The 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird is hailed as the “holy grail” of Plymouths and the most sought after of their line of raw-powered Muscle Cars and have sold for several hundred thousand dollars. The Superbird actually exists, largely due to the strong requests (actually demands) of then NASCAR champion, national hero, racing celebrity and multi-talented winning driver/owner, Richard Petty, honorably dubbed “The King”, by his peers.

Petty had always been a staunch Plymouth man, but in 1969, after being denied a Plymouth version of the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona “winged” production race-car, he left Plymouth and defected to Ford’s Racing Team (a move which was devastating to Plymouth’s Racing Team at the time). The Plymouth Racing Team would take this act to heart and scrambled to provide “The King” with what he wanted, and at the time needed, to win in the NASCAR series for 1970. Even though NASCAR changed the rules for competition in 1970, from 500 production units for 1969, to one unit for each manufacturer’s dealership in the U.S.A., this would mean that they would now have to build 1920 units (records show that some 1,935 units were actually produced, give or take). Plymouth wanted Mr. Petty back and pulled out all the stops to make that happen in 1970 . . . they did and it worked.

“The King” and his new winged-warrior, the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird, were a force to be reckoned with on the circuit for 1970 winning 8 races during the season and placing highly all year. Unfortunately, due to excessively high speeds achieved and for safety reasons, the powers-that-be at NASCAR were forced to make a decision and this would be the first and last year that these winged vehicles would be allowed to race (with the large displacement engines) in the series. Even though the cars were still eligible and even legal to race body-wise, they were forced to reduce engine displacement to no more than 305 c.i. This rule change, pretty much rendered them non-competitive due to poor power-to-weight ratios that were, well, sickly at best.

But, for that one glorious season, the engineers at Plymouth put their heads together and came up with a design utilizing the front-end of their Coronet models with a huge, yet aerodynamic sheet-metal “beak” attached to it and grafted to the “B-body” of a Road Runner chassis. Also, after redesigning the rear-window and body area (note: all Superbirds came with a vinyl roof to cover the metal-working “scars” left from the installation of the flush-mounted rear glass) and by adding over 40% more surface area (than the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona) to the stabilizer portion of the aluminum wing and tilting it farther to the rear of the trunk area, they were able to achieve the desired aerodynamic results. The wing was also made a bit taller to aid in clearance of the trunk lid, when opened. However, the huge, rear wing was basically useless at speeds under 90 mph, and other than the love-it or hate-it relationship that the general public had with the winged look, it was rarely ever functional at legally posted speed limits.

The 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird (all were 2-Door Coupes) was very similar to their line of high-end GTXs and its drivetrains were similar in offerings.  The standard package included the 375 hp, 440-cid Super Commando V8 with a single 4-barrel Carter carburetor (approximately 1,084 units were made).  Upgrades were either the 390 hp, 440-cid Plus-Six Super Commando Six-Pack V8 with three 2-barrel Holley carburetors (approximately 716 units were made) or the amazing 425 hp, 426-cid “Hemi” V8 with dual-quads, two 4-barrel Carter carburetors (of which only 135 some-odd units were made, again, record keeping in those days was a bit sketchy at best).

That’s a lot of power for a production vehicle, which could be bought right off the lot at your local Plymouth Dealership. These powerhouses were coupled to either a four-speed manual transmission complete with a super-cool pistol-grip shift knob or a TorqueFlite 727 automatic transmission with either column mounted or floor-console shifter. (note: the above production totals are per Chrysler Historical records of street vehicles produced, but are again, sketchy at best and in constant debate as to their validity).

The Superbird used the Road Runner’s “Rallye” style dashboard with full instrumentation, a 150 MPH speedometer, a tachometer and even a clock. However, no air-conditioning, rear window defogger or Ram-Air hood option was available. They did come standard with power-assisted front disc-brakes, rear-facing front fender scoops (which were mounted on the top of the fenders and were there to evacuate air that may get trapped in the wheel wells, as well as, to aid in cooling of the brakes), split over/under tail lights and of course all those cool “Road Runner” cartoon-character decals. They showed the famous bird holding a racing helmet within a circular “Road Runner Superbird” lettering surrounding it (one small decal on the left front headlamp door and a substantial sized one on each side of the rear wing) and a huge “PLYMOUTH” decal on each of the rear 1/4 panels. The car weighed 3700+/- pounds and was 221 inches in length (over 18 feet), 76.4 inches wide, 61.4 inches high and had a 115.8-inch wheelbase.

