Late Spring Spotting '23

We've found a lot of cars this Spring, so in order to lessen the length of each page, we figured it would be best if we divided up the finds, so you can have an easier time reading. 

Above: (6/2/23) - 1976 Dodge Aspen (David)

Let's take a break from the '80s classics to talk about the darkest days of Chrysler. The Malaise era was already a dismal period for American cars. Large, outdated designs, coupled with inefficient and underpowered engines made for the downfall of what was once a booming industry in the 1960s. Ford and Chevy tried to adjust to the current times by releasing compact cars to compete with the popular import vehicles dominating the market. Ford released the Pinto and the Mercury Capri, and Chevy released the Vega and the Chevette. While these early compacts may have been flawed (some more than others), there was clear effort being made, as the realization that the days of big carefree luxury were over. 

Chrysler, on the other hand, was oblivious to the writing on the wall. In 1976, Chrysler planned to update the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant. While these were compact cars, they still touted the inefficient V8 engines, as well as the infamous slant six "Leaning Tower of Power." Instead of taking the route Chevy and Ford did with the Pinto and the Chevette, Chrysler decided to rebadge the Dart and Valiant as the Aspen and Volare, respectively, and call it a day. 

This decision proved to be nearly fatal for the company, as the rushed production of the Apsen and Volare caused the cars to become some of most recalled vehicles in history. Chrysler had already been struggling financially, as their best selling cars were only the Dart and Valiant, cars that were very much outdated by the arrival of 1976. This poor decision and quality control recalls resulted in Chrysler nearly declaring bankruptcy, and ultimately to the denial of a government bailout. It wouldn't be until Lee Iacocca's introduction of the revolutionary K-Car, where Chrysler would turn around and repair the wounds from the 1970s. To read about the history and impact of the K-Car, read the entry found in Mid Winter Finds '23, under "Dodge Aries K."

Above: (6/2/23) - A Closer Look at the Aspen (David)

Despite being one of the worst cars of all time, I find it really cool that somebody saved this car and continues to drive it. The Aspen and the Volare have come back around to slight appreciation, like the Mustang II. Because these cars had such a poor reputation during and after their production run, they became forgotten about, and some junk met their fate in the junkyard due to recalls. Because of this, hardly ever do you see a Dodge Aspen or Plymouth Volare. But, for that exact reason, seeing these around makes them a cool sight. This begs the question of what horrible cars of our time will be remembered like the Aspen and Mustang II? 

Above: (6/2/23) - Two Birds: 1971 Firebird and 1974 Firebird (Sam)

This was a rare find!  How often do you see one Malaise-era bird, let alone two?  You can see the gradual progression (degradation?) of the Firebird through the 70s.  The '71 in front looks sturdy, well-apportioned, and sleek in comparison to the '74 behind it, which has to make up for its emissions-regulated lack of horsepower and huge 5MPH crash bumpers with "sporty" fiberglass additions like splash shields and mud guards.  I guess I'm ragging on the design a bit much, but in my mind, it's impossible to break the car's connection with the floundering American automotive industry of the 1970s.  The time has gone by, but the bad taste still lingers in many people's mouths.  Would I mind driving it?  I would take the '71 over the '74 if I had the choice, but I certainly wouldn't be complaining if I was forced to take the '74.  I'd probably tune the engine back to pre-smog-era standards, since it's now emissions exempt, and just enjoy the car for what it is and the historical significance it holds.  

Above: (6/2/23) - 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback (Sam)

This was the last of what some people consider the "true" Mustangs before the complete redesign in '71.  I spotted this stunning example while it was exiting I-95 for an unknown destination.  As a result, I didn't get the best photo of it, but my attention was locked onto the speeding red car from the moment it appeared in the corner of my eye till the time it rounded the corner and left my view.  

Above: (6/3/23) - 1992 Volvo 240 Estate 5MT (David)

Wouldn't you know, another Volvo! Just when you thought you'd be getting a break from the 240, you were wrong. Despite the New York plates, this 240 was spotted in Newport on Broadway Street, which is home to many shops and restaurants, and is a fun street to walk down in general. There are many sights to see, and occasionally a classic like this one will be street parked. 

Before you skip this entry for the next one, there's something you ought to know about this Volvo! This one is a pretty unique car, being a wagon with a manual transmission! That alone is a pretty rare spec, and a very desirable one as well among Volvo enthusiasts. It's pretty common to see a 240 wagon with a manual swap, which makes the original 240 wagons even more rare. That could be the case with this car, unless it too recieved manual swap from another car. This 240 seems pretty original to me, so I assume that it is a true factory spec car, but I could always be wrong. And before you ask, I'm not swapping my transmission for a manual!

