1991 Honda Acty - minitruck roundup

All of the big carmakers in Japan make this same truck: very small engine mounted forward of the rear axle under the bed, full-time 4-wheel drive, manual transmission. The Acty engine is 547 cc; an engine that size would not be considered large in a motorcycle. These trucks do not of course meet American standards for safety and emissions, but it's legal to drive vehicles on the street that don't meet those standards once they are 25 years old. The other two trucks below are a 1990 Mitsubishi Mini Cab with dump truck bed, and a circa-1990 Suzuki Carry 660.

 

   

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2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser with woodgrain paneling

Yes, for only $900 your PT Cruiser can look as good as this one. In the 60s and 70s, faux-wood trim was common on all kinds of cars. I presume this PT Cruiser is the last time we will see this highly-questionable accessory.

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Magnolia Car Show: 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass SX convertible

I'm a big fan of the Cutlass, but I had never heard of the SX before I saw this one. Made only in 1970 and 1971, it was GM's response to rising insurance rates for muscle cars. Normally, the VIN numbers of cars include a digit that varies according to the engine code (size of the engine).

From Hemmings: "In 1970, Oldsmobile blew one right past the insurance industry by stuffing its torque-monster 455-cu.in. V-8 into a Cutlass Supreme SX. By not giving it a unique VIN, new car buyers in 1970 and 1971 avoided paying increasingly high insurance premiums." "Total production numbers were low, with 9,374 hardtops and convertibles built. The rarest Cutlass Supreme SX was a 1971 convertible; just 357 were made."

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