred by a transition away from its core competencies. As CEO Jac Nasser suggested, “Ford can’t build the company if it holds on to a mind-set that doesn’t respond swiftly to consumers’ needs.”

Rushing the 1999 Thunderbird to production wasn’t one of those consumer needs: The final product arrived roughly two years after the concept, for the 2002 model year. Despite not striking when the iron was hot, the first year of production still netted 31,368 customers—solid numbers for a niche-interest vehicle. That number halved in 2003, a disappointing figure considering the extra 28 horsepower and fatter torque curve offered by that year’s revised V-8 engine. Sales continued to drop until the final year in 2005, but the story doesn’t end there.

While the Thunderbird was initially a flash in the pan, it was not a failure, as many across the internet suggest. The car, built on the prevailing popular design of the moment and one of the strongest American nameplates around, was unequivocally not the problem. There was a market for a retro Thunderbird roadster, one whose loyalty was on par with that of the low-volume Chevrolet Corvette. But no car is made in a vacuum, and corporate interests of a struggling company swirled above the T-Bird like hurricane-force headwinds.

The platform beneath the retro sheetmetal and the factory that created the Thunderbird were each ultimately deemed more of a liability than an asset at Ford. To a company in transition, the T-Bird and its Lincoln LS sistership would never sell in numbers that justified their unique parts and their space at a factory of questionable utility. But that didn’t stop forces from trying to alter the fate of the DEW98 platform—there could have been a happier ending.

The history of the Thunderbird has been intertwined with that of Lincoln since the 1960s, so the notion of 2000s Lincoln making its own version of this Thunderbird was not without merit. Called the Mark X, Lincoln’s concept sported unique sheetmetal and a different dashboard in place of the one shared by the Thunderbird and the LS. The same applied to the stunning Ford Forty-Nine, which used the same DEW98 underpinnings but clothed them in one of the most dramatic examples of Ford’s retrofuturist aspirations. It’s a shame that FoMoCo rejected both concepts, but the decision comes as no surprise: The factory in Wixom, Michigan, was on the chopping block (RIP, as of 2007), and Ford realized platform interchangeability with Jaguar, a profit-sucking brand it no longer wished to own, was not a good long-term move.

With the retirement of Jacques Nasser and the ascension of Bill Ford, perhaps the Thunderbird could have transferred over to the Mustang’s platform and factory, as that model shared parts with Ford products at lower price points. (Hindsight, especially looking back at the success of the Fox-body chassis that the two models shared from the late ’70s into the ’90s, suggests such a move should have always been the case.) But Ford’s new direction, The Way Forward, had no room for expensive tomfoolery: The company was hemorrhaging cash, putting up the crown jewels as collateral on $23.6 billion in loans, and fighting for its survival a mere three years before its GM and Chrysler counterparts declared bankruptcy.

Such a strained situation is absolutely, unequivocally not the time to build a brand around a luxury sports roadster, no matter its name and legacy. With added context, the notion that the 2002–05 Thunderbird was a failure falls away, revealing a tragic tale with multiple villains. More to the point, the machine itself was a solid effort with a loyal following, and though buyer demographics might look like you’d expect at a glance, there’s more to these numbers than what’s on the surface.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the eleventh-generation Thunderbird’s vintage style appeals to boomers more than anyone else (65 percent), but their share of T-bird quotes is also rising. Also heading upward is interest among millennials, which has nearly tripled since the beginning of 2020. Their share is a modest 3 percent, but the growth rate is significant. Though the pre-boomer market share as a whole is decreasing, ’02–05 Thunderbirds are a popular choice among this segment and outstrip buyers of the original 1955–57 Thunderbird (18 percent vs. 16). Special editions of this Thunderbird get the most attention across all demographics.

Speaking of special iterations, in 2002, Ford made 200 units of black and silver Neiman Marcus edition. The next year brought the James Bond–themed, orange and coral 007 Edition (700 units made), and a Pacific Coast Roadster edition in debuted in 2004 (1000 units). The final year of production coincided with the Thunderbird’s 50th Anniversary, so a unique Cashmere Edition (1500 units) was introduced. Unlike previous celebrations, the Cashmere Thunderbird shared its anniversary fender emblems with all 2005 models, leading many to believe all models of that vintage are commemorative editions. That confusion might undermine the market for the Thunderbird’s legitimate special editions, but their impressive design and unique trimmings are indeed attracting buyers, and the Anniversary cars are trending up in value.

Much like the 1977–79 Continental Mark V decades before, Thunderbird special editions command a modest premium over a regular Thunderbird (which was available either in a Deluxe or a more upscale Premium trim). The Neiman Marcus edition commanded a significant price premium in late 2022, and though it has gone through a slight pandemic bubble, limited supply should keep it at the top of the T-Bird market, in similar fashion to the Diamond Jubilee versions of the aforementioned Mark Series.

For all derivations of the eleventh-generation Thunderbird, Hagerty Price Guide values hit their lowest point in mid-2020, and aside from the Neiman Marcus cars, prices have rebounded since settling in 2022. Coupled with the slightly growing younger demographics (and the die-hard older fanbase), the slight upward trend in this cooler market is a healthy sign and a positive indicator for the future.

As it ages, the Thunderbird is transitioning from a vehicle for a certain generation to an icon for all ages. It is only a matter of time before younger folks embrace the eleventh-generation Thunderbird for its retro vibes coupled with the added benefits of modern performance, safety, and efficiency.

Ford once said this last Thunderbird “epitomizes the American Spirit” and “recalls a simpler, more down-to-earth era.” In that regard, Ford nailed the brief. But underneath the veneer of good times and great memories lay a company struggling to find itself, years before a global financial crisis forever altered the automotive industry. That symbolism of optimistic determination could very well be the best thing about the 2002–05 Ford Thunderbird.

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Via Insider

The post Ford’s 2002–05 Thunderbird could finally fly as a future classic appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Everyone remembers their first car. This was mine.

