Throwback: Hot Rod Power Tour 25th Anniversary

Buick Reatta

Parked near the Painless Wiring display in the infield was one of Buick\’s coolest machines ever, the Reatta. While most of Buick\’s lineup wound up in the church parking lot on Sundays and Wednesdays, this front-drive two-seater hung out with the Pontiac Fiero, Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac Allante at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The Reatta took two things from the Riviera: its platform — shortened to accommodate just two people — and its touchscreen infotainment system. The latter part was ahead of its time, and was replaced in later years with a conventional control unit.

The styling, too, was unlike any other Buick on the road during its brief life. Alas, buyers preferred the more conservative looks of the rest of the lineup, meaning just 22,000 copies of the Reatta were built between 1988 and 1991.

Panoz Esperante

Here\’s another rarity for y\’all, the Panoz Esperante. Built in Georgia in small batches from the 2000s on, the sports car packed power from a Ford DOHC V8, pumping out 305 horses and 320 lb-ft of torque to the rear through either a five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic.

One of the unique features of the Esperante is the pair of metal plates near the nose of the car. Each plate contains the signatures of everyone involved in the car\’s production. And speaking of signatures, the cars themselves each received a feminine name at the end of the production line.

Of course, the Esperante itself is as unique as its owner. For $165,000 to start, you can pick up a car with nearly anything you want. And the best part is you won\’t see another one like it on the road (as most end up in climate-controlled storage).

Saleen S331

One more rarity for the road. The one-year-only Saleen S331 was Saleen\’s take on the 2007 Ford F-150. Known mainly for pumping up Mustangs and building supercars of their own, the S331 placed the company in new territory, one occupied by high-performance trucks.

Starting with an F-150 FX2 SuperCab, the S331 was dropped two inches, and given 23-inch wheels, a body kit with aluminum hood, and tweaked suspension. This one is the three-valve version, whose 5.4-liter V8 makes 325 horses; the supercharged version comes with 450.

Saleen still plays with the F-150 today, offering up the Sportruck street destroyer with up to 700 horsepower in front of the regular cab, and the Sportruck XR off-roader with four different engines in front of the crew cab.