Posts Tagged ‘american’

Deuce and a Quarter – 1962 Buick Electra 225

February 9, 2016

Buick’s full size sedan from 1959 to 1990, the Electra opens up doors to some interesting naming practices in the company’s history. Electra was named for one-time president Harlow Curtice’s sister, 225 referred to the car’s length in inches, and the Wildcat 445 designation referred to the mammoth amount of gross-measure torque put out by the 401ci Nailhead V8. 1962 seems to have been the final year for Buick’s version of the GM bubble-top sedan with its trademark dog-leg A-pillar, and as such, some outrageous details like the gigantic tail fins and elaborate use of chrome were toned down, though far from finished. Let’s check out this 1962 Buick Electra 225 for sale for $3900 in Portland, OR.

1962 Buick Electra 225 left front

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Pre-Merkur – 1973 Mercury Capri

February 3, 2016

Among affordable sports coupes of the 1970s available in North America, there can’t be many remaining with a better aftermarket than the Capri. Yes, you might have to brush up on your British English or German, but once you’ve got that down, you’ll be reaching two countries with big fan bases for these cars. And indeed, the Capri had (and still has) a cult fan base in North America. Check out this 1973 Mercury Capri for sale for $3500 in Sandy, OR.

1973 Mercury Capri 2 left front

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From Aliens – 1989 Ford Probe GT

January 29, 2016

So if you had a sports coupe with reasonably attractive, contemporary styling and a fun turbocharged drivetrain, you’d definitely want to name it after something unpleasant aliens to do people they’ve abducted, right? Meant to be a replacement for the successful Capri in Europe, as well as the less-successful EXP in North America, and possibly the Mustang, it’s maybe better seen as a replacement for (or contemporary of) the Merkur XR4Ti featured yesterday. Of course, the Probe, built on Mazda’s GD platform and shared with the MX-6 and 626, is a lower-powered, front-wheel-drive car without some of the European charm, but thanks to attrition it’s become a pretty unusual sight on the roads itself. Check out this 1989 Ford Probe GT for sale for $2000 in Puyallup, WA.

1989 Ford Probe GT left side

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