In the 1970s, I was mostly a motorcycle guy, but in 1975, a friend told me he’d found a car I needed to buy. “C’mon,” he said. “Let’s go see it.” On an L.A. side street, neglected beside a stucco house, sat a toothy-grilled ’63 Thunderbird Landau. Last of the “Bullet Birds,” it wore a textured vinyl roof bearing elegant “landau bars” (recalling ancient carriage hinges) on the rear pillars, and inside featured simulated walnut interior trim. Intended for 1960s social climbers, the Ford cost $4548 when new.

A middle-aged man answered the doorbell, and my friend demonstrated how to buy old cars for cheap. “Hello, we’re students,” he said respectfully. “It looks like your Thunderbird has been sitting for a while. We were wondering if it might be for sale.”

“What do those boys want?” a woman’s voice called from elsewhere in the house.

“They want to buy the Thunderbird,” the man said to her over his shoulder.

“Give them the car, Harold,” commanded the woman.

Just like in The Devil Went Down to Georgia, Harold knew that he’d been beat. All that remained was the price. “I just put in a new battery,” he protested, weakly. “It cost $25, so if you’ll give me that you can have the car.” I had $25. He had the pink slip. We traded paper, I walked over to the Thunderbird, climbed in, fired it up with some effort, and drove away. Shockingly, this magnificent, 4354-pound luxury hardtop that Ford advertising had called “a bold thrust into tomorrow,” had depreciated to nothing in just 12 years.

Harold swore the T-Bird had had gone only 25,000 miles, but it ran on seven cylinders and the tailpipes were sooty, making 125,000 miles far more plausible. And that once-elegant vinyl roof? Ripped to smithereens. The Heritage Burgundy paint and chrome were dull as well.

No matter, though. We dove into polishing the brightwork and muscling rubbing compound and Turtle Wax into the paint. After fitting new ignition parts and setting the timing, it ran better.

Installing a new vinyl top, purchased along with a quart of contact cement, was harder. The demanding and exacting process ideally required two people, but I somehow managed it alone on a nearby vacant lot, finishing the T-Bird off beautifully.
Later, as I squired to junior college in my first car, I felt proud, successful even, and on the way up. Ford got the Thunderbird Landau right—even the $25 ones.

How cheap was your first car?

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The Goodwood Revival took place this past weekend, and as ever, the cars were sublime, the racing superb, the period dress perfect, and the highlights videos a treat. In our final video highlight from the weekend’s action, we give you the St. Mary’s Trophy.

It doesn’t matter who is driving or which cars are competing: the St. Mary’s Trophy is consistently a highlight of the Goodwood Revival weekend. Although the era changes, mixing up the grid depending on whether 1950s or 1960s saloon cars are competing, the racing is among the best you’ll find anywhere.

Perhaps that’s no surprise, since the touring cars we see in the St. Mary’s are the ancestors of today’s British Touring Car Championship, and there are usually more than a few BTCC stars on the grid. This year, though, it was the endurance racing champion Romain Dumas and owner-driver Fred Shepherd who took wins in both races over the weekend, in Shepherd’s spectacular 1959 Ford Thunderbird.

Muscle car dominance is becoming a bit of a theme in the St. Mary’s Trophy. While they were often a part of saloon-car racing back in the day—Jack Sears and his Ford Galaxie, Roy Pierpoint and his winning Mustang in 1965—their contemporary pace was always tempered by their weight and handling relative to the Cortinas and Minis that often prevailed.

In the modern era though, it seems like those preparing the cars have made them handle just well enough (and shortened their lengthy braking distances enough) that the big Fords now regularly win at Goodwood. Of course, driving talent helps too; Dumas and Shepherd, with a race each in the car, know exactly how to make the Thunderbird fly.

Dumas simply took off in race one with a lights-to-flag victory, chased a short distance behind by Rob Huff in a Jaguar Mk1, and it was left to those behind to provide most of the close racing—multiple Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in an Austin A90, 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti, and, in an Austin A40, multiple NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, who became a thorn in side of Button, his Le Mans teammate.

Race two looked like it would be one for the Jaguars, with Chris Ward taking an early lead, but he later developed a brake problem and wavd Shepherd past. Whatever the issue was, it didn’t last long: Ward quickly got back on the pace—until his gearbox also gave up the ghost out of the chicane on the final lap, leaving the door open for another Thunderbird victory.

Ward, thankfully, managed to coast across the line in second, with Thomas Butterfield securing the third podium step in another Mk1 Jaguar. Matt Manderson’s Austin A40 and an always sideways Richard Meaden in the Giulietta came home in fourth and fifth.

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Since 2018, when Jake Whitman bought the 1955 Ford Country Squire that had been in my family for decades, he’s not only improved it both cosmetically and mechanically, he’s also used it. Last week, Whitman and the Ford joined three other vintage station wagons in Jackson, Wyoming, and headed east as part of a celebration of the American road trip organized by America’s Automotive Trust, a nonprofit that seeks to preserve and promote our automotive heritage. The entourage pulled into Detroit at the opening of the 2023 North American International Auto Show, where the wagons, replete with road grime, are on display.

Whitman invited me to drive a leg of the trip, so I met the Country Squire as it drove off the Lake Michigan ferry in Muskegon, Michigan. Seeing the car for the first time in five years, I felt some nostalgia, sure—my kids had a lot of fun in it—but the old Ford mostly reminded me of my father.

Back in 2002, my dad died, unexpectedly, just before my first kid was born. Fast forward past a lot of diaper changes and the arrival of our second kid to 2006. My unresolved feelings about my old man drove me to spend a good chunk of that year searching for the Country Squire and then convincing its owner to sell. My dad and I weren’t on good terms in the later stages of his life. He was always distant and remote, maybe depressed, and unable to reciprocate when I tried to connect. The only thing he coveted was that Country Squire, which my great uncle had used as a delivery van for his New Jersey chicken farm. In 1970, he passed it along to my dad, who drove it to the bus station and on weekend adventures. We went fishing with the Ford.

By the mid-Eighties, when I was in high school, the tired wagon was permanently parked in our two-car garage. In hindsight, I can see that the Ford’s retreat coincided with my father’s. I tried to coax him into a joint restoration effort with junkyard parts I’d give him for birthdays and holidays, but he could never summon the energy to get started. The stress of providing for his family had taken the life out of him. The parts were placed in the wagon and never touched. When Dad needed money in 1993, he reluctantly sold the Squire.