The Superbird’s winged styling seemed to be a bit much for the general public, not to mention their $4,298 base price tag.  As awesome as the car was on the track or to the people who absolutely loved them, they did not sell well and many dealers were left holding onto them for as long as two years later. It is rumored that some of them were even changed back into standard looking Road Runners and sold sans beak and winged tail-section.

The year of 1965 was a great one for the Ford Motor Company, with the introduction of a totally new vehicle in their lineup called the Ford Mustang! This beautiful, yet economically minded car, created a new class of vehicle which was dubbed the “Pony Car” (a sporty, 2-door coupe design which incorporated a long hood and a short, rear deck area). The car was introduced unusually early in the model year (on April 17, 1964 at the New York Worlds’ Fair and to rave reviews!) as a 1965 production model, with room to seat 4 people and was based on the affordable Ford Falcon chassis. Many purist’s still refer to these early production models (April thru September 1964) as 1964-1/2, but all were actually produced, titled and coded as 1965 models!

The Mustang also happened to be Ford Motor Company’s most successful new model launch since the Model “A” way back in 1927! The Mustang would become Ford’s third oldest nameplate to date, being surpassed only by the F-Series pickup models and the Falcon which is still in production in Australia. To date, there have been five generations of the Ford Mustang and it is also the longest running, uninterrupted production run of the original “Pony Car” in existence. Other Pony Cars that followed the Mustang have come and gone and some are even seeing a revival today, as new, current models being produced by General Motors and Chrysler.

Ford Motor Company originally estimated that less than 100,000 units would be produced for the 1965 year model, but due to huge sales and consumer demand, over 1 million were actually produced in the first 18 months of production. The car was well built and stylish, not to mention a great car to drive! It also didn’t hurt, that its 1st movie debut was in the hugely popular James Bond film, “Goldfinger”, released in September of 1964!

It’s funny, that there seems to be some confusion as to who actually chose the name for the Mustang but at least two arguments exist:

1.) That Ford’s Executive Stylist at the time, Pres Harris, who was a huge fan of the infamously successful WWII Mustangs of the North American Aviation Company not only chose the name but was instrumental in the design of the body.

2.) That Ford’s Division Market Research Manager of the time, Robert J. Eggert, due to his love of American Quarterhorse breeds, and after receiving a book, as a birthday gift from his wife back in 1960, named “the Mustangs” (by J. Frank Dobie) was responsible for using his influence to name the new car.

Either way, Lee Iacocca is still considered the “Father” of the Mustang project and his team of designers, stylists and all who were involved can be very proud of the little Pony Car that could and DID!

The Dodge Dart actually started life as a smaller, full-sized vehicle for 1960 and 1961.  In 1962, the Dodge Dart was downsized and offered as a mid-sized vehicle. It ended up as a compact vehicle from 1963 to 1976, which marked the end of its 17 year run.

The 1970 Dodge Dart was available in a 2-door coupe, 2-door hardtop and a 4-door sedan. The convertible models were dropped after 1969. For 1970, the Dart was freshened up with new sheet metal, front and rear. The grille and rear end designs were fashioned to look more like their full-sized counterparts. Trunk space was reduced to nearly half the size of the 1969 models and the tail lights were rectangular units set into the angular, wedge-shaped, chrome rear bumper.

Engine choices for the 1970 Dart included the following:  198-cid or 225-cid, “slant” 6-cylinder engine to a 318-cid, V-8, 2-barrel carbureted or 340-cid, 4-barrel carbureted, V-8 power plant, which produced some 275 hp. The 383-cid V-8 was dropped after 1969 to keep the Dart from interfering/competing with the new Challenger models in the muscle car arena.

