1970

Mecum Harrisburg 2015 114_1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Fastback 12

Auto Industry Insider: Buying a Classic Car

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When it comes to buying second hand, knowing your stuff is likely to save a lot of money and heartache, when it comes to buying second hand classics, this sentiment is magnified times one hundred. Quite simply it’s very easy to have your head turned by some beautiful bodywork, but that same bodywork might mask a multitude of sins under the bonnet. In this blog, we’re taking a look at the very specific practice of buying classics and what on earth you should be looking for and what to avoid like the plague. The Right Vehicle You probably have a …

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1970 Fiat 850 Spiaggetta by Michelotti 2

1970 Fiat 850 Spiaggetta by Michelotti – RM Monaco 2016 Preview

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  Want to ensure exclusivity for your new harborside Fiat?  Build only eighty in total, and sell them to counts and royals up and down the Riviera! The goal of the 850 Spiaggetta was the update the classic Fiat Jolly ethos with modern aesthetics and performance.  The tail of this wicker-cabined cruiser is perhaps its most avante-garde and influential part. Check out the pinched inner tail and circular lamps!  These would directly inspire the Ferrari Mondial, among others.   1970 Fiat 850 Spiaggetta by Michelotti Without Reserve Chassis no. 100GB 1290331

1969 Ford BRONCO by Chimera 12

Mecum 2016 – 1969 Ford BRONCO by Chimera Customs

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This amazing one-off Bronco has a special ops / Lambo Rambo vibe in all the best ways. That’s no accident: this beaut by Chimera Customs was made to taise money for the Armed Forces FOundation. ANd did it deliver! A cool half-mill bought this desert jackal in 2013. The 2016 estimate is a snip then, at just $125k. Mecum 2016 – 1969 Ford BRONCO by Chimera Customs Lot T205// Kissimmee 2016 // Jan 15-24 1969 Ford Bronco Built by Chimera Customs   Engine 406 CI Trans 5-Speed Color Black Interior Black ESTIMATE: $100,000 – $125,000 Chimera Customs of North Palm …

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1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger RT Convertible 1

Mecum 2016 Musclecars – 1970 Dodge Hemi Challenger RT Convertible

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Get ready for a rapid-fire of awesome musclecars on their way to auction! The Mecum Kissimmee, Florida auction is billed as the largest in the world — and we believe them wholeheartedly after a visit to the event last year. Wish we could preview them all… But there are just too many special beauties to handle individually. Even so, we pulled out a dozen or so very unique icons to showcase in a series of posts today.  Forgive the lack of writeups, please, and cruise over to Mecum.com for the full auction details, list of lots for sale, and info …

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1970 Ford Torino King Cobra 2

Mecum 2016 Musclecars – 1970 Ford Torino KING COBRA

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1970 Ford Torino KING COBRA Best name on this Torino King Cobra, as well as some of the most advanced aero sleekness for any musclecar of the era.  But wow.  Stings like real snakebite venom when viewed from the front…!   Get ready for a rapid-fire of awesome musclecars on their way to auction! The Mecum Kissimmee, Florida auction is billed as the largest in the world — and we believe them wholeheartedly after a visit to the event last year. Wish we could preview them all… But there are just too many special beauties to handle individually. Even so, …

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1969 Alfa Romeo T33 Sports Racer 28

Racing Icons Series – 1969 Alfa Romeo T33 Sports Racer

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Part Four of Six – Alfa Romeo Racing Icons Series Proof that beauty and open-air thrills are critical elements of a million-dollar sale? Yes indeed! Even with pure-bred racecars like this Sports Racer Tipo 33 from Alfa Romeo, the most important details are often obvious to classic-car shoppers and spectators alike. Even though this Sports Racer was not one of the quickest T33 Alfa’s on the world’s racetracks, it is clearly the most desirable today versus its younger siblings — and arguably more visually sublime than its fabulous hard-top older brothers. The reason for this is clear: there is still …

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1970 Alfa Romeo TT3 Spider 9

Racing Icons Series – 1970 Alfa Romeo TT3 Spider Was Lightweight Short-Tail Special

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Part Three of Six – Alfa Romeo Racing Icons Series   1970 saw the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Spider evolve into a much shorter and much more brutal track attacker. Switchable noses include the lamp-free style shown here. A fairly brutal and chopped style appears at the front and rear of this Alfa racecar, with less of the glamourous design of the Sports Racer 33 that came before it. The changes worked on the racing circuit – with this Spider earning numerous race wins and ranking between Porsche and Ferrari in the top three points for the Le Mans season. …

