1962 Auto Union 1000S

The oldest second hand Audi cars you usually see are from the 90s. This one, however, goes way back to the beginning.

Auto Union was formed before WWII. In the 1930s it acquired Audi-Werke AG. In the later post-war years, Auto Union made mainstream cars similar to Volkswagen. They were  ahead of the curve, utilizing the front-engine, front-wheel drive layout that Volkswagen would switch over to in the 70s and is all but ubiquitous today.

It made sense then that Auto Union later merged with NSU, who were also pioneering front-wheel drive, in 1969. Audi was re-launched as a separate brand and the name returned to use.

The compact 1000 debuted in 1958 and was available in either two or four doors, sedan or wagon. The styling is mighty charming, with chrome accents, covered rear wheels and contrasting white roof.

Underneath the hood was a tiny two-stroke three-cylinder engine able to deliver just 50 horsepower. A column-mounted 4-speed manual shifter controlled power.

The seller says they acquired this from someone who acquired it from the original owner in the 90s, and although it was running before it was stored, it does not turn over anymore. They speculate it could have been sitting for as long as 30 years.

They say there is no serious rust besides what is visible on the exterior surface, and the chrome and glass are in generally good shape. I assume the original color was the splendid mustard yellow seen in the interior. While the exterior should absolutely be brought back to condition, it'd be cool to leave as much of the interior alone as possible.

Someone with the right knowledge should try to get it running and minimally restore it cosmetically. I'm sure parts are hard to find, but with a little over 6,000 made and presumably much less still around, let alone even fewer in the US, this one deserves special attention.

Available here on ebay.

Project 1962 Karmann Ghia Convertible

With that famous other rear engine four banger from Germany reaching the stratosphere in prices a nice alternative is the very similar Karmann Ghia convertible.

Almost half a million Karmann Ghia were built from 1955-1974, but only about 80,000 were convertibles, and probably a fraction of that survive today.

Mechanically, they were really no different from the Beetle, both being 4-cylinder rear engines. But the Karmann Ghia was smaller, lower and sleeker. They "look" sportier, even if they really aren't. But sometimes looks are enough. It also helped the convertibles looked good with the top down and up, too.

This one is a "barn find", that over-used cliche in the classic car world. But there it is, sitting in a "barn", er garage, and appropriately well worn and needing work.

The seller doesn't say much except that the floor pans are good, the cloth top and seats are fair and that it's a "driver" (I thought barn finds weren't supposed to be drivers). The fact that it's driving is good news though. The engine looks ok enough in the photos. Rust is another issue however. There is obvious surface rusting all over the underside. The main concern is anything that has developed a hole, which the seller seems to imply hasn't happened yet by saying no "rot". That said, if you expect to use this regularly or want to keep it for a while, the body and undercarriage will need tending to. There also seems to be some front end damage.

It wears some strange mayor plates in the photos.

Available here on craiglist for $6,500.

July 4th Ducktail Special: 1962 Chevrolet Corvette Project

Happy 4th of July!

To celebrate, I've chosen to spotlight this classic all-American, red-blooded '62 'Vette. There's just one catch: it's in need of a total restoration.

The seller states this is a matching numbers example with a 327 V8 engine and manual transmission. They say it's been sitting since 1978 (!) but is rust free.

The "ducktail" was new for '61 and would be a preview of things to come with the totally different Stingray body in '63.

The interior is ratty, reminding any potential buyers this really does require a lot of work.

The seller does say the car is complete, so there is thankfully an engine and transmission to work with. The engine bay doesn't look too bad but has definitely seen better days.

The seller says the sale also includes the hardtop and implies there is no softtop.

Find it here on ebay in Richmond, Kentucky with bidding at $12,451 and a buy-it-now of $22,900.

Since the car is supposedly complete, this could be work for an amateur willing to take on a big project.

God bless America!