Tag Archives: rare

1967 Toyota 2000GT: The Japanese ‘E-Type’

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One of the cars that caught my eye at the Arizona Concours d’Elegance was this gleaming white coupe. It had the classic long hood and short decklid look of a European car, like a Jaguar E-type. The car also had a large diameter wooden steering wheel like a sixties-era Ferrari. However, the car I was looking at was neither British nor Italian – it was a Toyota from Japan!

The 2000GT is a very rare car, with only 337 ever built. This one is particularly rare, because it is one of just 62 left-hand drive models made for the U.S. market. This car is significant because it’s the car that made people sit up and pay attention to Toyota as an automobile manufacturer.

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1989 Volkswagen TriStar DOKA Synchro

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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)!

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1970s Chevrolet Monte Carlo “Custom Cloud”

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My fellow editors spotted this car in a random driveway while we were cruising around one night. Since I had my camera and took a picture, I get to write about it. The car was not immediately recognizable and the guys spent several minutes speculating about what it might be.

As it turns out, this odd-looking vehicle is actually a very rare luxury car called a Custom Cloud, which was built on a 1970s Chevrolet Monte Carlo chassis. In a lot of ways, this car is similar to the Stutz Blackhawk, only with a more down-to-earth price.

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1967-1973 Maserati Ghibli

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We’ve covered the DeTomaso Mangusta and the Iso Rivolta S4 Fidia, both of which were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Today we’re going to take a look at another one of Giugario’s creations: the Maserati Ghibli.

First introduced in 1967, the Ghibli is a grand touring coupe that blended power and handling with copious amounts of Italian style. Ghibli is an Arabic word for a hot wind that blows in the Sahara Desert. Why Maserati decided to name a car after that, I have no idea.

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1972 Lamborghini Jarama

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For over five decades, Lamborghini has produced some of the world’s wildest and most iconic cars. The Italian company is known for its angular bodies, outrageous V12 engines, and high price tags. No one would ever call a Lamborghini a “forgettable” car. But there was one model that is often forgotten about – the Jarama.

Here was the problem: in the late 1960s, Lamborghini has these two cars, the Islero (introduced in 1968) and the Espada (also introduced in 1968). The company wanted to sell the Islero in the United States, but it did not meet US DOT safety standards.

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1968-1978 Lamborghini Espada

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When I think about Lamborghini, I think of their most well known creations: the Countach, the Diablo, the Gallardo, and the Murcielago. But it was Lamborghini’s early cars such as the Miura and the Espada that really earned the company its stripes.

The Miura was unveiled in 1966 to great praise, largely due to its beautiful styling. Two years later, Lamborghini had another hit on its hands with the Espada. This was the company’s first 4-seater, and it went on to become their most popular car up until that time. Just over 1,200 Espadas were built during their 10-year production run.

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