Columbus, Ohio – It’s one of the highlights of our year: The Goodguys roll into The Buckeye State and set up shop just an hour or so from the Summit Racing headquarters in Tallmadge, Ohio. Suffice it to say, this one’s circled on our calendars with a big red Sharpie—and if you peruse the photos below, you’ll get a good idea why.
As you’d guess, our cameras’ memory cards came back jam-packed with a dizzying mix of incredible rides, so we’re splitting our recap photo galleries in half. This one features vehicles built on or after the 1973 model year, but if you’re a fan of earlier rides, click here for our pre-1973 gallery.
But wait, there’s more! Stay tuned over the coming weeks, because we’ve got a handful of specific vehicle features and owner interviews that’ll you’ll undoubtedly enjoy reading too.
Click here for all of our past Goodguys coverage.
And if you ever want to check out a such a massive, incredible show like this, check out the Goodguys event calendar to see if there’s a show heading near your neck of the woods.
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Trivia Time: Did you know that the Dodge Ram Charger had a short-lived Plymouth cousin? Read all about the Trail Duster here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
The Cadillac Eldorado made the TripTik on our automotive world tour. See the rest of the travel itinerary here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
While Caddy is beloved for its 1970s convertible land yachts, Buick had some solid ragtop options too, like this Buick 455-powered LeSabre. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Not to be outdone by its GM counterparts, Pontiac offered a full size, B-body Grand Ville convertible up to 1975—available with a Pontiac 455 V8, no less. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Shelby worked some magic with the 1989 Dakota—dropping in a 5.2L V8 good for around 175 horsepower. It was a one-year only affair, with only 1,500 units ever made. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
In contrast to that Mopar V8, Chevy’s captive import truck, the Light Utility Vehicle, made around a whopping 80ish horsepower from its Isuzu four-banger—depending on the year. If you’re looking for some LUV, read this: Here’s a Quick History of Chevy’s Captive Import Truck from the 1970s. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
On the topic of captive imports, check out this Merkur XR4Ti. Essentially a re-badged Ford Sierra from Europe, the XR4Ti was a luxury sport coupe briefly sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
While the German “Merkur” name was an obvious play on Mercury, the U.S. marque still had some domestic performance options in its stable—notably the lesser-known Foxbody Mustang equivalent, dubbed the Capri. And if you’re into rare Capris, then check out this article on the ASC/McLaren SC. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
While the Vega has earned its share of criticism, there’s no denying its a good-looking car. And let’s not forget about the DOHC Cosworth Vega special edition. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
We’re big fans of the Mustang II around here. This one’s a 1977 Cobra II, but Ford offered an even more potent King Cobra the next year. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Considering Dodge D-Series trucks remained virtually unchanged for—checking calendar—roughly 500 years, it makes them tricky to date. This one’s a 1992 model, if you’re playing along at home. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Barely squeaking into our gallery here is a 1973 Volvo P1800ES, representing the final year (1961-73) of P1800 production. We don’t see these often—especially in the “ES” hatchback/shooting brake configuration, which are considerably more rare than the P1800 coupes. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
1982 Corvettes are easily spotted thanks to the “Cross-Fire Injection” badge above the fender vents. Learn more about the ill-fated Cross-Fire Injection system in our History of the C3 Corvette Stingray here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Speaking of Corvettes, the C4-era Grand Sport was a one-year only model for 1996 and came equipped with a mandatory manual transmission and a high-performance version of the LT1, re-christened the LT4. Learn more about it in our detailed history of the Corvette C4 generation here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
While it wasn’t part of the show per se, the Ohio State Patrol brought its C7 Corvette to the event for display. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
This meticulously clean 1988 Plymouth Reliant wagon reminded us of a car we spotted at the same Goodguys show a while back. Read our thoughts here: What Makes a Car Classic? (Image/OnAllCylinders)
In the same vein as the Reliant above, this tidy Mazda 323 wagon is a pleasant beneficiary of the Goodguys rolling 25-year eligibility window. And with an inline six and five-speed manual, we bet it s a hoot to drive too. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
The Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe is a special edition homologation model for NASCAR, easily identified by its unique aerodynamic rear window. Though it’s rare, the Aerocoupe has an even more obscure Pontiac cousin. Read about the Grand Prix 2+2 here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
While we’re talking about Grand Prixes…Grand Prixs…Grand Prixii…ahem, Pontiac G-bodies, this delightful 1985 T-Top model is a fantastic survivor. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
While the Monte Carlo SS, Grand Prix, and Grand National get plenty of press, let’s not forget that the G-Body Olds Cutlass carried on the RWD body-on-frame legacy during the 1980s too. You might appreciate our history on the Oldsmobile Cutlass here as well. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
A few years later, Chevy moved the Monte Carlo to a FWD platform where it would eventually spawn special editions like this Dale Earnhardt “Intimidator” model. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Like the Thunderbird, the Mercury Cougar grew significantly during the 1970s. It culminated in this 1979 Cougar XR-7. In 1980, Ford would begin trimming the Cougar down to become more of a sports coupe again. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
In the mid 1980s, both the Cougar and its Thunderbird cousin got their performance swagger back—largely thanks to optional 5.0L V8 and turbocharged 2.3L four engines. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
By the 1990s, the Mercury Cougar and Thunderbird coupes became under-the-radar performance bargains. Now that the secret is out though, clean examples command a premium, (Image/OnAllCylinders)
The Ford Torino was also transformed from a muscle car into a personal luxury coupe during the 1970s. Unfortunately the nameplate didn’t survive the decade, and was edged-out by the Thunderbird and LTD models after 1976. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Only offered in the United States for 1973 and 1974, the Volkswagen Thing always brings a smile at car shows. We spotted another Thing at this event too—but we’ve talked about that one before. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
Sure, you might’ve heard of a Chevy Rally Nova, but did you know a few years later there was a Chevy Nova Rally? These transposed X-body coupes only appeared for a few years at the tail-end of the 1970s. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
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What’d we miss? Did you attend the show and have some favorites to share? Let’s hear about them in the comments section below.
