Best First Classic Car

The second-gen CRX is the Miata's sibling that never got the credit. While Mazda was building the perfect roadster, Honda built the perfect coupe. Under 2,200 pounds, a willing SOHC engine, and handling that embarrassed cars costing three times as much. The Si version with the D16A6 engine found the sweet spot: enough power to be fun, reliable enough to be daily driven, efficient enough to pass gas stations without stopping. This was Honda at the height of their engineering arrogance — building cars that made you wonder why anyone bothered with anything else.

The CJ is where the Jeep legend lives. The military MB won World War II; the civilian CJ brought that go-anywhere capability to everyone else. The CJ-5 ran for 28 years with relatively minor changes — a testament to the design's rightness. The CJ-7, introduced in 1976 with a 10-inch longer wheelbase, added practicality without sacrificing capability. These were the Jeeps that crawled Moab before Instagram. The AMC inline-6 engines that arrived in 1972 are bulletproof and still run daily. The CJ is the original recreational 4x4 — every Wrangler since has been chasing this formula.

The MGB is the British sports car. More were sold in America than any other British roadster. It democratized the sports car experience — not as exotic as a Jaguar, not as expensive as a Triumph TR6, but genuinely fun and within reach. For decades, the MGB was the entry point into British car enthusiasm. The 1974.5 and later 'rubber bumper' cars get grief, but they're also cheaper and still fun. The MGB created a template for affordable sports cars that echoes through every Miata on the road today.

The '67 Mustang is where the pony car grew up. The original 1964½ was a secretary's car — a compact Falcon in a pretty dress. For '67, Ford stretched the body to fit big-block V8s. The fastback roofline became the defining silhouette of American muscle. Steve McQueen's '68 Bullitt Mustang (nearly identical to the '67) cemented the fastback as the coolest car shape of the era. This is the Mustang that launched a thousand posters.

The '67-72 C10 is the canonical classic truck. The Action Line redesign cleaned up the bulbous '60-66 look into something timeless. It's the truck in every truck commercial when they want to evoke authenticity. The square body that followed ('73-87) is also cool, but these are the ones that launched the restomod movement. LS swaps, air ride, patina paint — the C10 is to trucks what the '32 Ford is to hot rods: the canvas everyone starts with.

The Chevrolet Square Body is the last old-school American truck — simple, solid, and infinitely fixable. The design ran for 14 years with only incremental changes, which means parts interchange across the entire run. The square styling that gives these trucks their nickname was revolutionary in 1973 and still looks purposeful today. They were workhorses when new, and the survivors are either beat to hell or lovingly maintained. The K-series 4x4 trucks, especially short-bed models, have become the hottest segment in the collector truck market. A clean 1987 K10 Silverado can sell for more than it cost new, adjusted for inflation.

The Thing is what happens when you take a military utility vehicle and sell it to beach towns. Based on the WWII Kubelwagen design, VW updated it for the '60s and '70s as a recreational vehicle. In America, it became a cult item for exactly two years before failing new safety standards. That brief window and the quirky design created instant collector appeal. The Thing is the ultimate beach cruiser — doors off, top down, completely impractical, and absolutely joyful.

The Scout invented the SUV. International Harvester, a farm equipment company, created a vehicle for farmers and ranchers who needed something between a pickup and a car. The Bronco and Blazer followed, but the Scout got there first. The Scout II refined the formula with more power and better on-road manners. These were genuinely capable off-road vehicles built by a company that knew heavy equipment. The Scout is the grandfather of every crossover on the road today.

The 124 Spider brought Italian sports car experience to American driveways at a fraction of Ferrari prices. Pininfarina design, a genuine DOHC engine, proper handling — this was real automotive passion accessible to the middle class. Yes, the electrics are Italian. Yes, it rusts. But behind the wheel, with the top down, none of that matters. The 124 Spider taught Americans that sports cars could be affordable and still feel special.