1965 Chevy Sportvan

Remembering that the goal of the Lotto Garage is to buy vehicles which will be driven, of course there'll be the need for a van of some sort. Not a huge van — being a Lotto winner I'm sure I'll have "people" who will haul the large and/or heavy stuff around for me. One of these old Chevy vans would be just the thing: they're stylish (in their own way); sharing a design with the basic box, there's room inside for stuff; and sitting with your nose about six inches from the windshield gives you a commanding view of the road. Having the engine in a box between the front seats is just an added bonus. Don't ask me why, it just is. (You can read more about the van in the photo at the Hemming's Classic Car magazine website by clicking here.) — jc

1961 Plymouth Deluxe Suburban

I'm often attracted to the cheapest nameplate offered by many car manufacturers back in the fifties and sixties — especially the station wagons. And the Lotto Garage has to have at least one wagon. Like fer instance, this '61 Plymouth Deluxe, which sounds spiffy but was actually riding the bottom rung of the full-sized Plymouth model ladder that year, with the Sport being the fanciest wagon, and the Custom falling in the middle. The non-wagon lines had different names, starting with the Fury at the top, followed by Belvedere and Savoy. Most Chrysler Corporation styling was really bizarre during the 1959-1962 model years, and these Plymouths were right up there with the weirdest of the weird. The wagon in the photo is wearing a monochromatic Airforce Metallic Blue paint job, but I think I'd prefer one in Carnival Red with the optional Alpine White top. — jc

1967 Volkswagen Beetle

I decided when started my Lotto Garage, that all of its cars would be very driveable. No exotic supercars or one-off customs — just what Hemmings Classic Car magazine might call a "driveable dream." Which brings us to this week's selection: the '67 Beetle. Why the '67, when for so many years the Beetles were virtually unchanged? Well, there's yer clue right there — virtually unchanged. They actually did change from year-to-year, you just couldn't always tell from a block away. The 1967 models were quite unique on the outside though. It was the final year for the old-style bumpers, and the first year for the flat hubcaps and the upright rear license plate locater. And this was the only year all three styling cues would appear together. So there you go. I'll take one in black please, with the red leatherette upholstery and white sidewall tires. — jc

1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner

If you've gotta start a dream garage somewhere, the '53 Stude is a good place to begin. Thought by some to be the nicest shape ever put to an American automobile, the Starliner wasn't a sales success — overall Studebaker sales actually fell from those of the rather drab-looking 1952 models. Production planners dropped the ball when deciding how many of the svelte coupes to build — for some reason they thought that the dowdy-looking sedans and station wagons would sell better, and planned their quotas accordingly, just the opposite of what they should have done. This resulted in shortages of the two-door models, while the other stuff sat on dealer lots. It was probably the beginning of the end for the South Bend automaker, whose last cars would be built for the 1966 model year — in Hamilton, Ontario Canada of all places! The man in the photo above is Raymond Lowey, head of the design firm that penned the '53 lineup. —jc