Wal-Mart Parking Lot Find: Circa 1992 Geo Metro LSi Convertible

A Geo Metro may not seem that interesting to many people, but they have their place as dependable, inexpensive transportation, and they have a cult following much like the Crosley, Nash Metropolitan and Kaiser Henry J had in years gone by and still retain to a degree.

The Metro convertible was the top-of-the-line Metro in the early 90s, and as a reliable source of inexpensive open-air motoring (better than the Cavalier, Sebring and LeBaron convertibles ever were or will be), it is still a great choice.

I spotted this slightly tatty but very usable car in a Wal-Mart parking lot in early 2013, it is still seen around Eugene at the time of publication.

Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 2009 Pontiac G8 V6 / Holden Commodore SV6

About the only way this Pontiac G8 could be a more perfect Holden Commodore SV6 is if it were converted to right-hand drive. All exterior and interior touches appear to be there, even the Holden logo on the steering wheel. The SV6 is the high-output 3.6 liter V6 version in its home market, probably comparable to the V6 G8 that was sold here. It certainly made me look twice.

Parking Lot Sighting: 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 1968 Chevrolet Bel Air Wagon

Wednesday WTF: 1960 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible

The Lost Collection of Pellini Chevrolet

Pellini Chevrolet of Sebastopol, California was founded by the Pellini family in 1932. It survived the Great Depression, the recession of 1958, and the OPEC crises of the 1970s. It was Sebastopol's longest-lived car dealership, and competed with Carter Ford just down the block. Pellini's dealership was known for its collection of 1920s through 1980s cars which filled the showroom and were often used in town parades.
The Ford dealership closed in 2007, leaving Pellini with the only car dealership in town. General Motors' financial woes in 2008 along with badly declining sales of GM large trucks and SUVs hurt the 76-year-old business, and word of the federal bailout left the Pellinis skeptical about how GM would look and function afterward. Seeing the writing on the wall and thousands of GM-ordered nationwide dealership closures looming, they decided to exit the car business before things went south. The inventory and collection were sold off; the doors were shuttered. Customers can no longer "Buy local and save: time, money, and gas" as the painted sign on the showroom window once trumpeted; they are forced to head out of town. The former Ford showroom down the block now markets electric cars from upstart companies. Pellini Chevrolet sits vacant.

Here are the cars that once graced their showroom.

1932 Chevrolet Coupe

Cadillac Allante

1960 Chevrolet Impala

1958 Chevrolet Impala

1953-55 Chevrolet Corvette

1926 Chevrolet sedan

1923 Chevrolet Superior Touring

1941 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe convertible

Chevrolet Corvair 95 Loadside pickup

When I saw it, this truck had last been registered in 1974.

1981 DeLorean DMC-12

Classic Ads: 1961 Oldsmobile F-85

I must confess I have a bit of a soft spot for the 1961 Olds F-85. It was the baby Oldsmobile, but it was named like a jet fighter plane and bore a close family resemblance to the larger Dynamic 88. Perhaps my favorite part about it though, is that where the 88 has the 394 cubic-inch "Rocket" V8, the F-85 could be had with a little 215 cubic-inch aluminum V8 dubbed the "Rockette". That's just cute. And the little car puts on such a serious face as it goes about its business, riding on its perimeter frame with "Twin-Triangle Stability" on the rear axle.
When's the last time you saw a '61 F-85 wagon? Probably not that many of them around these days. The F-85 would later become the Cutlass, which went on to be America's best selling car a number of times in the following decade.

This ad appeared in the February 3, 1961 issue of Life magazine.

Dealership Shoot: 1966 Oldsmobile Starfire

Photos taken at the former Kassabian Motors in Dublin, CA (now MyHotCars, Inc. in Livermore).