Diego’s AutoHunter Picks

It was a fine time walking through Westworld during Arizona Auction Week. There were over 2,000 cars to see at the 2024 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction but, now that it’s over, my focus is on AutoHunter’s current crop of interesting autos.

Below we have a nice mix of cars of varying collectability, but they all satisfy some enthusiast aspect in me. Do they do the same for you? What would you pick?

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6
A cool thing about 1970 Chevelle Super Sports is that there were four configurations: standard domed hood, standard domed hood with D88 stripes, Cowl Induction with standard stripes, or Cowl Induction with stripe-delete. While I’m a fan of stripes, I appreciate SSs without them, as I feel it gives the car a tougher, stockier look.

This 1970 Chevelle SS 454 Sport Coupe is equipped with the 450-horsepower LS6 engine, which is verified by the build sheet. It also features a bench seat, column-shifted automatic, and 4.10 gears. Can you say, “let’s go drag racing?” Because this Chevelle seems to have been built for that, yet the power disc brakes and steering also mean the drive to the drag strip will be pleasant.

2009 Ford Mustang Bullitt Edition
The original Highland Green 2001 Mustang Bullitt was cool, but Ford also offered it in black and blue, which was kinda lame. For 2008-9, Ford reintroduced the package, all with a TREMEC five-speed manual. Though Ford thought fit to include black as a second color (groan), it’s the green one that we think of when we think of the movie. In total, 6,582 were built in 2008-9.

Of those, 816 Bullitt Mustangs were built for 2009, with 635 being Highland Green. This 23,625-mile example has been a California car its entire life and is equipped with a Ford Racing Power Upgrade Package that includes a cold-air induction system. Gears are 3.73s, which seem somewhat steep these days but it’s perfect for the boy racer daydreamer who squints and imagines he’s hopping the streets of San Francisco.

2021 Audi RS7 Sportback
There was a time when Audi was my favorite automotive brand. They were looking at the details and showing us that it was the little things that distinguished one car from the rest — things like interior lighting and panel gaps. And the TT show car nicely translated into the production TT coupe. Today? I’ve lost track of Audi’s trajectory, not even realizing the 2021 RS7 is a hybrid (though new models shed the 48-volt system).

This 2021 Audi RS7 offers 591 horsepower and 0-60 in just 3.0 seconds from a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with electrical assist. What’s not to like? With only 5,899 miles and one owner, this RS7 features LED lighting, the Black Optic package, the Executive Package, and Akrapovic exhaust, among others. Think of this as a six-figure car you can pick up for five figures.

1996 Cadillac Eldorado ETC Convertible
My dad had a 1982 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe, but it was a lemon and he traded it in for a base 1984 Eldo. At the time, an all-new Eldorado Biarritz convertible had arrived at Delaware Cadillac, but my dad couldn’t afford it. The Eldorado that followed included the downsized mistake, with the subsequent model redeeming itself with Northstar V8 power, which was a huge improvement despite the FWD architecture.

This 54,059-mile 1996 Eldorado ETC (Eldorado Touring Coupe) ragtop is the manifestation of everything I dreamed about for my dad: a Euro-inspired Caddy with a folding top. Of course, this one is a conversion that was handled by Florida-based Coach Builders Limited. The 4.6-liter V8 put out 300 horsepower, which made it the most powerful FWD vehicle for its time. As you’d expect, this Eldo is loaded with dual airbags, air conditioning, cruise, stereo cassette/CD, and more.