After 1969, the Swinger 340 was the only true performance model in the Dart lineup. The Swinger name was also added to all Dart 2-door hardtops, with the exception of the high-line custom models and the GTS package.The Swinger 340 came with a pair of cool looking, slanted, but non-functional hood scoops. It was also equipped with front disc brakes, 14-inch bias-ply Fiberglass-belted tires on fashioned steel Rallye rims (keeping with the rage of the day). The Swinger 340 also came with beefed-up Rallye style suspension upgrades, including a 3.23:1 rear axle ratio and the rear 1/4 panel bumble-bee stripe and 340 decals. Options included: all-vinyl bucket seats, a center floor-console, a 6000 RPM tachometer, flat-black painted hood scoops and cool hood-pins, a custom vinyl roof in either black or white, power brakes, power steering and power windows were also available. Oddly enough, the only radio offered was an AM radio!

I did not own a Dodge Dart, but I did have a 1970 Plymouth Duster 340. It was a very quick and fun car to drive. That 340 motor could be tuned to produce some real arm-stretching, neck-snapping, slingshot like “G-forces” when you stuffed your foot into it! I had a blast with that little car and hold fond memories of the days cruisin the strip, red-light racing (stoplight to stoplight) and sitting in muscle car row at the outdoor theater!

The Plymouth GTX was produced from 1967 to 1971 and in that short period of time went through three different design changes (3 generations). The Plymouth GTX was based on the Belvedere mid-sized chassis and was introduced as a more refined, more luxurious, bettering performing Muscle car. Although it was based on the 116-inch wheelbase Belvedere chassis, the GTX was only available with upgraded heavy-duty suspension.

The heavy duty suspension was needed in order to handle the standard 440-cid, “Super Commando” V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor, producing a potent 375 hp.  The optional 426-cid “Hemi” V8 which produced a whopping 425 hp in box-stock form was also available.  Later, an option of three 2-barrels or a “Six-Pack” dubbed “440+6” was also available, making around 395 hp. The Plymouth GTX was only available as a 2-door hardtop or convertible and came standard with the TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission or an optional 4-speed manual transmission.

For 1969, the GTX received a subtle facelift including an optional, and now functional, “Air Grabber” hood with dual side-facing air vents. The hood and “Air Grabber” vents were also painted (by over 3/4 of its total area) with two flat-black racing stripes on top of the body color. Those flat black stripes, a bit thinner of course, were also applied to the rocker panel and fender/quarter panel areas as well. Also new for 1969 was a heavy-duty battery, a higher performance camshaft with larger valves and ports to match, chrome exhaust tips, red or white colored reflective safety stripes on front and rear areas and probably the biggest new option of a Hurst shifter was now available. Several rear-end gearing options were offered to enhance performance and front disc brakes were also available.

However, as popular as the GTX was, mainly due to performance “bang for the buck”, sales dropped in 1969. This was somewhat due to the fact that the ever popular Road Runner, was now available in a convertible model as well (this would also be the last year a convertible would be offered in GTX garb).  15,602 GTX units were produced in 1969 and only 700 were convertibles and Hemi’s accounted for 207 units. You can see why these cars today can bring pretty big money at the sales and auctions around the globe!

The second generation 1968 Dodge Charger was a complete redesign based on the mid-sized chassis (or B-Body with 117-inch wheelbase).  All 1968 Chargers were two-door, fastback coupes (the fastback was much toned-down compared to previous models). They, however, retained their signature blacked-out front grille with hidden headlamps. The former mechanical, rotating headlamps were replaced by a vacuum operated, “eyelid” type lamp cover instead. Also, the former body-wide, tail light panel was revised and replaced with a pair of dual round lamps at either end (outlined in chrome trim).

The doors and hood each contained a pair of racy-looking indents (faux wastegates if you will) with rear facing “tails” or “sweeps” which made the car look like it was going fast, even as if it was standing still. Both front fenders and rear quarter panels were rounded out and gave a bulbous, muscular look to the whole car. The chromed, racing style, “quick-fill” gas cap was located on the upper rear quarter panel. The new fastback body backlight was inset and had a rearward swooping panel that led into the trunk and quarter panel area on each side.  It bore the resemblance of the trailing-wing or “flying-buttress” styling cues of the day.