In an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, Bruce Springsteen joked that most of rock music is a cry of someone going, “Wahhh, Daddy.” I certainly felt that as my own family grew and then one day, for reasons unknown, I thought of the Squire. When it arrived at my home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the paint and chrome had been redone, but the interior was still original. The sweat stains on the driver’s-door armrest were still there, as was the musty and soothing aroma.

I was on to something by buying the Ford. My next impulse was to drive it to the places my dad had lived and spent time and talk to those who knew him. I had something to work out, something to put behind me, but I didn’t yet know what that was. Maybe I was just scared that what happened to my dad and I would happen to me and my kids, too.

I learned that one day when he was seven, in Rochester, New York, where Dad grew up, he came home to find that his own father had simply split and was never heard from again. That sounds cruel and it was, but my grandfather had it even worse: He came home from school to find his father gone, too—only that dude, my paternal great-grandfather, was in the basement, swinging from a rope. My father had his demons.

Yet the journey was far more positive than negative and provided reminders of day trips taken in the Ford and ice cream spilled on the seats. Lots of fun stories resurfaced only after family and friends saw the green Squire. Following the drive, I compiled the experience into a book that my wife read and then gently asked, “So this is just for you, right?” Looking back, it’s cringeworthy, but the whole experience was cathartic. The Country Squire had done its job. Once I realized my kids had no interest in it, I sold it to free up resources for other things.

That’s where Jake Whitman came into the picture in 2018 and how I found myself meeting up with The Drive Home rally earlier this week (Hemmings ran a diary of the trip you can read here). When I slid behind the wheel of the Country Squire, the smell of the cabin took me back to the hot and sweaty days of the summer I drove to Rochester. I noticed that the pen marks my daughter left above the glovebox were still there.

The Drive Home promotes automotive heritage yet also, America’s Automotive Trust says, looks toward the future. These old cars certainly connect us to the past, but sometimes, as in my case, they can make for a better future, too. I was happy to revisit the Ford, like one might a parent’s house, but happy to say goodbye, too, especially since it was obvious that Whitman is an ideal caretaker. I often say that I do not understand my strong connection to cars. I remain grateful, however, for that unexplainable bond and for the people that come with it.

Speaking of fine folks who share our passion, tomorrow, September 16, I’m going to Milan Dragway to see Redline Rebuild host Davin Reckow run his dragster. Reckow and crew just released a video that documents the return of the restored vintage dirt car to the original owner’s family. The four-year project was initiated when Tom Cotter, the host of our Barn Find Hunter series, found the car during one of explorations. Cotter was naturally in attendance and said, “Cars are a catalyst to bring amazing human interest stories together.”  I could not agree more.

Come join us at Milan. Otherwise, have a great weekend!

P.S.: Your feedback is very welcome. Comment below!

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Facebook Marketplace is a pretty amazing place, isn’t it? It has such a big draw that younger folks who don’t use Facebook might still get a Marketplace ad from a friend: The Meta buy/sell platform has surpassed Craigslist for good reason. Marketplace advertisements are easy to share, especially within the Facebook universe. Here’s one that I got from my fellow earth-toned evangelists at the Brown Car Appreciation Society.

You should join this society if you like brown cars, obviously, and my dad jokes. Just kidding, I rarely make such jokes; I am a serious automotive journalist. (Any member of Hagerty Media that suggests otherwise should be ashamed of themselves.)

And this 1983 Ford F-150 is no punchline. This example of automotive joinery replaced every bit of sheetmetal that left the assembly line with a functional wooden design element. The only exterior bits that aren’t wood are the windows, lights, the factory Ford wheel covers, and the tin roof.

The ad states this used to be is a long-wheelbase Ford truck, and the sheer volume of wood needed to enclose it proves the point. But it is no longer a truck; it is more of a homage to wood-paneled wagons of yesteryear, with a drop tail that looks easy to hop on and go for a ride. The inside looks like a better place to travel: Considering the size of the doors and the rear compartment, it must have a spacious cabin.

The interior joinery doesn’t disappoint. The seller did an admirable job framing the factory gauge cluster, and building the dashboard around it. The 1990s-era Ford digital stereo is a surprise dash (sorry) of modernity, as is the functionality that comes from adding an RV-style side window into the roof. The rear seat suggests this used to be an F-150 Super Cab, and the body appears to taper to match the width of that seat.

Judging by the condition of the interior bits that survived the transformation from truck to woody wagon, I reckon this F-150 happily lived on this property until a tree fell on it. Not wanting to send a perfectly good vehicle to the scrapper, why not combine truck and tree into a reincarnated vehicle?

Of course, that’s just my guess. If you have $5000 and can make the journey to Bivins, TX, you can get the full scoop for yourself. The seller admits they are open to offers and have the title in hand. The vehicle also runs and drives, though its legality might come into question like a certain police interceptor we recently discussed. But this woody is certainly an interesting machine for a large farm or ranch, where private land grants you the freedom to you do whatever you please. On that note, it’s good to remember these words from the seller, “Yes, I built this myself.”

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The Ford F-Series, led by the half-ton F-150, has long been the standard bearer for the brand. Each time it evolves, the truck seems to offer customers more capability and adaptability, keeping the Blue Oval’s offering at its competitive best. For 2024, the F-150 lineup is getting a refresh that builds on the platform launched in 2021 and adds new tech, revised looks, and improved performance where buyers want it the most.

On the powertrain front, Ford is dropping the naturally aspirated V-6 as the base engine for the F-150, making the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 and 10-speed automatic the entry-level powertrain for the half-ton. Ford also plans on giving F-150 buyers even more incentive to hop into a hybrid full-size pickup by increasing production of the PowerBoost model (a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 paired with a 47-hp electric motor integrated into the 10-speed automatic). According to Ford, the PowerBoost has accounted for 10 percent of F-150’s sales, but the company plans on doubling that figure starting in 2024.

“We’re making hybrid more accessible to our customers, giving them the power of choice by offering it at the same price as the 3.5-liter EcoBoost. This is the latest example of Ford democratizing technology for all truck customers,” said Andrew Frick, vice president of sales and trucks at Ford Blue, the company’s internal-combustion arm.

