All cars are Autopian cars in their own ways, of course, and simply loving your car makes it an Autopian car (and you, an Autopian).
But there are certainly some machines that resonate on what one might call an Autopian frequency, a vibration that comes from weirdness or earnestness or goofiness or an undefinable something else (or it may just be a missing wheel weight, you never know).
This evening, I’m wondering what vehicles you’ve owned or experienced in some way that you would consider “most Autopian.” And for inspiration, I’ve put the question to The Gang:
Mark Tucker
My most Autopian car, hmm … probably the 1991 Mazda Miata that I owned before my MG. It had 205,000 miles on it when I got it, and 250-something when I sold it. I paid $2,000 for it, with a factory hardtop and an extra set of wheels.
I sold the hardtop for $900, the extra wheels for $100, and eventually sold the car for $2,500. Had the entire car apart at one time or another, except for the engine and gearbox internals. It was my daily driver for eight summers, and my only car for two years. Stock except for a Hard Dog Fabrication roll bar, 2001 Special Edition Miata leather seats, and a MOMO Montecarlo steering wheel. I still kinda miss it.
Mercedes Streeter
My most Autopian car is my 2012 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe. This car continues to serve as proof to me that dreams can come true. Further, this is the car that I used to prove to myself that I am capable of anything. Back when I was dirt poor, I used this car to tow motorcycle trailers some 20,000 miles and I’ve even driven it for a few thousand miles off-road.
Like me, this car has done things nobody ever thought it could achieve. I also have nearly two decades of encyclopedic knowledge mostly uselessly floating around my head. Cars will come and go in my fleet, but this Smart, as well as its five other comrades, will probably be with me until the day I die. I own far weirder and far more historically significant cars, but only Smarts are so distinctly … me.
Griffin Riley
My most Autopian car was my first car, a Scion xB. My Dad loved it, it took me to many a party and date, and it had an engine and sound system even folks in the early aughts would pity.
Second-most-Autopian was the Ford Bronco II we repaired, which I learned stick on. Dad forced me to sell it cuz he didn’t want me to flip on the highways between Tucson and Phoenix. [Ed Note: Stupid Dads and their love, so annoying! – Pete]
Adrian Clarke
Matt has asked us about the most Autopian car we have owned. As everyone is probably sick of hearing by now, I have a highly strung Italian car that has left me stranded a couple times. That’s probably my most Autopian car.
But I think my second most Autopian car would be my old Land Rover 110 Defender. 1990 G-reg, bought sight unseen from eBay for about £1200 (that will tell you how long ago it was). Decidedly non-turbo diesel, no power steering either. Ran out of breath at about 65 with the off-road tires singing. A one hour drive gave you a four hour headache. I lived in the Docklands. Did I need a Defender? Nope. Did I want one? You bet your right elbow banging on the driver’s door I did. Only reluctantly sold it because I wanted a motorbike to learn to ride on.
Stephen Walter Gossin
I suppose my Most Autopian Car would be the ’66 Citroen 2CV that’s currently sitting in my driveway. If you recall, I picked this car up last summer while helping Mercedes score her dream ’46 Plymouth from the same seller.
Interestingly enough, I find it to be a cool car and wicked unique, but it just doesn’t move my soul as much as my ’03 Stratus Coupe does. I’ll be replacing the soft top & the bullet-riddled glass windows (flat glass!) and getting it ready for sale in the upcoming weeks.
Torch
My most Autopian car may have been my Reliant Scimitar; technically strange (fiberglass body, front-mid engine, first split folding rear seats), famously owned by a princess with a horse fetish, built by a company that’s mostly thought of as a joke, shooting brake, weird gearbox (overdrive on rear drive, so you have 3 1/2 gear and a 5th gear) and just deeply, satisfyingly weird. Quick, too!
David
My most Autopian car was Project Cactus, a steaming heap that started out as a parts car for my main project, which I found out was in no shape to be a “main project” of any sort. The amount of work to put that thing together in a single month was shocking, but in the end, it became an Australian hero.
