Classic SUVs are what’s trending in the classic-car market, and Barrett-Jackson is auctioning plenty of them at its 2019 Palm Beach sale, starting Thursday, April 11. We’ve picked four of our favorite classic SUVs, all offered at no-reserve, that will cross the block this weekend. Register to bid and you can even put one in your own garage, or just watch other people spend their hard earned cash with our live coverage on MotorTrend On Demand and the MotorTrend Network.
1974 Volkswagen Thing
The Volkswagen Thing (or Type 181, if you’re into technicalities) was originally developed as a German military vehicle, but found a second life as a fun-loving, Jeep-like droptop cruiser, albeit only with rear-wheel drive. Visit any sunny beach town in the U.S. and you’ll find at least a couple Things on the road, often with surfboards strapped to the roll hoop. This Pumpkin Orange example is said to have had just one previous owner and boasts a souped-up 1.6-liter dual-port flat-four engine. Excellent, original Things in collector-grade condition are $50,000 now, but a nice little driver like this one should bring somewhere in the $20,000 range, we’d guess.
1973 International Scout II Rallye
International Scouts are very capable off-road rigs and they have one major advantage over the popular Ford Bronco: price. Scouts just haven’t taken hold in the marketplace like Broncos, Toyota FJs, and vintage Land Rovers. This Scout II Rallye was built in 1973 and has a 345-cubic-inch V-8 under the hood paired with a TorqueFlight 727 three-speed automatic. It’s also been lifted four inches and given a “bikini” roof, along with power steering. With under 54,000 miles on the clock, this one appears to have been driven sparingly and kept well preserved. We’d want to pay about $25,000 to put this one in our garage, which is half what a Bronco in this condition could cost.
1987 Dodge Ramcharger
Resto-modded “classic” SUVs are hot for one main reason: they give modern performance and reliability with all the classic looks that enthusiasts love. This ’87 Ramcharger is a beasty looking thing that looks like it’s just been lifted at first glance. Take a closer look and you’ll find a new fuel-injected Hemi V-8 engine under the hood along with a modified drivetrain and automatic gearbox. Custom bumpers were also fitted along with custom upholstery, air conditioning, and an opening skylight in the rear roof section. We particularly like the brown and gold paint. Restomods are tough to value on because of their custom touches, but we don’t see this one selling for under $30,000.
1996 AM General Hummer H1
Okay, so classic is a relative term. While it may be hard for some of us to believe that 1996 was over two decades ago, this AM General Hummer H1 hails from that year. This example is said to have spent its days in the dry southwest and has been driven just over 51,500 miles. The engine is a massive 6.5-liter V-8 which, thirsty as it may be, helps keep this Hummer moving at an appropriate speed. Cool touches include the factory central tire-inflation system and winch, but also the aftermarket PlayStation installation in the center console. That’s PlayStation as in PS1—talk about period correct. Hummer H1s are again popular in the market and we’d guess this one could bring as much as $50,000 to the right buyer.
Barrett-Jackson heads into its second big event of the year, the 2019 Palm Beach auction, April 11-13, 2019, at the South Florida Fairgrounds in Palm Beach, Florida. The 17th annual Palm Beach collector car sale will showcase hundreds of coveted vehicles, and the experts from MotorTrend will be there to bring you all the action LIVE from the auction block. You can catch Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach on MotorTrend Network every day of the auction from 12:00-6:00 pm EST and download the app for exclusive, live coverage. Need more viewing options? You can also tune in to our live stream from your web browser on April 11, April 12, and April 13.
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