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.

Mike's 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza

I spotted this Corvair at the coffee shop on a rainy spring day recently. I was actually having a conversation and stopped mid-sentence when I saw it cruise by, amazed. So my buddy Patrick and I headed to the back parking lot to investigate.

As I approached the owner Mike, he opened the rear and added some oil to the engine, prompting his companion to ask whether everything was fine. "No problems," he said cooly, as if it was ordinary procedure. They had just driven up from New York and the car originally came from California, as the rare black plates suggest.

It's a '64 Monza Coupe, the last year of the beloved first generation. The Corvair remains the only mass-produced rear-engine American car. General Motors created it to stave off the threat of Volkswagen's domination in the entry-level car market.

There are fierce devotees on each side of the two generations, and while I've been digging the second generation lately, seeing a first generation car in person makes me really like it, too. The styling is amazing. The front and rear hoods look long and flat but the overall proportions still remind you it's a small car. It also has that classic high-waisted bathtub shape that influenced dozens of cars in America and Europe, like the NSU 110 and BMW 2002.

The Corvair debuted as a four-door sedan, then a two-door "Monza" was added in 1960. All Corvairs had flat 6-cylinder engines, but the displacement and power varied from around 80 to 180 horsepower in some second generation turbocharged cars.

Mike said he wishes he could tell people he got it from the original owner, but that would be a stretch. He also said it's got parts from a "million other different cars". The wheels are aftermarket and the exterior paint isn't original either, as the red engine bay suggested (which itself might not have been the original color), but it looks good in the current silver. Inside, the dash wears a cover to protect from cracking, and the tan seats are intact.

Originality matters less and functionality more when you're using a classic car like this for daily driver as Mike is. The whole car itself is an original, unique monument to a totally different era. General Motors is a very different company and cars are literally the complete opposite (with the engines in front) today.

Ralph Nader famously called out the Corvair in his book Unsafe at Any Speed, but most of the complaints about it could also have been made about dozens of European cars at the time. However, the damage was done, and sales dropped. GM's commitment to the Corvair eroded and they stopped production in 1969. But it didn't go without making a fond impression on lots of people. Today, as rear-engine Volkswagens and Porsches sell for a lot of money, the Corvair is a great alternative and a bargain, too.

When Mike was done checking up on the engine, he closed the lid, threw the towel and bottle in the back seat and went inside for coffee, just like that. Well done, sir. It was truly great to not only see a Corvair, but see it used as any other car might be.

1969 Lancia Fulvia Berlina GTE

The Fulvia nameplate was used by Lancia for a sedan and two different coupes from the 60s until the late 70s. I'm not into the coupes. But the sedans set my fire. It's just like an Alfa sedan, except slightly more obscure. You can instantly picture them hustling a bunch of polizia to bust a Red Brigade meeting.

The styling is fantastic. It's got all the right 60s Euro sedan touches: high waistline, huge greenhouse, three-box shape, tiny taillights and tasteful slivers of chrome.

Inside is equally delightful, with a black scheme contrasting nicely with the refrigerator white exterior and looking surprisingly clean and tidy.

The Berlina GTE came along in '68 with an upgraded V4 engine, new brakes and a brake servo. Power and handling will be adequate by today's standard but feel sprightly with the stick shift, low eight and small dimensions.

The seller says this one came over in '05 and are offering another as well, but the paperwork is different. They do say its sorted and just needs a driver. They also think it's one of just a handful in the US. I've certainly never seen one for sale before.

Available here on ebay for $18,500 or the Make Offer option.

Award-winning 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Hardtop Sedan

The Corvair is one of the greatest American cars ever made. Historically, Europe has always led the way in auto innovation and especially aesthetics. Volkswagen burst onto the post-war scene with their iconic lineup of air-cooled rear-engine cars. Sensing the inevitability of that engine layout, General Motors conceived of the Corvair to stave off competition. What it lacked in mechanical originality it made up in bounds with styling and performance.

The Corvairs are divided between two generations. The first one was brilliant. The bathtub styling was so well done it finally influenced European designers for a change - famously inspiring Claus Luthe and his NSU Prinz 4. This is a second generation up for sale. The second generation was arguably even better looking. I prefer it over its predecessor. It's slightly more modern, but still retains cues from the first generation. It was one of the best looking cars of its time and still looks terrific today.

A range of body styles were offered, but most sold were the two door hardtops and convertibles. This is the lesser seen hardtop sedan however, which was dropped from the lineup in 1967, making it available for just two years in the second generation body style and therefore rather rare. The pillar-less body is elegant, liberating and beautiful. This one looks particularly good in dark blue over tan. The rear luggage rack seems a period option and works perfectly with the people-carrying setup.

Underneath the rear (how nice it is to say that for a change) is a flat-6-cylinder engine. GM mercifully understood the cars would have been grossly underpowered with just 4-cylinders. Even with 6 they weren't lighting the street on fire, but this one is fortunately a 110-horsepower optioned car, not shabby for the time and just adequate for modern traffic.

