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Rare Collector Car
“What is that?” … is the most often heard comment when you see one of these cars at car shows. “Oh, that’s one of those El Moroccos.” It was the dream of Ruben Allender, a Detroit entrepreneur and Canadian born businessman, to create an American luxury car for the masses. He wanted to produce a luxury car based on the Chevrolet Bel Air and akin to the quality of a Cadillac. But these luxury cars were to be sold at a lower price point. He figured every American would want one. The cars that he produced in Detroit were 1956 and 1957 Chevrolets with Cadillac tail fins, trim and Dagmar front bumpers. He called it the El Morocco. Only 34 El Moroccos were ever built. Although this concept never really caught on, today these El Moroccos are incredibly valuable as collector items. They believe only 10 of them still exist.
This week a frame-off restored 1957 El Morocco 4-Door Hardtop was listed for sale in our Chevrolet Section (and in our Cadillac Section, by the way.) It is being offered for sale at Ellingson Motor Cars in Rogers, Minnesota this week. This car is so interesting, it will probably sell quickly. So get a good look at it while you can.
Up front, the hood was shaved, and the Chevy bumper and grille was replaced with a Cadillac-style Dagmar bumper and Cadillac-inspired “eggcrate” grille. Down the sides, the standard Chevrolet side trim was replaced with Eldorado Brougham-inspired polished lower rear quarter panel trim. The Chevy-designed rear bumper was also replaced by a Cadillac influenced bumper. However, the El Morocco’s most recognizable attribute was the addition of faux Cadillac tailfins that were reportedly made out of fiberglass and gave the El Morocco its iconic silhouette. The El Morocco featured fiberglass quarter panels, Eldorado-style tail fins, and unique side trim, along with other custom details.
Read the description at the link for complete build specs. Then click here to watch a walk-around video and get more on the history of this car.
Long-time newsletter readers will remember when we visited the Tri-Five Nationals back in 2018, and they had a big display of El Morocco Chevrolets. Click here to re-read the story and view seven of these ultra rare collector cars.
New Listings
New Listings Page
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Classic Car News This Week
No. 1 Car Show in the U.S.
Our newsletter readers will remember when we invited them to participate in the USA Today poll to pick the Best Car Show in the U.S. Well, the results are in and the Best Car Show in the country, as chosen by popular vote, is Cruisin’ The Coast, a week-long celebration cruise which tours the Mississippi Gulf Coast. They say about 9,000 vehicles participate in the giant cruise that extends all along the Gulf of Mexico on Hwy 90. It is often referred to as “America’s largest block party.” The car shows are set up each day in 12 different cities from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula. Even the Beach Boys show up for a two-day show at the Biloxi casino. It is right that this show gets its accreditation. Click this link for a look at which shows made the Top 10 list for USA Today and how they ranked.
Don’t miss your favorite car show this summer. Be sure to have our COL Car Show Calendar bookmarked to refer to often. You will always know when one of these Top 10 car shows is coming up. Click here to view our Car Show Calendar of Events.
Collector Car Prices Flat
While most collector cars in the hobby are in a downward price trend at the moment, there are some iconic collector cars that are bucking that trend. A recent Hagerty Insurance Company report indicates that prices on early first generation Corvettes and first gen Shelby Mustangs have increased slightly. They believe in the past three months they have seen prices on the 1953 Corvette sports cars increase by up to 15 percent. In that same period they report that a 1965 Shelby GT350 may have increased by 8 percent on average. It is no surprise that 1967 Corvette big block cars are also increasing in value. Despite these few spotlight increases, they describe the collector car market as being “flat” with a downward trend bias. One interesting theory that they have floated is that they see the Millenial generation as being interested in “collecting cars.” Their preferences are for 1980’s, 1990’s and early 2000 cars and trucks, however. Click here to read the report that Hagerty wrote at the end of April.
This Weeks Featured Stories
1949 Hudson Commodore 8
Hudson’s slogan was “A new design for ’49.” The “new” Hudson was one of the first brand new designs of the post-WWII era. It was what Hudson called a Monobilt construction, creating more passenger comfort and safety. With the floor pan attached at the bottom of the frame rails, you could step down into the passenger compartment instead of having to pull yourself up into it. This week, a 1949 Hudson Commodore 8 Convertible was listed for sale at Streetside Classics in Concord, North Carolina. It has the 254 ci Flathead six engine and a 3-speed manual transmission. With a leather interior and front independent coil springs, it was quite an innovative passenger vehicle for ’49.