My very briefly owned 1989 BMW 318is. Two doors, charcoal exterior with a black interior, manual, purchased for $400 in 2008. Turns out it was beyond trashed and the crusty old BMW/Volvo mechanic in the sticks gave me even money for it so he could part it out because everything was pristine (aside from the engine with the cracked block that was so cleverly hidden).
Long-term most Autopian? My faded red 1994 Eclipse. Base model. No power steering, no A/C, manual. A radio was the only luxury. The hood had the turbo bump, but only a 92hp 1.8 liter engine under the hood with nary a turbo in sight.
My uncle traded in his Volvo wagon when he was stationed in Hawaii for this thing new and brought it home. I took ownership in 2005. I loved that car, even with no cool air during Georgia summers. When it died I moved on to a police spec 1988 Crown Victoria.
Manual Jetta diesel wagon (black, to hell with brown).
Buick tourx wagon.
Shitbox mustang 2. Other assorted shitboxes, but that was the most autopian.
three of The Answer. NA, ND, current NB.
I’m gonna have to go with the Lancia Aurelia I did some work on.
It’s mildly obscure, rare to see, old, gorgeous and most importantly to being a particularly Autopian automobile, it has a ridiculously designed feature.
The one I drove was a column shift manual, however the Aurelia uses a transaxoe gearbox, which means the shift linkages run all the way down the column, then double back under the firewall and head all the way to the tail end of the car. Here’s a pic.
http://www.lanciaaurelia.info/uploads/1/0/7/0/107061981/tav-23-transmission-scheme.jpg
1988 Grand Wagoneer. 1990 Jaguar XJS convertible. 1977 Triumph Spitfire. 1990 Volvo S70 T5. 1994 Ford Ranger. Shitbox Showdown cars count, right?
I don’t know if you would’ve ever let me written here if I didn’t have a 1971 Volkswagen 411. You lot probably would’ve disowned me the second I left Jalopnik and specifically put my email on a spam list, never to be heard from again.
I almost bought a ton of them (Borgward Isabella, TVR 2500M, Volvo PV544 and 144, couple of old Cadillac MM hearses, Saab Sonett III, ’30s barrel back Morgan Trike, Lamborghini Espada, Maserati Khamsin, Lotus Elite II, Lotus Europa, and I’m sure I’m forgetting some), but always went more practical or ordinary for the sake of the future investment and helping people who needed money more than I needed a weird car. Are manual wagons a thing here? My mk1 Legacy was that, plus it was the more unusual FWD, which they sadly stopped offering a few years later.
Borgward! HEARSE! Be still my heart.
Manual wagons are absolutely a thing. ^5, Mk1 Legacy wagon. I miss rallycrossing the Turbo I always borrowed (before I unfortunately landed on the oil pan).
The Borgward had a number of problems, but I can’t remember exactly. Rot was probably one of them (New England). One hearse was a ’67 limo/ambulance style Cadillac (so badass looking with that shark nose) sold by a guy who looked like a young David Gilmour, the other was a ’76 rose quartz (pink) metallic with a matching vinyl landau roof. The ’67 was badly rotted and the ’76 had rod knock. Both were Miller Meteor end loaders. I think the rod knock might have been an answer to one of my mother’s prayers to not have that taking up half of the driveway (and probably the sidewalk).
I wouldn’t be here without that Legacy nor would I be writing and there isn’t another car I’d take over it—including my own designs in real life—unless it was worth enough to sell and retire to Central America on and volunteer to rescue and research sloths. Either way, that car is long since passed on thanks to rust and vermin. Thanks to an aftermarket steering wheel and shift knob, it was a better driver’s car than my GR86, though the good chassis communication reminds me of it. Too bad the steering, clutch, and throttle don’t or that I could beat the ever living hell out of it without worry (I did tactical driver training in it . . . might have cost me a transmission at 175k mi., but eh).
Gosh, I love the idea of a rose quartz hearse, though!
I wondered what FUNeral home would have ordered it like that. I thought it was hilarious, but it seems a risky choice for the original buyers. Then again, it was the ’70s, so I wouldn’t doubt if there were hearses in mustard yellow or pea soup green.
