First published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is considered by the American Literary Association to be among the 100 best American novels published during the last century; it is also F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous work. While the story line is a standard tale of unrequited love, it is Fitzgerald’s vivid, flowing descriptive imagery and rich character development that makes his work so timeless.
The novel’s setting of New York City during the “Roaring Twenties” calls to mind images of Art Deco skyscrapers and extreme opulence in fashion and design. This was also a high point for automotive design as Duesenberg, Bugatti, and Rolls-Royce offered ever more luxurious models.
This lavish elegance is what Gatsby Coachworks, Ltd. sought to recreate in the 1970s.
This bad boy is actually for sale on the Phoenix Craigslist right now for $6,200.
It’s really hard to take it seriously with all the weird pseudo-Hummer stuff all over it, but I’m sure it’s actually pretty capable off road and I kind of like the hood vent for some reason. I’d drive it.
Based on the picture, you may be thinking “Oh boy, here comes another lame kit car!” But if you lump the Spartan II in with the Excalibur, Gazelle, Tiffany, Zimmer, or any other neo-classic automobile, you would have made a serious mistake.
You see, reproductions of old-timey cars are often built around cheap mass-market vehicles such as a Ford Pinto or a Volkswagen. While this arrangement makes a neoclassic car practical to own, it also places them at the low end of the performance spectrum.
The Spartan II is different. While its rounded headlamps and swooping front fenders may harken back to the early days of motoring, it’s a completely different story under the hood. That’s because the Spartan II is actually based on the Nissan 300ZX, a compact sports car from Japan! With its front-engine, rear drive layout and 2+2 seating configuration, the Spartan II is a bit sportier than you might expect.
Several years ago, there was a small automotive shop by my house in Phoenix called Exklusiv Motorsports that specialized in modifying Volkswagens. They had a pair of these big red trucks outside, so one day I took a picture of them. It wasn’t until recently that I learned how rare these things are!
These double-cab Volkswagens were sold in Northern Europe as very basic work trucks, but the TriStars were top-of-the-line models with full interiors, cruise control, power windows, heated seats, and armrests. Even rarer still, both of these trucks are the Synchro models (4WD)!
The early 1990s were an interesting time for compact trucks. For some reason, auto manufacturers got the idea that pickup trucks were just too boring and that they needed to be more fun and exciting and sporty!
In 1991, General Motors released the one-year-only GMC Syclone. This compact pickup featured a powerful turbocharged 4.3L V6 engine that produced 280 horsepower and ran circles around everything else on the road. With its blacked-out appearance and lowered stance, the Syclone was essentially a factory hot rod that became instantly collectible.
I’ve always thought myself to be a bit of a third generation Camaro aficionado. This would be the 1982-92 run of cars that were the perfect combination of sport and style. What the first year models lacked in power, they made up for in good looks and great handling. Don’t believe me? Ask that car god you hipsters all pray to: Jeremy Clarkson.
By 1983, the Camaro came with the 190hp 305-cubic inch L69. It’s classic combination of a 4bbl carb, hot cam, a good set of heads, and a manual transmission brought the lowly, five-liter, Chevy mill out of malaise-era limbo. From then on, the Camaro just got more bad ass as each year passed.
1983 was also the year for this strange, Ferrari 308-looking, coach-bodied 3rd gen, called the Stiletto. As you can see from the craigslist ad (or click here for a screenshot) it’s obviously strange, different and well-kept. I don’t know if that translates to being rare in the sense of being valuable, but it certainly is something you’ll probably never see again. Strangely enough, I came across this simply searching for “camaro” under our local phoenix craigslist.
Although the previously mentioned 190hp L69 was the hottest engine at the time, I assume they chose to use the lesser 165hp LU5 crossfire because it looks cooler and was more “futuristic” in it’s time because of it’s dual throttle-body setup. I’m sure that eventually it will be an engine people remember fondly, but like other people approaching their thirties with a car-loving parent I was taught that “Crossfire” will always be synonymous with “Piece of Shit”.
At $25,000 they only want half as much as the 1LE that we saw the year before last at the Imperial Palace car museum. I’ll let you be the judge on whether that price is a bargain. Hopefully we cross paths with this ultra rare third gen at next year’s Barrett Jackson, which is just around the corner. Until then, enjoy the rest of these pictures from the craigslist ad.
First published in 1925, The Great Gatsby is considered by the American Literary Association to be among the 100 best American novels published during the last century; it is also F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous work. While the story line is a standard tale of unrequited love, it is Fitzgerald’s vivid, flowing descriptive imagery and rich character development that makes his work so timeless.
