Sole Survivor: 1976 Fiat Polski 125 Pickup

How adorable is this little pickup?

Unfortunately, it's also quite the endangered species.

According to the seller it is most likely the only surviving officially imported example.

FSO produced Fiat-based cars made in Poland. When they decided to branch out into U.S. sales, they brought over three examples, one of which was this pickup body based on the Fiat 125 sedan. While the other two met their fate, this one managed to live on.

Power comes from a small pushrod 4-cylinder engine directed to the rear wheels.

The seller says this example has an odometer that stopped working at 20,029, but they estimate the mileage can't be much more.

Cosmetically, they say the vehicle was repainted once. They say the body is free of major damage and rust, although the floors have holes and need new welding.

Mechanically, they say it starts and runs fine but will probably need a new clutch and oil filter.

How do you put a price on something so quirky, and apparently so rare? You really have to be a diehard fan, as vintage Toyota micro pickup trucks from the same era are just as charming but probably much more reliable.

Still, there's a lot to love and smile at here.

Find it here on ebay in Minneapolis, Minnesota with no reserve bidding at $4,000.

*LISTING UPDATE* 1987 Acura Integra

UPDATE 9/12/2012: The seller has since lowered the advertised price to $3,199.00. We wonder if our comments with the help of avid COTC reader Larry helped influence any decisions! Best of luck to the seller and buyer on this vehicle.

Click here to view our original spotlight.

A Whole Lot Of Car: 96k-mile 1994 BMW 740i

This is a lot of car for not a lot of money.

The E32 was BMW's flagship sedan from 1987-1994. These are beautifully crafted cars, inside and out.

Styling is courtesy of Ercole Spada working closely under Claus Luthe. Together, they created a modern classic that finally brought BMW up to the level of Mercedes, at least in the eyes of critics and car enthusiasts alike. The car was meant to take on the legendary but aging W126, and if it didn't match that car's reliability, it certainly did match or even surpass in performance, handling, style and comfort.

The price of taking of Mercedes was that the 7-series would never again be like the smaller, lighter, and less complex E23 that came before this model. But for a moment, at least with the E32, it was worth it in an overall better car.

 

They were initially powered by either a six cylinder engine or the notorious V12. Then, in 1993 the 740i/iL 8-cylinder appeared and the 735i/iL 6-cylinder was dropped. The V8 provided similar performance to the V12 without the maintenance headaches (although the Nikasil engines proved problematic after all). E32 production ceased in 1994.

Even sweeter was the short-wheelbase 740i, forsaking the longer wheelbase variant's complex air suspension and lengthy body.

The 4.0-litre V8 pumped out 282 horsepower, healthy for the time and still respectable today, although we have six cylinders producing that much now.

Used BMW cars in the USA run quite the gamut in condition. "Everybody" wants a BMW, with the classy Claus Luthe-era styling, rear-wheel drive and powerful engines. Since they depreciate fairly normally, when prices drop they end up in a variety of different hands, some of whom don't have the means or dedication to maintain these properly. In short, finding clean, relatively low mileage examples like this is increasingly rare, especially for the E32, which have all but disappeared from US roads.

The seller says this car has under 96k miles and has had recent maintenance done. A Quick carfax check will flesh out the rest of the story and either make this the winner it looks like, or something to avoid.

But for only $3,800, this sure seems like a really slick, very comfortable and capable cruiser. Me want, very very badly.

Find it here on craigslist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Rally Cred: 70k-mile 1991 Mitsubishi Galant VR4 Turbo AWD/4WS

This is one sweet car. The stats are almost too good to be true: 4-doors, 2.4-litre inline DOHC 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission, powering all four wheels and with four-wheel steering.

That's right. All four wheel pivot with a turn of the steering wheel. Combined with the engine powering all four wheels, this thing must have incredible control and stability on the road, straightaways, curves, any type of weather, dry or wet.

There are no better known systems than AWD and AWS. And very, very few cars have coupled them together. Japanese manufacturers were experimenting with 4WS in the late 1980s, most notably Honda on their Prelude, which featured an entirely mechanical system. Mazda also offered 4WS on their 626. Sadly, this relatively simple technology that provides vastly better handling than a car without it was abandoned by the industry for no clear reason. File under 'suppressed technology'.

Origins of the Mitsubishi logo

The Galant was Mitsubishi's otherwise staid and tame compact mid-size economy car. In order to qualify for the 1988 World Rally Championships, Mitsubishi needed to make sell at least 5,000 variants of their potential rally entry. The result was the VR-4.