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1970 Porsche 914 Pickup Truck 12

Amelia 2015 Customs – 1970 Porsche 914-6 GT – Rally Rescue Pickup Truck

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A surprise and delight to see thrumming up the Ritz Carlton driveway for the Amelia Island Concours? This extremely cool, one-off pickup truck Porsche. Originally a 914-6 GT, the rear of the truck has been lengthened, the suspension upgraded to full safari rally specification, and the Dakar-ready racing equipment added. What might fit in this rather compact pickup truck bed? You name it!  Wheels, tires, Porsche engines, and perhaps even an injured road-warrior in a pinch. The wide-body style and fenders bring a dramatic width extension to accommodate big off-road rubber and those hardy new suspension components. With almost no …

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1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 5

RM Amelia Island 2015 Preview – 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432

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It is rare to see Japanese cars in the high-dollar auction world, so this Z-car is extra special in that regard. Additionally, as what appears to be a Japanese Domestic Market model, the vehicle is officially a Nissan versus a Datsun as it was sold stateside. 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 RM Auctions Amelia Island 14 March 2015 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z 432 Chassis no. PS30-00092

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback 1

Mecum Florida 2015 – 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback Is #5 Top Earner at $425k

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  $425,000 is a fantastic total for any American car — ever — so definitely no poo-pooing here. But wouldn’t it be nice if it had rung in a solid $429k!? Even so, this Wellborn Musclecar Museum Boss 429 Fastback is a real hero in the flesh. Larger and meaner than the first few years of pony-cars, this beast looks hungry for blood. Its fantastic blue paintwork surely helps seal the period mood: this Mustang is a forever icon of its era. A squealing-tire time-capsule. 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback Lot R223// Kissimmee 2015 //Jan 16-25 1970 Ford Mustang …

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1970 Ford Bronco V8 Pickup 33

Mecum Florida 2015 Favorites – 1970 Ford Bronco V8 Pickup

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What is it about these 1970s Ford Bronco’s? There is just something so crisp and charming about their utilitarian design. Along with nearly no front and rear overhangs, a short wheelbase and heavy off-road hardware — the Bronco was just totally overprepared and over-strong for most road duties. It was like a heavy-duty, 2500-payload beast trapped in the dimensions of one of today’s mini crossovers. This red pickup hardtop with roll bars and a 302-cubic-inch V8 was fully restored with a body-off upgrade to new diffs, plus new air conditioning. 1970 Ford Bronco V8 Pickup      

1970 Ferrari Dino 246 GT L-Series 10

RM Paris 2015 – 1970 Ferrari Dino 246GT L-Series

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After starting life as an afterthought for Ferrari cognoscenti, the Dino really evolved into quite an excellent sports-car. The style and chassis template the 246GT brought to market evolved into the mid-engine supercar Ferrari’s we know and love today. The 458 and all its predecessors, for that matter, have also been the cheapest models in the range. This exceptional 1970 example shows the Dino in a fantastic light. 1970 Ferrari Dino 246GT L-Series RM Auctions Paris 4 February 2015 Lot 167 1970 Ferrari Dino 246 GT ‘L-Series’ €320.000 – €380.000 Chassis no. 01040 Engine no. 000.5882 195 bhp, 2,418 cc …

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1973 charger rt

Mecum Kissimmee 2015 Preview – 1971 Dodge Hemi Charger RT – Lot R216

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  The time has come. Charger-palooza today with eight back-to-back posts of some of the amazing Mopar machines liberated from the Wellborn Musclecar Museum Collection. Liberated? Just kidding. These cars lived a happy and pristine life in the Wellborn Museum. As true collector pieces, though, they may not have been doing as many stoplight dragraces as the badges intended. Sunny conditions and cost-no-object acquisition and restorations by the Wellborn Collection means that these Chargers are arguably the world’s finest. Wellborn Musclecar Museum Collection   If you fall in love with one of these, know you might never find a better …

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1971 Dodge Hemi Super Bee - Lot R212

Mecum Kissimmee 2015 Preview – 1971 Dodge Hemi Super Bee – Lot R212

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  The time has come. Charger-palooza today with eight back-to-back posts of some of the amazing Mopar machines liberated from the Wellborn Musclecar Museum Collection. Liberated? Just kidding. These cars lived a happy and pristine life in the Wellborn Museum. As true collector pieces, though, they may not have been doing as many stoplight dragraces as the badges intended. Sunny conditions and cost-no-object acquisition and restorations by the Wellborn Collection means that these Chargers are arguably the world’s finest. Wellborn Musclecar Museum Collection   If you fall in love with one of these, know you might never find a better …

