Parking Lot Sighting: 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible

Parking Lot Spot: 1989-92 Infiniti M30 (Nissan Leopard)

The Infiniti M30 was the Japanese auto industry's first try at a personal-luxury coupe for the US market, and being rear-wheel-drive on the R31 Nissan Skyline platform, was ostensibly an excellent alternative to the Ford Thunderbird, Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Riviera, Audi Coupe and Mercedes-Benz 300CE.

Its undoings were being narrower than Americans were used to, being the flagship of an unproven brand, having no options and no manual transmission option, and sharing more parts with the concurrent Maxima and 300ZX than with the Skyline, along with spotty distribution, and it remains a very rare car, with roughly 12,000 made for the US domestic market only. Infiniti never returned to the personal luxury market, only returning to coupes with a rebadged CV36 Skyline in 2008 as the sporty G37 Coupe.

This is one of only 3 known M30s in Eugene (one being a maroon coupe and the other being a black convertible). In 3 months of knowing this car's existence, I have not seen it move once. Perhaps I might make an offer on it, buy it and restore it at some point.

Wouldn't You Really Rather Have A Buick?: 1977 Buick Regal Coupe

Details are scant on this listing, and the picture is poor-quality, but if the mechanicals, body, top and interior are any good, here is a great beginner's classic, vintage daily driver or lowrider fodder. The car has a Chevy 350 V8, rebuilt transmission & carburetor and is said to run great.

The A-Special and Colonnade body GM midsize cars from 1973-77 are only now starting to be recognized as classics, and are a great alternative to a modern or semi-modern sedan (Taurus, Camry, Avalon, Passat, Intrepid, Sonata, etc.) for a daily driver if you can put up with rear-wheel-drive, fewer creature comforts, somewhat worse spare-parts availability and lower fuel mileage.

Find it here in Corvallis, Oregon for $2200

College Cars: 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

This is College Cars, a recurring feature on the vehicles of the Academy of Art University car collection. Today we look at this Cortez Silver 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.

The Eldorado was Cadillac's halo car in 1959. This was about as opulent and ostentatious as you were going to find in the late 1950s - and the Caddy's iconic tailfins were as high as anyone ever got. Power to move the 5000-lb car came from a 390 cubic inch V8 making 345 horsepower. Only 1,320 of these striking '59 Eldorado convertibles were built.

Classic Ads: 1966 Lincoln Continental Coupe

I get a very East Coast vibe in this 1966 ad for the Lincoln Continental coupe. The lighthouse, people shooting clay pigeons, it all shouts Martha's Vineyard to me. And that's fine, because rich people live there and those are the sort of buyers who would drive a big Continental luxury coupe in 1966. When was the last time you saw a man with a gun in a luxury car ad?
The '66 Continental's biggest update was of course the handsome new coupe body, but it received a refresh front and rear and a new engine displacing 462 cubic inches. An 'automatic temperature control system' (air conditioning?) and stereo tape (8-track?) AM/FM radio were now available.
Now that I look at it, the Continental coupe has a passing resemblance in profile to a Ford Galaxie. This would be remedied in 1968 when the car got a more formal roof with smaller quarter windows. In my opinion, this early coupe style is far more attractive.

This ad appeared in the March 4, 1966 issue of Life magazine.

The Valet Stand: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe

Welcome to The Valet Stand, where we look at some of the best cars I've found parked in front of the lobby at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco. Today's feature is a UK-spec Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe that was in town for a Rolls-Royce press event in fall 2008.

Dealership Photo Shoot: 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado

All pictures taken at Specialty Sales Classics in Pleasanton, CA. Photos taken in 2008. This car had just 19,000 miles on it at the time.

The Valet Stand: Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG

Welcome to The Valet Stand, where we look at some of the best cars I've found parked in front of the lobby at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco. This week's feature is a Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG (C216), a large luxury coupe with a 6.0 liter AMG twin-turbo V12 engine. This car stickered for roughly $200,000 new.

College Cars: 1948 Lincoln Continental

This is College Cars, a recurring feature about the Academy of Art University car collection. Today we look at this Regal Blue 1948 Lincoln Continental coupe.

The Continental began as a pet project of Edsel Ford in 1938 as an exercise mimicking European - or "Continental" styling cues, namely the long hood and short rear deck, with limited body decoration and a low profile. Bob Gregorie produced a prototype based on the Lincoln Zephyr that featured a spare tire on the rear (now known as a 'Continental kit') and deleted the running boards. Between the fenders the engineering team dropped in a V12 engine with a 3-speed manual overdrive transmission. The result went into production for the 1940 model year. It was a hit with the rich and famous and the '48 Continental is one of the last cars recognized as a "True Classic" by the Classic Car Club of America.

Photographed at the 2011 San Francisco International Auto Show.