1966 Studebaker Wagonaire

Looking around today I noticed that it's been months since we've driven anything new into the Lotto Garage. And strangely enough, for the past few days — for some odd reason — I've been coveting this thing on the internet. That's right, a 1966 Studebaker Wagonaire — a '66 because: a.) it was Studebaker's final year producing cars and that kind of makes it special; and b.) the Wagonaire was introduced for the 1963 model year, so hopefully by this, the fourth year, all of the kinks with the sliding roof were worked out. I remember when I was a paperboy that one of my customers, a Toro salesman, traded his Falcon Ranchero for one of these to haul lawnmowers/snowblowers around in. And yes, I've wanted one ever since! — jc

1963 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass

Because my calendar tells me it's convertible season, I've decided to drive another drop-top into the Lotto Garage. You know, when most people think about compact convertibles from the 1960s thoughts immediately conjure up a Mustang, Camaro, Barracuda… you know, all of the usual suspects. I'm shopping outside the box; and tonight I stumbled upon this white Cutlass, which I think looks great with the black steelies and dog dishes. An aluminum V-8 with a stick shift put out 185 horsepower — plenty for an old fart out for leisurely Sunday drives. And the brochure points out how my butt will be caressed in foam-padded bucket seats finished in — are you ready? — "beautifully tailored rich Morocceen…" Wow! Open roads, here I come! (Let's give the photo credit here to hartogrob over on flickriver.com). — jc

2009 VW GTI

Probably just about my favorite all-around everyday driver of all time, this particular GTI is for sale right now (as of this writing) on eBay, and it pushed all of my buttons: fifth generation model ✔, dark gray ✔, four doors ✔, cool plaid interior ✔… If you've ever driven a GTI you can probably understand my enthusiasm. If you haven't, get thee to the nearest GTI and gettest thyself behind the wheel! — jc

Citroën C6

Produced from 2005-2012, the C6 (I think) is one of the most stunning looking cars to ever wear the double chevrons. It was built to replace the XM as Citroën's executive car, although there was a five-year gap between the end of the XM and the start-up of C6 production. Of course, by this time Citroën was no longer in the car business here in the U.S., so I guess I'll have to take part of my Lotto winnings, fly over to Europe, and find one of the over 23,000 C6 sedans produced and bring it home. And then park it until it's a 25-year-old "classic" so we can hit the streets together. You can check out a German version of the brochure here. — jc

1961 Chevrolet Parkwood

Since we haven't driven a new car into the Lotto Garage for months now, I decided it was time. It is also time to hearken back to my youth with this vintage Chevy. A white '61 Parkwood was the family's first station wagon — a six-passenger model in which we always wanted to ride w-a-y back where: a) there was no seat, and b) we could make faces out the back window at the people driving behind us. Hah! Kids. Of course, our Parkwood had blackwall tires and poverty hubcaps, because that was how Dad rolled back then. It would be years before a set of whitewalls graced our driveway, and decades before A/C showed its face. — jc

1979 AMC Spirit Limited

Okay, raise your hands. How many of you looked at this and said "A Gremlin?" Hah! This was one of AMC's marketing ploys to make the buying public forget about the Gremlin — rename it Spirit. Besides this very Gremlinesque "sedan" model (AMC's description, not mine), the Spirit also came in a more traditional-looking fastback/hatchback model (a.k.a. liftback). But this squareback sedan is how we roll at the Lotto Garage, because you rarely see one on the road anymore. Come to think of it, you rarely saw one in 1979, either! — jc

1967 Renault 10

No, I still haven't won any Lottos, but I've decided to drive a few more cars into the Lotto Garage because, hey, you never know! Next car in is this boxy rear-engined successor to the Renault 8, which itself followed the much-beloved (well, by the French anyway) Dauphine. Tell me this isn't a face you'd immediately fall in love with! Okay, but maybe it would grow on you after a while. It's body may  look a bit odd to most Yanks, but there'd be no denying the comfortable surroundings of the typically French interior, as the 10 (like most French cars of the era) had seats you wouldn't mind putting in your living room! — jc

1979 Buick Le Sabre

Haven't driven anything into the Lotto Garage in a while now, but last night I came across this big Buick for sale on eBay, and I'm bringing it in! I'm guessing it wasn't sold, as the bidding ended with a high bid of only $610 (it had its battery and radiator stolen out of it so there's no telling if it runs or not). It needs new seats, probably a respray, but — that's OK 'cause I won the Lottery! I love the simpleness of this car: a plain ol' 2-door post sedan, with no garish trim and still sporting the poverty hubcaps. See the listing here. — jc

1971 BMW 1500

Some of you may remember BMW back in the 1960s as a manufacturer of nicely-done sedans that barely anyone on this side of the ocean had ever heard of. Then someone at the Bavarian automaker had the brilliant idea of taking a 1600 two-door, throwing in the larger 2-liter engine and — voila! There was the BMW 2002, the car which literally put BMW on the map here in North America, and which eventually morphed into the über successful 3-series. Being a little different, as I often am, I've decided not to be like everyone and his brother and covet one of those original 2002s (which were sold from 1968-76), and go for the simpler, and rarer in these parts, 1500 sedan. I like its lines, and I like the idea that almost no one else wants one. 'Cause that's how the Lotto Garage often rolls. (BMW photo) — jc

1964 Ford Cortina

Anyone who knows me well, probably knows that I've always preferred smaller cars. And going back to Car #1 (a 1967 Sunbeam Imp), I've been known to show a soft spot for the off-beat every now and then. So why not drive this 1964 Ford Cortina Mk.1 into the Lotto Garage? It's British Ford at its best — some of these were converted into highly desirable Lotus Cortinas by famed race car developer Colin Chapman; but I've never been one for the glamor, high-speed cars. Give me the Plain Janes any day, like the Lotuses (Loti?) which were available as two- and four-door sedans (saloons) and a four-door wagon (estate). The Mk.1 debuted as the Ford Consul Cortina for 1962 (the Consul name was dropped for 1964), and gave way to the completely redesigned (and in my opinion, duller-looking) Mk.2 for the '67 model year. The Cortina disappeared from the American market with the birth of the Pinto in 1971, and in Canada two years later. — jc