Vanderhall Venice, Toyota Starlet GT Turbo, Nash Rambler Cross Country: The Dopest Cars I Found For Sale Online
Another week means another entry into our series featuring the sweet cars I found for sale online. This week we have some imports, a trike, and glorious American iron.
I now search for interesting vehicles anywhere and everywhere on the internet, not just Facebook and Craigslist, to make sure I find the best cars out there.
These vehicles may be hilariously unreliable, remarkably unusual, questionably tuned or just something that stops me in my tracks. We all know the used car market is all kinds of broken right now, but I try to find deals where they exist.
1975 Chrysler Cordoba – $8,996
Courtesy of Facebook’s Obscure Cars for Sale, this car is sort of a meme nowadays for its memorable advertising which boasted its “rich Corinthian leather.” The seller was kind enough to provide us with the Cordoba’s history, albeit lifted from Motor Trend:
The not-quite-full-size luxury coupe was built from 1975 to 1983, borrowing the Cordoba name from its original use on a trim on the brutish 1970 Chrysler Newport hardtop. Fast-forward to the Cordoba, part deux, which arrived in the mid-70s to distinguish Chrysler from its staider Dodge Charger SE cousin. The two-door coupe was assembled in Ontario, Canada, and was a much-needed best seller for the marque.
Standard equipment for the interior included Checkmate cloth and a vinyl split-bench seat or plush Verdi velour. But, of course, the genuine Corinthian leather bucket seats with a center console comprised the must-have option of the day. Cordobas also featured a tilt steering wheel with power steering, and other options included air conditioning, power windows and power door locks, a digital clock, CB Radio, and an AM/FM stereo with an 8-track player for your jams.
The seller says that this Cordoba S-Coupe has a 5.9-liter V8 producing a leisurely 190 HP with its two-barrel carburetor. It’s said to run and drive well.
It’s $8,996 on Facebook Marketplace in Crestwood, Kentucky.
1991 Mercedes-Benz 560SEC – $34,900
The Mercedes-Benz W126 platform launched in 1979. It was designed to be softer and more fuel-efficient than its W116 predecessor while also getting better with its handling. Like many cars of the day, these goals were a response to the 1973 Oil Crisis and the need for better fuel economy.
These S-Classes were also built to be more aerodynamic. The W126 was wind tunnel tested and your eyes don’t deceive you, it’s tucking its wipers into the hood. High-strength low-alloy steel and polyurethane bumpers helped shave off weight, too.
And while these changes had efficiency in mind, they also resulted in a sleek vehicle perfect for this Radwood era of ‘80s car appreciation. Power comes from a 5.6-liter V8 making a healthy 238 HP.
This one presents in great condition with 50,089 miles for $34,900 at GR Auto Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
1992 Toyota Starlet GT Turbo – $11,000
The Toyota Starlet is an economical hatch that in many parts of the world is little more than reliable transportation. But the Starlet also has a feisty side, and it comes in the form of a performance variant offered through its generations.
This fourth-generation Starlet is a GT Turbo and it sounds like a nice little hot hatch. In addition to more aggressive bodywork you got a 4E-FTE inline four with a CT9 turbocharger. That engine pushes out about 135 HP and it’s moving a body that’s just 1,962 pounds.
This one has gotten some minor mods in the form of a knockoff Bride seat, aftermarket exhaust, coilovers and more. The seller says that this one was set up to carve a track or the Tail of the Dragon. It’s $11,000 on Facebook Marketplace in Nashville, Tennessee with about 105,000 miles.
1956 Nash Rambler Cross Country Wagon – $16,900
Nash Motors’ history is a short one, but in that time the automaker did some amazing work. It was its own company from 1916 to 1937, when it merged with kitchen appliance manufacturer Kelvinator. Under the Kelvinator umbrella it did some awesome things.
Its cars had HVAC systems in 1938, unibodies in 1941 with the Nash 600 and compact cars in 1950 with the Nash Rambler. Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company would merge in 1954 to create American Motors Corporation.