There is one car I wish I never sold: 2015 BMW 328i xDrive. I bought it in 2018 as an off lease special as a present to myself for beating cancer (wahoo!). In 4 years I racked up over 100K miles (sold with 134K). At the time it was the right decision. Within 48 hours I regretted selling it and regularly do VIN searches to see about buying it back one day.
My Gladiator (current vehicle) is completely different in every way from the BMW, but remains on the same plane as the BMW in my heart. The difference is that I don’t think I’ll make the mistake of getting rid of this one.
Holy crap, though. Congrats on beating cancer!
Thanks! 6 years clean. 🙂
I think the most would be the 1995/1996 F-150 I gave to my dad. It was a rusty 1995 F-150 with 300,000 miles, single cab long bed, and only 3 options that I could figure: 1) the 5.0 V8, 2) 4×4, and 3) the sliding rear window. So it was a single cab, long bed, V8, 4×4, 5 speed manual truck. I basically replaced every component on that truck except the transfer case. Including swapping a pristine body onto it from 1996, which is why it’s a 1995/1996. Oh also it has an engine from a 1989. Also my dad painted it red.
Runner up would by my E36 325is coupe. Its a manual has 190,000 miles and is still a semi-daily driver.
For me, I think it would be a tie between my 2000 Saab 9-3 turbo (185hp base model for Canada with cloth seats) and my 1987 Honda Civic Wagovan… and both of those had a 5 speed manual and were FWD (as the wagovan had a version with ‘Real Time AWD’
The obvious choice is the ’94 Land Rover Discovery that I bought used in 2002 when the family moved to the East Coast and used as the family hauler for the next decade. I will die on the hill of defending the Disco I as a practical, durable, and reliable vehicle. Massively overbuilt, and not difficult at all to wrench on — as long as you keep some larger sizes of wrenches and sockets on hand. (Did I mention it’s massively overbuilt?) Oh, and Lucas GEMS engine management is wonderfully straightforward to work on if you have the documentation on it. By the time of my Disco, it even had a clever hidden self-diagnostic readout hidden under the passenger seat.
Other nominations — My series of no-nonsense, iconic older pickups. ’83 F150 with the 300 straight six, 3-on-the-tree manual, and no power steering. ’85 Chevy squarebody with a V8, short bed, and “Cowboy Cadillac” luxury interior which included velour seats that inexplicably wore like iron, power windows and full trim with a car-like headliner and trim continuing completely behind the seat where pickups usually just cut it all off and left bare metal. And a Y2K Dodge with Cummins diesel and manual transmission. Not much to say other than they’ve all been examples of what put American pickups on the map, and they’ve all been reliable, no-nonsense workhorses as intended. They don’t make ’em like they used to.
And lastly, my obscure oddball, the ’93 Chevy Corsica sedan with the Z52 performance package. Chipped engine control from the factory for an undisclosed torque and power bump to the 3.1 liter V-6, suspension allegedly fine-tuned by Lotus since they were captive to GM at the time. Negligible torque steer. Excellent brake feel. Classic Lotus on-rails handling, especially once you learned how to properly load the suspension going into turns, and with an uncanny ability to controllably flick the tail in sharp corners — rare in a FWD car. The post-’92 refreshed interior was a big upgrade in quality and proper Euro styling, and the package got a full set of gauges. A wonderful sleeper — yet another exercise that somehow escaped GM management’s attention and got over the wall. Mainly because you had to know the options list and order one, although a handful of dealers apparently got one for the showroom.
I’m late to this party, but my most Autopian car was my first car, a 1975 Malibu Classic. Pea green vital top with a matching interior, 350 2bbl, 8 ball shift knob, fuzzy dice, and DT levels of rust.
Also, SWG, I’m in the market for a 2CV…
…and I’m sellin’ cheap! Hit me up on social media if you’re interested in additional details. Thanks, my dude!
Already?? Dang you move fast. I was hoping to see an article or 3 on it before it left your stable. I may be in touch, I am not in the market and my wife would kill me, but how often do you have the chance to buy a 2CV?!
Yes please on the article…
See also: JAAAAAAAAAAAAAG!