1981 Camaro Z28
We talk about “future collectibles” pretty often here in the COL newsletter. That is because there are always some cars that we know will be great collector cars some day, but are not yet on the collector car community’s radar. This 1981 Camaro Z28 is a great example. The 1978 to 1981 Camaro Z28’s are very attractive sports cars. Given the rise in prices of the earlier generations of Camaros it follows that these cars will be going up in value, too, when their time comes. Well, that time may be arriving. We’ve noticed that the ’78 to ’81 Camaro Z28’s are selling as fast as we get them listed recently. (Two were sold in the past week before we could even get them in the newsletter here.) This 1981 Camaro Z28 is being offered for sale at a great price by Unique Classic Cars in Mankato, Minnesota. They have it listed as having only 24k miles. It has a clean engine compartment with a small block 350 Chevy engine.
Auctions
We’re getting excited to head for North Carlina to experience the southern hospitality and good fellowship at the Raleigh Classic Spring Auction, May 30-31, 2025. Cars-On-Line.com will be heading for Youngsville, North Carolina for the Raleigh Classic Auction at the Capitol Auto Auction facility. Based on the results of past auctions we’ve covered there, our readers know the Raleigh Classic is one of the best auctions to buy true low miles collector cars. Many of the top collector car dealers throughout the Southeastern states will be there. They say there will be over 300 choice vehicles in the sale. The Raleigh Classic takes pride in curating the best cars in the hobby for the two-day event. For example, here are a few we will be watching.
1956 Cadillac Seville
The Raleigh Classic Collector Car Auction is known throughout the Southeatern U.S. as the sale where classic cars are sold with low miles. And Cadillacs have always been the calling card for this sale. Here is a great example. A rare 1956 Cadillac Seville will be crossing the auction floor at the Raleigh Classic on Saturday, May 31, in prime time. It is one of only 3,900 ever produced at the factory. The odometer reads 43,692 miles and is believed to be accurate. The factory colors are Dutchess Green over Princess Green with an original green and white interior. Standard and optional equipment include power seat, power hydraulic windows, power assist brakes and steering, E-Z Eye Glass, heater and Autronic Eye automatic headlight dimmer. The originality will be well considered here at the Raleigh.
1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
Possibly one of the most desirable cars at this year’s Raleigh Classic is a rare 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible with factory Tri-Power. It was ordered in this two-tone combination of Kasmir Blue over white finish. In a great story about the provenance of this car, the original owner sold the car and then tracked it down and bought it back again some years later. He then took it in for a complete restoration to factory original condition. So the original owner had it in his care until this year. It has never before been offered at auction. They tell us it runs and drives “outstanding.” It features leather interior, a factory continental kit, very rare spotlight mirror, correct T3 headlights, white wall tires, AM radio, power antenna and power convertible top with matching boot.
1951 Hudson Pacemaker
An award winning 1951 Hudson Pacemaker Convertible will be offered for sale on Friday, May 30, at the Raleigh Classic in Youngsville, North Carolina. This fine example has been fully restored and has received numerous awards as a result. It is equipped with the 308ci engine with Twin-H-Power factory dual carburetors (producing 75 extra horsepower) and factory overdrive 3-speed transmission. Its notable features include, front dash traffic view finder, factory correct working heater, correct leather interior with new carpet and panels, aftermarket under dash gauge package, correct electric convertible top with black Haartz fabric and correct burgundy boot, front windshield sun visor with fold-out antenna and new Coker wide white wall radial tires.
Video Ads
1971 Chevy Nova
A Tuxedo Black 1971 Chevrolet Nova was just posted by MGM Classic Cars in Addison, Illinois. They just got this one in the showroom. Wait till you hear the 383 Chevy V8. It was built by AES Automotive Engine Specialties in Elk Grove Village. Click the video window above to see how clean the engine compartment displays. Earl says this is “by far” the best Nova he has ever seen. The sound system has big $$ invested. They say it has been on the Power Tour a lot. The exhaust has 3” pipes with an X-pipe. Does it sound good?