PowerBoost F-150s will offer three levels of the Pro Power Onboard system, each of which enables the truck to operate as an on-site generator. The base Pro Power Onboard offers 2.0kW of power and is available on gas-powered trucks. 2.4kW is standard for the hybrid powertrain, which comes with 7.2kW as an option. The last has been the choice of 3/4 of buyers.

Three-quarters of F-150 buyers use their trucks to tow. To help them do so with even more confidence, Ford offers a host of electronic aids including Pro Trailer Hitch Assist and Pro Trailer Backup Assist that help solo drivers hook up and back up a trailer, respectively. Pro Trailer Hitch Assist uses the corner radar and rear camera to back the truck up, both steering and braking as needed to move the vehicle into position. Onboard Scales and Smart Hitch use ride height to approximate tongue weight and help the driver properly load trailers to minimize sway. Additional tech comes in the way of Ford BlueCruise 1.2, which can access hands-free highway driving and hands-free lane changes with a quick tap of the turn signal. BlueCruise 1.2 will come on F-150s with a 90-day complimentary trial, and after that, it will be subscription-based.

Inside the 2024 F-150, drivers will interact with a 12-inch LCD touchscreen that’s standard across all trim levels and matches the 12-inch digital display behind the steering wheel, also standard across the F-150 lineup. New for 2024, Tow/Haul, Off-Road, and Rock Crawl drive modes will enable the displays to offer two camera views simultaneously.

At the stern, the optional new Pro Access Tailgate gives F-150 drivers an easier reach into the bed by giving them the option of swinging open the midsection of the gate. “Pro Access Tailgate is a game changer for our customers that dramatically improves and reinvents the customer experience, meaning less time crawling in and out of the bed, and a much larger cargo area accessible directly from the back of the truck,” said Alana Strager, F-150 program manager. The tailgate has three detents: 37 degrees, 70 degrees, and 100 degrees. The first detent allows access but will prevent you from contacting a trailer jack while towing.

Raptor and Raptor R are both back for 2024, and feature FOX Dual Live Valve shocks with position-sensitive compression control standard. Ford has programmed these shocks to adapt to changing terrain hundreds of times per second, helping maintain predictable handling.

Like the rest of the F-150 lineup, the Raptor model boasts new looks up front thanks to a new grille. On this off-roadiest of F-150s, Ford went a step further, offering an optional accessory-capable modular front bumper. The bumper is available on Raptors with the optional 37-inch tire package and gives more tire clearance and a place to mount an optional light bar. It also comes with a set of wider tow hooks compared with the standard Raptor bumper.

Tremor, the off-road trim positioned above FX4 but below Raptor, also gets new off-road goodies for 2024, including running boards and its own modular bumper. It can be fitted with a dealer-installed Ford Performance Winch Kit which uses a 12,000-pound Warn winch and an optional brush guard. More optional accessories are in the works.

At the top end of the lineup, Ford is replacing the Limited trim with Platinum Plus as the premier luxury F-150 offering, aiming at the likes of the GMC Denali Ultimate. Platinum Plus includes an exclusive Smoked Truffle interior theme with Bronzed Copper accents. King Ranch returns with a bi-metallic color scheme on the interior and exterior, with Sinister Bronze and chrome, with door and trim details now featuring “a micro-texture reminiscent of a bullwhip” to tie into its cattle-driving motif.

Ford has held back some details for now, although we expect most of the important powertrain specs to carry over from 2023. The company did share that the max payload of 2445 pounds is available on the regular-cab, 4×2 long bed with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, giving the F-150 segment-leading bragging rights by just a hair. (That figure is similar to 2023’s numbers.) Likewise, its max towing rating of 13,500 pounds—this time on SuperCrew 4×4 with the 3.5-liter V-6 engine—just edged out Chevrolet’s 13,300-pound rating, achieved with the 3.0-liter Duramax engine. The 2024 Ford F-150 starts at $35,570 and the build and price website is now live. Expect the trucks to start hitting dealership lots this fall.

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I meant well when I showed up at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday morning for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. I really did. I had multiple talks with my editor, Grace Houghton, about the stories that I would write based on my day at the race track, the first time I’d ever attended this famous vintage racing event in Monterey, California. We had a plan—well thought-out, tactical, and ripe for execution. It was going to be great.

Then I was there, at Laguna Seca, and a 1969 Ferrari 312P came shrieking past. The sound of its 3.0-liter V-12 completely melted my brain.

There is nothing quite like vintage racing. Among the annual gatherings the world over, the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion (“Rolex Reunion,” for short) is in the upper echelon. Every type of race car, from old prewar metal to high-tech machines barely a decade old, storms the 11 turns of Laguna Seca with a ferocity that will make you weak in the knees. It’s one of the few chances to see your motorsports heroes—any and all of them—run flat-out. If you have even an ounce of interest in racing, cars, or history, you absolutely will not be able to peel yourself away from the track.

At the Rolex Reunion, cars are separated into classes based on time period and racing series. Vehicles run throughout the weekend, but Saturday is entirely racing—out laps, rolling starts, and then 10 laps of fury for each group.

I showed up midway through the first group, eager to find my photo vest and to tail Hagerty’s senior editor and camera wizard Brandan Gillogly around like a happy, dumb puppy. The first group we saw run flag to flag was the 1961–71 FIA Manufacturers Championship—basically anything that would have run at Le Mans, Daytona, and a host of other locales around the globe during one of racing’s most innovative periods.

Alongside that V-12-powered Ferrari, there were V-8 machines like the Ford GT40 and Lola T70 as well as all sorts of flat-six-powered Porsche 911s, and even a straight-six-powered BMW 3.0 CSL. The noises—my god, the noises—were as diverse as the cars, each a snapshot into the mindsets of a brand as it sought to build a  name for itself on the track. The experience was magical, a haze of noise and color and scent that left me temporarily without recollection of where, or when, I was.