The seller says it runs and drives excellent, is original, has no rot and has accrued just 40k miles over its lifetime. It certainly looks terrific in the photos. They also say it was won awards presumably for its good condition.

This seems like an honest, proud and well-kept example of a car from an all-too brief high point in American auto history.

Available here on craigslist for $9,500.

1967 BMW 2000 Ti-Lux

The BMW 2000 was part of their "Neue Klasse" of coupes and sedans of the 60s and 70s. These are classics now, but also represented over a decade of experimentation, growth and change for the brand.

The 2000 was intended to be a more upscale version of the 1800 sedan. It featured different taillights and headlights, although the front lamps were changed on US models. This one happily features the original square Euro lamps.

The styling is pretty sweet. They look like exactly what they are: an early BMW. The forward leaning front is truly a sign of a bygone design era, as is the whole "bathtub" shape, but the lights and simple slab sides are surprisingly clean and modern. I don't care for red in general and especially not on German cars but it actually works really well on this and helps brighten it tremendously. The seller seems to have spray painted the grilles, bumpers and wheels black, which, while unnecessary, isn't terrible either and certainly isn't worth the effort reversing. The front fog lamps are a cool add-on and together everything gives the car a subtle rally vibe.

Inside, the interior looks remarkably clean, although it's hard to see the entire dash. The seller says the seats were recovered, which explains why they look so good, and black is a great color and saves the next owner the hassle. Thumbs up.

Mechanically, the 2000 was available with a 1,990 cc 4-cylinder engine powering the rear wheels. The seller says that this is a "Ti" version, however, so it originally had the more desirable twin-Solex side carburetors boosting to to a decent 120 horsepower. The seller says this now has dual Weber carbs instead and mated to a 4-speed manual transmission. The "Lux" version added leather seats, wood trim and other assorted high grade interior bits and accessories.

This is a rare car that has clearly been given some recent love. The seller says it has almost no rust and have the original steel rims and hubcaps. The asking price is high given the age and that it had the paint and interior re-done, but those are also plusses. The extent of the rust will have to be checked out as well as full ownership and maintenance history, if any. Otherwise, this seems like it's ready to be a driver.

Available here for $8,900.

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.

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.

No Reserve Project 1963 Corvair Greenbriar Van

As the desirability and prices of a Volkswagen Type 2 continue to escalate, I'd like to remind everyone there's an equally cool if not cooler alternative that is way less expensive and 100% American: the Corvair Van.

In anticipation of the threat of rear engine dominance coming from Volkswagen, General Motors launched the Corvair name in 1959. Within a couple years was available in almost every body imaginable - coupe, convertible, sedan, wagon, pickup and van. The lineup lasted until 1969, and while not a disaster, was never followed up and remains to this day America's only rear engine production car. Fortunately for fans today the Corvair offers the uniqueness of rear engine setup at still affordable prices.

The van itself lasted from 1961-1965 and was available with either 6 or 8 doors. Unlike rear engine Volkswagens, all Corvairs had with 6-cylinder engines. The cabin-forward design put the driver over the front wheels, and the engine was way in back behind the rear wheels underneath a slightly raised bed floor.

This particular example is a '63 window van the seller bought off ebay from Arizona, then shipped it to Wisconsin. They intended to fix it up but alas never had the chance (how many times does that happen?) and are now offering it for sale with no reserve. COTC loves window vans for their airy outward appearance and passenger-friendliness from the inside.

The biggest issue on a van this old is rust, and while the seller says the floors are ok, they do mention some small holes in the doors.

Mechanically, they say the original 80 horsepower engine starts but putters. The a/c isn't operational and the engine is running off a gas can because the tank gas sat too long. That means this is going to need a bunch of engine work and new fuel lines and gas tank.

Cosmetically it looks rough, although I like the worn white and green paint and would personally be ok with it, older vans sometimes look better beat up than too clean and polished. This could look really cool in the right setting. Glass is an often neglected concern and this one is missing a few but the seller says they have replacements.

This is obviously going to cost money to fix, but could be reasonable done if you're doing the fixing.

Available here on ebay.

1964 Chevrolet C10 Short Bed Pickup

Nothing says American transportation like pickup trucks. That is, pickup trucks before the Japanese invasion of the late 70s and 80s. Before that, buying any other pickup than a Chevy or Ford was unthinkable, in fact, impossible, as there really wasn't anything else like them.

Although we all know how the "tiny two-seat convertible" is the most likely variant of automobile to appreciate in value, their polar opposite, the tough unwieldy, unglamorous American pickup truck, is having its moment too. Firstly, they are hard to find. These were solidly built and dependable but were worked to death in the early post-industrial years of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Second, they are unique and fill a niche. They ignite the imagination as easily as apple pie or the marlboro man.

This particular find is a '64 C10 with the desirable short bed. COTC likes the short bed for the nice proportions it gives the truck and better handling, too.