The 1968 Dodge Charger started out with a base 318-cid V8, 230 hp (rated), 2-barrel carbureted engine.  Later in the production year the venerable 225-cid “Slant” 6-cylinder with 1-barrel carburetor was also made available. The 383-cid big-blocks in both 2-barrel, 290 hp (rated) and 4-barrel, 330 hp (rated) were carried over from the 1967 first generation Dodge Chargers.  A new R/T (Road/Track) version came standard with a 440-cid Magnum V8 and a 4-barrel carburetor pushing 375 under-rated hp. Of course, as if that wasn’t enough, you could still opt for the awesome 426-cid Hemi V8 with two-4 barrel carburetors producing in excess of 425 hp (again under rated and only a $605 option at the time).

Dodge pulled some extra muscle power appeal from their war chest for 1968 R/T’s and announced the Scat Pack option, which included heavy duty suspension and brakes; special rear trunk bumble bee striping (wrapped around the rearmost area from side-to-side); a double wide racing stripe outlined by two thinner stripes and a special decal with a muscular looking bumble bee that had a V8 strapped to its back. The Torqueflite “727”automatic transmission came standard and mounted in the floor console with the option of a four-speed manual linked to a Hurst shifter.

The 1968 Dodge Charger had an all new “space-age” looking interior with many new safety features (some federally mandated and others just for sake of innovation). The cockpit style gauges were placed in front of the driver and angled for easy viewing at any speed. A tachometer was optional and the rallye style clock was standard.

The sporty looking door panels carried new map pockets (or ticket collectors, as the case may be). The front seats had safety latches to allow easy access for rear seat passengers. It also prevented the seats from unintentionally folding forward, especially in the case of impact. The ashtray was tucked into the dash for safety and the center of the steering wheel was padded (also for the unfortunate event of an impact). There was a new power window safety lockout switch to prevent accidental finger crunching. The ignition also had to be turned on for the windows to operate at all. Front seat head restraints were provided and seat/shoulder belts all the way around (at least at the driver and passenger sides, front and back, center rear lap only). Instrument padding was extended to cover the knee area of the steel dash for added protection. To help aid rear visibility, a rear-window defogger was added. There were 6 basic interior colors and 17 exterior colors and an optional vinyl top which was ordered on three out of four units.

Some 96,100 Dodge Chargers were produced, far more than the estimated 35,000 they thought they would need to build. Of those, only 470 units were built with the Hemi engine option. Wow, no wonder they are such desirable vehicles in today’s marketplace. The Hemi version was capable of 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and run through the 1/4 mile traps in 13.8 seconds at 105 mph. Not bad for a car that weighed over 4,300 pounds. Man, those were the days, and I for one, am lucky and proud to have grown up in that era! Dodge stated that “This is no dream car. It’s a real ‘take-me-home-and-let’s stir-things-up-a-bit’ automobile.”

The 1961 to 1969 Lincoln Continental was designed by Elwood Engle and his team of designers in order to capture a larger part of the luxury car market from its biggest rivals. The overwhelming success of this vehicle prompted, then President of Ford Motor Company (and first ever President of the Ford Motor Company outside of the actual Henry Ford family), Robert S. McNamara, to continue the Lincoln Division.  He was considering dropping it, along with the Edsel line, due to previously sluggish sales.

This huge, rectangular, flat-paneled, aircraft carrier sized, boxy looking beast was truly a vision of beauty to behold. At 212.4-inches in length, 78.6- inches in width and 53.6-inches in height, it was still smaller than the previous design run which ended in 1960. The wheelbase was 123-inches for 1961 to 1963 and grew to 126-inches for 1965 to 1969, which added more legroom to the rear seat passengers. Amazingly, the weight was kept nearly the same (from nearly 5,000 to over 5,700 lbs during the production run from 1961 to 1969), but still the heaviest make of all U.S. luxury car offerings.

