A sneak peek of what’s inside Old Cars’ January 1, 2026, issue!
Check out what’s inside Old Cars’ January 1, 2026, issue. Not a subscriber? See what you are missing.
Brian Earnest tells the tale of a 1967 Mustang that came back for an encore
The “gone but not forgotten” saga of Gene Leopold’s 1967 Ford Mustang GT was almost more of a “gone and good riddance” story.
But Gene’s son Kris was determined to change the ending.
It’s not that Gene, a resident of Superior, Wis., didn’t like the hot Acapulco Blue Mustang GT he bought new back in 1967. Heck, he custom ordered it exactly the way he wanted it, and he loved driving it for the first five years of the car’s life.
But when Kris wanted to play detective and determine if the car still existed many years later — and maybe see if he and his dad could somehow get it back — Gene wasn’t so sure.
John Norris takes us across the pond for the 'Haynes Classic' car show
In the world of motor enthusiasts, the name John Haynes looms large and is instantly recognizable among vehicle owners. A life-long motor enthusiast himself, he founded the internationally recognized Haynes Motor Museum in the U.K. in 1984, some 20 years after he had founded a publishing empire which printed easy-to-follow, do-it-yourself maintenance manuals for vehicle owners. John sadly passed away in February 2019 at age 80, leaving the museum which bears his name as one strand of his legacy in the small Somerset village of Sparkford in southwest England.
David Temple talks Motorama dream car Skylark
Buick turned 50 years old in 1953 and celebrated its birthday in style. The company delayed the release of its new V-8 until this model year, improved the Dynaflow (which some had called “Dyna-slush”), updated its B- and C-body cars for the final time in that styling cycle and released the new Skylark, a sporty-looking, limited-production, factory-customized model.
Old Cars reports on the best 'Barn Finds' from MCAN 2025
MCACN’s Barn Finds and Hidden Gems display of forlorn muscle cars is just as popular as the much larger display of restored and beautifully preserved muscle cars that share the floor of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Here, in the barn finds display, gear heads can live out the dream of discovery and ponder the potential of about two dozen desirable but deteriorated muscle cars, from Shelby and Boss Mustangs to Hemi MoPars and big-displacement cars from “The General.”
Al Rogers unearths the hidden history of a special 1970 Olds 4-4-2
On May 30, 1970, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway came alive for the annual 500-mile race with racing legend Rodger Ward behind the wheel of a muscular 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2, that year’s official Indy Pace Car. Ward paced a formidable lineup of race car drivers including Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney and Al Unser, Sr. When the checkered flag dropped after 500 miles, Unser had claimed victory driving the Johnny Lightning Special.
As part of the post-race celebrations, Unser took a victory lap in the Indy Pace Car for all the spectators to see. He was met with the cheers of the hundreds of thousands of people at the speedway echoing across the race track. Unser forever became a part of Indianapolis Motor Speedway history with his win, as did the pace car that carried him.
More than 30 years after millions of people watched Unser’s post-win procession on their televisions at home and in-person at the track, the once-famous 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Indy Pace Car was left to decay in Michigan.
David Burrows coverage of the Studebaker and Avanti dual meet
The 61st Annual Studebaker Driver’s Club (SDC) and the Avanti Owner’s Association International (AOAI) completed their joint meet at Meadowlands, Pa., near Pittsburgh, Sept. 16-20. Members of both clubs had been asking for renewal of a joint meeting with a full sharing of events, joint meetings and activities. It was two years in the planning with many of the activities finally taking place at the Washington County Fairgrounds, close to the host hotel.
Gregg Merksamer talks 'Hearsemania 2025'
The 2025 “Hearsemania,” held in Lima, Ohio, from June 13-15, proved a truly epic experience marking the centennial of the Superior Coach Co. entering the hearse- and ambulance-building business. The firm was originally founded in 1923 to manufacture bus bodies for locally made Garford Motor Truck chassis.
AngeloVan Bogart talks about a fine 1933 Graham Blue Streak
Amid the depths of the Great Depression, Graham was on top with the most modern-looking American car in 1932. When the little-changed 1933 models returned to the streets in 1933, Graham could boast it had “the most imitated car.”
Gregg Merksamer highlights some 'weathered wheels'
Weathered Wheels has long been one of the most popular departments in Old Cars, and we’ve had a lot of folks contribute over the years. Ron Kowalke, Steve Isola, Ken Lorek and Coy Thomas have all shared dozens, even hundreds, of images with us over the years.
We simply can’t get enough cool “yard art” photos, and we know a lot of our readers share our affinity for colorful, rusty iron.
These articles and a whole lot more can be found inside the January 1, 2026, issue of Old Cars.
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