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1971 Toyota Celica: Revisiting The Japanese Pony Car That Helped Put Toyota On The Map In America (And Beyond)

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– Posted on June 3, 2025
Right front 3q view of a red 1971 Toyota Celica ST hardtop

U.S.-market 1971 Toyota Celica ST / Bring a Trailer

 

Depending on your age, it may be hard to get your head around the idea that the once-ubiquitous first-generation Toyota Celica is now over 50 years old. As Paul found recently, there are still a few first-gen Celicas out there, but if you see one on the street, there’s a good chance it’ll be somewhat rough around the edges, in need of a bath and some cosmetic TLC. Let’s take a look at some well-scrubbed, mostly original examples of the initial 1971 Toyota Celica, which will make it clearer why these cars were so popular when they were new — and how the U.S. Celica differed from the cars sold in Japan and elsewhere.

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1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser S – The Station Wagon’s Last Gasp?

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– Posted on June 2, 2025

Here’s another find from our excursions yesterday. Pinpointing the exact vintage of this Olds Cutlass (Ciera) Cruiser S would have been quite difficult had I not spoken with the owner at the graduation party we were attending.

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Curbside Classic: 1958 Oldsmobile Dynamic Eighty Eight – In Defense of The Baroque Beast

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– Posted on June 2, 2025

I’ve always had a weird relationship with the 1958 Oldsmobiles. Given that Oldsmobile had some of the least offensive styling of the 1950s, this Chrome slathered non sequitur was one of the greatest styling fumbles ever to come out of any manufacturer. But underneath, wasn’t it the same good Oldsmobile as everything that preceded (and followed)?

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Vintage Snapshots: The Station Wagon, In The 1950s

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– Posted on June 2, 2025

Text by Patrick Bell.

The wonderful world of wagons is our feature today with a good selection from the fifties and one from the sixties for good measure.  They were popular for practical reasons, but to some degree carried an “uncool” flavor like today’s minivans.  It’s funny how time changes things; the “work” vehicles of the past are now “cool”, while the traditional car is fading away.

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The Toyota Automobile Museum – Part 1: Pioneers, Veterans & Early Classics (1890-1925)

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– Posted on June 2, 2025

Taking a bit of a break from my recent ’80s binge, I hope you will join me as we visit an outstanding car museum. It took me quite a while, but I finally got there: Toyota’s car collection is probably one of the most impressive in Asia – certainly in Japan. It’s located on the outskirts of Nagoya, a couple of hours from Tokyo by bullet train. It was worth the wait, as I hope you’ll agree throughout the week and beyond.

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Sanctuary For A 1915 Packard 1-35 Touring “Twin Six”:  Save The Last Dance For Me!

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– Posted on June 2, 2025

(submitted by Bruce Myers)  As I am sure most automobile enthusiasts will agree, some of the most interesting discoveries are those which are completely unexpected. I encounter many such sights, especially when cruising the rural backroads of NC where my wife Patricia and I currently reside.

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1963 Ford Falcon Futura – Friendly And Fast(ish) Fido

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– Posted on June 2, 2025

I suspect that I am not the only one here who, as a child, assigned personalities to cars.  When I first began paying attention to cars I may not have been able to identify specific years or models, but I certainly recognized them.  Neighbors down the street had a 1959 or ’60 Buick.  That car was menacing.  I remember sitting in the way-back of the family station wagon and watching the Edsel following us.  That car was dorky (although dorky was not a word that would enter my vocabulary for several years yet.)  And all around me was the car one of my parents told me was a Ford Falcon.  The original Falcon was the friendliest looking car on the road.

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Curbside Classic: 1971-1973 Mercury Cougar – The Brougham Pony Car (and Moms First Ride)

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– Posted on June 1, 2025

It almost seems natural that the youthful rebellious mission of Pony Cars and the isolationist nature of Personal Luxury Coupes would eventually meld somewhere in the brougham seepage of the late 1960s. And Mercury, perilously devoid of a unique image for all of its life as Ford’s middle step on the ladder took one of the finest fillies of the Pony Car world, and wood appliqued its way into the muddle.