We were transported to several different time periods before lunch. Following the ’60s racers, open-wheel and single-seat Grand Prix cars from as far back as 1927–1955 took the track. Watching the drivers steer these machines—many of which rode on tires that could pass as mountain-bike rubber—with their whole bodies was mesmerizing. Their pace wasn’t anything to sniff at, either: I watched a fearless pilot drift a 1928 Bugatti Type 37A around the Andretti Hairpin, wringing the blue machine for everything it had.

As the open-wheelers exited the track, I turned to Brandan, mumbling something about walking the pits to see machinery up close and scope out an interview or two. Then a 1987 Protofab Corvette driven by famous Corvette ace Ron Fellows snarled past, its soundtrack all V-6 and spooling turbo. Brandan and I both dropped our cameras from our eyes, mouths and eyes wide open. “What was that?!”

Fellows absolutely pulverized the field, which consisted of cars from IMSA’s GTO and Trans Am class from 1981 to ’91. The other cars in the mix—Motorcraft-liveried Fox-body Mustangs, Pontiac Firebird Trans Ams, a Buick Somerset, even a Merkur XR4Ti—were just as riveting.

I dashed from my perch at turn two to dump a memory card in the media center. As I ran back to my spot, worried I would miss something on-track, I suddenly realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had drunk any water. In the California desert, especially in full August sun, dehydration is not your friend. I chugged a bottle of water, then booked it back to the track.

I found a new vantage point to watch the 1972–81 FIA and IMSA class, which held all manner of machines, from a handful of Porsche 935s to Lola open-canopy prototypes to a Datsun 240Z. Watching the drivers manage the immense speed deltas between types of machinery was intense; thankfully, nobody wadded a car. Somewhere on the track, however, the 1979 Porsche 935 of Bruce Canepa met something with enough force to chew up the front right corner of the car. Of course, Canepa charged on anyway, the damage merely a bit of added war paint. I fist-pumped as he hammered by in the closing laps.

If the previous class was all about differing powertrain philosophies, the Can-Am class that followed was an exercise in the dark art of downforce. These wedge-shaped monsters get grippier with speed. Between their bodywork and the big-block V-8s powering many of the cars, they posted some of the day’s highest corner speeds.

If I’d had any doubts about how sincere the folks running these cars were about their passion for motorsports, seeing Zak Brown—yes, that guy, the Team Principle for McLaren’s Formula 1 team—pound a papaya orange 1970 McLaren M8D through turn four erased the thought entirely. The guy was movin’ around Laguna.

We paused to eat lunch for all of maybe 15 minutes before my FOMO dragged me back trackside. I’d been told not to miss the class that ran just after they sang the National Anthem at 1:30. Whoever gave me that mandate—your name is just one of a thousand things that I forgot that day, my apologies—I owe you a beer. Or fifty.

The Historic Trans-Am class, consisting of cars from 1966 to ’72, is without a doubt the best race of the day. Picture all of the classic American muscle cars we know and love engaged in a 10-lap, bare-knuckle brawl. “You might see more overtakes in these 10 laps than you have in the last 10 sessions combined,” crooned the announcer as a field of 32 (!) cars rumbled past on the out lap.

To watch them, Brandan and I scurried out to the Corkscrew, Laguna’s most famous corner combination (8 and 8A), a drop of 59 feet over 450 feet of track. “Green flag is out, listen to these machines thunder past!” came the call over the loudspeaker.

Parnelli Jones. Dan Gurney. Peter Gregg. Chevrolet Camaro. Ford Mustang. The Gray Ghost. AMC Javelin. Penske. Shelby. If a name looms large in the pantheon of 1960s American motorsports history, it was accounted for in this field. I’d only ever read about these cars before, maybe perused a handful of YouTube videos to watch some of the action. Photos, videos, and words do the machines little justice compared to the sight of the real things backing through the on-camber turn nine, just after the Corkscrew.

You feel the noise in your chest whenever more than two of cars charge past. Imagine trying to mediate a fistfight between a silverback gorilla and a white rhino; that’s probably about what each driver was experiencing as their cars’ roaring V-8s did their best to peel the rubber from the rear wheels. Having to call it quits after just 10 laps was an immense bummer—I would have watched them run for hours.

Then again, I’m not sure. The combination of August sun, completely uncorked excitement, too little water (I might miss a hero car!), and sleep deprivation caught up to me. Dizzy and nauseous, I hailed a ride back to my hotel. Once back, the little food I had eaten that day promptly left the way it came.

A bit wilty, I began to thumb through the thousands of pictures on my camera, suddenly realizing that my carefully laid plans for the day had been vaporized before I could finish the morning’s breakfast burrito. But then again, even my lofty expectations had fallen short of the real thing. I chuckled at my own naivety and began scheming a way to do it all again next year.

Well, maybe not all of it.

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Matt Bange is a “self-made” hot rodder, whose parents made up for their lack of car knowledge by passing down their creativity and pouring on the positive feedback. The combination proved valuable for Bange, who has built four hot rods. He would likely be working on his fifth if his first child weren’t due in a couple of months.

“I was pretty much on my own when it came to cars,” says Bange, 33. “When I was a kid I had fun tinkering with stuff and playing with Legos and K’nex. Then I got tired of drawing hot rods and decided to actually build one. I worked a bunch of jobs as a teenager and used that money to build my first one [a 1929 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan] when I was 20. I taught myself everything—welding, fabricating, woodworking, electrical … and over the years I’ve continued to grow my connections in the hot rod world.”

That first hot rod, which Bange sold when he was 25, gave him the confidence to do more. His second build was a 1928 Model A pickup, then he tackled a 1935 Ford Model 50 pickup before taking on the 1937 Ford Model 78 Slantback Tudor Sedan pictured here. Custom work on the sedan had already been started by a former Ridler Award winner, but the vehicle had been left outside and exposed to the elements for years. When the owner passed away, Bange bought the ’37 in April 2021. He drove 14 hours to pick it up in Minnesota and then trailered it home to Michigan. The roof had been chopped three inches, which gave him a decent head start, but the car was also covered with patina and moss, neither of which scared him off.

