American Mid-Engine – 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT

September 27, 2013

Out of the fuel crisis and corresponding high prices of the 1970s and early 1980s came some pretty interesting cars, many intended as second cars for one or two people to commute to work. Of course, this begged the question of why this prospective car should even have 4 seats, and so a crop of two seat sporting commuter cars was born. Among those were the Toyota MR2, Honda CRX, Ford EXP (remember those?), and the Pontiac Fiero. While the Fiero delivered on compact size and mimicked the layout of such cars as the Fiat X1/9, Lancia Stratos and Ferrari 308, it also developed a reputation for engine fires and poor handling. However, this was resolved by 1988, and you can find this 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT for $3150 in New Haven, CT.

1988 Pontiac Fiero right rear

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Leisure Suit On Wheels – 1974 Plymouth Gold Duster

September 27, 2013

As much as there are cars that are clearly of the 1980s, so there are cars that were unmistakably built in the 1970s. Such is especially the case for the number 3 and 4 American automakers, Chrysler and AMC. They used paisley patterns, stripes, and other elements in new and garish ways that were no doubt considered stylish and avant-garde at the time, but now just seem dated and kitschy. While searching for a fuselage-bodied Chrysler vehicle, we stumbled upon a car with a fantastic original 1970s interior that you might call the automotive equivalent of a leisure suit, or perhaps it recalls those multi-colored garden chairs made up of vinyl strips on a metal frame. You can find this 1974 Plymouth Gold Duster with bidding at $3200 and 3 days left to go in Mount Vernon, WA, just an hour north of Seattle.

1974 Plymouth Gold Duster interior

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Half-Car Fever – 1983 Plymouth Scamp

September 26, 2013

In the early 1980s, half-cars were a popular way for manufacturers to offer the flexibility of a pickup truck with the fuel economy of a compact car. For competition, there were the VW Rabbit Sportruck and the Subaru Brat, as well as the slightly larger Chevrolet El Camino and Ford Durango. Like the Sportruck, the Rampage/Scamp twins were based on their hatchback sibling, the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon. Although the half-car concept was a certain success in the gas crisis years of the 1970s and early 1980s, Chrysler was only able to sell about 30,000 Rampages from 1982-84. The Scamp was only sold in 1983, and of all Scamps, the GT is the rarest – of about 3600 built, only 1300 were the GT version. To see one example of this future Barrett Jackson success story, check out this 1983 Plymouth Scamp GT, with bidding currently at $2550 and 8 hours left to go in Louisville, KY. Buy it now and you’ll have Hawaiian-shirted, trophy-wife-toting Gen-Xers lined up around the block to buy yours in 2040!

1983 Plymouth Scamp right front

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