It's always tough to let go of a car you love, but sometimes these decisions become necessary. When we spoke to John Schwarz, of Huntington Beach, California, he told us about the 1970 Barracuda he owned in high school. When he graduated, John didn't want to sell the car, but he also wanted to go to college and improve his job prospects, so he made the tough decision to let it go and put the cash towards his education.

Ever since he sold his first Barracuda, John wanted to find another. In the summer of 2016, his hard work finally paid off, and he was able to purchase the 1970 Plymouth 'Cuda seen here from a friend. Thanks to his patience, he ended up with a car that's even nicer than the one he had back in high school.

One of the many reasons we love classic cars is that each one tends to have a fascinating story behind it. Some cars are preserved untouched in garages for decades, without leaving the town where they were originally sold. Others were driven every day and abandoned in a scrap yard, only to be lovingly restored by a new owner many years later. These stories add character to every machine.

Each November, many of the world's finest classic and custom cars gather at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the SEMA Show, and this year continued the tradition. Since the SEMA Show is industry-only and not open to the general public, we walked the halls and snapped photos of the incredible vehicles we found inside. For those of you who weren't able to make it to this year's show, we'll be posting some of the most interesting cars we spotted.

Breaking News: at the SEMA Show this week in Las Vegas, Mopar announced its official restoration partnership with Classic Industries. This announcement comes as part of the unveiling of Mopar.com/restoration — a new online resource for owners and restorers of classic Dodge and Plymouth vehicles.

One of our favorite things about classic Mopar cars is their unabashed use of bright, head-turning colors. These cars were not afraid to show off their "in your face" attitude, with famous High Impact colors such as Sublime, Vitamin C, Top Banana, and Plum Crazy. There's nothing subtle about a roaring V8, flashy chrome, and vibrant paint.

We always enjoy seeing the enthusiasm for classic cars passed down from generation to generation. This family trait ensures these vehicles are valued and cared for as they should be, even after being passed on from one owner to the next. The story of this 1974 Duster reinforces our thoughts on the subject.

For many of us, high school was an exciting time, thanks to the independence of finally being able to drive. There was no more requirement to ride a bike or beg friends and family to drop you off—with your first car, the world was your oyster.

One of the things we love about classic cars is their wide range of variation in shapes, sizes, and styles. Some classic cars appear aggressive and muscular, with wide flared fenders and gaping grill openings, while others appear poised and refined, with intricate chrome ornaments and sweeping lines. If we had to use a single word to describe this 1964 Plymouth Valiant, that word would be cheerful. The wide-set round headlights, bright red body, and peppy 318ci V8 would put a smile on anyone's face.