Bange installed a small-block 307-cubic-inch V-8 engine and a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission from a 1969 Chevy Chevelle, upgraded with a 9 Super 7 intake manifold for three two-barrel carburetors, polished pulleys, a new water pump, mechanical fuel pump, Offenhauser fuel regulator, translucent red fuel lines, a small cap HEI distributor, and Smoothie Rams Horn exhaust manifolds. The Ford also has a nine-inch rear end, a Ford Mustang II front end, front disc brakes, rear drum brakes, Wheelsmith 16×4-inch wheels with polished baby moon hubcaps, and a staggered set of Coker Firestone vintage bias-ply tires. The car has no odometer or speedometer.

Bange’s creativity doesn’t stop at the body and mechanicals. He turned an aluminum “Bob’s Beer” can (a tribute to his wife’s grandfather) into the coil cover, used an early 1900s brass fire extinguisher container as his radiator overflow bottle, installed a replica 1890s revolver as an air vent handle, glued a Lego Frankenstein inside a hole under the hood, and painted a clown—reminiscent of Pennywise, the main character in the horror movie It—on the rear of the car.

“It’s wild and wicked, kind of like Frankenstein’s monster,” he says of the ’37 Ford. “It definitely snaps necks. A lot of people appreciate that it’s chopped and has a bare steel/patina body. Some will ask, ‘Are you going to paint it?’ And I’ll say, ‘No, it’s done.’ And they’ll say, ‘Thank you! I love it just the way it is.’”

Bange has always thrived on that kind of feedback. “There’s definitely creativity in the family,” he says. “My dad went to college to be an architect, and he likes tweaking things, just not so much on cars—he doesn’t even change his own oil. Mom is creative when it comes to crafts and stuff. And I’m told my grandpa worked on World War II vehicles.

“My parents and grandparents were always giving me positive reinforcement about the things that interested me, telling me I could do whatever I set out to do. My grandpa would take me to the airport to watch the planes, and that led to me becoming a pilot; I was in aviation for years.”

Bange has been into cars longer than he has worked in aviation, and someone out there may soon benefit from his self-made automotive skills. He says the ’37 Ford currently shares garage space with his 1935 Ford pickup truck and a 1929 Chevrolet 1.5-ton pickup that will become his next project—someday, just not someday soon.

“[My wife, Heather, and I] are expecting our firstborn, Wyatt, in late October, and obviously all of our attention is going to go to him,” Bange says. “And I have to make some room in the garage for something that’s good in the winter weather.”

That means something has to go, and that something is his ’37 Ford hot rod. Since Bange serves as Hagerty Marketplace coordinator, what better place to put it up for auction? With 11 days remaining in the auction, bidding has reached $7300. The auction closes on September 11 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, when Bange can officially turn his attention to a new baby. We’re guessing little Wyatt won’t be lacking in creativity.

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Ford has no shortage of nameplates that get enthusiasts going. Mustang and GT40 are the obvious standouts, while the utilitarian Bronco is not far behind. That said, there’s another, more workaday model that’s captured our attention and is lighting up the value charts: Ford’s venerable sixth-generation F-Series.

In 1977, these trucks grabbed the pickup sales mantle for Ford, and the F-Series hasn’t looked back since. (Coming from a GM family, I’m obliged to point out there have been more than a couple years during that period when sales of the GMC and Chevy twins have together beaten those of the cross-town Ford; the Blue Oval only “wins” because GM’s trucks are technically two different models. But I digress.) Taking a conservative approach by using much of the same underpinnings as the previous generation, these “Dentside” Fords—so named for the indentation running the length of the body—were nonetheless a smash hit and rounded out the Ford truck hierarchy as we now know it.

Additional bed options (and a longer wheelbase) for the workhorse F-350 model were available from the generation’s debut in 1973, and the now-ubiquitous F-150 debuted in 1975. Trim levels changed over the course of the seven-year model run but included Custom, Ranger, Ranger XLT, and Ranger Lariat. The Lariat was about as decked-out as you could option a pickup then, with two-tone paint and a plush interior. As you can see from the brochure below, a variety of cabs, bed lengths, and bed styles met a broad swath of consumer needs.

Ford put an array of engines under Dentside hoods over the course of its seven-year production run: 240- and 300-cubic-inch sixes plus 302-, 351-, 360-, 390-, 400-, and 460-cubic-inch V-8s gave buyers plenty to choose from. For those who are shopping for these trucks today, engine differences make for slight variations in valuation, but while a 460 gets you bragging rights, there are worse things than tooling around with a 302 or a bulletproof Ford six-cylinder.

The exterior of these rigs benefited from extensive use of galvanized steel and rust-resistant coatings. Ford updated the Dentside F-Series’ look with mild tweaks to the grille in 1976 and again in 1978—this, along with the constant updating of engine and trim levels, helped keep the platform feeling fresh, even though it dated back to 1965.

Ford’s cover-all-bases approach (covered in great detail in our recent buyer’s guide on the Dentside) was a success then, and the truck is seeing renewed popularity now. That’s not just a generalized, pandemic-era-raised-all-prices statement, either—the sixth-gen F-Series is actually ticking up in value as the market has begun to come back down.

The rise of SUVs and old pickups as collector vehicles is nothing new, and Ford’s original Bronco was among the first to see values jump. As six-figure prices for Bronco or FJ40 Toyota Land Cruisers got people used to the idea that ’60s and ’70s collectibles weren’t limited to muscle and sports cars, values slowly began to rise for that era’s pickups as well.

Fast forward to now. Though the early darlings of the collector truck movement have lost some steam (#2-quality, Excellent condition first-gen Broncos are down 13 percent for the original Bronco in the last year, and FJ40 values are down just under ten percent), a similar condition F-150 4×4 with a 351-cubic inch engine is up 20 percent over the same period. The same F-150 in #3 condition is up nearly four percent.

The Dentside fares well against its contemporaries, too. Equivalent Dodge W- and D150 models (which are near to my heart after helping my cousin restore his—check out that story here) have been flat over the last year, and can be had for ten to twenty grand less depending on condition. Chevy’s K10 half-ton tracks the Ford more closely—it’s up nine percent for #2 and #3 conditions, though it’s still thousands cheaper than the Dentside.

The F-Series benefits from a very healthy set of buyer demographics. Younger buyers represent a full 40 percent of the market, while Gen X and baby boomers retain healthy shares as well. These trucks are nearly universally appreciated, and that pattern suggests they’ll continue to have a positive valuation outlook.

