40 This Year – 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce

May 22, 2014

Generally speaking, 1974 was the final year for chrome bumpers on US-market cars, so at this point, we’re at the 40th anniversary of FMVSS 215 and its diving-board-bumper impact on automotive styling. Some manufacturers (BMW and Mercedes, for example) were proactive and had their 1974 model year cars already restyled, but smaller volume manufacturers like Alfa Romeo, Fiat and most British makes were given some leeway. The Alfa Spider was one of those cars, and while you can see the 1974 bumpers protrude more and have little nipples on the strike face, they’re still much cleaner than the updated 1975 battering rams. Check out this 1974 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce, for sale for $2700 in Austin, TX.

1974 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce left front

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Single Family Owned – 1974 Ford Courier

May 22, 2014

As compact pickups have disappeared from the new truck marketplace, and existing ones have disappeared via attrition, it’s interesting to see how many with good provenance (yes, that’s a silly term at this end of the scale) are showing up for sale. Often, these survivors have low miles, single family ownership, or long-term storage in their histories, so while you may need to put some effort in, you’ll get to experience what the buyer of a 5-10 year old compact truck did. Check out this 1974 Ford Courier, for sale for $3000 in Daly City, CA.

1974 Ford Courier left rear

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Original Owner – 1987 Honda Prelude Si

May 20, 2014

The Honda Prelude started out as a coupe derivative of the Accord, as part of the launch of the Honda Verno distribution channel in Japan. The first-generation Prelude was nicknamed the Quaalude, and Honda must have taken this to heart, as the redesigned 1983 Prelude traded funky, blocky styling for sleek looks with flip-up headlights and the trademark low hood and cowl. An overhead cam engine with 3 valves per cylinder was also advanced for the mid-1980s, as were the graphic equalizer stereo and orange typeface on all gauges and switches. Check out this 1987 Honda Prelude Si for sale for $3000 in Berkeley, CA.

1987 Honda Prelude Si left front

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