Above: (6/6/23) - 1990 Volvo 740 GL Estate (David)

It's impossible to talk about the 240 without mentioning the 740. Why is that you ask? Well, the 740 was meant to be the successor to the 240, but the 240 outlived it! How did that happen though? Well, to put it simply, the 240 was so popular, it was outselling the 740, so Volvo figured it would make more sense to work on the successor for the 740, the 940. However, there's more to the 740's story than being outlived by its predecessor, so let's have a look at this Volvo. 

Before the 700 series, there was the Volvo 260 series, a more luxurious version of the 240 and the most luxurious Volvo at the time. The most popular ex ample of a 260 is the 262 Bertone Coupe. However,  Volvo wanted a different, newer vehicle for their top of the line model, as the 240 was a design from the late '60s and early '70s that was still in use. So what did Volvo have in mind for their new luxury vehicle? They did what they did best and made another boxy car! Similar to the 240 in overall shape, the new 700 series appeared as a widened, slightly shorter 240, with a longer wheelbase, all together with that same classic boxy appearance. 

The 760 was first introduced as a replacement for the 260 in 1982, as the top of the line model. In 1984, the 740, a more affordable version of the 760 was introduced. Volvo positioned the 740 in between the 240 and 760 and aimed it at the intermediate market. In 1986, a two door version, the 780, was introduced, but stuck around until 1990. It was the most expensive version, and not many units sold, making them a somewhat collectible car for Volvo enthusiasts. In 1990, the 760 ceased production, as the new 940 entered production as the replacement for Volvo's new top of the line model. The standard 740 would stay until 1992, just one year shy of the final year of the 240's final year of production. 

Unfortunately, Volvo tried really hard to market the 700 series as a modern vehicle, but the 240 was just too popular of a car. The 700 series did provide Volvo with plenty of success, most notably, saving them from bankruptcy in the 1980s, which would've completely taken them off the map. However, one could imagine that the overall success of the 240 played a pivotal role in that aspect as well. 

Above: (6/6/23) - Volvo Vignette (David)

Seeing a 740 these days is slightly more uncommon than seeing a 240. As it was made known, the 740 lived in the shadow of the 240, despite being the intended successor, which didn't pan out the way Volvo imagined it would. However, that doesn't mean the 740 didn't sell. Volvo did sell close to 2 million units of the 700 series world wide. 

Above: (6/7/23) - 1986 Peugeot 505 Turbo (David)

One morning, I was heading towards the Cumberland, RI Pick-n-pull to check out a 1992 240 they had sitting in their back lot. The glovebox on my 240 was on its way out, as the door wood not stay shut. I found it more convenient to drive around with no glovebox, as the broken glove box would randomly drop open at any given moment. Anyways, this entry is about a Peugeot, and not the glovebox on an old Volvo. 

This is a Peugeot 505 Turbo, a French car, and one largely overshadowed in the US by its German and Swedish contemporaries. In European and other countries, the Peugeot found much success, and was known for being a good alternative to the BMW 5-Series, Audi 5000, and Volvo 240 sedans of the same price bracket. It saw great success in lesser developed countries, as its performance and handling on unpaved roads was noteworthy. Speaking of performance, the 505 Turbo, like this one, was able to produce 178 HP! While not a huge number, for its time, the 505 was making enough power to keep up with the Saab 900, BMW E30, and other sporty sedans of its time. 

The 505 was one of the last Peugeots to be sold in the US, with sales ending around 1990. As stated earlier, these cars never saw too much success, even with the power ratings of the turbocharged model. This is most likely because their name wasn't as prominent as BMW or Mercedes, and Saab was already dominating the turbocharged car market with the 900 turbo in the 1980s anyways. This is what makes seeing one all the more unique, as they were the European underdog in the US. 

Above: (6/7/23) - Peugeot in Perspective (David)

Before seeing this car, I don't believe I had ever seen a Peugeot in my life. I mean that! It's not a case of "I saw one when I was younger and didn't remember it," I actually have never seen one of these in real life before this very moment on July the seventh, 2023. I suppose to some this would an unimpressive milestone, but for someone who loves all kinds of cars, this was huge!

Above: (6/7/23) - 1965 MGB Roadster (David)

What a minty MGB! Seriously, I don't know if I've ever seen one this clean before, other than at a car show. I'm pleased to see such a classic icon of British car culture being preserved in such a state. 