Initially, the Lincoln Continental was available in either a four-door sedan or convertible, with “suicide” rear doors (with opening at the leading edge of the rear door, which were actually used to ease entry and exit for the rear-seat passengers).  A two-door sedan was introduced in 1966 to rave reviews. Although 1967 marked the end of the convertible model, the 2 and 4-door versions continued until 1969 before the next generation Lincoln would make its debut in 1970.

All the Lincoln Continental models (this was actually the first time in history that Lincoln and Continental would be used together outside of the “Mark” series) would come nearly fully equipped with all the goodies Lincoln had to offer at the time. Another historical first (for a car made in the USA) was the offering of a 2-year, 24,000 mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty by Lincoln on all its models.

On the convertible models, the trunk lid would mechanically open from the leading edge. This came with a hidden nightmare of electronic and hydraulic issues that would frustrate many technicians in years to come whenever they needed repairs. Many grille and tail-end changes were made over the 9-year run and the interiors/features evolved with the times. The huge V-8 increased from 430-cid to 462-cid in 1966 and then went to 460-cid in 1968, while always being supported by a three-speed, heavy-duty, automatic transmission.

This uniquely designed vehicle was showered with accolades, both inside and outside the automotive industry and even received the prestigious “Bronze Medal” from the haughty Industrial Design Institute (which rarely recognized the automotive industry). This American Icon of heavy metal engineering and design has been used by Hollywood in many movies, TV shows (most recently seen in the hit series “Entourage”).The Lincoln Continental has been driven by hoards of celebrities and was even the chosen by J.F.K as the Presidential parade vehicle (code named SS-100-X). This was all due to the refinements, unique innovations and the distinguished look that Lincoln Continental had provided to a “hungry-for-change” buying public.

The Lincoln Continental was beautifully designed by Elwood Engle and his team, under the direction of Robert McNamara (who, incidentally, went on to become the Secretary of Defense for both J.F.K. and Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidential terms).  The convertible models are especially coveted today and will bring all the money at any event they show up in any “salable” condition!

The Dodge Viper RT/10 first appeared in 1989 with rave reviews, at the NAIA Show (North American International Auto Show) in Detroit, being quickly rushed into production shortly thereafter. Designed by a hand-selected group of engineers, nicknamed “Team Viper”, they began development in March of 1989, of what would soon become the production vehicle. Their goal was to create a new American made 2-seater sports car, which would be steeped in traditional, iconic designs of such cars as the Anglo-American AC Cobra that could go from zero to 100 mph and back to zero in under 15 seconds. Oh and of course, could compete with the dominating and legendary Chevrolet Corvette.

Even the seasoned legend, Carroll Shelby, was involved with initial design cues and even more-so when the GTS Coupe was introduced in 1996. The Dodge Viper would be considered, at least internally at Chrysler Corporation, as a modernized version of the infamous Cobra from days gone by.  At the time, Dodge had a cast-iron blocked, V10 engine available in their line of pickups which was too heavy for use in the new sports car.  To solve this problem,  Lamborghini (a Chrysler subsidiary at the time), was asked to help develop an aluminum-block, V10 engine.  With the engine design issue in the rear view mirror, a prototype Viper could be pushed out. This happened at the 1991 Indianapolis 500, when the pre-production Viper appeared for the first time, with the one-and-only Carroll Shelby behind the wheel.

The Dodge Viper came to market for the first time in 1992. Its design included a front mounted engine with rear wheel drive and 4-wheel independent suspension. It had a modern, sleek, low, wide and nimble look as well as a powerful V10 engine. The first generation Viper also featured low-profile tires and a body with seemingly never-ending curves, capturing the attention of sports car enthusiasts everywhere.  The first generation Viper was truly a beast of a beauty to be admired by car lovers the world over.

As modern as the first generation Dodge Viper was in many respects, it was also primitive in some areas, such as no roll-up windows. Instead, a pair of clear, flexible, zip-up, fabric trimmed plastic windows could be put in place where glass would normally appear. No hard top roof was present in the design either. A flexible soft top roof was available instead,  which was mainly useful for inside storage only. The first generation Viper also lacked outside door handles, requiring you to reach inside to open the doors, in order to climb into the cockpit. All the seemingly commonplace creature comforts were eliminated in order to keep weight to a minimum. No traction control or ABS brakes were available either.  All this “dieting” helped the 3,284 pound, 400 hp, V10, 488-cid, six-speed manual transmission Dodge Viper go from zero to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. The first generation Viper was also capable of traveling a quarter-mile in only 12.9 seconds with a speed in excess of 180 mph.

