GMC Syclone

Posted on December 6, 2023 by classiccarweekly

1991 GMC Syclone

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 2024

In the early 1990s, GMC went a bit nuts and produced two legendary performance trucks. First came this, the Syclone, which was a performance-oriented version of the Sonoma. The following year they’d launch the Typhoon, which was a hot Jimmy, which is a weird thing to type.

All but three Syclones were built for the 1991 model year – 2,995 of them to be exact. Power is provided by a turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 that made 280 horsepower. The truck also got all-wheel drive and was the first pickup with four-wheel ABS. It could hit 60 in 4.3 seconds. Pretty good numbers for its day, truck or not.

These are some of the coolest pickups ever made and are the grandad of every performance pickup that came after. You can read more about it here.

Top 10 – Best-Looking SUVs

Posted on September 5, 2015 by classiccarweekly

Sport utility vehicles (and their half-breed cousins, crossovers) are known for their functionality and not necessarily their looks. But sometimes looks and functionality can cross and create a good-looking SUV. So here we have our Top 10 Best-Looking SUVs of all time (according to us – but please tell us why we’re wrong). Honorable mention goes to the 2004-2007 Buick Rainier, 2008-Present Buick Enclave, 2004-2006 BMW X5 4.8is, and 2012 Jeep Liberty Limited Jet. Here we go:

#10 – 2015-Present Volvo XC90

Just introduced, the new XC90 is squarish in the most Swedish way. Which is a good thing. It’s Volvo’s biggest vehicle and power comes from a range of turbo’d 2.0-liter straight-fours. It’s the first all-new Volvo since being taken over by the Chinese and it should do Sweden proud.

#9 – 2011-Present Dodge Durango

The Dodge Durango was always sort of odd looking (hideous second-generation especially). So they took 2010 off to regroup and came back with what really is a nice-looking three-row SUV. While it’s still a tall vehicle, the greenhouse is much shorter than previous versions, giving it a sleeker look. Plus, you can get them fairly decked out. Power comes in the form of either a 3.6-liter V-6 or a 5.7-liter V-8 good for 290 and 360 horsepower respectively.

#8 – 2007-2013 BMW X5

The BMW X5 has always been kind of sporty. It was BMW’s first foray into the land of off-roaders and this second-generation model is more muscular than the first gen model and not quite as creased as the one that they sell now. Honestly, the six-cylinder and V-8 models look better than the “sporty” M variant, which has ridiculous-looking air inlets below the headlights.

#7 – 2010-Present Lincoln MKT

This wagon can be somewhat polarizing. Lincoln has this sort of waterfall-grille thing going on across its model line, but these can actually be head-turners if you’re sitting in traffic. They looks especially good in black and that little kink in the glass at the back of the rear doors is a nice touch. Power comes from a 3.7-liter V-6 or the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6, which is good for 355 horsepower.

#6 – 2001-2006 GMC Yukon XL Denali

Anything GMC-related that has the word “Denali” appended to the end is going to be a nice ride. The GMT800 line of GM SUVs were better looking than their more recent counterparts because they just aren’t as over-the-top rap-star looking. These were really nice Suburbans, essentially, and the newer ones just seem like dumbed-down Escalades.

#5 – 1980-1989 Toyota Land Cruiser

This big boxy truck from Toyota goes a little farther back than everything else on our list thus far. Toyota has been in the SUV game a long time – going back to the 1951 BJ (there was a Toyopet SUV before that, too). The J60 Land Crusier went from supreme off-roader to on-roader with off-roading capability. But doesn’t it just look like it wants to play in the sand? Engine choices were a variety of straight-sixes.

#4 – 1992-1993 GMC Typhoon

No doubt the rarest SUV on this list with just 4,697 produced, the GMC Typhoon (and its sister car, the GMC Syclone pickup) were factory hot rod versions on more mundane trucks. It invented the sporty-SUV segment. It’s powered by a turbocharged 4.3-liter V-6 making 280 horsepower. Car & Driver compared the performance of this truck to that of the Ferrari 348. And it looks pretty good too.

