I always enjoy spotting cars that I don’t often see or that have fallen off the face of the Earth due to attrition. If you’re from the Rust Belt as I am, perhaps you don’t encounter 1980s Toyota pickups as often as a SoCal resident does. While the pickups have enthusiasts lining up to buy them, other vehicles appear to be collectible merely for having survived several decades.
Two of these AutoHunter Picks fit in the latter category. Another is a car that has all the ingredients of a desirable car but tends to be overshadowed by others. And this article commences with a 1950s cruiser that is the antithesis of them all. Enjoy!
1956 Lincoln Premiere Convertible
In a decade that had Cadillac as the overlord of style, Lincoln quietly snuck up and gave us one of the neatest cars of the decade, one that looked more futuristic than most cars on the road.
To me, the view from the rear is what makes me melt (do I sound like a 1980s female teen all of a sudden?), though it’s the front that invokes concept car styling. Plus, it’s a huge contrast to the grotesqueness that Lincoln would find itself in several years later.
1974 Oldsmobile 4-4-2
It’s interesting how popular the Cutlass was in the middle of the decade, but the trappings of the Malaise Era have limited its place in the collector world. This is also true of those with the 4-4-2 package, but this one is equipped with a 455, which is unusual (if not rare).
Combine the stroker V8 with the swivel bucket seats and Oldsmobile’s nifty four-spoke steering wheel and you’ve got the makings of a 1970s driver’s car done the American way.
1969 Pontiac Grand Prix Model J
I don’t see these on AutoHunter as much as I’d like. Certainly Pontiac built a ton of them, and most owners were mature enough to treat them well, but they also often fell into the hands of young Pontiac fans who beat on them because they’re somewhat like a fancy GTO.
This Grand Prix has the same engine as you’d find in a base GTO, plus it has power windows and that dashboard and console that wraps around you. Add the attractive color combo and I see this finding a new owner shortly.
1973 Ford Galaxie 500 Two-Door Hardtop
Considering Ford seemingly applied the LTD name to just about everything, it is easy to forget that the Galaxie 500 continued well into the 1970s. Ford sold a lot of these two-door hardtops in 1973, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one as nice as this 23,768-mile example.
Power comes from a 351 Windsor with a two-barrel, which is MOR for that era. If you want something unusual that may still have remnants of a new-car scent, I imagine this would be the bee’s knees for you.
