Diego’s AutoHunter Picks
If you told me back during the “Great Recession” days that there would be a collectible electric vehicle, I would have shrugged my shoulders and said, “Whatever.” Yet today we have the Tesla Roadster plus a host of contemporary hypercars. What happened?
Change—the orientation of the hobby has evolved as demographics and psychographics have adjusted. Back then, it would be common to see American supremacists post memes about how there was no such thing as a collectible Japanese car (which wasn’t true), and now here we are talking about collectible EVs. This week’s AutoHunter Picks include one of each, plus two others that appear to be traditional collectibles aside of the fact that they are often overshadowed by more prominent 1960s vehicles.
2008 Tesla Roadster
I remember seeing my first Tesla Roadster in Connecticut and thinking the styling was derivative, which made sense since it was based on a Lotus Elise. It turns out that approximately 2,450 were built over several years, so they’re far from common.
It was never on my radar that they would become collectible (if not so soon), but that’s what the market has been demanding these days. And while a 240-mile range is not great in contemporary terms, it doesn’t lag far behind the range of today’s worst EVs.
1964 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Convertible
While I absolutely adore full-size 1965-66 Pontiacs, I lean towards 1963-64s when it comes to C-body Oldsmobiles. They are quite elegant, especially from the rear, where Olds stylists distinguished them from lesser B-body models.
Loaded with power options (windows and bench seat, among others, plus air conditioning), a fine color combo, and those nifty Oldsmobile wheel covers, this is a cruiser par excellence.
1963 Pontiac LeMans Convertible
This is another early-1960s car that should be more collectible, but I guess the GTO—if not other compacts—has overshadowed it. Technically, this “Senior Compact” was one of GM’s more interesting creations in the era (up there with the Corvair and Toronado) thanks to the rear transaxle and standard four-cylinder that was half a 389.
This one is powered by the new 326 V8 that gave the Tempest/LeMans more horsepower than other compacts in the market. Think of it as the missing link between the original Tempest and the GTO.
1982 Toyota Deluxe Pickup
It’s a delight to see vehicles that used to be common but aren’t so common anymore. However, truth be told, old Japanese pickups have been hot for awhile, with prices to match.
This truck appears to be in pristine condition, its graphics are killer, and it’s equipped with a big I4 backed by a four-speed manual and dual-range transfer case. It has all the suds needed to make some folks drool. Are you one of them?
