1961 Corvair Rampside Pickup

What's one of the best kept vintage car secrets? The Corvair! Today's automakers have shown no indication of bringing back the rear engine. That means older cars are the only way to drive one, and that alone makes them valuable.

General Motors made the Corvair in a variety of different body styles - sedan, coupe, convertible, van and pickup - and COTC loves them all.

The "Rampside" was based on the Corvair van, and shared the futuristic cab-over front and engine under a slightly elevated rear floor. But while the van was made from '61-'65, the pickup was only made until '62, with production totaling just 3,213 units, making this a very rare vehicle.

The a gate on the side opened vertically for easy access. It was used by Bell Telephone because of that design. Most pickup trucks today are to huge and high off the ground to have anything like this.

This example looks pretty good. Cosmetically, the seller says the body was done by a tech school and isn't great, but it looks complete and fine enough from a distance. The color scheme is charming and period correct, to say the least. The shade of turquoise used for the seating doesn't match the exterior but it still looks clean and tidy.

Mechanically, the seller says the engine and transmission have been upgraded but there is gear grinding. They do have the original engine and transmission however. They also say it will need new tires and shocks and the windshield has a chip. Replacing the windshield might be expensive but not impossible as it should be the same piece that was in the more common van.

This isn't a perfect example but it's definitely not a big project car and beyond some minor work it should be nice for either occasional use or everyday driving.

Available here on craigslist for $7,995.

Lost and Found: 1961 Fiat 2100

The seller of this '61 Fiat got lucky twice: first they bought the car 25 years ago, sold it, then tracked it down 5 years later and bought it again.

In that time period, they say the original cream color changed to yellow. But since the car returned, they've done a bunch of mechanical repairs to make sure it keeps running.

The Fiat 1800/2100 was produced from 1959 to 1968. These featured front-mounted four and six-cylinder engines that powered the rear wheels.

Styling was courtesy of Dante Giacosa and is classic post-war European styling, with slight fins, upright greenhouse, simple lines, and wide-eyed from fascia. Although the loss of the original color is regrettable, yellow contrasting with the white roof is still plenty charming, including the genuine Italian hubcaps that smartly finish it off.

The seller notes that the interior is in need of a restoration, but I wonder if that means sacrificing what could be the original seats? Beyond some polishing and new carpeting, it doesn't need much else.

This model is the 2100, which had the largest engine offered in this body, a 2054cc, single carb straight six producing a mere 82 horsepower. This example is mated to a 4-speed manual column shifter transmission.

Cosmetically, the seller notes the vehicle is rust free with only some minor bubbling. They also mention it has no accident damage and all the stainless steel trim is intact.

Mechanically, they state it runs and drives fine.

As a fun side note, the seller mentions they loan their car collection for use in films and television and this very Fiat was recently used in the tv movie Liz and Dick.

It's available here on ebay in Tarzana, California.