1991 Volkswagen Corrado: Unfortunate Auto

The Corrado has always been one of my favorite cars. To this day, the styling is among the best I’ve ever seen come out of Wolfsburg, and clean Corrados still look surprisingly new when you see them on the road. This example here on eBay is a 1991 G60 model, supercharged from the factory. Sadly, it is saddled with an automatic transmission which is less than ideal for a car that relies on boost to make speed. It’s a shame, because this car appears to be a survivor-grade example when many have been extinguished from the roads either due to abuse or excessive repair costs. Of course, it could be that slow-shifting auto that kept it from such fates. The seller doesn’t offer much in the way of detail, which you’ll want before committing to buy – but for $3,900, you could likely make most of that money back by parting it out if it turns out to be a dog.

1987 VW GTI 16V: Won’t Get Cheaper

There are some cars that seemingly have vanished from our roads, never to return again. It’s not as if a Consumer Reports expose took it out, or the rust-proofing agents failed to protect body panels. No, it just seems the world shifted enough that those cars were no longer needed, and they were unceremoniously scrapped from the earth. The MK2 GTI is one such a car, as are most of the models in Volkswagen’s second generation lineup. I don’t even see them in junkyards, but someone needs to save this 1987 16V on craigslist for $1,050 in California before it ends up in one. Read more »

1981 Chevy Citation X11: X-tinct Econobox

The 1980s posed new challenges for major brands like Chevrolet and Ford. Customers were still feeling the aftershocks of the second energy crisis, and it was clear the domestics needed to have fuel efficient alternatives to the fuel-sippers from Asia. This being America, however, we still wanted performance while extending our time between fill-ups, pushing the big three to find ways to blend performance with fuel economy, a challenge they’ve only recently begun figuring out with continued success. There were bright spots, however, like the Chevy Citation X11 – a car that took an uninspiring econobox and gave it some serious chops. Check out this 1981 edition here on craigslist in Los Angeles for $4,000. Read more »

1988 Dodge Shadow CSX-T: Ready to Rent

Although I write for Barn Finds and Credit Card Classics in my spare time, I am a marketing and PR consultant by day (ask me which role I enjoy more). I’ve always found Carroll Shelby’s collaboration with rental car agencies to be an interesting gimmick: put a muscle car on the menu for mere dollars per day and watch enthusiasts flock to the rental counter. It worked for the Mustang in the ‘60s, so Shelby tried it again with Thrifty in the late ‘80s with a slightly different formula: a turbocharged Dodge Shadow CSX-T. There were only 1,000 produced, one of which is up for grabs here on craigslist in Florida for $3,800. Read more »