The 1960 model year heralded a whole new pickup for Chevrolet. These trucks had a lower cabin for easier access and independent front suspension for an almost car-like ride. They were offered with either 6- or 8-cylinders, and either 2- or 4-wheel drive. The C denoted 2wd and the K 4wd. 1964 models eliminated the wrap-aroud windshield and featured a new grille. The range was changed again in 1967 and wasn't as good looking.

The seller says the 230 6-cylinder engine is under the hood mated to a 3-speed column shifter.

The 6-speed and 2wd combo is fine for most macho tasks.

The seller says they purchased the vehicle as a project but are going to work on another vehicle instead. It's always a little irritating when sellers say that. What was it about this car that bugged them? Still, the honesty is appreciated.

Mechanically, they say it runs and drives but will need work on a bunch of stuff that degrades with age like the carburator and brakes.

Fortunately, they say it's about 95% rust free, nothing short of a miracle on an old picked located in New England. They say the paint job is not original and is poor, but the red and white combo isn't terrible from afar.

I can't stand when old pickups are redone into showroom queens. Something always gets lots in translation. COTC thinks this should be mechanically sorted, then driven as is to the lake, antique furniture sprees and Christmas tree hauling. Unless the paint is really that bad, but paint jobs are extensive and the seller wants enough dough as it is.

Available here on craigslist for $6,500.

1964 Corvair Corvan 95

The Corvair lineup was a bright spot in American automotive history. With the shadow of Volkswagen's impressive rear-engine domination looming, GM enlisted the Corvair to fend off the threat. The Corvair sedan, coupe, convertible and wagon were pretty cool and successful cars.

The Corvan was officially known as the Greenbriar Sportswagon and was made from 1961-65. The air-cooled horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine was mounted in the rear and powered the rear wheels, like the Volkswagen Type 2. The cabin forward design sat over the front wheels.

The engine was good for about 100 horsepower. This particular example is mated to the more desirable 4-speed manual transmission.

It also features a windowless panel body with two rear opening doors on one side for easy access.

The seller has added a new steering kit, windshield, weather stripping clutch and paint job.

They say it needs new upholstery, shocks, horn and heater.

Vans are cool in general because they are roomy and practical. This one takes that to another level with the unique rear engine setup. With Volkswagen Vanagan prices and desirability going through the roof, an obscure but worthy alternative are Corvair vans like this. With a little work, this is a nice classic van.

Available here on craigslist for $8,500.

1964 & '65 Isuzu Bellel Diesels

These two rare Isuzu are being offered for sale together. One is a complete running car and the other is more for parts but is also running.

The Bellel was Isuzu's first independent design and was produced from 1961-1966. Only 37,206 examples were made, and doubtless just a fraction have survived to today.

Styling is neat and compact, and it's especially great to see the pre-facelift '64 model with the quirky triangular taillights that were later erased. Even better is that it's the running one.

Isuzu offered the Bellel with either gasoline or diesel engines. Interestingly, these are both the diesel variants. While known for being unrefined, it makes them even more charming and purposeful, and not surprisingly they were popular as taxicabs.

The diesel engine was a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. All engines were mated to 4-speed manual transmissions with the shifter mounted on the steering column. The engine powered the rear two wheels.

Given how rare these are in the U.S., especially left-hand drive versions, we say restore both.

Available here on ebay in Oracle, Arizona with bidding at $1,125 and reserve not met.

COTC Exclusive: 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle SS

This immaculate Chevelle SS is being offered up by a collector who says the car has just 23,800 original miles and retains its original paint, chrome, interior, and matching numbers engine. The seller is the third owner and has kept in touch with the first owner who can vouch for the car's amazing condition and originality.

The Chevelle was produced by Chevrolet from 1964-1977 as part of their A-body rear-wheel drive platform. This is a first-generation example with the desirable 1966-1967 body.

The '67 cars are also considered safer, with collapsible steering columns and front disc brakes. Styling builds on the 1965 update, with a cleaner and simpler look, broad grille, and "Coke bottle" side profile. This particular example looks great in burgundy over black interior.

Underneath the hood is a special SS 396 cubic inch V8 engine that produces an impressive 325 horsepower. The seller says they even have the original build sheet. The engine has since been freshened and completely rebuilt. The seller also had Extreme Restorations in Massachusetts lift the body off and refinish the chassis and engine compartment to OEM specifications. "Every detail is 100% correct", the seller adds. The engine is mated to a 4-speed manual transmission.

These are surprisingly modern and powerful cars, which makes them even more desirable because of their usability on and off the drag strip. There is also a huge network of knowledge, and parts are mostly easy to find and in good supply.

The interior is in great shape and looks terrific in black with chrome accents.

Around 63,000 were built in 1967, but finding them in this good and original shape is difficult, especially on the east coast where it currently resides. The seller backs up the quality of this example, saying its "one of the finest Chevelles on the market today". They have a before and after DVD documenting the chassis restoration, and say the car has been kept in private and never shown. They are asking $60,000.

Click here or here to send an email inquiry if interested.