Sleep With One Eye Open – 1979 Lotus Eclat

August 13, 2014

Lotuses are a rare feature here – their reputation is for being needy, their exotic status makes them rare, and some of the more affordable models suffer from questionable aesthetics. In fact, the most likely way you’ll find a Lotus here is under the hood of a Jensen Healey, in the form of the 907 engine. However, for today we’ve got a full-on Lotus for you, in the form of a four-place GT with wedgy, fastback styling that epitomizes some of the design and aerodynamic trends of the time. Check out this 1979 Lotus Eclat for sale for $3500 somewhere in southern Washington near Portland, OR.

1979 Lotus Eclat right front

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Topless and Hatchless – 1982 VW Rabbit Convertible

August 5, 2014

One of the more underrated convertibles of the last 30-40 years, and in fact one of few convertibles available in the early 1980s, is finally escaping its made-for-cheerleaders stigma. The earlier cars, without all the heavy modernizing embellishments of the late 1980s and early 1990s, are actually pretty smart looking and are great for being able to hold 3 other friends (instead of the usual 1 in a roadster). Fitted with a later GTI powertrain, these could actually be fairly sporting and give an E30 3-series convertible a good run for its money. But perhaps that’s part of the problem right there – a 1988 BMW 325i convertible in decent condition is maybe double the price of a Rabbit convertible, but in fully-depreciated used car terms, that’s a couple grand for vastly more prestige, six-cylinder power, and whatever’s left of the famous BMW handling. Nonetheless, check out this 1982 VW Rabbit Convertible for sale for $1500 in Tucson, AZ.

1982 VW Rabbit Convertible left front

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Noble Birth – 1972 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire

July 31, 2014

What’s old is new again, and just as 1980s bright neon colors and skinny jeans are trendy, station wagons are regaining popularity from minivans. They’re dropping their stodgy image and re-emerging as family vehicles that, unlike minivans and SUVs, actually handle with most of the agility of their sedan and coupe siblings. If you want to revisit the first time station wagons were cool (actually, by 1972 they weren’t really cool anymore), you’ll have to pony up some decent dollars since the collector car crowd has taken notice of woodies and other period utilitarian vehicles. Check out this 1972 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire for sale for $3950 in Sacramento, CA.

1972 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Country Squire right front

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