Offered as both a short-wheelbase two-door and a long-wheelbase four-door, the Y60 boasted a wide array of potent gasoline- and diesel-burning engines and, of course, body-on-frame construction. It featured coil springs all around, rear disc brakes and most models were fitted with a limited-slip differential. In short, it was just as capable off-road as its predecessor but slightly more comfortable to drive daily on paved surfaces.

Unlike the Toyota 80-Series Land Cruiser, one of its fiercest rivals, the Y60 was never offered in the United States but it enjoyed a loyal clientele in Europe throughout its ten-year long production run. Today, the Patrol still trades hands for fairly high amounts considering its age but it is generally seen as little more than a work truck that comes in handy when gathering firewood, going hunting or hauling around bales of hay. Will it join the original Range Rover and the Toyota FJ40 in the ranks of collectible SUVs, or will it always remain nothing more than a capable work mule?

Built in 1991, eight E-mobil prototypes based on the two-door 325i (E36) participated in an ambitious state-sponsored pilot program designed to find out whether or not electric vehicles could be used as a viable form of transportation by every day folks. Several automakers participated in the program which took place on a small island called Rügen, located in the Baltic Sea not far from Germany’s northern coast.

Six additional prototypes were sent to the Bavarian state government where they were used to run miscellaneous everyday errands. Drivers carefully jotted down driving impressions, problems encountered and charging times and sent the data back to BMW’s engineers.

The test programs helped BMW fine-tune its electric vehicles. In 1993, the sodium-sulphur battery packs were replaced by sodium-nickel chloride units borrowed from the E1 concept. It should be noted that one of the prototypes sent to Rügen featured a nickel-cadmium battery pack but the tests were inconclusive and BMW abandoned it to focus on other forms of storing energy.

Engineers also made managed to greatly improve the cars’ charging times, to the point where a 75-percent charge was available in just 40 minutes.

325 Electric

E-mobil production went on until 1996 but BMW started building a second-generation of E36-based EVs in 1995. Again based on the two-door 325i, ten vehicles finished in an eye-catching shade of yellow were built over a two-year span. BMW eschewed public pilot programs and decided to test the vehicles in-house.

Called simply BMW Electric, the cars’ most powerful engine was a 45-kilowatt unit that got power from a high-energy sodium-nickel chloride battery pack. The 771-pound (350-kilo) drivetrain propelled the car from zero to 31 mph (50 km/h) in six seconds and on to top speed of 84 mph (135 km/h). The maximum driving range was rated at 93 miles (150 km).

The 325 Electric was the last battery-powered 3-Series ever built. Following the end of its test program, BMW put electric mobility on the backburner for several years and focused on re-launching the Mini brand that it had acquired by purchasing MG and Rover.

Photos courtesy of BMW’s archives department.

To celebrate the occasion, the French firm launched a limited edition of the 2CV called France 3 in March of 1983. The car was based on the existing 2CV 6 Spéciale and limited to 4,000 examples.

The France 3 cars were finished in white with two navy stripes that ran from the grille to the bottom of the trunk lid and an additional stripe that meandered down both sides of the car. The soft top wore the same white and navy combination, while white 15-inch steel wheels fitted with chrome hubcaps set the car apart from more bare-bones versions of the 2CV. A sticker of the France 3 sail boat was affixed to the trunk lid was affixed to the trunk lid.

Inside, the white and navy combination continued with model-specific upholstery and all France 3s came standard with individual front seats (as opposed to the bench seat that 2CVs could be ordered with during the 1980s). No other changes were made throughout the cabin.

Similarly, Citroën made no modifications under the hood and the France 3 used the same 602cc flat-twin engine that powered the 6 Spéciale. Linked to a four-speed manual transmission, the mill made 29 horsepower and 28 lb-ft. of torque. It propelled the car from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in about 33 seconds and on to a top speed of roughly 71 mph (115 km/h).

Unlike many other 2CV-based special editions, the France 3 was not an immediate hit so it was released in two batches – the first 2000 cars were introduced in 1983, and 2000 additional units were shipped to dealers starting in 1984. Both batches were identical, and it should be noted that other countries in Europe got a limited edition 2CV similar to the France 3 but without the sail boat sticker on the trunk lid.

All photos courtesy of Citroën’s archives department.

The future classic articles don’t follow a set schedule and when we publish a new one largely depends on what we come across on a daily basis and what we manage to photograph on the street or in junkyards.

We’ll run a longer feature (most likely a full road test) on the car that earns the distinction of being the most likely future classic at the end of this year.  In the meantime, you’ll find the provisional rankings below.