Are there more affordable classic trucks out there? Yes, there are. But if you love the ’73–79 F-Series’s looks and are good with a driver-quality example (you are going to use your classic truck as a truck, right?), you can still find decent examples in the teens. Besides, given how well-liked they appear to be across all ages, you’re likely to get out what you put into it. That’s the value of a good name.

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Whether it is Red Bull’s budget-cap-busting catering or Toyota’s ingenious turbo tweaking, race teams will always look for any room in the regulations to take a competitive advantage. If you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin’, so they say.

Somehow, however, I didn’t think such antics would extend to a race series where there are no points and no prizes. Only pride is at stake, and yet that’s proved enough to drive several teams racing in the UK’s EnduroKA to get creative with their interpretation of the regulations.

It all came to a head during the latest round of competition: a 12-hour marathon at Snetterton in Norfolk. With such a lengthy race duration, every team would need to use more fuel than it had in previous rounds, making pit stops even more precious.

For safety’s sake, EnduroKA requires that the car be stopped in the pit lane, with the engine off and the driver out, when gassing up. Only two team members in full, fireproof suits can be involved in fueling: one holds a fire extinguisher, and the other dumps gas into the tank. The type of fuel jug is specified, as well: It must be fitted with a “ripper valve” to prevent spillage.

My team’s experience so far has been that refueling takes time—up to a minute or more to dump a full 20-liter (5.2-gallon) jug into the tank. Yet some teams were filling their tanks in a fraction of the time by adding additional venting or homemade nozzles to their jugs.

“Fuel-Gate” led to a wave of protests from teams who hadn’t made such modifications and had thus lost valuable track position with each pit stop.

The rest of the rules, which are tightly policed by organizers, relate to car setup and control parts from wheels and tires to suspension. Modifying the fuel jug was a loophole that AFK Racing and about half the grid hadn’t even considered. More fool (fuel?) us.

For the next round of competition, the organizers are tightening up the regs. Hopefully, the changes mean that we can return to fighting closer to the sharp end of the field and not be stuck losing out in the pits.

As it was, the grueling dozen hours saw us finish 11th out of the 29 starters. We were a tad disappointed. Four races into the season, we had felt well-prepared. The car had been serviced, we had replaced a wobbly engine and gearbox mount, and had even gone as far as turning up with a motorhome, thanks to the kind folks at Ford who provided a comedically-named Transit Custom Nugget. It served as my motel for the weekend, a mid-race driver’s lounge, and catering truck: A blessing, especially during the wild storm that flooded our pit garage.

A sodden qualifying session resulted in spins from me and teammates Natalie Knowles and Tim Parsons. Nick Creed was the only one of us to record a half-decent time, which put us 21st on the grid.

Race day brought sunshine and showers. As per our usual strategy, we divided track time equally. Our first 90-minute stints passed without incident, and we steadily worked our way up the field. All was going to plan until, during one pit stop, we accidentally under-fueled the car. (We blame the tricky fuel jugs.) That cut the next driver’s stint short, meaning I then had the best part of two hours behind the wheel—my longest yet.

The track layout at Snetterton 200 isn’t complex, but there are a couple of key points to nail for a decent lap time, specifically a fast left at the end of the back straight that leads into a right-hander, requiring braking while turning. There’s also a tight left that follows a flat right, which leads to the start-finish straight.

The little KA excelled again, lifting a rear wheel in the fastest bends and allowing itself to be steered as much on the throttle as with the wheel. It is not fast, but it really is a hoot.

When I pitted from eighth position, we needed a time-sapping fuel-stop before Tim could rejoin the track. We dropped to 13th place. In the final hour or so I took to the team radio, cheerleading and encouraging him to close the gap on the cars ahead.

It was clear that Tim was enjoying himself immensely, and the more fun he had, the faster he went. With minutes to go, he was in 12th. On the final lap, he made up another position just before the checkered flag, despite a minor coming-together with another car.

With the playing field leveled for the next round, we’re certainly revved up for a five-hour “sprint” session at Oulton Park in Cheshire. We won’t miss you, Fuel-Gate.

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Few American cars have influenced history like the Model T Ford. This is the car that in its day was much more than a car: it put the U.S. on wheels and at one point had 61 percent of the overall automotive market. Times change though, and while more than 15 million Model Ts permanently altered how Americans went about their travel, the Model T faces a new challenge 115 years after its introduction: maintaining its relevance in the collector car world.

The Model T was born after a string of what is now known as the “alphabet cars.” Henry Ford and his team were innovating quickly, so naming convention may well not have been at the top of the list as they tested and evolved the automobile in search of the recipe that would change the world. Henry Ford was personally involved in the iterative process, and it was only after he put a Model T to the test on a hunting trip to Wisconsin and northern Michigan that it got his seal of approval.

With the T, they finally had the right product, and deliveries began in October of 1908. To the consumer, who up to that point had been cautiously getting a taste of the automobile, the Model T was the perfect porridge: affordable, simple, and comparatively reliable.

The Model T’s overwhelming success enabled its longevity, even in the face of competition that was swiftly catching up. It’s long been recounted that Henry Ford put up a stiff fight to the idea that Ford Motor Company should leave the Model T behind and advance to a new car, resulting in a long 1908–1927 production run. 1920s auto market dynamics aside, the result for the collector is a still-healthy array of Model Ts in a variety of configurations.

The T chassis accommodated multiple body styles, ranging from multi-row open touring cars to enclosed two-seat coupes, and even pickup trucks. Each has its use-based differences—the trucks are sprung for heavy loads while the cab used for the touring models prioritizes seating area. Any model is perfect for parades or tours on secondary roads, but the touring does offer the most versatility and usable space. Over six million touring-bodied Model Ts were produced—more than any other body style—but its popularity today matches its popularity from the roaring ’20s, and as a result the open touring still commands a premium.