2CV? The Lotus? The other Lotus? The matte black E30 320i I bought for £50 in an unlit industrial estate in the rain? The Citroen AX GT that was my first “real car”? The flame spitting RX7 that was also my second slowest car ever?
I think it’s probably my MX5. Home built drift competition car at a time when I was so poor I had three jobs just to get by. I made the roll cage, the replacement carbon fibre front fenders, all the bits to fit the turbo, the stupidly effective hydraulic handbrake instal, and so many weird little fixes due to being utterly broke. The front indicators were from a Nissan Micra, the intercooler from a Ford truck, nearly worn out cut-slick tyres from a race Lotus, wheels from a BMW, boost gauge from a SAAB, mis-matched race seats, Sunny Delight oil catch can.
Cable ties everywhere. Not just holding the bumpers on, but also stitching together the damaged carbon fenders and the Kevlar reinforced front bumper, and replacing the interior door releases.
Every part of that car had a story.
I competed in that car for four years, while also using it as a daily driver. I slept in it once.
It made me friends. It made me laugh, and cry, and smash thing with a hammer. It even got me a job as reserve driver at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
I’ve still got the bumper and one of the fenders hanging up in the garage.
Yamaha SRX 600… yes, it’s a bike, but riding it gave me more (mixed) emotions than any other vehicle before or after. So I think it qualifies as most Autopian. Kickstarting was unpredictable – could lead to sweating profoundly in my motorcycle gear and ultimately calling it a day. Tingling hands after long drives. But once on the road the nicest combo of sound, speed and feel. Still miss her.
I’ll probably go with my first car – 1985 Civic with 1.3 carbed engine. Rusted like crazy, fuel pump got moody over the years and the clear coat was gone from most of body panels (painted in fabulously called Champagne Beige Metallic). The interior was brown, though.
I’ve ruined it in a way that’s expected from a first car owner: put heavy 15’ wheels, lowering springs and an exhaust tip from a mototorcycle. Lots and lots of fun, that.
Mine would be my Datsun 180B SSS coupe (Datsun 610 in the US). Went to look at it with a blown-up transplanted Nissan FJ20E engine, assuming it would only be good for parts, but found full engineering documents in the glovebox that the seller didn’t realise made the car worth way more than he was asking. Towed it home and fitted another FJ20E from a local importer (a 2 litre 16 valve DOHC EFI engine that replaced the original 1.8 single cam twin carb L Series engine). It had a lot of very expensive suspension mods, bigger brakes and the like. After I got it back on the road it ended up with a rollcage, harnesses and race seats, and after reading all the engineering documents and finding nothing specifying whether the engine swap was the turbo or non-turbo version, I went back to the importers and got a turbo version to swap in. That was later swapped out for a heavily modified engine I bought for a fraction of the cost to build it from someone who had sold the Skyline it was meant to go back into. Add stupidly big wing on the back, big bonnet scoop to clear the airbox that had to be relocated when the turbo motor went in, and front spoiler modified from a part meant for a Mazda RX3, and you had something that my workmates with a CBR1100 and a ZXR750 couldn’t outrun on the freeway, to their great surprise.
Unfortunately it ended up parted out after rust got hold of it when it sat while I unsuccessfully tried to source the parts needed to fix the loss of spark, when it simply died one day as though the ignition was turned off, and no diagnosis or swapping of spare parts I did have on hand could get the engine to fire again.
Like Ferris Oxide, my 1st car was a ‘58 PV444 w/ B18B twin carb engine. Had the short block rebuilt w/Jahns racing pistons ‘cause Volvo ones were $50/ ea. in 1967! The interior was not terrible, the suspension was suspect, the 3rd link on the differential was totally missing its bushing and I rebushed the knackered kingpins. The piston pin locks failed. (One at a time) leaving gouges like the Mariana Trench in the cylinder walls adversely affecting oil consumption. It was so rusty that jacking it up was sorta dangerous. I put the ho, new F-70×15 tires on 7”!wide Ford station wagon rims on it, it kinda looked tough.