Citroën BX (98 votes, 91 percent yes)

Citroën XM (72 votes, 90 percent yes)

Mercedes-Benz w124 (60 votes, 90 percent yes)

Volkswagen T3 (45 votes, 89 percent yes)

Fiat Panda mk1 (57 votes, 88 percent yes)

Renault Twingo mk1 (52 votes, 88 percent yes)

Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet/Rabbit Convertible (31 votes, 84 percent yes)

Volvo 480 (66 votes, 80 percent yes)

Mercedes-Benz w201 190 (80 votes, 79 percent yes)

Peugeot 205 (34 votes, 74 percent yes)

Citroën Xantia (94 votes, 73 percent yes)

Ford Sierra (39 votes, 72 percent yes)

Peugeot 306 (36 votes, 69 percent yes)

Alfa Romeo 33 (35 votes, 69 percent yes)

Audi Cabriolet (31 votes, 68 percent)

Renault Super 5 (29 votes, 66 percent yes)

Volkswagen Polo Coupé (45 votes, 64 percent yes)

LaForza 5 Liter (42 votes, 64 percent yes)

MG ZR (27 votes, 63 percent yes)

Peugeot 305 (28 votes, 61 percent yes)

Rover 216 GTi (73 votes, 55 percent yes)

Citroën AX (29 votes, 55 percent yes)

Alfa Romeo 145 / 146 (34 votes, 44 percent yes)

BMW E36 3-Series Compact (31 votes, 42 percent yes)

In 1969, Volkswagen acquired NSU and the projects that its research and development center was working on at the time, including an elegant four-door sedan dubbed K70 that was penned by Claus Luthe (the same man who later drew the BMW E30) and designed to fill the gap between the Prinz and the Ro80. The K in the car’s name stood for kolben (the German word for piston) and indicated that it packed a traditional piston engine as opposed to a rotary mill. The car was scheduled to greet the public for the first time at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, and a station wagon version was planned later in the production run.

Volkswagen initially cancelled the K70 project, a move heavily criticized by both the press and potential customers who didn’t see the logic in shooting down a new, modern car in order to produce the ancient Beetle and other similar cars. The Wolfsburg-based automaker was not deaf to criticism and ended up giving the K70 the green light for production but there were two catches: The wagon was be delayed and the NSU emblem on the sedan’s front end had to be replaced by a Volkswagen one. Built in Volkswagen’s then-new Salzgitter plant, the K70 was presented to the public in August of 1970.

Designed entirely by NSU from the ground up, the K70 was diametrically opposed to anything that had previously come out of a Volkswagen factory and it earned the honor of being Volkswagen’s first water-cooled, front-engined regular-production model. It was powered by a straight-four engine – Volkswagen’s first – that spun the front wheels, another novel concept for the Wolfsburg-based firm. The public was shocked because it was difficult to envisage a Volkswagen without an air-cooled boxer engine out back.

The carbureted 1.6-liter four-cylinder that powered the K70 was a distant cousin of the Prinz’s 1.2-liter engine. Initially available with either 75 or 90 horsepower, it was mounted longitudinally and linked to a four-speed manual transmission that spun a differential mounted under the engine, approximately where cylinders 3 and 4 are. The mill was tilted 32-degrees towards the passenger side of the car to avoid the whole setup being too tall. Another innovative feature borrowed from the Prinz was the possibility to adjust the valves without removing the valve cover.

The 1.6-liter was joined by a 1.8-liter 100-horsepower four-banger mounted under the hood of the LS model in 1973.

The K70 was a well-executed sedan that won accolades from the motoring press in Europe. It lost the coveted 1971 Car of the Year award to the Citroën GS but it beat the Maserati-powered Citroën SM for second place, an impressive feat to say the least. The car would have undoubtedly had a brilliant career under the NSU banner but its fate was different as part of the Volkswagen lineup: Wolfsburg didn’t want it because it was trespassing on the type 4′s hunting grounds.

The type 4 and the K70 were completely different but they competed against each other because their dimensions, performance figures and price range were very close. The K70 measured 174 inches long (442 centimeters) and weighed 2,380 pounds (1,080 kilos); the 412 was 179 inches long (455 centimeters) and weighed almost exactly 2,380 pounds. The K70 reached 62 mph (100 km/h) from a stop in 13.3 seconds, a task that took the fuel-injected 412 16.5 seconds when equipped with a manual transmission.

The two overlapped in showrooms, too: In 1974, a 412 cost 18,800 francs while a K70 set a buyer back 18,920 francs. By comparison, the Passat ranged from 13,990 for a base two-door model and 17,990 for a range-topping four-door model, and that same year a 911 Turbo cost 48,000 francs and a 1200 sedan (better known as the Beetle) started at 8,990 francs.

