• Understanding yesterday’s comments of note

    Byjustpastevehicles

    A few of the comments that stood out to us yesterday:

    “You could hear the Buick before you saw it—low, steady rumble like a baritone singer with a cold. Then it rolled into Fort Stockton, slow and wide as a cattle drive, with more faux wood than a church fellowship hall on potluck night.
    A green 1979 Buick Estate Wagon, fresh from a long haul.
    Kids at the Dairy Twin pointed and whispered. Men outside the Rusty Hammer squinted, hands on their hips, like cowboys sizing up a stranger’s horse. Rusty himself muttered, “That ain’t a car,…”

    84

    CaptainMyCaptain commented on No Reserve: 1979 Buick Estate Wagon

    “I didn’t think a Ford GT could get much cooler, but here it is.”

    6

    ModelAkid commented on 2005 Ford GTX1

    “Thanks everyone, and especially Dean! This is my first vintage Mercedes and I’m looking forward to bringing it home! The original selling dealership no longer exists, but I’m still planning to drive it there anyway for this new chapter of stewardship.”

    6

    SuddenlyEngineer commented on No Reserve: 38k-Mile 1989 Mercedes-Benz 420SEL

  • | |

    Road & Track Road Tests: Günter’s Giant Rabbit You Should Know

    Byjustpastevehicles

    A couple of weeks ago, we shared Car and Driver’s first review of the Porsche 928, so this week we’re chasing it with something related—sorta. Here is Road & Track’s feature on the outrageous “Super Rabbit” from their December 1979 issue, written by G. Leyrer and contributing artist Mark Stehrenberger with photography by Hans Peter Seufert. The subject at hand was a Golf/928 mashup that required very little sanity and a whole lot of work.

    Click above to open the article in a full-window viewer, or hit the “share” arrow to download the PDF. Individual pages can be viewed in the gallery below.
    Günter Artz was a visionary occasionally branded a madman, and for good reason. Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Artz and his Hannover-based team at Autohaus Nordstadt delivered a string of wild creations, including a Porsche Carrera-powered Beetle. At the time, the Golf 928 (which had grown several waist sizes compared to a stock Rabbit) was his latest opus.

  • Yesterday’s comments of note You Should Know

    Byjustpastevehicles

    A few of the comments that stood out to us yesterday:

    “One of the iconic Roundel cars that made us fall in love over and over with the marque.
    40-years later the love affair is still as strong as ever.
    I like this Euro E24 a lot! The miles do not bother me as the M30 is BMW’s small block Chevy motor. Plus, the car has been loved and maintained.
    So much to admire on this car from the manual Sport seats to the polished BBS to that polarizing color.
    At no reserve means it’s going to find a new home and a lucky new owner.”

    9

    SlowNRusty commented on No Reserve: Euro 1985 BMW 635CSi 5-Speed

    “50th birthday gift!!!”

    8

    DJMoses75 commented on 1971 Ford Bronco 302 3-Speed

    “There are a total of 9 known carbon fiber bodied CSX Cobras out of the 10 planned (the registry incorrectly lists 7) and CSX4000R is incorrectly entered without mention of the carbon body. I am a lucky to own one of those 9 carbon Cobras.
    IMHO, the carbon CSX cars were always the ultimate Cobra. Carroll came up with the idea of a carbon Cobra after using composite bodywork on the Series 1 car in the late 90s. He was actually involved in the process and all the carbon cars were built while he…”

    15

    Apex_speed commented on Carbon-Fiber-Bodied Shelby Cobra 427 CSX4000R

  • Understanding yesterday’s comments of note

    Byjustpastevehicles

    A few of the comments that stood out to us yesterday:

    “Peter Egan would often go out to his garage with a cup of coffee and admire the view of one of the many cars that passed through his doors, including a Lotus Elan. He would write wonderful articles describing the beautiful flowing lines and unique characteristics of the particular vehicle he was enjoying. I really enjoyed his writings and still re-read his “Side Glances” articles.
    This is my view in my garage this morning. It could be your view in your garage next week if you are the high…”

    16

    Lotuszog commented on 1964 Lotus Elan S1

    “What a beautiful Lancia. It’s easy to appreciate it’s good looks. But when you look at it in the context of 1957 and see what the competitors were offering, while all very attractive cars, they were either heavier, underpowered or based on prewar underpinnings. These Lancias were a revelation in the mid 1950s. Unibody construction, first aluminum V6, rear mounted transaxle, independent suspension etc. Tech that wasn’t seen as common until the 1970s. This Aurelia is truly a remarkable piece of…”

    10

    JMinPDX commented on 1957 Lancia Aurelia B24S Convertible

    “Soon after we purchased our first house in 1998, I bought a 1985 Buick Electra Estate wagon. My brother was renovating our main floor for us, which involved several sheetrock runs to Home Despot. That wagon could transport 4×8 sheets with the tailgate closed, and 4×10 sheets with the tailgate flipped down. Still one of the best vehicles I have ever owned.”

