Car: Chevrolet Deluxe Coupe

Year: 1952

What makes it special: The Chevrolet Deluxe was a trim line marketed from 1941 to 1952. The line included, at first a 4-door sedan, but grew to include a fastback 2-door “Arosedan” and other body styles. During the post-war years and continuing through the early 1950’s the Deluxe range was Chevrolet’s sales leader, offering style and luxury appointments unavailable in the base Special series; and a wider range of body styles, including a convertible, Sport Coupe hardtop, two- and four-door sedans and four-door station wagons.

What made it famous: The other change was the availability of Powerglide, a two-speed automatic transmission, exclusively in the Deluxe and Bel Air models. It was powered by a 235-cubic inch six-cylinder engine developing 105 horsepower and had a 3.55:1 rear differential; the engine went on to become the “Blue Flame six.” Models sold with the standard 3-speed manual transmission got the usual 216.5-cubic inch engine, developing 92 horsepower. Many comfort, convenience and styling options were available, including tinted glass which was introduced in 1952, the final year for this style. After the end of the 1952 model year, the old nameplates, Special and Deluxe, were retired, and changed to 150 and 210, respectively, with trim similar to their respective former series.

Why I would want one: The Deluxe is a very popular model for street rod material.

Fun fact: Popular Mechanics rated fuel economy of 20mpg at 50 mph.

Car: American Motors Corporation (AMC) AMX

Year: 1968

What makes it special: The AMX is a two-seat GT-style sports car that was produced by American Motors Corporation for the 1968 through 1970 model years. The AMX was also classified as a muscle car, but “unique among other American cars at the time due its short wheelbase.” The AMX was also the only American-built steel-bodied two-seater of its time, the first since the 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbird. To a degree, the AMX was a competitor with America’s only other two-seater of the era, the Chevrolet Corvette for substantially less money.

What made it famous: Fitted with the optional high-compression medium block 390 cu in AMC V8 engine, the AMX offered top-notch performance at an affordable price. In spite of this value and enthusiastic initial reception by automotive media and enthusiasts, sales never thrived. However, the automaker’s larger objectives to refocus AMC’s image on performance and to bring younger customers into its dealer showrooms was achieved. After three model years, the two-seat version was discontinued, and the AMX’s now signature badging was transferred to a high-performance version of its four-seat sibling, the Javelin, from the 1971 to 1974 model years.

Why I would want one: I love the AMC muscle car line. The cool thing about the AMX is that it only has two seats, making it great for serious competition due to it’s light weight and short wheelbase.

Fun fact: With a one-inch shorter wheelbase than Chevrolet’s two-seater, the AMX was often seen by the press as a “Corvette competitor”