I have to go with my 1988 VW Fox. A two-door, front-drive, four-speed station wagon built in Brazil. Drove six hours one way with the old family van and a Uhaul trailer to pick it up. The entire exhaust fell off the first time I tried teaching my wife how to drive stick with it. Patched it back up a drove it myself off and on for about a year and now it’s sitting parked in storage needing some more TLC. Looking forward to getting it back on the road once I clear out/complete a few other projects.
2012 VW Jetta – TDI 6 speed wagon. It wasn’t exactly “brown”, but it was champagne and I’ll call that close enough. God that car was amazing!
It was the little things. All the windows were one touch down/up. When you put it in reverse with the wipers on, the back windshield wiper would magically turn on. OH, and if you had the wipers on intermittent, if the car stopped, they would automatically slow to the lowest speed. The rear hatch had grab handles that let you close the trunk without getting dirty handprints on the trunk.
Quick (enough) while getting 45-50 mpg. WHY oh why did I have to sell her back to VW because of stupid Diesel-gate?!?!?
Greatest – and most Autopian – car ever!!
I sold back my 2010 too. I miss it, but my driving is biased towards short trips, worst case for the diesel as it turns out.
’91 240 DL. Blue over blue. Bought from a friend in 2017 for $500. His parents were the original owners. My teen just got her DL so I needed another car in order to keep my ‘89 Carrera on classic car insurance. Sold when my second kid got her DL… couldn’t find another cheap car to keep the classic insurance scam going. I really miss that Swedish brick.
I had a 93 ranger with a 5 speed and a 4 banger, a Splash with the V6 and an auto, a CTS V Sport and a Giulia. I think any of those are pretty autopian. As far as the one I love the most though, it’s my current 18 S5. Definitely not a fan favorite around these parts but of all the cars I’ve had it is by far the best
Likely my first car – a 1988 Pontiac Fiero coupe base model. I was lucky it had AC and tilt-wheel. Learned a lot of maintenance habits with it, and how to install a trunk release after I looked my keys in the trunk three times.
Also, it was 2001, and we had to rebuild half the wiring to get it running lol
I had a 1987 Mazda Familia 1.7 diesel. We bought it from a Farmer in NZ that was using it as a paddock basher. We thought the interior was brown, but after waterblasting out all the muck we discovered it was actually a nice shade of blue. Fixed it up and got it road registered and drove it for many years after
The first one that comes to mind is a $400 1978 VW Rabbit I pulled out of a friend’s field, still the closest thing to a “revival” I ever did. I mention it mainly because if you squinted, it was almost the ideal vehicle as determined over on The Old German Lighting Site: brown, manual, “wagon,” though gas and not diesel.
To get more specifically, personally Autopian, I have another one that counts as “Most David-Tracy-esque” ownership experience. The one and only time I ever found myself in a situation where I had to buy a car before sundown and make a snap decision, I ended up in a very clean 1995 Jeep Cherokee Sport. It accidentally became one of my very favorite vehicles I’ve ever owned. When gas went sky high in the late 00s, I thought about selling it, since it topped out at 17 MPG on its best day. Then two things happened: gas crept below $3 again, and a rare, massive winter storm dumped two feet of snow on my town and froze it solid for 3 weeks. “Hey, I think I’ll just keep this thing after all!” And I did, for another four years after that. For a car bought in a pinch and in a hurry, it ended up being one of the cars I’ve owned the longest.
Bricklin. And yes, the battery did die so we couldn’t open the doors.
Go for a cumulative award. Saab Sonett, Austin Healey Sprite, Triumph TR250, Austin Healey 100, first generation RX-7, first generation SE-R, Yamaha RV80 scooter
Replying to myself since too late to edit. Maybe most autopian is the red base Ford Ranger I bought in 2018 for $950 dollars. Wind up windows, no power steering or A/C, standard cab, 5 speed manual, red.
I coveted a Saab Sonnett once upon a time, this reminds me of how much I was smitten with it.
I wanted one for a long time, maybe it was the example I got, which was serviceable but far from perfect, but I expected this smooth tiny little GT car, and it felt more like a rip roaring sports car, a little noisy and crude. I sold it a few months after I bought it, mostly because I moved and lost garage space, but also don’t know if I would have kept it long regardless.