    13

    JB1971SX commented on No Reserve: 1979 Buick Estate Wagon

  • Yesterday’s comments of note You Should Know

    Byjustpastevehicles

    A few of the comments that stood out to us yesterday:

    “The other 212 with which I am familiar is the Petersen’s 212/225 that was purchased so that HFII could evaluate it along with other two-seaters in preparation for developing their competitor for the Corvette, the Thunderbird. That one is even longer, built on the Europa 2+2 chassis, with the 210 hp three carb 225 (2,700 cc) engine. This is the only Barchetta I’ve seen that didn’t have the signature baseball glove-stitched leather padding on the cockpit surround. The first Ferrari to win…”

    15

    TheOMDude commented on Barchetta-Bodied 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter

    “From all the trips I did in my classic cars (60s Jaguars, air-cooled 911s or classic Ferraris) the most memorable one was in a TVR to the Monaco Classic F1 Grand Prix in the early 2000s. Speeding on the German Autobahn, crossing the Swiss Alpes and driving the curvy canyon roads in the Provence down to the French Riviera in my dream car as a student, the TVR Griffith 500.
    Parking in front of the Hotel de Paris next to the dozens of multi-million Ferraris and Lamborghinis it was my little TVR…”

    10

    compressor commented on 2000 TVR Tuscan Speed Six

    “I remember these. I’m 74 now, but In 1965 or so I saw an ad somewhere and sent off for a flyer. Dad was going to buy a Ford Wagon and I thought, cool. I was maybe 14 at the time but they sent me a brochure. I also got a brochure for a Piper Apache but didn’t buy one of them either (I did get my pilots license though in the 80’s). We got the wagon but not the camper. Slept in the back of the wagon many times. It was a beast.”

    12

    karlcpo commented on No Reserve: 1971 Ford Country Sedan w/Tote Motel Camper

  • |

    Here’s question of the Week: What Production Vehicle Most Deserved a Factory V8?—WINNER’S UPDATE

    Byjustpastevehicles

    WINNER’S ANNOUNCEMENT:

    Happy Monday! We’re back to announce the winner for our Question of the Week, where our victor will accept a $25 credit for a hat or T-shirt from the BaT Gear Store and the acclaim of their peers.

    Our question was: What production vehicle most deserved a factory V8?

    Thanks to everyone who chimed in! We read all 110+ comments, bench raced a few of your theoretical V8 swaps, and tallied up all your nominations. The Plymouth Prowler was the most-mentioned pick this week, but we already used it as an example in our original post! So we’re exercising our Editorial Privilege this week and picking the nomination that stood out to us the most—the Pontiac Fiero. @Mike_Breinin was the first one there, but seeing as he’s a multi-time QotW winner, we wanted to spread the wealth. So we’re handing the prize to runner-up, @40fordlover. 

    “Pontiac Fiero to go head to head with Corvette.”

    1

    40fordlover commented on Question of the Week: What Production Vehicle Most Deserved a Factory V8?—WINNER’S UPDATE

  • Understanding baT Auction Success Story: An Amazon in Vermont

    Byjustpastevehicles

    BaT member Govehillbill recently wrote in with an update on the 1967 Volvo 122S that he won in April 2025:
    I recently purchased a 1967 Volvo 122S on Bring a Trailer. It was an unrestored, low-mileage, original car located in Oregon and had been an one-owner car until 2025. There were lots of pictures, and the seller was helpful answering my questions. Still, buying a vehicle sight unseen across the country was a challenge for me. Things went very smoothly after the auction, and I received the car about a week later.

  • Understanding yesterday’s comments of note

    Byjustpastevehicles

    A few of the comments that stood out to us yesterday:

    “In my opinion the textbook definition of a Mercedes-Benz modern classic. This 1991 model is hands down the nicest example I have seen in the last 30 years.
    If Bruno Sacco is considered in artist, the C126 is his “Sistine Chapel”.
    Best of luck !!!
    Dean”

    24

    Dean_Laumbach commented on No Reserve: 28k-Mile 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC

    “Oh my… The road trip to bring this to the PNW will be EPIC.”

    9

    MACE_Hardware commented on No Reserve: 2022 Audi RS6 Avant

    “Absolutely beautiful! It’s been a local car to me my whole life, even with the move. Unfortunately we’ve never crossed paths. Hopefully a new owner is found and enjoys it like Mr Waite did for 60 years!”

    11

    Gmmuscleusa commented on 1958 AC Ace

  • BaT Auction Success Story Update: Isetta—It’s Cute! You Should Know

    Byjustpastevehicles

    10/7/25 Update: BaT user NIACC wrote in last year to tell us about the 1957 BMW Isetta 300 that he won from campari in a March 2024 BaT auction. Now he’s back to share a few improvements he’s made to it since then!
    NIACC writes:
    I’ve had a lot of cool cars over the years, but none get the universal attention that this Isetta does whenever it leaves the garage. And after a bit of a learning curve, it has proven to be quite reliable.

  • |

    The One-Year Garage: 1965: A Practical Look

    Byjustpastevehicles

    It’s time again for your favorite game, The One-Year Garage. This time it’s one of the best automotive years imaginable: 1965. We have the crew’s picks as well as Randy’s hot take on the second-series GTO, flippy-floppy driving, too many windshields, deep pulls from the Brits and Germans, a tidbit from Le Mans, Alfa Romeo naming, and more.