#3 – 1990-Present Mercedes-Benz G-Class

At 25 years old, the current G-Class might be most familiar to you as the choice ride for Russian mobsters and all-around European bad guys. Available in a huge range of versions since its introduction, the Geländewagen can sometimes look quite nice, although the hot rod G63 AMG version above is a little overwrought with add-on bits. But the G63 is intense: 537 horsepower from a twin turbo 5.5-liter V-8. And it’s only the second-most powerful version!

#2 – 1990-2015 Land Rover Defender

As old as the G-Wagen above, the similarly-styled Land Rover Defender is one of the more serious SUVs money can buy. As posh as Land Rovers have become, they are still the most capable vehicles on earth. This truck is available in three different wheelbases and we particularly like the long-wheelbase versions, like the one above. Don’t even ask about powertrain options.

#1 – 1984-1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

Photo – Christopher Ziemnowicz

AMC-era Jeeps (Wrangler not included) are some of Jeep’s best-ever looking products. The wood-grain panels on the side really set this apart. Woodie wagons sort of stopped being cool in the 1950s and everything that came after about 1951 was a sort of dorky station wagon driven embarrassingly by your parents. Except for this. This is the only acceptable wood-paneled car produced after 1955. And it will likely become one of the most collectible SUVs ever built.

Five Cool WWII Trucks

Posted on December 6, 2012 by classiccarweekly

Vehicles from The National Military History Center

All offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

1942 Mercedes-Benz L3000S

Okay, I’ll be honest. I want this truck – or, rather “Box-Van Truck” – for one reason and one reason only (besides it being a valuable piece of history) and that is: to reenact my very own Raiders of the Lost Ark chase sequence. This truck has a 75 horsepower 4.8-liter four-cylinder diesel and a 6.75-ton load capacity. The box-van body is made of wood and pressed cardboard – for cost reasons, so it’s a miracle it has survived this long. About 7,400 of these were built. Estimate: $30,000-$40,000. More info can be had here.

Update: Sold $32,000.

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1940 Breda 40 4×4 Artillery Tractor

This relatively uninteresting-looking vehicle is an artillery tractor. It is pure function. Built in Italy, this little brute could pull 7.75-tons of artillery over all kinds of terrain, using huge tires and high ground clearance in place of tracks. It uses a 110 horsepower 9.4-liter six-cylinder diesel but it will only do a blistering 11 mph on the road. Talk about low gearing! It can be yours for $25,000-$35,000. More info here.

Update: Sold $37,000.

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1942 GMC DUKW-353

Ah, the good ol’ Duck. Wanna start a tour company near a body of water? Then this is the vehicle for you. Easily one of the most popular and recognizable vehicles from WWII, these things are still in use all over the country – a testament to how good of an amphibious vehicle they really were. About 21,000 were made from 1942 through 1945 and they were shipped all over the world. Designed to hold 25 troops or 2.5-tons of cargo. It will do 45 mph on the road or 6.3 mph (yes that’s a decimal) on the water – conditions permitting – thanks to its 94 horsepower 4.4-liter straight-six. It’s super, super cool. Estimate: $50,000-$75,000. More info here.

Update: Sold $97,000.

Update II: Sold, Auctions America Auburn Spring 2017, $49,500.

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1940 Humber Hexonaut GS 6×6 Amphibious Prototype

Here’s another amphibious vehicle – although it’s much smaller than the Duck above. And it’s much rarer, being the only one in existence as the vehicle never entered production as it was “not fit for duty.” It could hold eight men or 1-ton of supplies and has two engines (of 14 horsepower each) and transmissions – one for each side/set of three wheels. This is also how it turned (operating them at different speeds), as you can see how close the wheels are to the body. Unpopular in 1940, this style would become more popular decades down the road on some ATVs. The estimate is $30,000-$50,000. More info here.

Update: Sold $47,500.

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1939 Latil M2TL6 4×4 Tractor

Latil was a French manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks and tractors. Yes, this is another artillery tractor and you might be wondering why – but hey, when’s the next time I’ll get to feature a vehicle built by Latil? This one is faster on road than the Breda above – it will do 45 mph and has a 68 horsepower 4.1-liter straight-four. Estimate: $20,000-$30,000. More info here. And for the rest of the Auctions America lineup for this fantastically interesting sale, click here.

Update: Sold $10,000.