Considering the length of its production run and the body styles available, the relative few changes made over the Model T’s life can feel surprising. The notion that all Model T’s were painted black, stemming from the famous Henry Ford quote was true, at least from 1914–25. It was in fact an effort to simplify the production process. However, Model Ts made before or after that window had color options including green, red, gray, and blue. Another change during Model T production was the addition of an electric starter. A “standard” T required the driver or passenger to stand in front of the car and use a crank start to turn the crankshaft manually till the engine started. According to varying sources, the electric starter became an option for open cars and standard in closed-cab Model Ts in 1919.

That electric start makes the car sound more modern, but the experience of driving what many call a Tin Lizzie is radically different than any vehicle produced after the invasion of Normandy. There are three pedals, but they don’t operate in the way you’re accustomed to. In order from left to right you have the high/low clutch, reverse pedal, and then the brake pedal. Two stalks placed on either side of the steering wheel control the ignition timing and throttle. The high/low pedal is set up to allow the driver to “float neutral” by holding the pedal in the center of its range. From there pressing down engages first gear in the planetary transmission, and releasing it completely engages high gear. It’s not that much different from some garden tractors today, except a Model T will putter down the road at 35 mph.

Driving a T feels overwhelming at first, with an abundance of controls that seem to require attention. In reality, it’s relatively straightforward—the timing lever is more or less set-and-forget once started, and your left foot controls forward motion while your right tends to the brakes and reverse. Most drivers familiar with driving a manual transmission can pick up the process and become competent in a short time. Henry Ford’s original design brief of being simple to operate still holds true even in an era where drivers have been increasingly disconnected from the car.

The steering is a quick ratio and the chassis is designed to flex, so the amount of body roll can be disconcerting at first. Once you’re used to that and offer the T smooth inputs, you’re rewarded with a capable, old-time treat as a mellow chuff, chuff, chuff comes from the single small exhaust under the car.

Thanks to the sheer volume of Model Ts out there, prices have long been relatively flat, though recent history has disrupted that. The momentary uptick in values during the pandemic has receded, and while #1 (Concours) and #2 (Excellent) condition cars appear to have found their footing slightly below their prior plateau, #3 (Good) and #4 (Fair) condition Model Ts currently sit slightly above 2020 values. The Model T is one of those collector vehicles with enough examples out there at any given time that if the prices start to trend up there will always be sellers primed to take advantage and thus drive the price back down.

As might be expected for a car of this vintage, boomers and pre-boomers are just under 60 percent of active buyers of the Ford Model T, as measured by Hagerty’s insurance quotes. Gen-X holds a 28 percent share, but perhaps most compelling is the growing level of interest from millennials and Gen-Z. In 2020, the two youngest cohorts of collectors made up 9.27 percent of quotes sought for Model Ts. Today, that number stands at 13.25 percent. While not dramatic, any indication that younger generations are gravitating toward the Tin Lizzie bodes well, not just for values, but for continuing to see these cars on the road.

A Model T rarely makes sense as one’s only vintage vehicle, but when added to a collection it can become a novelty that is fun, dependable, easy to repair, and has benefit of a community with tons of knowledge and support to keep it running and on the road. The Model T is the perfect car on which to tinker and learn, and to take out on special occasions. Though it’s not as functional as a more modern classic, to think of it that way misses the appeal of its altogether different driving experience.

Events for cars like the Model T are another part of the ownership draw. Whether it’s more traditional like the Old Car Festival at the Henry Ford Museum, or a mustachioed revival of old-timey racing put on at The Race of Gentlemen, there are plenty of get-togethers enticing younger buyers to search for aging iron.

Baby boomer and pre-boomer generations still hold nearly 75 percent of all Model Ts, but with younger generations moving in, the Model T’s place—not just in history, but on the road, where it belongs—remains safe for the foreseeable future.

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Ed Krenz, former chief engineer of the Ford Mustang and current chief engineer of the Ford Bronco, isn’t ready to put the internal combustion engine out to pasture. Meeting with journalists last night at a gathering on Detroit’s Woodward Avenue, Krenz responded to questions about the future of Ford enthusiast vehicles. “Nothing against EVs, but we want to keep making propulsion systems people want for as long as they’ll buy them and as long as they want them.”

The current-generation Ford Mustang, for context, is the product of Krenz’s prior posting. He celebrated the fact that while others have “abandoned the sports car segment,” the new S650-generation has a V-8 and a stick. With the Camaro’s future uncertain and the Challenger’s muscle car destiny increasing appearing to involve batteries, the Mustang is the last pony car in town for the time being.

In terms of the Bronco, which packs a turbo four-cylinder or one of two boosted V-6s, people definitely want it. The off-roader finished 2022 with more than 117,000 total sales, and at the end of July 2022 had 65,463 sales under its belt. A year later, at the close of July 2023, numbers are up to 71,335.

With every passing month, Krenz says, the Bronco team learns more and more what its customers want. That has led to changes in the lineup and available configurations for 2024, including discontinuation of the two-door Outer Banks model (at least for now). Improvements to noise insulation and frameless door design are also in the pipeline.

And when it comes to the rip-roaring, 418-hp Bronco Raptor, buyers want it all. “We have not found the upper limit of transaction price there,” Krenz said. “Those customers are the every-box-checkers.” With a starting price of just under $88,000 including destination, it’s a safe bet that Bronco Raptors are selling well above six figures. And Ford is building them as fast as it can to keep up with demand, according to Krenz.

Ford recently split its retail operations into two business units, Blue and Model e, with the former focusing on internal combustion engines and the latter on EVs. Kumar Galhotra, head of Ford Blue, said back in May that it expects “trucks, off-road, and performance segments [to] have a long runway,” with respect to profitability in the coming years. Blue expects profit margins on ICE vehicles to improve from 7.2 percent to 10 percent or more by 2026.

After that time, as EVs increase market share, Blue expects volume and margins to reverse course. Galhotra nonetheless forecasted “strong U.S. ICE and hybrid sales well into the next decade.”

One method to drive healthy profits for enthusiast vehicles? Derivatives. Thus the smorgasbord of Bronco high-margin/low-cost-to-build offerings from the base model to the Sasquatch package and the Raptor, as well as the Mustang’s range from the EcoBoost to the GT, Dark Horse, and now the $300,000+ GTD supercar. May it last.

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Ford debuted an all new-Mustang tonight at the Pebble Beach Concours in California, one unlike any before it.