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Curbside Classic: 1994 Maserati Ghibli (AM336) – Rare For A Reason

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– Posted on June 1, 2025

(first posted 6/2/2019)        It’s difficult to find a car that seems to have only bad points. I mean, can you imagine a vehicle where the styling wasn’t right, the engine had a bad rep, the build quality was awful, repairs were frequent and expensive, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, the interior was cramped and chintzy, and the resale value was abysmal? I’m sure you have your own candidates in mind, but today, I’d like to illustrate this “100% lemon” concept with the profoundly mediocre second generation Maserati Ghibli.

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More Canadian Junkyard Classics – From Early Spring To Early Summer

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– Posted on June 1, 2025

Time for explore, once again, junkyard finds thanks to the Cohort uploads from canadiancatgreen. The shots seem to date from early spring to recent days. Let’s start today’s tour with the melting snow shots and in the 1960s, with this ’65 Chrysler product. Being a 4-door, and in Canada, it’s either a New Yorker or a Saratoga.

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CC Global: 2023 Volvo FH Tractor And 2022 D-TEC Semi-Trailer – Hauling What Once Grew

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– Posted on June 1, 2025

Jos Verberk - Volvo FH and D-Tec Flexliner FL-3-S - 1

Load-wise, this semi is on a strict vegan diet. It only has an appetite for grain, sugar beets, silage, biomass, and other vegetable materials. As an aside, I very much doubt if the driver of such a big rig follows a plant-based diet too. Just my two cents empirical analysis.

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My 1970 Buick Riviera (Part 2): A Challenging “Student Driver” Car And An Unexpected Crash Test

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– Posted on June 1, 2025

A 1970 Riviera in Emerald Mist, as it appeared in Part 1.

 

After an extended hiatus, I am resuming my COAL series. In Part I, I covered the Riviera’s introduction to our household in the mid-’70s, including my instant attraction to its performance and unique styling elements. As we enter Part 2, it’s 1982; the Buick was back in service as my father no longer had a company car. Our lifestyle had changed and not in a positive way.

The Green Machine is Back, in Black

The Buick got a bit of a makeover in the summer of 1982 — a respray from its original Emerald Mist with a Sherwood Green sweepspear to black with a silver sweepspear. I never minded the green, myself. But when one is a car crazy 15 year-old, one brainstorms all sorts of great ideas, like adding Buick factory road wheels, swapping the full fender skirts for the shorty ones, and . . . wouldn’t the Riv look absolutely bitchin’ in black with a silver sweepsear?

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1966 Buick Riviera Versus 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado – Closely Related, Yet So Different (Part 2)

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– Posted on June 1, 2025

 

Yesterday, I explained how the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and 1966 Buick Riviera were closely related structurally and yet very different mechanically. Today, let’s conclude this comparison by taking a look at how the Toronado and Riviera compared in interior trim, space, and value.

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Curbside Classic: 1994 Acura Legend – True Life: “I’m A Legend”

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– Posted on May 31, 2025

IMG_2011

(first posted 6/24/2013)     Naming cars can be a difficult challenge. Some names are very unfitting; Ford’s Aspire, for example, was the exact opposite of anything ever aspired to. Another misnomer is Lacrosse: Buick named a non-sporty car for a sport about which their average buyer has no clue. On the other hand, if ever there has been one car deserving of its name, it is the Acura Legend. Forgive my boldness, but I believe the ’91-’95 Acura Legends represent the best design ever offered by a Japanese brand.

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Mark Moxley-Knapp’s Cars Of A Lifetime Series

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– Posted on May 31, 2025

Cars I’ve loved, cars I’ve lost. Mostly VWs and Hondas with the odd 10,000 gallon fuel truck thrown in.

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