1981 AMC Eagle SX/4

When people think of the AMC Eagle, they mostly remember the station wagon version of what was at that time America's only 4-wheel drive car. But the Eagle was available in other forms, including two-door and four-door models. The SX/4 combined the new 4-wheel drive platform with the old Gremlin chassis (which dated all the way back to 1970) and the Spirit hatchback body (which was based on the Hornet/Concord body, which also dated to 1970). The Eagle 2-door was also available as a "kammback" which was a clever way of saying it had the old Gremlin body. I have seen one of these very rare Eagle-Gremlins in Seattle and hope to photograph that one as well.

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1981 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck

The Rabbit pickup is a vehicle I see from time to time in Seattle, though I haven't seen one in many years in other parts of the country. Most of those that remain appear to be the diesel-powered model (biodiesel is popular out here on the west coast), although this appears to be a gas-engine copy.

Built in the U.S., the economy-minded Rabbit pickup sold an impressive 37,392 copies in 1981, a year in which gasoline prices rose to an all-time high of $1.35/gallon, $3.51 in 2016 dollars. The Rabbit pickup's payload was a respectable 1,103 pounds. Unfortunately, VW's American plant closed in 1984. This resulted in all the tool and die equipment used to build American Rabbits being shipped to South Africa, where VW produced the original Mark I Golf-Rabbit as a pickup until 2007 and as a car until 2009.

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1973 Plymouth Gold Duster

The Duster is a favorite of mine. This one unfortunately doesn't appear to be getting any use. Note the deep bed of moss growing under it. The base model was just called "Duster". Besides the Gold Duster, there were also the Silver Duster, the Space Duster, and (I'm not kidding) the Feather Duster.

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1980 Fiat 2000 Spider

Another Seattle "time machine." The 2000 Spider was not a car known for its great durability. Indeed, Fiat pulled out of the US market in 1983 specifically because its cars had earned a reputation for poor quality. And yet here's a 2000 Spider stored outdoors that looks almost brand new.

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1955 Chevrolet 3100 Series 1 pickup truck

We've already spotted one copy of the Chevrolet Advance-Design Series pickup truck, made between 1947 and 1955. The truck pictured is interesting because it's a (comparatively) rare 1955, made only until March of that year, when Chevy introduced a completely new truck.

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1964 Plymouth Valiant

The original 1960 Plymouth Valiant was a "compact car" that doesn't look all that compact, unless you park it next to a 19-foot Cadillac made the same year. The second generation Valiant was much smaller. The same year this Valiant pictured was made, Plymouth introduced a fastback version: the legendary Barracuda.

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