Junkyard Gem: 1978 Volkswagen Transporter

The second generation of the Volkswagen Transporter (sold in the United States from the 1968 through 1979 model years) have been too valuable for genuinely broke hippies to own for at least the last quarter-century, which means that not-so-broke Transporter enthusiasts have driven up their prices enough to keep nearly all rough examples from ending

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Junkyard Gem: 1976 Honda Civic Hatchback

The first Honda Civics showed up in the United States as 1973 models, and that first generation of Soichiro Honda’s revolutionary subcompact continued to be sold here through 1979. Sales were strong, as no other small car seemed able to match the Civic’s combination of low price, excellent fuel economy, reliability and driving enjoyment, but

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Junkyard Gem: 1977 Ford Pinto Wagon

1977 is tied with 1964 as the model year in which car shoppers in the United States could choose from the greatest number (47!) of distinct models of station wagon. Ford rightfully called itself the Wagonmaster during the 1970s, with new longroofs boasting Ford badges available in three distinct sizes for 1977 (plus three more

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Junkyard Gem: 1976 MG Midget

During the middle 1970s, British Leyland offered car shoppers in North America four different two-seat convertible sports cars: the Triumph TR6, the Triumph Spitfire, the MGB and the MG Midget (the convertible version of the Triumph TR7 didn’t go on sale here until the 1979 model year). Of those four, the cheapest was always the

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Junkyard Gem: 1979 Mercedes-Benz 280E

The most legendary of all the Mercedes-Benz E-Class ancestors—and perhaps of all Mercedes-Benzes, period—is the W123, which was sold in the United States from the 1977 through 1985 model years. The W123 was rugged yet comfortable, and the majority sold here had diesel power. Today’s Junkyard Gem is a harder-to-find gasoline-burner, found in a Colorado

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Junkyard Gem: 1976 Chrysler Cordoba

With engine power way down and a sense of malaise settling over American roads, Detroit (and Kenosha) turned to opulent-looking personal luxury coupes on midsize platforms to lure car shoppers into showrooms. While John DeLorean’s Pontiac Grand Prix started it all more than a decade before, one of the best-known of all the rococo personal

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