Spätburgunder: 1972 BMW Bavaria

The Bavaria was the name for the bigger engine version of what BMW internally called the New Six (E3 sedan, E9 coupe) for the US market.  It was subsequently replaced by the E23 7-series, but for a few years (from 1968-1977) it offered a large executive sedan setup with a focus on fun for the driver.  Most have succumbed to rust and over priced repair shops -- but a few survive and this next example looks shockingly well preserved.  Find this 1972 BMW Bavaria offered for $17,500 in Burlingame, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Needs Mohr Cylinders: 1951 Jaguar XK120 Kit Car

When somebody says "kit car" I instantly think of Cobras, 550 Spyders, 356 Speedsters, Lotus things, and Kustom Fieros made to look like Ferraris...but I have never really thought about Jags.  Particularly XK120 looking Jags from the 1950s that just need an injection of V8 to get going.  Now, I know what you're thinking. You're gonna stick a Chebby 350 mated to a TH350...but don't do it.  Slap some sense into yourself and get a V12 -- maybe a 6 liter BMW N73 V12 good for 439 horsepower or a  6 liter W12 from a VW/Audi  also good for 400+ horsepower or be a real man and drop a Rolls Royce Meteor V12  which is a 27 liter tank engine for those who've been out of the loop.  GET INTO THE GAME, SON!  Find this 1951 Jaguar XK120 Kit Car here on eBay offered for $19,900 in Miami, FL.

Business To Go: 1961 Citroën 2CV Truckette

Conventional wisdom would suggest that the middle of a global pandemic is a bad time to start a business...but that same wisdom would have told Bill Gates to get a job at Radio Shack or Howard Hughes to become a journeyman aircraft mechanic...so I'm going to throw convention into the wind like an empty toilet paper roll and suggest you start a business with this next vehicle.  What kind of business, you say?  Oh...good point.  You tell me in the comments.  Find this 1961 Citroën 2CV truckette offered for $18900 in South Lake Tahoe, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Tim.

Beggars Can Be Em Dub? 1992 BMW 525iT Wagon E34

This next car checks the all boxes; manual gearbox, check. Wagon, check. Inline-6, check. Rear-wheel-drive, check.  Headliner...errr...that's missing....and the miles are high, so you will need to do some tidying before you let the wife drive it...but manual transmission rear-drive wagons don't grow on trees. Find this 1992 BMW 525iT offered for $6500 in Long Beach, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Surviviorlet: 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio

Most cars have a bell shaped popularity curve, but have you ever noticed that some cars have almost a step function of popularity -- one minute they are all over the road and then suddenly they all just up and vanish.  This seems to have been the case for the legendary Volkswagen Mk 3.5 Cabrio -- which was styled to look like the Mk IV Golf (97-05), but used mechanical bits from the older Mk 3 Golf (91-98).  Maybe that's why they dropped off the face of the earth...15 year old parts when they were brand new...regardless, you don't see them very often and you certainly don't see them in this nice condition. Find this 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio offered for $2500 in Houston, TX via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.

Senchurī Club: 1991 Toyota Century V40 Emperor Limo

If you were part of the Japanese royal family shopping for a properly prestigious ride in the early 1990s, it didn't make much sense to buy a Cadillac, a Lincoln, a Rolls Royce or a Mercedes S-Class.  What you needed was something domestic to demonstrate your Japanese pride, but a Supra doesn't have a back seat fit for a king...but there was one car from the land of the rising sun that was appropriately boss.  Find this 1991 Toyota Century V40 Emperor Limo here on eBay offered for $7250 buy-it-now or make-offer located in Orefield, PA.

I Must Make Ammends: 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 W211

Janis Joplin had an interesting point when she sang screamed; Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?  My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.  Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,. So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?  A Benz has been the sign of having "made it" for decades, but even if you haven't "made it" you can certainly "fake it" with a cheap late model V8 Benz. Find this 2004 Mercedes-Benz E500 W211 offered for $4999 in Sugar Land, TX via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.

Twin Spark: 1996 Alfa Romeo Spider Tipo 916

The Alfa Romeo Spider built from 1995-2006 was a replacement for the aging Alfa Spider Giulia (1966-1993).  The Pininfarina designed exterior was a radical step forward in looks, but regrettably the car moved onto a transverse longitudinal front drive set up shaped with the contemporary GTV. The tipo 916 Spider was never sold new in the US of A, but you could get one in Canada...so now that they are 25 years old, import one yourself today. Find this 1996 Alfa Romeo Spider Tipo 916 here on eBay offered for $17,900 CAD ($12,811 USD) in Toronto, Canada.

Mister Two Toned: 1988 Toyota MR2

The mid engine car has been a dream for most buyers since the dawn of the modern automobile era and it was something that was strictly reserved for racing or the wealthy.  However, in 1984 Toyota introduced a low cost mid-engine car that used basic Corolla running gear wrapped with a Seiichi Yamauchi designed angular body. Today's example is covered in some sweet two-tone factory paint and looks ready to hit the 80s show car circuit. Find this 1988 Toyota MR2 offered for $7,500 in Chicago, IL via craigslist. 