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1970 Buick GSX

Mecum Kissimmee 2015 Preview – 1970 Buick GSX

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Switching it up briefly — this fly-yellow Buick GSX stunner also lived in the Wellborn stables… A note here about “badge engineering.” Sure, badge engineering got a bad reputation and still has one in the auto business. But it was not always about shameless profit-seeking. It was about dealerships demanding a cool their-brand version of whatever popular car came out of these companies. This stemmed ultimately from buyer’s outcry for the same thing. In a time of fierce brand loyalties among whole families, they were much less likely to jump ship to a Dodge if they had traditionally owned Buicks. …

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1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda

Mecum Kissimmee 2015 Preview – 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda

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  The time has come. Charger-palooza today with eight back-to-back posts of some of the amazing Mopar machines liberated from the Wellborn Musclecar Museum Collection. Liberated? Just kidding. These cars lived a happy and pristine life in the Wellborn Museum. As true collector pieces, though, they may not have been doing as many stoplight dragraces as the badges intended. Sunny conditions and cost-no-object acquisition and restorations by the Wellborn Collection means that these Chargers are arguably the world’s finest. Wellborn Musclecar Museum Collection   If you fall in love with one of these, know you might never find a better …

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chevelle ss

Mecum Kissimmee 2015 Preview – 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Super Sport

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Do you like classic musclecars? Then you are in luck this week – we are featuring a dozen of the finest available from the Mecum Florida auctions in January 2015. Kicking things off is this triple black Chevelle SS. We think of the Chevelle as the Camaro’s stronger and meaner older brother — so clearly not one to mess with at the lights. The 454 badges show and tell the power of this machine loud and clear, as does its bellowing V8 roar on hard throttle. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Super Sport 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Engine 454/450 HP Trans …

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1970 boss 429

Mecum Kissimmee 2015 Preview – 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback

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1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback Lot R223// Kissimmee 2015 //Jan 16-25 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback Unrestored with 4,770 Miles, Well Documented Photos by David Newhardt Courtesy of Mecum Auctions Engine 429/375 HP Trans 4-Speed Color Blue Interior White This 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429, Kar Kraft number 2097, is another incredible treasure from the Wellborn Musclecar Museum in Alexander City, Alabama. According to renowned Boss 429 specialist Ed Meyer, this well-documented 4,770-mile example is one of the top most original 1970 Boss 429 Mustangs in existence, and one of the most unique. The 1970 Boss 429’s defining elements …

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hakosuka 4dsc

1970 Nissan Skyline 2000 GT-R Hakosuka Is Ultimate 4DSC Grand Master

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This is the second GT-R from RM Auctions recently — with the 1972 H/T coupe earning an impressive $242,000 at RM’s Monterey 2014 auction. That car is its two-door profile is more in line with the eventual GT-R lineage, but looks less like a Bond henchman’s ride than this G-man special. This Skyline GT-R sedan may find fewer general-interest fanboys, but among the cult of the Nissan 4DSC, it is the one to have. Nissan is eagerly cultivating the Hakosuka’s US descent’s return to 4-Door Sports Car glory with the 2016 Maxima, widely expected to debut in Detroit in January …

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gt500 convertible

RM Arizona 2015 Preview – 1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Convertible

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So easy to forget how quickly the Mustang evolved between 1965 and 1972. The style of this 1969 is cool but a bit polarizing in some places – where it tends to look less pure than the 1965-1966 cars but less well-resolved than the wider and lower 1970 and onward. Even so, this car is a clear trendsetter and there are awesome details like the milled dual-chamber center exhaust element, or the NACA ducts in the hood, to delight the eye. The one catch with this particular car is the transmission: it is an automatic. 1969 Shelby Mustang GT500 Convertible …

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mustang 1970 boss trans am

RM Arizona 2015 Preview – 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Kar Kraft Trans Am

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In more than a few ways, the new Mustang invokes the styling of the 1970 Boss 302 more than it does even the 1965 GT350 or the 1969 GT500. The over-wide stance and race-ready upgrades of this Kar Kraft Trans Am racer are just the right icing on the cake. Expect big loot for this School-Bus Yellow Boss 302 at RM Auctions in Arizona this January 15th. Arizona 15 – 16 January 2015 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Kar Kraft Trans Am