Just how do you suppose the historically famous Italian company, Pininfarina, ever became involved in the styling designs of the 1950’s Nash automobiles? It would have been enjoyable to be around in the days of the late forties and early fifties when these sometimes garish and over-the-top designs were created. The designs were often borrowed from furniture and appliance manufacturers. They were slathered onto the artsy designs of some of the heaviest, yet most stylish, “gunboats” to ever grace the pavements of the world.

The Italian design and coachbuilding company Pininfarina was famous for their work with the likes of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and many other prestigious companies. They were commissioned by the Nash Motor Company to design these special edition Ambassador “bathtub styled” beauties aptly named the Nash Ambassador “Pininfarina” Country Club Coupe.

The 1969 through 1976 Triumph TR6 was known as the quick, nimble, what-a-blast-to-drive and totally British sports cars of the day.  The Triumph TR6 was mostly unchanged throughout the 8 year production run. (unfortunately the end of a great era for Triumph and all true British sports cars, as we knew them).  The Triumph TR6 was only produced as a front engine, rear-wheel drive, 2-door convertible sports car.

The new-for-1969 body was only slightly redesigned by the famous Karmann group of Germany (while maintaining many components, both body and chassis wise, from the previous TR4/A and TR5/TR250 models). The front-end was widened and modernized, while the rear-end was given an angular, “Kamm-back” styling (which was becoming popular at the time). The only engine available was the 2,498cc (152.4-cid or 2.5L), in-line, 6-cylinder with twin “SU” (or later Stromberg) carburetors, producing around 105hp (the European market, and “British” only versions were available with P.I., or “petrol-injection” and produced in the area of 150hp). This torquey little, OHV, pushrod design, 6-cylinder, was coupled to a fully synchromesh, four-speed, manual transmission (and an optional, electrically switched, “overdrive” transmission was also available).

The wheelbase was a mere 88 inches, the overall length was only 155.5 inches, the total width was 61 inches and it was only a short 50 inches high.  It weighed a paltry 2,300 lbs (+/-). The Triumph TR6 was a great little “Sports car” package, that could reach 0-60 in approximately 8.2 seconds, run through the 1/4-mile traps at around 16.3 seconds and attain a top speed of around 120 mph. Nothing earth shattering, but a lot of fun, none-the-less!

The interior of the Triumph TR6 was typically “British” in styling and appointments. It had plenty of odd switches and levers, full instrumentation and comfy, sporty seats. It was cozy, yet, actually roomy enough for a person over 6-ft tall. It had the typical wood veneer dash board of the day, plush carpeting all over the place and a nice-feeling steering wheel. With the redesigned rear-body area by the aforementioned Karmann group, there was a lot more room for luggage and/or groceries than in most previous sports cars of this size.

For mid-1973, and again, due to U.S. Government safety mandates, a huge pair of (and most people agree ugly) black rubber bumper “over-riders” were added to both front and rear bumpers (to meet the 5 mph impact ratings). The Triumph TR6 was of steel frame/steel body design for its entire production run and had a semi-trailing arm rear, independent suspension with coil springs and knee-action, lever-style shocks. The front disc brakes and rear drum brakes were more than adequate, with the power assisted booster system. The steering was handled nicely by a rack and pinion style system, with huge 15-inch wheels/tires (Redlines were the cats-ass) all the way around.

Sketchy records indicated that some 96,000+ Triumph TR6 cars were produced from 1969 through 1976 and over 83,000 of those ended up in North America. That made the TR6 the most popular and most produced Triumph in the TR series history (the TR series ran from 1953 through 1980).  The Triumph TR6 is a very desirable and somewhat valuable and unique collectible vehicle in today’s market. Many of these cars have rusted away to nothing, leaving very few original units out there in good condition.