Have you seen our CarsOnLine.tv Classic Car Video marketplace? To feature your car on CarsOnLine.tv, just add a video to your Cars-On-Line.com ad. Video ads have become the most important development for internet sellers. Just upload your video to YouTube and we’ll embed your video in your Cars On Line.com ad at no extra charge.
Here are a few more ads with interesting videos:
Collector Cars with Low Miles
1972 Jaguar E-Type Roadster
There are so many low-mile collector cars in today’s New Listings that we don’t know where to begin. How about a 1972 Jaguar E-Type Roadster to whet your whistle? This V12 sports car convertible is one of the most iconic British designs in automotive history. Even today people stop and stare at the beautiful aerodynamic design. This beautiful example will be offered for sale at the Raleigh Classic Auction on May 31, in Youngsville, North Carolina. The bidding will be hot on this one. It still has only 6,514 actual miles.
Here are more recent Low Miles additions:
2003 BMW Z8, Ideal Classic Cars, FL, only 9k miles
1985 Pontiac Parisienne, Raleigh Classic Auction, 6k actual miles
2004 Ford Thunderbird, Streetside Tampa, FL, 23,424 actual miles
1976 Chevy Caprice Classic from Toledo, OH, 31,000 actual miles
2004 Nissan 350Z Touring, Streetside Charlotte, 35,610 actual miles
2005 Corvette Convertible, Streetside Charlotte, 37,019 actual miles
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Convertible, Raleigh Classic, 26k orig miles
2000 Corvette Convertible, Streetside Tampa, 44,238 actual miles
You’ll find these and hundreds more in our Low Miles Section online now.
Project Vehicles for Restoration
1955 MG TF Roadster
The Project Car Section is the most popular menu on the Cars-On-Line.com website. With over 400 projects of every type and manufacturer, there is always something special to restore there. This week we noticed a 1955 MG TF 1500 Roadster was listed for sale. These popular British sports cars have become endearingly coveted by American car enthusiasts. This one is being offered for sale at Gullwing Motor Cars in New York. It was in storage for many years, and would benefit from cosmetic recommissioning and servicing. They say it is numbers matching.
The following are just some of the cars available in the Project Car Section this week:
1965 Porsche 911, Gullwing Motor Cars, NY
1973 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, Classic Auto Mall, PA
1934 Buick Coupe, Haggle Me
1984 Corvette, Classical Gas Motors, TX
Find hundreds of project cars for sale in the Project Car Section.
Price Reduced
1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
A 1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was listed out of California recently. The private party seller describes it as being in “mint” condition. He says the mileage is at 76,253, and says he has the documentation. It has leather seats, dual exhaust. He says it “drives like a dream.” And the description says the interior and paint are in excellent condition. He recently listed the price as $42,200. But just this week he dropped the price to $34,400. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about. Check out the engine compartment. That’s where the money is.
Here are more vehicles with price cuts this week:
| Vehicle For Sale | Original Price | Reduced To |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 Corvette L78 396/425 | $98,900 | $95,900 |
| 1997 Plymouth Prowler | $40,000 | $35,000 |
| 1937 Hudson Terreplane | $3,500 | $2,500 |
Pro Touring and Resto Mods
Street Rods
See more great deals in the Street Rod Section, or watch the the New Listings page.
Rock n Roll 50’s
Off Road, 4x4s, and Jeeps
Find more in the Off Road Section on Cars On Line.com. There’s even more on the New Listings page!
Future Collectibles
Find more in the SUV Section online. You can see all the fresh ads on the New Listings page.
Classic Luxury
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
You can see all the fresh ads as they are listed each day on the New Listings page.
Ford Muscle Cars
Find more in the Ford Muscle Car Section, or watch the fresh listings as they appear on the New Listings page.
Pontiac Muscle Cars
Check the Pontiac Performace Section for more. See all the fresh ads listed on the New Listings page.
Check the Oldsmobile Muscle Car Section . See more listed each day on the New Listings page.
Check out the Buick Muscle Car Section. More listed daily on the New Listings page.
Late Model Sports Cars
You’ll find many more modern sports cars listed by year in the Late Model Sports Car Section.
Late Model Trucks
Scroll through the Trucks & 4x4s Section for more. The newest ads come in on the New Listings page.
Classic Customs
You’ll see more for sale in the Customs Section and on the New Listings page.
