Minneapolis Street Sighting: Buick Reatta

In the late 1980s, and well into the early-1990s, GM was going through a major restructuring; sales were falling, and the rise of personal GT cars, and other "European" ventures were being welcomed 'stateside. This prompted GM to bring out a trio of upmarket, supposedly European-influenced vehicles to each of its premium-core brands. Since Chevrolet was seen as the bread-and-butter brand, and Pontiac was geared toward excitement, neither of those brands were offered a piece of the luxury pie; GM instead gave those honors to none other than Buick, Cadillac, and Oldsmobile.
In late 1987, scoops of the Cadillac Allante hit car magazines, and within months, various enthusiast publications predicted that Oldsmobile would have a version of this "new European derived Cadillac", and they were right; what magazines didn't know is that Buick would receive one as well.
Since Buick was, at the time, experimenting with performance cars like the Regal GNX, and Grand National, speculation was that if a Buick version of this new car came out, it would carry a turbo powerplant; unfortunately, this was not so. Instead, the Reatta was a rather sour mixture of new-age luxury wrapped in svelte body--not unlike the Buick Regal GS of today; sleek body, and tons of luxury without power a sporty car does not make.
Not very many Reattas were made -- even though it was intended from the start as a halo car, production still fell short of initial expectations. Even though it says just over 20,000 were built, exact production numbers are unknown, and because these cars were hand-built, build dates are unknown; the hardtop is the most common, with the convertible being ever so rarer with just under 2500 built. To date, I have seen maybe four or five convertibles, and about thirty or so hardtops--and probably the same car more than once.









Like most Reattas I see, this one is in rather good condition; it isn't perfect, but what daily-driven Minnesota car is? As non-red Reattas go, this example is the nicest I've seen; they were available in black, white, and gray, all of which I have seen, but most of them I encounter seem to be red. Yes, red was a very popular car--not only for the Reatta, but for other "sporty" cars of this era, too. The Mercury Capri, which wasn't quite a competitor, but it followed the whole "sporty looks with not much cook" format fairly well.
With the exception of some minor damage to the left headlight, this collector Buick seems to good-to-go. I don't recall seeing any "pristine" ones, either. All the ones I've seen have damage to either the headlight fixtures, or suffer from leaky taillights. Oddly enough, the leaky taillight problem exists on the Allante as well. Go figure.
I have no desire to own one of these, but I do like them in their own right; it's a shame these cars didn't live up to their looks, but I suppose that can be said of all of the "luxury coupes" that debuted in the 1988-1991 season, the Allante included.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mazda Efini RX-7 FD3S

In the 1990s, the Japanese sports-car wars would be at an all-time high; the Nissan 300ZX and more-complicated Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo and its Mitsubishi 3000GT partner were battling it out for luxury-sports-car supremacy. On the pure-performance side of the battle were Toyota's much-loved Supra, in both N/A and Turbo guise. Mazda, too, had a part in this battle; enter the RX-7.
As most car enthusiasts know, the RX-7 has long been more than just a pretty face; its personality is what makes it a cult-car. Doing without pistons, Mazda pioneered the rotary engine, and stuffed it into as many cars as it saw fit (no Honda); as a result, the RX-7 was born. The RX1, RX2, RX3 and so on preceded this, as the "RX" initially stood for "rotary car number".. Codenamed the FD (and a successor to the FA, FB, and FC), this new-generation RX-7 made its first appearance in the fall of 1991 as a 1992 model. The US would not receive it until the following year, but European test drives, and previews already garnered the car praise. Unfortunately, in true halo-car tradition, dealer markup was insane, and pushed the already-high price to a staggering $46,000--if not more. It's scenarios like this that finally drove the RX-7's sales--and the whole Japanese sports-car market as a whole-- down the drain, never again to return to what it was.
In 2004, the successor was launched--naturally, it was dubbed the Mazda RX-8, but it fell short on one important extreme. The power levels weren't what customers had come to expect from a sports car, and sales were never very good. In 2009, after a rather bleak five year sales run, the RX-8 was discontinued, and there's been talk of Mazda canning rotary production altogether.










RX-7s are quite a rare sight here, much less stock ones. It seems that even with the halo-car moniker and ridiculous prices, these cars are fodder for some downright distasteful modifications. Fortunately, though, this example has been left in its natural state--a JDM state that is.
Sitting in a lonely, seemingly-abandoned parking lot, this yellow FD was the surprise of the day for me; I hardly ever see them, and when I do, they're either in the hands of idiots who likely couldn't tell me what makes the RX-7 so great, or they're mothballed collector prizes that are trailered everywhere. It seems the owner of this example clearly knows his way around the car. For starters, the front bumper has been replaced with a popular Japanese piece that is often dubbed the "Viper bumper" with good reason; it's a damn near exact replica of the unit found on the first gen Dodge Viper. As I made my way around this hot lil' FD, it became apparent that the bumper wasn't the only thing JDM about this example; inside, the steering wheels is on the correct side for a Japanese car-- the right side. A nice little touch that many enthusiasts forget is the badging; this RX-7 has all the badges that one would find on the home-market version of Mazda's sports car. All of this can only head in one direction. What I spotted in Minnesota is a legit, JDM Mazda RX-7; this one, like many others found stateside, was probably imported from Canada, and registered here as a Mazda RX-7. Since Minnesota has no real inspection, unless the driver was hooning it and otherwise showing off, I doubt he'd attract much attention.
This is an amazing find, and since I cherish the FD3S so much, the JDM-ness of it only added to my excitement.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Ford Probe LX