To make matters worse the K70 faced internal competition from the Audi 100 that was launched in 1968. With a base price of 19,690 francs, the 100 measured 181 inches (462 centimeters), it weighed 2,403 pounds (1,090 kilos) and reached 62 mph in 12.5 seconds. The 100 looked similar to the K70 which created further confusion between the two cousins.

Overshadowed by the 411/412 and the 100, the K70 posted weak sales numbers year after year and was axed in February of 1975. The Germany-based International K70 Club claims that 210,082 examples were built while other sources cite 211,341 as the correct figure. Although that number is fairly low for a high-volume manufacturer like Volkswagen, it’s very close to the 45,000 K70s that NSU – a much smaller firm – had planned on building annually.

It’s worth noting that the K70 wasn’t the only NSU project that wound up on showroom floors wearing a Volkswagen crest. The project that became the Audi 50 and later spawned the Volkswagen Polo was started by NSU as a replacement for the Prinz. In retrospect, NSU had better-than-even odds at finally offering modern, competitive lineup in the 1970s.

Photos courtesy of Volkswagen’s archives department or scanned out of period documents. We’ve emailed Volkswagen for more high-res shots, check back tomorrow or early next week.

Peugeot offered two types of 203 wagons during most of the 1950s, the Commerciale (aimed at small business owners and tradesmen) and the Familiale (designed for large families). The lack of decorative trim on the side and the rear leaf springs indicate that this is a Commerciale model. It is also recognizable thanks to a specific interior layout that enables the front passenger seat to fold down in order to carry lengthy items.

The car’s exact build date is hard to pinpoint but it was assembled before 1957 because it has semaphores on the C-pillars (the orange turn signal that sticks out from the grille is not original). The car doesn’t have the lion head hood ornament that 203s built up until 1958 had because the small piece of trim on the hood was likely swapped out after getting stolen one too many times

The car is complete inside and out it is remarkably rust free but unfortunately, a reckless mason sprayed the car with stucco when working on a nearby wall. How cleanly it comes off is hit or miss – it can leave no marks or it can take some of the paint with it.

We’re not sure what the owner has in store for this 203 but it’s living proof that finding an all-original, unmolested 60-year old car is possible with enough patience and determination.

Inexplicably wearing a Vermont license plate attached to the rear deck lid with four pop rivets, the Beetle is sitting on wide tires similar to the ones found on dragsters and it is wearing four different grocery store-grade plastic hubcaps. The flaking paint indicates that it started out its life orange and was likely resprayed yellow before being used as a billboard.

The car has been stripped of most usable parts including the chassis (and, consequently, all mechanical bits and pieces), most of the interior and the running boards. We imagine that a die-hard Volkswagen enthusiast could probably still salvage some parts including the headlights, the door handles, the trim and so forth, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see someone drop the shell on a chassis and drive it as-is.

Can you name the make and model that the following wheels come from? In some cases we have blacked out the logo on the center cap because it would have been too easy to guess otherwise. Also, there are several right answers for some of these wheels.

Have fun, and thanks for playing along.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Available as a standard Beetle, a Super Beetle and a Convertible, the Sun Bug was billed as a car that could turn even a mundane trip to the store into a holiday. Volkswagen’s marketing department went all out and the brochure even included the lyrics to a song called “Let a Little Sunshine Into Your Life!” written by Keith Connes specifically for the car.

Beetle and Super Beetle-based models came with a manual sunroof, and the latter’s even featured a white air deflector. Sun Bugs sat on the same 15-inch steel wheels that were found on other Beetle-based limited editions launched in the 1970s and were offered in an eye-catching shade of gold called Harvest Gold Metallic (paint code L99B). Some models wore a dealer-installed plastic Sun Bug emblem on the rear deck lid and black Sun Bug decals above both rocker panels.

Inside, the Sun Bugs came with a padded four-spoke steering wheel, full carpeting, adjustable sport seats and a model-specific shift knob. A locking glove box and a rear window defroster came standard, and Super Beetle- and Convertible-based models took things further by offering leatherette inserts in the front seats and Rosewood trim on the dash. Buyers could fit their car with a wide variety of accessories such as a plastic center console between the front seats.

Volkswagen made no changes in the engine bay. Beetle-based Sun Bugs were powered by a 1.6 liter that made 46 horsepower and 72 lb-ft. of torque, and Super Beetle- and Convertible-based models packed a 1.6-liter rated at 60 horsepower and 77 lb-ft. of twist. All models featured a four-speed manual transmission that spun the rear wheels.

To make the Sun Bugs more attractive, Volkswagen added its Owner’s Security Blanket with Computer Analysis, a new-for-1974 package comprised of a warranty and a maintenance deal that included a computer diagnostic process.

Photos courtesy of enthusiast forum TheSamba.com