Only 2,000 were imported in 1991, and just another 1,000 in 1992.

Given the low production volume and the car's rally readiness, these were typically thrashed and trashed, so finding any example, let alone one in good shape and with relatively low miles, is rare.

The seller provides little backstory but assert the 70,019 miles on the odometer are original. They also say the car is "bone stock", another added bonus seeing how so many cheap Japanese cars from the 80s and 90s are distastefully and pointlessly modified.

Even the interior looks good, with no visible rips, tears or stains on the leather, possibly supporting the low mileage claim.

There can't be many left, although they do come up for sale somewhat frequently. But these are still rare, collector cars and definite future classics. The cheap, simple parts and construction also make it good for (very fun) daily driving.

I want it.

Find it here on ebay in Columbia, South Carolina, with 5 bids at $3,550 but reserve not met.

Bottom Of The Curve: 10k-mile 1984 Ferrari 400i Automatic

The Ferrari 400 series was never officially offered in the United States.

For a while, these were among the least expensive used Ferrari for sale. They are often found in average shape with little to no maintenance history. They are front-engine and frequently have automatic transmissions, lessening their value in the eyes of exotic sports car collectors.

Lately, I think that is starting to change. Not many were built, even fewer made it here thanks to the grey market, and the stark and angular shape is starting to grow on Pininfarina aficionados and general enthusiasts alike. Not to mention that eccentric French electronic music duo Daft Punk drove one across the desert in their movie.

I like these. They are really off-putting at first, especially the squinty turn indicators and weirdly tapered nose. You get the feeling Ferrari was intentionally trying to make it ugly because they knew it would not be perceived in the same way as their rear-engine sports cars. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and once one becomes comfortable with the concept of a more "everday" Ferrari, the styling of the 400 is quite striking and makes startlingly brilliant sense. In some ways, it allowed Pininfarina to breath new design language into Ferrari, even though the themes were mostly never repeated again. And the fact is, the proportions are handsome, the greenhouse large and inviting, the stance appropriate for a two-door coupe with rear seats.

This is an '84 400i, so it has some improvements over the 1976-1979 400, most notably Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, as well as some minor interior and exterior changes.

It looks great in black over black, although I would delete the red pinstripe if it does not damage the paint.

The seller is scant on details, but mentions the car seems to have never been in an accident and has only 10,800 miles on the clock. The unusually clean and orderly V12 engine compartment is convincing, however, and the interior looks just as good.

They say the engine starts, runs well and shifts smoothly.

If this is what it's being advertised as, it could be a decent snatch for a car whose value and at least appreciation will most likely climb in the coming years.

Find it here on ebay in Jupiter, Florida for a buy it now of $20,000 and the make an offer option. Hemmings CPI Value Guide estimates a 1984 400i in fair condition to be valued at $10,925, good condition at $17,625 and excellent condition at $29,250.

Do You Dare: 3,700-mile 1998 Dare DZ Spyder

Dare is a custom auto manufacturer based in the United Kingdom.

You're looking at one of their extremely limited production models.The seller states this is only one of 10 DZ models, the last convertible made, and the only DZ at all in the entire U.S.

There need to be more cars like this. The stats are impressive: 16-valve 4-cylinder Ford Ztec engine transversely mounted in the rear middle of the car, power to the rear wheels, four wheel disc brakes, 5-speed manual transmission, composite resin body with a steel tubeframe chassis, and a weight of only 1,477 lbs.

I have never driven one, nor will I probably ever. But there are a couple things one can deduce about this vehicle: 1) it accelerates superbly 2) handles superbly 3) is a whole lot of fun to drive.

Styling is pretty cool too. In the 1990s, designers for British car had a renaissance of sorts, when the hard angles of the 70s and 80s were out, and soft swoopy curves that British cars were famous for during the 50s and 60s were back in (this trend helped Jaguar cars look lovely once again).

How is this thing even here? U.S. customs only allows importation of vehicles 25 years and older. But the seller states it was issued a VIN by the Florida DMV, so it must be legitimate. The seller doesn't state whether it has a title. Since titles are transferable to any state, that's the key to making sure this can be registered and driven anywhere.

I have no idea what these cost when new, but this one is very close to new with only 3,700 miles on the clock. In addition, if to be believed, extremely few were made. This is not an everyday practical car (unless maybe in Southern California or Florida, where it is currently located), but it will turn heads on bright clear weekends.

Find it here on ebay in Zephyr Hills, Florida with a buy it now of $35,000.

COTC Exclusive Update: 733i Still Available!