With the sporty-car segment booming thanks to the likes of the Toyota Celica, Honda Prelude, and Mitsubishi Eclipse/Plymouth Laser/Eagle Talon, Ford knew it could not sit out. Still in their partnership with Mazda, they decided to give this market a chance-- but not without a controversy. Initially, this new sporty car was intended to replace the much-loved Mustang. A foul cry from enthusiasts, owners, and car magazines alike promptly forced Ford--and Mazda--to rethink the idea. Instead of carrying the famous Mustang nameplate, this new car wore a new name--Probe; and it had a twin--the Mazda MX-6.
Unfortunately, in the later 1990s, the sporty-car market began a slippery decline; the Eclipse lost its luster, the Celica became a shadow of its former self, and Prelude was replaced by the Accord coupe, and after years of dwindling sales, Ford finally pulled the plug in 1997 with that being its worst year--and the worst selling Ford car of that year to boot.
While the other cars I named would go on to have a vast community of enthusiasts and aftermarket support, the Probe--and the MX-6 received very little of either. Yes, there were Probe enthusiasts, and people did "rice them out", examples of such were few and far between, especially compared to the Eclipse and Celica with which it competed.
I do like the second generation cars made from 1993 to 1997, but I have to say finding an early first generation, like this 1990 or 1991 LX is truly icing on the cake for me. What could only be better? Finding a mint GT or--even better--a mint GT Turbo.








It seems as though my 1990s cars are horrible examples of the breed, and this Probe LX is certainly no different. Shod of it centercaps, and equipped with enough tape to qualify for the 24 Hours of Lemons, this once-sporty coupe has fallen down the totem pole even lower; when new, this LX was a modestly equipped vehicle with sporty looks. Now, this coupe is nothing but a beater. I will say this, however. Unlike most cars of this era, the Probe is only now just beginning to rust. I can't say that about the Ford Escorts and F-150s of this vintage, that's for sure.
I've always liked these, and this color was one of my favorites growing up. It's sad to see a childhood icon slowly succumbing to tinworm, but I suppose that's the fate for most of these cars. Aside from being raced on the Lemons circuit, this generation of Probe receives almost no fanfare. I sometimes wonder if I'm weird for liking these--I've always thought these were quite cool. I had a babysitter with one, and I--for whatever reason--absolutely loved it. Hers was this color, too. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, but I had tremendous fun shooting this little guy. Now, imagine my excitement if this example were a GT/Turbo!

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mitsubishi Mirage

A far cry from the dwindling sales of today, Mitsubishi used to be a relatively key player in the early 1990s import wars; hatchback sales were never "great", but in the 1990s, the trend started to really take off. On Honda's side of the camp, the veteran Civic was offered in hatchback guise, and Toyota had just discontinued both the Corolla FX and Tercel hatchbacks, and Nissan had ridded its' showrooms of the slow-selling Sentra hatchback; in the early 1990s, Mitsubishi and Honda duked it out for hatchback sales--and ultimately Honda would win. The Mirage hatcback was not sold in the US after a rather poor 1992 sales year.
This example is a third-generation car, which was sold on our shores from 1989 to 1992. Ironically, this car's last year on our market was the first year sales of the Honda Civic hatchback
really took off. While that Civic would become a cult car for the tuner crowd, Mitsubishi would have to wait three years for its "tuner car" to arrive. Never a real looker by any means, the Mirage--and most of Mitsubishi's stable--would remain largely forgotten for years to come.












I realize this Mirage is in quite sad shape-- but how many Mirages are left? This teal example, seen sitting on a lonely street, is the first one I've seen in quite awhile. Even in my childhood these cars--like their Colt and Summit twins were fairly scarce. To see one twenty years after production stopped is nothing short of a miracle--especially in the rust belt.
Equipped with a bare-bones exterior (with an optional passenger mirror no less), painted steel wheels, and unpainted plastic abound, this teal wonder oozes 1990s anti-luxury. It was supposed to get great gas mileage, too, but the automatic transmission erased that possibility entirely. No doubt the various dents help this poor car achieve the "dirt cheap" look as well.
Aside from the minor rust hole in the rear wheelarch, this little hatchback looked like decent little car--for someone strapped for cash. I'm not sure of its reliability especially since I haven't seen one in ages, but I bet this little car still does its job as a city runabout quite well. Would I drive it? Likely not. But for someone who doesn't care about cars, and wants something cheap, why not? I'm sure the original owner fit that criteria as well.