You’ll see more for sale in the Pro Street Section, or on the Cars On Line New Listings page.
See more for sale in the Truck Section or watch for fresh listings on the New Listings page.
Late Model Luxury Cars
See more great deals in the Luxury Section or on the New Listings page.
See more great deals in the Mustang Section and on the New Listings page.
Muscle Car Clones
Yenko Camaro 427 Tribute
A stunning looking 1969 Yenko Camaro 427 tribute car has been listed for sale by MGM Classic Cars in Illinois. It comes with a rea 427 big block V8 which has been rebuilt. And it transfers power through a 4-speed manual tranmsission with a 12-bolt rear end. It has power disc brakes and power steering. Check out the reupholstered black interior in the photos. This high end build drives well, says MGM. Click here to watch a walk-around video and hear it run.
The following are more recently listed Muscle Car Clones:
1970 Mustang Fastback, MGM Classic Cars, IL, Boss 302 decals
1972 Mustang Convertible, Streetside Charlotte, NC, Mach 1 Convt
1968 Corvette, Classic Auto Mall, PA, Mako Shark front
1972 Chevrolet Nova, Streetside Charlotte, SS tribute
1970 Chevelle, MGM Classic Cars, IL, SS emblems
1970 Chevelle, MGM Classic Cars, IL, SS emblems
Make sure you watch our New Listings page for daily updates. There’s even more in the Muscle Car Section.
Deals of the Day
1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Here is a special deal that won’t be available for long. A 1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo was just listed by Cassandra’s Motorsports in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. It has a big block 454 engine. This is the way to buy a Monte Carlo. It is black with a black interior. It has a mean streak. The automatic transmission with a console shift fits between bucket seats and the interior looks real clean in the photos. The big block 454 Monte Carlos don’t come along every day. Here is your chance to own one. The ad page says it only has 88,479 miles. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Saturday, if it lasts that long. Their asking price is $17,995.
1949 Ford Custom
A real sweet looking 1949 Ford Custom has been listed for sale at North Shore Classics in Mundelein, Illinois this week. They say it drives great. It has the original 239 ci Flathead V8 engine with the original 3-speed manual transmission. Nicely equipped, it has spotlights, and a sun visor. Look at dozens of detailed photos at the ad page. The body looks pretty straight from what we can see. Have it inspected to find out if it is as good as it looks. You will see the nice custom pinstriping. Then click the video link to view a walk-around inspection. They say it drives great. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Sunday. Their asking price is $19,900.
1969 Ford XL Sportsroof
This is a pretty hard-to-find muscle car. It is a 1969 Ford XL Sportsroof (fastback) in Candy Apple Red paint and comes with the original 390 ci V8 engine with Holley dual feed 4-barrel carburetor and a C6 automatic transmission. It has an aftermarket Edelbrock Performer aluminum intake, shorty headers, power steering and power front disc brakes. It has rare factory bucket seats with a center console, factory dash and gauges. Note the 15” Magnum 500 wheels. The cool factor comes from the functional factory retractable headlamps. This was a luxury class muscle car from Ford in its day. It is being offered for sale by Southern Motors in Clarksburg, Michigan. Click here to watch their walk-around video inspection. So it will be our DEAL of the DAY on Monday. The price is $22,900. Hurry on this one.
1978 Camaro Z28
As the story above about ’78 through ’81 Camaro Z28’s shows, these “future classics” are already selling well as collector cars. So, when a 1978 Camaro Z28 was posted for sale by Sovereign Auto Group in Michigan we knew we had to mention it here in the DEAL of the DAY. We don’t expect this one to last the weekend. Call now. What a great factory color scheme on this Z car. The black with red pinstriping and tri-colored hood treatment. Outstanding! They say it is a very solid survivor, and runs strong with its 5.7 liter 350 V8 engine, TH350 3-speed automatic transmission and 4.11 rear axle ratio with limited slip differential. Although the air does not work, it has power steering, power brakes and 15” Z28 Rally wheels. The interior needs TLC. Click here to watch a walk-around video. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Tuesday (if it lasts that long.) Their asking price is $20,000.