1981 BMW 733i 5-speed is now available at a reduced asking price of $4,300.

• One-owner
• Rebuilt engine
• 185,097 miles
• Clean, straight body
• High-quality repaint in original color
• Re-upholstered driver's seat
• 5-speed manual transmission 

The vehicle is located in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

Please click here to send an inquiry about this vehicle.

See the original listing here.

California Clean: 74k-mile 1989 Volvo 760 Turbo

This '89 Volvo is being offered in the kind of condition you really only find in California: immaculate inside and out and rust free.

As a child of a middle class New England suburb, Volvo cars were everywhere. Parents and their (very privalaged) children alike drove sedan or wagon variants. But since these were mostly teenagers tooling around, and since New England has some of the most harsh and radical weather of any region in North America, the Volvos I'm used to are extremely beat.

It's examples like these that remind you what nice vehicles they were, especially in muted blue over grey leather.

The 760 was produced from 1982-1992. It was intended to replace the legendary 200-series, but was instead sold right alongside it. These had mostly four-cylinder engines, although a diesel-powered six was available. Styling is courtesy of Jan Wilsgaard and is a classic by now. Hard angles, an upright c-pillar, big clear headlamps and taillights. These helped earn Volvo the reputation as makers of boxy cars. Volvo has completely abandoned this look, so their older designs are gaining more and more favorable attention as time goes on. Hint: people love boxy cars.

The seller seems to imply they are the second owner, having acquired it from the original owner in July 2009 when it had only 64k miles on the clock.

They say they have all original documentation and service records since new, and also say they have done a number of things to the car since they acquired it.

Mechanically, they state the only known problems are a power window and cruise control not working. Cosmetically, they say it has a small crack in the windshield and the grille. Most importantly, there is no rust. Thank you, Southern California.

Find it here on ebay in Los Angeles, California.

Black, White and Red All Over: 25k-mile 1989 Shelby Dakota

With Carroll Shelby's passing this year, collector's are expecting renewed interest in any vehicle with his touch on it.

That would possibly include this limited production pickup.

Shelby took a standard size Dakota pickup and swapped the V6 out for 5.2-litre 8 cylinder powering the the rear wheels. While horsepower was only up to 175, torque increased to 270 ft·lb.

The seller says this example has only 24,995 miles on the odometer, but don't provide many other details besides mentioning it was kept in a climate controlled garage for the past 8 years. They do say it is in original condition, and it thankfully looks like it hasn't been hindered with tacky aftermarket mods.

Shelby also added some cosmetic touches like angled support pillars behind the cabin and cool gradient striping.

Only 1,500 were made in 1989 only. Although that's a very low number, Shelby has long been a household name and his Dakota was well publicized so collectors have always recognized its importance. As such, there are always examples of for sale of varying condition.

Find it here on ebay in Orange Park, Florida with a $12,500 buy it now and the make an offer option. The seller states they are also open to trades.

Pass The Petrol: 60k-mile 1980 Rover 3500 5-Speed

Here's something you don't see everyday. Only about 1,200 units were made for North America for one model year only. This one features the sunroof delete option.

The SD1 was the flagship Rover passenger car from 1976-1986. Over 300,000 were made. The stats are pretty impressive: four doors, rear hatchback, rear-wheel drive, and four, six, and eight cylinder engines.

By the time Rover was clear to import these to America, however, some changes were made. Larger and heavier bumpers as well as quad round fixed sealed-beam headlights were added to meet U.S. safety regulations (that apparently trumped even those of the socialist British state of the '70s). Fortunately, the only SD1 made for North America was essentially the top-of-the-line model in Europe, featuring a slightly detuned version of the V8. It produced only about 133 horsepower, astonishingly small for eight cylinders.

Thankfully, power was directed to the rear wheels, and manual transmissions were standard equipment.

Rover pulled the SD1 from North America in 1981 following weak sales.

The seller of this example seems to be an adoring fanatic and say they purchased it in 1993 with only 50k miles and have since put on only an additional 10k in the past 19 years. They say it has been meticulously maintained in that time period. Mechanically, they say the engine starts and runs fine with no vibrations or leaks.

Cosmetically, they say it received new paint from the previous owner, and has no rust except for one spot of bubbling near the window.

Although it was never a terribly fast or even overall impressive car at the time and is certainly not fast anymore, if you're looking for an SD1 already in the U.S. this could be the one to have, if the owner is as thorough as they claim. There just can't be many left, and surely very very few in this good shape.

Find it here on ebay in Lenexa, Kansas