Colin's Toybox: Tomica Nissan Juke

I love Japanese stuff--I'll clear that up right now; I also love quirky cars, and this little Juke fit the bill. This Tomica is another gift from my aunt and uncle. Vacationing in Japan this past spring, they asked what gifts I would like from their trip. The first thought that entered my mind is.. Tomica. Anything Tomica-- and since I knew a Juke was available, this idea was a no-brainer.
Finished in a deep red metallic, this is a real color, with accurate detailing and accurate ride height--something that Hot Wheels of today lacks. Gone are the big rimz that ruin so many of this generation's model cars, and in place are proper rolling stock. Although they're quite small by today's standards, the wheels Tomica uses fits their cars and trucks fine.
As for the real car--I'll be honest, it's one of my guilty pleasures. I know it's a love-or-hate thing, and most people I know hate it. I love it now, and I've loved it since the concept was shown. I only wish more people would side with me, because this is a wonderful little car that deserves to be represented. Shame that only its home market would give it a proper replica, because this is quite a nice one. I've always been a fan of realistic cars, and with Matchbox slapping silly tampos on their cars, and Hot Wheels' absurd wheel proportions, it seems Tomica is the way to go--and because I love Japanese cars, I'm extremely content with that.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Geo Prizm

With the rise of "captive imports" in the 1980s, GM saw fit to compete with the Japanese cars in build quality, and in price; a partnership with Toyota was launched in an effort to build a cheap, quality economy car that would compete with the Honda Civic, and the Toyota Corolla. In 1989, the Geo brand was launched as a downmarket, youthful brand that would supply vehicles in the emerging "budget" economy car segment of the market. Much like the Scion of today, Geo was the first real attempt to capture the "new-driver" segment as a whole. Instead of new-from-the-ground-up vehicles, the brand was comprised of a variety of different vehicles for many Asian manufacturers looking to improve their success in the US market.
One of the strongest sellers aside from the Tracker SUV was the Prizm sedan. Basically, a rebadged Toyota Corolla, the new car featured slightly different front and rear fascia, and a new selection of wheels and hubcaps; other than minute changes, buyers could purchase the same car under an American nameplate or a Japanese nameplate, whichever their heart desired.
Because it was a Corolla in all but name, Prizms lasted quite awhile; even though the car was discontinued almost twelve years ago, I still see many Prizms around. Even more shocking, is that most of the Prizms I see are the first generation car, like this one--or would this be a first generation "truck"?









Looking like something out of a rejected Top Gear USA episode, this once-economy sedan has been turned into a cute little hauler. Capable of hauling what exactly, I'm not quite sure; I would normally scoff at such a car-to-truck conversion, but for some reason I find this little Prizm kinda cute; maybe its the combination of huge rollbar with affixed lights and the rather small body in comparison.
Prizms on the whole do not get my attention, for better or for worse. What is apparent here, is that owner likes to have fun with his or her transportation; I really like the idea of a home-made pickup truck, and with the slow-and-steady demise of the compact pickup market, doing this only makes sense; where else can one get 30+ real world MPG with the convenience of a bed? Nowhere but here--and I'm sure that's why the owner did it. Major props given, because even though I would never have thought of the idea, I rather like the execution. If only the rest of the Prizms were this cool!

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Pontiac Bonneville wagon

I've been on a 1960s kick lately; for whatever reason, I am beginning to think that the 1960s is one of the best decades for post-modern car design; every brand had consistent themes, styling was a mix of luxurious-ness, but most cars still packed tons of incredible details that would lure enthusiasts to inspect them more closely. I've brought readers examples of Pontiac's Bonneville before, but never a wagon-- and I have come to a not-so-startling conclusion; the Bonneville wagon is probably my favorite bodystyle for the nameplate. I love wagons--always have, and likely always will. As a "late-bloomer" in the classic car scene, I first discovered the mid-1960s Bonneville last winter, and pored over its many exquisite details; unfortunately, I did not get very many closeup shots of these details on that example nor this one. That still standing, this white wagon is probably the coolest American car I've featured this year.













On the whole, this particular Bonneville was beautiful; I normally don't care for white cars, but on this wagon, it works--quite well. It makes the big wagon seem a bit smaller than it actually is, and the rolling stock certainly helps matters. Another thing I quite liked about this Bonneville, is the sparse amount of chrome. Normally, I'm a sucker for older cars with varying degrees of chrome, but here, the absence of it clearly sets it off. With only the "Bonneville" script adorning the doors, the minimal application on the grillework and tailgate, this American wagon screams "class" not many others can.
No doubt this example is stock, aside from the lowering job and Torq Thrust wheels, both of which look excellent here. I'd say this is about as close of a "hot rod wagon" one can get without doing any drastic changes; for someone who recently got interesting in mid 1960s iron, I'd venture as far to say that this Bonne is certainly the best of the breed I have seen yet.
I would loved to have shot this on the street, but I'm not complaining; I realize I've broken my own rules, but hey, an awesome find is an awesome find, right?