A period from 1964 to 1971 is considered in American car industry as a muscle car era. Almost every automaker had at least one model on the market that is considered a muscle car. Creating those cars was fairly simple. Put a powerful engine into a pony (usually of not very good quality) body, don't put much care into comfort or luxury and add a cool name. Safety standards and environmental awareness changed but people are still fascinated by those crazy cars. Therefore, most people know Mustangs, Chargers, Camaros... However, many more muscle cars from this era are left forgotten. I will write about few I personally like.
Dodge Coronet R/T Convertible Hemi 426
Dodge made the first Coronet in 1955, as a full-size saloon car. Later in mid-60's Coronet, become a mid-size segment. Also, the most popular Dodge. It was a nice, well-designed, and comfortable family car. However, this is a muscle car era so Dodge added famous R/T trim package to two new Coronet versions. They made two-door coupe and convertible with famous 426 Hemi V8 engines that delivered 440 horsepower. Coronet R/T was a very good car that battled with Pontiac GTO, the Chevrolet Chevelle for a mid-size market crown. However, convertibles were not popular and many people didn't trust their safety. Therefore, today only two super-rare `67 Coronet R/T Convertibles with Hemi engine models exist.
AMC AMX SS 390
American Motors Company (AMC) was a legendary automaker that died in the 80's. They were known for making affordable and reliable cars. To add some excitement to their car lineup they entered a muscle car market. From today's perspective, it was an excellent decision. Javelin was a four-seat coupe. It became one of the famous muscle cars. The other muscle car they mad was AMX, a two-seat coupe. Aside from Corvette, it was the only two-seat coupe on the market at the time. Both were powerful, stylish and successful cars. In 1969, AMC made a special version AMX SS 390, in cooperation with Hurst, another famous automaker at the time. The AMX SS 390 had a V8 engine that delivered 340 horsepower. Not much but AMX SS 390 was light, nimble and handled well. AMC only made 52 of them, so this is a rare car to find today.
Chevrolet Corvette ZL-1
Back in the late ’60s, General Motors was officially out of racing. A strange decision by GM’s top management, which was never explained. Chevrolet was under that ban as well. Nevertheless, that didn't stop them from supporting various racing teams. Can-Am racing series was especially popular. So, in 1969 they build special all-aluminum Corvette ZL-1. The ZL-1 had a massive 7.0-liter V8 engine. It produced 550 horsepower. It was much more powerful then Mopar or Ford that dominated Can-Am at the time. Chevrolet made around 12 road versions of Corvette ZL-1 for testing. Because of its enormous performance potential, Chevrolet never mentioned this publicly. Those cars were probably taken by top managers or destroyed as prototypes. Today we only know about the existence of two Corvette ZL-1s. One with manual and one with an automatic gearbox.
Oldsmobile 442 W30
The Pontiac GTO is considered the first modern muscle car. However, Oldsmobile 442 was made that same year. Oldsmobile wanted a powerful luxury car, so they marketed 442 as a “gentleman’s hot rod.” This car is elegant, stylish and it had the most modern equipment. Oldsmobile 442 had a 400 CID engine. Both manual and automatic four-speed transmission were offered. In 1966, Oldsmobile made a special version called the W-30. It had tubes sticking from the front bumper, a dual exhaust, a hotter cam... However, its body looked the same as regular 442. There was not much interest from the customers. Oldsmobile ends up making only 54 of them.
Plymouth Barracuda Convertible Hemi 426
This is another great car whose convertible model was not appreciated. Plymouth doesn't exist anymore and they were famous for few great and loved muscle cars. Roadrunner, the GTX, and the Barracuda are legendary models. Second and last generation of Barracuda got a new body, interior, and very powerful Hemi engine with 425 horsepower. As mentioned, convertibles were not popular, especially with such a powerful engine. Therefore, Plymouth only built seven of them.
Studebaker Avanti R2
Studebaker was once popular now forgotten automaker. Studebaker closed down in 1966, after years of poor sales. Just before they left for good, they made a highly desirable luxury model. We today considered it a muscle car. Studebaker Avanti R2 was modern looking with innovative design. Short after its release, a new R2 version was made with supercharged V8 engine delivering 289 horsepower. Believe it or not, this car broke 28 world speed records. Most famous was the top speed record of 170 mph. Avanti R2 could speed up from zero to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. Those were impressive numbers for 1963. Studebaker had problems with production and stopped making R2 in 1964. It was their last chance of making it and they blew it.
There will be a part 2!
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