I'd be stating the obvious, but I keep forgetting how low and tiny these cars appear in person.  I'm any of you reading this who have seen or own an MGB (or any car like it) can testify to this statement. I know we often say that 1950s car styling is something we'll never see again, but cars of this size are a thing of the past as well. It just makes seeing these classic sports cars all the more enjoyable. 

Above: (6/7/23) - The MGB: Front and Rear (David)

Accurately identifying the correct model year for MGBs can be a bit difficult, as the only noticeable difference came in 1974, when the US government mandated plastic bumper guards for low-speed impacts. Because I did not meet the owner of this car, I couldn't get the answer about the year of this car, but I did my best, using forums and pictures from the internet. I'm confident that this could be a 1965 MGB, as models from thus year still had the clear turn signals up front, had no reverse lights, and were new enough to have a tachometer. You may need to note the overview shot to see the tach. 

Above: (6/7/23) - 1970 VW Type 2 Single Cab w/ Bed Cover (David)

Another classic, another icon. This is none other than the VW Type 2. Usually, these are more common as the bus variant, but the single cab is a bit less common and desirable. 

The pickup variant of the Type 1 Kombi was also available as a single or double cab pickup, as it was deemed necessary that a more utility friendly vehicle would be more appealing to the working class market. The original pickups debuted as early as 1952. These became known as the Doppelkabine. The pickup would remain in production through the second generation update of the Type 1 in 1967, but would end once the T3 Vanagon debuted in 1979. 

The Type 1 inspired many of the American panel vans that tried capitalize on the Type 1's success. The Ford Econoline, Chevy Corvair Greenbrier, and Dodge A-100 were such flat-nosed vans. Each of these also had a pickup variant, the most noteworthy being the Lil' Red Wagon dragster. You can also see an example of a Chevy Corvair 95 pickup in Late Fall Finds. The inspiration is pretty obvious, as trying to take an already unique design and make it your own is a pretty tough task to do. 

Above: (6/7/23) - Kombi Close Ups (David)

In these close ups, you can see this old VW is pretty worn, but very much in its original state. It doesn't seem that this was ever modified at any point in its life. The reason why it's probably in as good shape as it is, is because its a California vehicle. 

Above: (6/7/23) - 1990 Buick Skylark (David)

It's very rare a late '80s to early '90s GM mid-size car is featured on ONEC. In fact, I believe the last time one was featured was a 1995 Cutlass Ciera, spotted by Sam. Most of the time, they're usually beaters that have a fair amount of rust and maybe 3/4 of their rims missing. There's old cars that will catch on as future classics, but then there's the GM mid size vehicles from the late '80s and '90s that haven't seemed to reach that milestone yet. 

This is a 1990 Buick Skylark, a perfect representation of what fate was in store for '80s GM products in the modern day. This is also the fifth generation of the Skylark, and a representation of how badly the Skylark had fallen from its glory days in the 1960s to the Malaise era and inevitable downsizing that American automakers couldn't seem to wrap their head around quite well. The Skylark tried really hard to redeem itself from the dark days of the 1970s and early '80s, but couldn't seem to shake its former past. Buick tried souping the fifth gen Skylark up, with a T-Type model introduced for the 1987 model year, but that never really seemed to catch on. The fifth generation would be the second to last generation of Skylark, and the first to be based on GM's new N-Platform for mid sized vehicles. The sixth generation update would follow in 1992, but only last until '98, when GM closed the gates on the Skylark for good. 

I know it seems I often tend to criticize American automakers in the late '70s and early '80s, but I try to offer redemption where I can. See, the reason I am so critical of American cars from this era (1973 to 1990), is because of what they once were in the 1960s, and the horrible attempts these automakers took to try and convince the public that their products were just as down with the times as their imported competitors were. I'll cite the third generation Dodge Charger as an example. The Charger was one the most powerful muscle car in the 1960s, but once the '70s rolled around, Chrysler essentially hung it out to dry. Chrysler wasn't the only company guilty of this, as GM did the same thing with the Chevelle, and Ford did with the Mustang.

Above: (6/8/23) - 1985 Mercedes Benz 300TD Estate (S123) Revisited (David)

Here's an old friend we haven't seen since 2021! This Mercedes turbo diesel wagon was first seen in  the Cars of Edgewood entry, but as time passed, I decided it would be appropriate to photograph the car again, with better photography and lighting. Sure enough, almost two years later, the car has remained largely unchanged. That's probably a good sign, meaning it's been well cared for by its owner. 

The W123 wagons are an uncommon sight compared to their sedan siblings. Mercedes produced over 2 million sedans, but produced only a fraction of wagons. Close to 200,000 were ever produced during the lifetime of the W123 series. The wagon was first introduced in 1977, following the facelift after 1976. The wagon would remain in production until the W123's end, in 1985. 

