If you tried driving a stock Model A around in modern traffic, you would certainly find yourself terrified being swarmed by grandmas and overly aggressive Uber drivers (sometimes one and the same!), but on the other hand a more modern Chevy 350 powered hot rod is seriously played out. Head for the middle ground and get a classic pre-war style rod instead. Find this 1930 Ford Model A here on eBay bidding for $13,000 reserve-not-met with 4 days to go, located somewhere in the Midwest.
Are you a fan of 1950's American cars? Do you like the styling of the 1957 Chevy, but can't afford the cost of entry? Do you fancy the colors aqua and teal used together? Do like your chrome bumpers to be really ornate and made of real metal? Studebaker is an American automaker that not many people under the age of 50 are too aware of these days as they built their last new car in 1964. Find this 1956 Studebaker Champion coupe for sale in Guilford, CT for $8,500 via craigslist. 
We hope that the Daily Turismo is frequented by car nuts like us: always on the lookout for something weird, cool, powerful, and cheap (or all of the above) to tool around town in and have a bit of fun with. Also if you're like us, you too check out local cruise nights and car shows every once in a while...but you are not the lawn-chair show goer who spends all week polishing their '57 Chevy only to spoil it with a fake "crying kid" leaning against the bumper wearing a crocheted sweater. What we mean to say is, in our roundabout way, that a local low-stress casual car show can be a good place to find your next Daily Turismo, if you know what to look for...and what to steer the hell clear of. Follow along as we check out the cheap classic car market at our local Ruby's Diner "Cruise at the Beach" in Redondo Beach, California located steps from the Hotel Portofino, site of the finish line for the
infamous Cannonball Baker Memorial Sea-To-Shining-Sea Trophy Dash.
Early '50s American cars may never be as popular as their mid- to late-50's successors. The automotive landscape at the beginning of the Atomic decade was punctuated with tall, upright and slab-sided cars that had definitely evolved from pre-war cars with their "pontoon" fenders, but hadn't quite reached their final form. This period was kind of the automotive equivalent of the awkward adolescent years - when you hadn't quite grown into your new bigger self yet, and didn't have the self confidence of the cool older kids either. This car is one of these transition designs, a '53 Ford wagon that manages to be cool despite the fact that it isn't long, low and wide like the cars that came after it. We think it's the perfect vintage road trip or surf mobile. Find it here on ebay for $15,990 Buy it Now (or make an offer) in Costa Mesa, CA.
Back in 1949 Ford Motor Company introduced the first post-war Mercury design, which was then just called the "Eight" as there was only one model. But one was all they needed to spark the imaginations of Rebels and customizers across America. This 1950 4-door sedan's design is little changed from the '49 and was completely restored in the early '90s. The car is completely stock except for dual exhaust - a rarity these days since the '49-'51 Merc is the quintessential "Lead Sled" and almost all of them have been customized by now. This clean '50 sedan is available here on ebay, with bidding near $13k and a $17,500 Buy it Now price in northern Virginia. |
| Dark green over mint two-tone is an odd color scheme, but the chrome shaver grille looks immaculate. |
The hot rod is one of the true unique American art forms that came out of the 20th century, and could be compared to other uniquely American creations such as the blues, jazz, hip-hop, and Prairie architecture. It would take an entire article to describe every subset and style of hot rod because of the looseness of the genre. Today's featured car started as a 1927 Ford Model T (well, at least the body did) and was built into what you see here, a "Modified" roadster with no rear bodywork. This one is a Bonneville veteran and appears to be a so-called Traditional rod - don't call it a Rat Rod! Check it out here on ebay, located in Layton, Utah, listed with no reserve and bidding near $5k.