Pininfarina Legacy for Pennies: 1991 Alfa Romeo 164

The Alfa Romeo 164 was designed by Enrico Fumia (designer of Grifo D'Oro Bertone, Siata Spring, Ferrari F90 & Lancia Ypsilon) when he worked at design house Pininfarina. The angular design was part of the Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Saab cooperative agreement to develop the Type Four platform, which produced the Lancia Thema, Saab 9000, Fiat Croma and Alfa Romeo 164.  They are a cool sight on the road today -- equally stunning and stealthy, and I'd love to daily drive one if I didn't actually need to get to work each day. Find this 1991 Alfa Romeo 164 offered for $5950 in Westlake Village, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Ultra Luxury Floater: 1998 Buick Park Avenue

This next car comes as a tip from Doug who writes: Can't apologize for this but if were looking for a: 1)DailyDriver with 2) low mileage 3) dependable history 4) a CA car 5) family sized 6) with boost 7) leather 8) no hood ornament nor 'portholes,' and a bunch more if your thinking along my lines; a light window tint here and powder-coat those alloys, a decent affordable ride can be had. Yes, old folks bought Buicks, and all the more reason a secondary-market purchase makes sense. They take 'em to the dealer for dirty windows and get a full once-over. They're garaged 5 days a week and have lived 30-sec 0-60 lifestyles. No, not glamorous nor a project.  Just always there when you've got other stuff to do. Besides, who ever gets pulled over in a Buick?  Find this 1998 Buick Park Avenue offered for $4250 in Vista, CA via ClassicCars.com.

Smiles Per Gallon: 1968 International Harvester Travelall

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that a vintage international wagon looking thing is universally cool...but it might take someone with a strong stomach to own/drive one for a while.  It's not gonna ride well, it's not gonna drive well, it's not gonna get good fuel economy...but it'll give you more smiles per mile than a joker N95 facemask.  Find this 1968 International Harvester Travelall offered for $11,900 in Bradenton, FL via craigslist. Tip from Dascpcu. 

Happy Easter: 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Caddy

If you causally mention you have a Volkswagen Caddy, a normal person would assume you had some sort of golf sponsorship...but a not-so-normal person will ohh and ahh for they know how special VW's front-drive water-cooled leisure activity vehicle (LAV...not kidding...that's an actual marketing term).  When I saw the pictures, I was surprised to see snow in Oregon in mid April...until I scrolled down a bit to find the car is located in Alberta, but offered in US dollars on 'Murican ebay. Find this 1981 Volkswagen Rabbit Caddy here on eBay bidding for $4,150 in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada with a few hours to go. Tip from Jim.

Who You Callin' a Pajero? 1992 Mitsubishi Montero 4X4

Mitsubishi is an oddity among the major Japanese automakers.  It doesn't have the "reliability" stamp of Honda/Toyota, but it doesn't make many "fun" cars like Subaru (except for the Evo and maybe the VR4 things...but that is a story for another time)...but you shouldn't overlook some of the 90s Bishis because they offer a surprising bang per your buck. Find this 1992 Mitsubishi Montero 4X4 offered for $5999 in Orlando, FL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!

Make or Buy: 1972 Dodge Dart Project vs 1968 Dodge Dart Turnkey

There is an old saying in the business world; there are two ways to develop a new product--make it, or buy it...but that rule also applies to classic cars.  This choice is often financially motivated, but as often it is personality based.  Therefore we are happy to present these two cars and ask which you would buy; intro and words from tipper Erik202.  I didn't grow up loving mopars or anything and I'm not sure I want to fully immerse myself in the "Dodge Guy" culture but I think having one of these Darts would be cool, just not sure which one, the project ($3580 USD) or the "turn key" version ($11,400 USD).  Find this 1968 Dodge Dart offered for $16,000 CAD ($11,400 USD) located in Sherwood Park, AB, Canada via kijiji.net.

Twin Turbo B2K Package: 1987 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway

Racer and driving instructor Reeves Callaway bolted a hodgepodge turbo system on a BMW 320i and loaned the car to Car and Driver journalist Don Sherman who wrote a one page article on the beast.  At the time, the number of folks who had the capability to turbocharge a car without ventilating the engine block was extremely limited and in 1977 Callaway Cars was incorporated to develop aftermarket turbo kits for the every man. Several years later, Callaway worked side-by-side wtih OEMs to develop turbo systems for BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi,  Mercedes-Benz and Chevrolet, many of which maintained factory backed warranty.  Callaway eventually became world renowned for his bonkers twin turbo Corvettes, and prices for these boosted machines are not cheap...but they are certainly cheaper than something like a Shelby...but how long with that last? Find this 1987 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway Twin Turbo offered for $16,999 in Orlando, FL via craigslist. Tip from Jeff.

Three On The Tree: 1971 Mercedes-Benz 220D W115

This next car comes from tipper Art who first writes: 3 on the tree 220 Deeeeeee! Kinda just rolls off the tounge, huh? Lotta cool for 5K... quick glance through looks clean. Can these stay cheap forever? Maybe, since they never die...And a few minutes later wipes a film of coronavirus repelling axle grease off his screen and sends us another message; I mean, minus the cost for a respray....Haha my phone screen was low, didn't notice the last few pics of the paint... still .... this kinda does it for me, be the only one on your block!  Yup, you got it right Art. I drove one of these things for a few years and can tell you two things with certainty--(1), the interior build quality is second to none and (2) they are slower to 60mph than the Belarusian response to the coronavirus.  Find this 1971 Mercedes-Benz 220D offered for $4999 in Fairlawn, NY via craigslist.