Carolinas Only: 1980 Chevrolet Malibu M80

This is ridiculously rare. According to some sources, the Malibu M80 was only sold in two states, just North and South Carolina to catch the attention of car fans headed to Darlington Raceway.

That's right. Just. Two. States.

The Malibu is Chevrolet's rather hilariously named family car. It used to be a sexy convertible, then a muscle car, then the Malaise Era version seen above, before becoming the front-wheel drive rental blandmobile it was of the 90s up to the present day.

The fourth generation Malibu was sold from 1978-1983 and was Chevrolet's standard issue economy family sedan. Nothing special, innovative, or remarkable about it. As a saving grace, power was still directed to the rear-wheels.

Styling is pretty odd, although it looks better now than in all the years since it debuted, when they've been beaten, thrashed, trashed and abused. The body is all hard angles and lines, zero detail, with cheap sealed-beam headlights, cheap bumpers and cheap side mirrors plastered on every Chevrolet at the time. Aesthetically artistic these are not.

But in some ways they are a key bridge in American auto design. American designs were pretty trend-setting in the 1950s and 60s, before the fuel crises of the 1970s forced automakers to scale back and tone down. American automakers, not surprisingly, were very bad at scaling back and toning down. European automakers, long used to dealing with narrow roads and high gas prices and therefore smaller and more efficient cars, handled the fuel crises adeptly. American automakers mostly failed to lead in their response to the fuel crises. So they ended up with cars like the Malibu, sobered and hard edges ready for the dawn of the lean and efficient Reagan Era. In some ways, it was very befitting, and let the way for a new generation of cleanly styled automobiles, totally removed from the over-the-top cars of the 1950s.

This M80 example certainly tries its best to look well, especially since it was part of an effort to "revive the muscle car era" (how did that turn out?). All M80 produced were 2-dour V8 coupes with an added appearance package of blue racing stripes, "M80" decals, front and rear spoilers, and steel rally wheels.

Only 1,909 are believe to have been made.

The seller is a dealer who bought the car from a retired GM engineer. They say it was restored in 1999 and currently looks great, at least in the photos. They say it runs, handles and drives well with no issues.

If you're nostalgic for a lost era in American auto manufacturing, this could fit be the answer.

Available here on ebay in Shawsville, Virginia with bidding at $5,655 and reserve not met.