Ghibli’s Cousin – 1981 VW Scirocco S

March 18, 2014

Car Trivia Quiz: What do the Maserati Ghibli and VW Scirocco have in common (Hint: it doesn’t matter if it’s a first- or current-generation car)? The Scirocco was a great example of sporty-car-on-budget-platform, using the Mark 1 Golf/Rabbit for its mechanical bits. Interestingly, the Scirocco was launched before the high-volume Golf to do final debugging on the platform. Featuring a 5-speed transmission and a 1.6-liter engine putting out 70hp, the car was no tire burner, but the performance lay more in its light weight and handling. You can find 1981 VW
Scirocco S for sale with bidding at $3550, reserve not met, and 5 days left to go, in Hayward, CA.

1981 VW Scirocco S right front

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Old Yeller – 1980 Rover SD1 3500

March 17, 2014

Rover will be forever forgotten in US car history, but for a few nutcases who cling on to one of the thousand SD1s built for the US market, or any of the earlier cars. However, they really do deserve to be remembered for what is arguably one of the most successful designs for a 4-door fastback sedan. Inspired by the Ferrari 365 Daytona and a Pininfarina BMC study, it had a swooping roofline before that trend was “started” by Audi and others in the late 1990s. And somehow, among other fastback contemporaries like the Lancia Beta sedan, the Saab 99/900 5-doors, and the Chevrolet Citation, it managed to be long, low and elegant where the others were rather gawky. You can find this 1980 Rover SD1 3500 for sale for a mere $850 in Mendocino County, north of San Francisco, CA.

1980 Rover 3500 SD1 right rear

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Hark! 1962 Triumph Herald

March 17, 2014

Through the years, various companies have turned to Italian stylists when they were looking to broaden their appeal or increase their sales volume. Nearly every nationality that manufactures cars has done it – Japanese, Korean, German, French, British, Swedish. Oh, and the Italians themselves, because nobody goes to the land of the 5-series GT and says “design me something beautiful”. While they were hardly the first to do it, Triumph started a long-lived and fruitful relationship with Giovanni Michelotti by awarding him the contract to design their inexpensive family sedan, the Herald. Most were used up and thrown away, but you can find this 1962 Triumph Herald saloon for sale for $3800 in the Brentwood/Oakley area, CA.

1962 Triumph Herald right rear 2

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