1978 Corvette Custom
Corvette customs were really popular back in the 1980’s Here is a Midnight black 1978 Corvette Custom which fits that mold. It has custom mods throughout, with custom chin and rear spoilers expertly “glassed in.” While the T-tops offer open-air cruising options when you want to be seen, the 15″ wheels wrapped in F50-15 front and N50-15 rear tires provide the perfect aggressive stance for this American icon. The 350 V8 now has a single Holley 4-barrel carburetor and an Edelbrock Performer intake. Lots of chrome under the hood complements the sound created by the long tube headers and dual chambered exhaust system. They say it handles as good as it looks. Click here for a walk-around video. It will be our DEAL of the DAY on Wednesday next week. The asking price is $19,995.
2005 Chrysler Crossfire Convertbile
We’ve had quite a few Chrysler Crossfire convertibles listed recently. These are some of the best sports cars Chrysler ever made. That’s because they were designed by Daimler. Here is a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Limited Convertible which was just posted for sale by Legendary Motors in Massachusetts. The Alabaster finish with a black convertible top and gray seats with black inserts is a masterful and elegant presentation. They say this car has only 28,348 miles on it. You are getting SLK technology at a Chrysler price here. The wheels are staggered 18” and 19” alloys, and the car is equipped with a speed activated rear spoiler. It also has an Infinity sound system. Click here to view a walk-around video inspection. It will be our DEAL of the DAY late next week. Their asking price is only $12,900. Need some summer fun?
1981 Corvette T-Tops
For a lot of Corvette fans, this is the way a Corvette Stingray should look. It is a 1981 Corvette with T-tops. This Corvette shows off the final classic body style that made the Stingray famous. With only 83,700 original miles, it comes loaded with options like power windows, power disc brakes, power mirrors, tilt wheel and cruise control. It is being offered for sale this week at MGM Classic Cars in Addison, Illinois. They say everything works. It runs and drives and stops as it should. Of course, it has the 350 ci 5.7 liter V8 with an automatic transmission. You can view 76 photos on the ad page, and be sure to click here to watch the detailed video inspection. This is an L81 model. It will be the DEAL of the DAY late next week. The asking price is $19,994.
Often there are more cars that deserve to be in the DEAL of the DAY than we can schedule for our front page feature. Here is a list of cars that just missed the cut for the DEAL of the DAY this week. Remember, you saw them here first:
| 1977 Pontiac Firebird Formula | $22,900 | Addison, IL |
| 1975 Olds Delta 88 Royale Convt | $16,000 | Morgantown, PA |
| 1985 Pontiac Grand Prix | $12,495 | New York |
| 1985 Cadillac Eldorado Convt | $17,994 | Addison, IL |
| 2005 Chrysler Crossfire Convt | $14,995 | Tampa, FL |
| 1971 Cadillac Coupe DeVille | $19,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 1975 Chrysler Cordoba | $12,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 1978 Cadillac Eldorado | $16,900 | Mankato, MN |
| 1974 Mercedes 450SL | $15,000 | Morgantown, PA |
| 1992 Buick Regal GS | $14,900 | Indiana |
| 1979 Corvette | $22,000 | Texas |
Cars for under $10,000:
| 1964 Ford Falcon | $7,950 | Los Angeles, CA |
| 2008 Saturn Aura XR | $7,600 | Mundelein, IL |
Cars On Line features vehicles here based on their listed price. We are not endorsing these vehicles. We have not inspected or appraised any of the above vehicles. We are only pointing out that these vehicles are priced at a discount to the market. When you buy from a private party the purchase is always “as is” and “where is.” There is no warranty implied or given on any of these cars by Cars On Line. It is your responsibility as the buyer to protect yourself from misrepresentation of any car advertised. We strongly recommend having a vehicle inspected as one precaution before you buy. Click here to purchase a detailed vehicle inspection.
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Thank You
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DISCLAIMER: Readers should be aware that the editiorial comments made in this newsletter are strictly the opinion of the author, Larry Kolb. Mr. Kolb offers his editorial opinion of the marketability of these cars based on information provided by the sellers. Neither Mr. Kolb nor Cars On Line.com has seen or inspected these cars. These comments are not to be mistaken for advertising, nor should they be considered an endorsement of any product. They are strictly editorial in nature. Neither Mr. Kolb nor Cars On Line will profit from the sale of any of the cars mentioned here. No warranty of these vehicles is implied or given. It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in the purchase of these vehicles should have them inspected before the sale.
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