The first Honda Civics showed up in the United States as 1973 models, and that first generation of Soichiro Honda’s revolutionary subcompact continued to be sold here through 1979. Sales were strong, as no other small car seemed able to match the Civic’s combination of low price, excellent fuel economy, reliability and driving enjoyment, but […]
Junkyard Gem: 1977 Ford Pinto Wagon
1977 is tied with 1964 as the model year in which car shoppers in the United States could choose from the greatest number (47!) of distinct models of station wagon. Ford rightfully called itself the Wagonmaster during the 1970s, with new longroofs boasting Ford badges available in three distinct sizes for 1977 (plus three more […]
Junkyard Gem: 1976 MG Midget
During the middle 1970s, British Leyland offered car shoppers in North America four different two-seat convertible sports cars: the Triumph TR6, the Triumph Spitfire, the MGB and the MG Midget (the convertible version of the Triumph TR7 didn’t go on sale here until the 1979 model year). Of those four, the cheapest was always the […]
Junkyard Gem: 1979 Mercedes-Benz 280E
The most legendary of all the Mercedes-Benz E-Class ancestors—and perhaps of all Mercedes-Benzes, period—is the W123, which was sold in the United States from the 1977 through 1985 model years. The W123 was rugged yet comfortable, and the majority sold here had diesel power. Today’s Junkyard Gem is a harder-to-find gasoline-burner, found in a Colorado […]
Junkyard Gem: 1979 Toyota Longbed Truck
Toyota began selling pickups in North America in 1964, when the Stout 1900 appeared on our streets. The Stout never really caught on here, despite its cool name, but a more civilized small Toyota pickup proved to be an enduring sales success on our side of the Pacific: the Hilux. Today’s Junkyard Gem is a […]
Junkyard Gem: 1979 Lincoln Versailles
Sometimes a car manufacturer creates a chassis design that continues to make money for decade after decade, and that’s just the jackpot that the Ford Motor Company hit when it built the 1960 Ford Falcon. While that car itself stayed in production in Argentina all the way through 1991, the real payoff for Dearborn came with […]