Reference Cars of Edgewood for the original entry. 

Above: (6/8/23) - Custom VW Type 2 Double Cab (Sam)

This was definitely an unexpected find for me.  I wasn't even aware Volkswagen made double cabs until I saw this one.  It looks like the suspension may have been lowered, and it's riding on some aftermarket wheels, but I like the look of this T2.  Unfortunately, this was spotted in motion in downtown Providence, so I wasn't able to get many clear shots of it like David was for the single cab he found.

Above: (6/10/23) - 1997 Ford F-Super Duty Power Stroke Diesel (Sam)

How often do you see an old farm truck up close?  I figured this well-worn example of a '97 super duty was a perfect example to include here for your viewing pleasure.  This truck has obviously seen better days.  The rockers and floors are almost nonexistent, and there isn't one part of the body that hasn't been dinged, rusted, scratched, cracked, or chipped in some way. Nevertheless, it soldiers on at our friends' farm, carrying light equipment and tools to and from each destination and doing each job it's been tasked with.  On the day I photographed it, it was being used to haul a skid loader back to its place of storage in a nearby barn.  This truck was a former NJ DOT vehicle, and although the cab is rusting away, the drivetrain still runs strong.  A perfect example of a durable vehicle that does what is asked of it without complaint.

Above: (6/10/23) - Farm Truck Details (Sam)

Above: (6/10/23) - 1973 VW Super Beetle Cabriolet (Sam)

And here we have yet another Beetle!  This one wasn't spotted during my commute to work, but it definitely looks like it could have been.  If it weren't for the fact that this photo was take in New Jersey, I could have easily passed this off as yet another morning sighting on the way to my internship.  Another poor-quality drive-by shot, but I attest that the car was in nice shape and potentially in for service at the garage behind it.  When I returned later in the year, it was gone.  This place frequently has classic cars parked outside it, but whether they're customers or up for sale I don't know.  I think I saw a four door '71 Chevelle at it a couple years back, and I know there was a T2 bus parked outside at one time.  

Above: (6/10/23) - 1988 Lincoln Town Car (David)

I returned to Providence at night for another late night walk. I rounded a corner, when I spotted a boxy sedan off in the distance. Unfortunately, the sedan was parked on the other side of a gated parking lot, so I had to walk around the block to get the sedan. When I reached this mysterious sedan, I was greeted by the presence of the most luxurious Ford Panther platform vehicle - the Lincoln Town Car. I believe in Bike Ride 18, we briefly discussed the Lincoln Town Car's first generation, so to read more about it, check that entry out. 

This car had an unmistakable essence to it, which I don't think would've been possible in any other situation than the very one in which I captured this car. An old land yacht parked among some old brick buildings on a dimly lit street holds a lonely feeling famously captured by photographer Langdon Clay, in his Cars: New York City photography collection, one of the biggest influences for ONEC. I tried my best to capture that feeling, but Clay does it best, and I can only hold a candle to his work. 

To view Langdon Clay's work, click this link: Cars, New York City: 1974-1976. 

Above: (6/11/23) - 1990 Saab 900 Turbo Convertible: Black on Black (David)

This black on black Saab 900 Turbo was spotted in Newport! It was pretty cool to see another classic Saab 900, especially one out of the ordinary like this example. What do you think of the rattle canned Saab "Sunburst" rims? 

Above: (6/17/23): 1987 BMW 325i (E30) Touring Estate Revisited (David)

Wow! An E30 Estate! This is something you see once in a blue moon... wait a minute... have we seen this before? I believe we have, and I wasn't the one who first spotted it. Sam spotted this very rare 1987 BMW back in December, coming home for winter break. While he was only able to get drive by photos of the car, it was clear we were looking at something special. 

The E30 touring model holds an unusual history compared to its "regular" E30 (Coupes and Sedans) brethren. The Estate was birthed as a side project in a BMW mechanic's garage in the early 1980s. BMW really didn't have much to do with the design, as they never intended for the 3-Series to ever have a wagon bodystyle. BMW engineer Max Reisböck created the design by modifying the roofline of a factory E30 sedan, and used its rear window and trunk to create the rear liftgate. When presented officially, BMW loved it and it officially entered production in 1987 for the 1988 model year. It sold very well, eventually outliving its sedan, coupe, and convertible counterparts, ending production officially in 1994 as the last E30 ever made. Notably, the E30 estate was never sold in the US, and the US would never officially see the 3-Series estate until the introduction of the E46 in 1999. 

Reference Winter Break Finds 2022-23 for the original entry.