This Rambler Cross Country Wagon was built during the AMC era. During this time, Motor Cities notes, AMC designed the Rambler to take advantage of the wide open post-war compact car market. Ramblers had seats that turned into beds, tons of space and lots of visibility. The cars were a smashing success.
This Rambler Cross Country is said to have a 2.8-liter straight six, but it should have a 3.2-liter straight six making 120 HP. It’s had a lot of work done to it including a rebuilt transmission, replaced water pump and more. It’s $16,900 at GR Auto Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
2011 BMW 1 Series M – $62,500
The BMW 1 Series M is what you get when you take BMW M power and put it into a smaller package. Some call it one of the last “pure” BMWs. Check out this excerpt from our review:
At 335 horsepower, the twin-turbo six is way out of the M3’s 414-hp league, but makes up the difference with stacks of torque from 1,500 rpm to 4,500 rpm, peaking at 332 lb/ft — 37 lb/ft more than the M3.
The 1M isn’t particularly quick; BMW says it can get from 0-60 in 4.7 seconds, which isn’t far off the 135i’s low-five-second-range time, even if the company’s being typically conservative. No, the point of this car isn’t blinding quickness; the point of the 1M is agility, and it has plenty of it.
Perhaps it’s not surprising then to see these listed for well over their original sticker prices. The only ones I’ve found for under original MSRP have salvage titles and damage. This one is still an incredible $62,500 in Cold Spring, New York, but it has just 34,500 miles under its wheels.
1998 Ducati 748 – $4,900
The Ducati 748 is a middleweight borrowing some design from the famed Ducati Supermono. Under the plastic is a 748cc Desmoquattro L-twin that makes 87 HP at 10,400 rpm. Redline is about 1,000 rpm later. Yep, this is a bike that wants you to ride it on the limit.
But that’s what Ducs are all about. They make your heart race while being functional art.
This one is said to be a European import, but the work was done to get it a Tennessee title. It’s $4,900 on Facebook Marketplace in Nashville, Tennessee with 26,000 miles.
2018 Vanderhall Venice – $24,000
Have you ever wanted a Morgan 3 Wheeler but wished it was more modern and tons cheaper? That’s some of what you get with a Vanderhall Venice.
Vanderhall’s design language is a mix of retro and futuristic, where their trikes replicate a vintage racer with modern touches. It’s like something you’d see in movie set 30 years forward from now.
The mix of old and new continues in the cockpit, where you steer it from a wooden wheel and flip toggle switches in an open roadster, but it has power steering and Bluetooth. And under the hood? A front-wheel-drive powertrain featuring a 1.4-liter turbocharged four from a Chevy Cruze making 200 HP.
If that’s all appealing to you, this one’s available on Facebook Marketplace in Las Vegas, Nevada for $24,000 with 8,530 miles.
1980 Volkswagen Gol – $8,500
The Volkswagen Gol is the Brazilian version of the car that we know in America as the Fox. In the Brazilian Gol you get a front-engine, front-wheel drive air-cooled flat four borrowed from the Beetle. We’re talking about a ravenous 42 HP, here, so don’t expect to get anywhere fast.
This car predates the American market Fox by seven years, and those got a 1.8-liter water-cooled engine. It’s another import with good paperwork to come with it. The Gol is $8,500 on Facebook Marketplace in West Baden Springs, Indiana.
1976 Flxible New Look – $8,000
The New Look was Flxible’s answer to the GM bus of the same name. The two look quite similar, with the Flxible looking like the Kirkland brand of the GM New Look. Both buses have fish bowl-style windshields, side windows with a forward rake and stylish fluting. The two can even be had with the same 6V-71 7.0-liter 238 HP Detroit Diesel.
This one has been converted into an RV, and while the conversion looks amateur-ish in places, it should be a fine traveling rig. It’s said to even do 70 mph on level roads. It’s $8,000 on Facebook Marketplace in Edmonton, Kentucky.
That’s it for this week! Have you purchased a car from one of these posts? If so, I want to know.
If you know of a weird car for sale on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, drop it down in the comments or send it along in an email! If the car’s still for sale, we may feature it in a future post.
