Santa Monica, CA
Photographed February 2013
70’s
1972 BMW 2002
Mar Vista, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed December 2012
1970 Buick Electra 225
New for the 1970 Electra model was a 455 cubic inch V8 pumping out 370 horsepower, making it the most powerful Electra ever. The newly redesigned 1971 models would keep the same engine, but, due to a lower compression ratio, see their output drop to 315 horses.
1970 was also the last year of the Electra “Coke bottle” design first introduced in 1965; the ’71 models would ditch the sleek lines for more slab-sided styling.
The Electra name soldiered on until 1990, by which time the name was but a shadow of its former glory, saddled with a 3.8L (232 cubic inch) V6 and a FWD chassis.
Sawtelle, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed June 2015
1972-75 De Tomaso Pantera
Designed by Tom Tjaarda, the Pantera featured exotic Italian styling coupled with a 5.8L Ford V8 engine. Ford imported around 5,500 Panteras between 1971 and 1975, selling them through their Lincoln-Mercury dealers. Early Panteras were notorious for their unreliability; Elvis Presley once shot a gun at his when it would not start.
Though Ford ceased importing Panteras after 1975, they were imported via the grey market through the 1980s. A total of 7,260 were sold between 1971 and 1992.
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed February 2012
1976 Cadillac Eldorado
1976 Eldorados were promoted by Cadillac as the “last American convertible;” selling over 14,000 in total. However, Cadillac re-introduced the Eldorado convertible for the 1984 model year.
1976 was also the last year for the massive 8.2L V8 engine; the next year, a downsized 7.0L engine was introduced.
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed June 2014
1974 Chevrolet Nova
Changes for the 1974 Nova included a new bowtie emblem and larger parking lights. Nova sales increased to almost 400,000, perhaps in response to the oil crisis in the Middle East.
El Segundo, CA
Photographed November 2014
1975 Ford Gran Torino
Sawtelle, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed April 2011
1973 Dodge Dart Sport
1973 was the first year for the Dart Sport, essentially a fastback version of a Dart two-door and closely related to the Plymouth Duster. It was previously called the Demon (from 1971-1972), but frequent complaints from religious groups about the name led Dodge to rename it. This car likely has the 150 HP, 318 cubic inch V8; optional was a 240 HP, 340 cubic inch V8 on “340 Sport” models.
Washington, D.C.
Photographed April 2011
1968-73 Datsun 510
Often referred to as “the poor man’s BMW,” the 510’s rear-wheel-drive layout and BMW-inspired structure led it to become a popular target for enthusiasts and tuners alike. Rust seems to have gotten to many of them, however, making this clean example a rare find.
Portland, OR
Photographed August 2011
1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible
1972 was the last year for the classic second-generation Cutlass, and the last year of the Cutlass convertible until it was revived in 1990. Despite this, it was the best-selling convertible in America, with 11,571 sold out of 298,881 Cutlass Supremes total that year.
Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed March 2013
1967-78 Volkswagen Beach Buggy
The 1977 is an educated guess based on the license plate, but in all honesty I have no idea what year this (car?) is, nor do I know who manufactured it.
The beach buggy craze was ignited by the introduction of the Meyers Manx in 1965, which was created by Bruce Meyers and made by crafting a custom fiberglass body and placing it on a shortened Volkswagen Beetle chassis. Since Meyers’ design was ruled unpatentable, other companies jumped onto the bandwagon and started to churn out their own fiberglass buggies. It’s estimated that over 250,000 copies of the Manx were produced, including the one pictured here. This ultimately crippled Manx’s company, which folded in 1971.
This particular example was spotted in the California beach town of Venice, an appropriate location for the quintessential beach car.
Venice, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed April 2013
1973 Ford Maverick
El Segundo, CA
Photographed April 2012