CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS

Posted on June 19, 2025June 19, 2025 by MartynL

Chrysler jumped on the performance bandwagon in 1955 with its 300-horsepower C-300, kicking off a decade of CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS. Chrysler’s letter-series entry in the 1955 horsepower wars, weighing in at more than 4,500 pounds, could accelerate to 60 mph in the 9s and top out at 130 mph. In NASCAR competition, Kiekhaefer’s legendary Chrysler C-300s were the cars to beat. Chrysler’s Hemi, one of the most successful engines in American racing history, was unstoppable on ...

‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR

Posted on June 6, 2025June 6, 2025 by MartynL

Ford offered OHV V-8s, dual quads & superchargers; yet it was the worst of times: the AMA racing ban. The ‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR, however, represents the prelude to TOTAL PERFORMANCE. The 1950s ushered in an era of aggressive competition, both on the street and racetracks. Ford, Chrysler and General Motors did whatever it took to lure buyers into showrooms. Detroit’s competitive spirit during the mid-to-late-1950s set the stage for some of the most exciting years i...

’67 FORD GALAXIE: 427-CUBE HEAVYWEIGHT

Posted on March 4, 2025March 4, 2025 by MartynL

In 1967, Ford ‘called out’ the GTO with its hot 390 and 427 Fairlanes, put a big-block in its Mustang, and won the Daytona 500, Indy 500, Trans-Am Championship, and Le Mans. And, the ’67 FORD GALAXIE: 427-CUBE HEAVYWEIGHT took no prisoners! Even though all factory drag and NASCAR racing programs were centered around the new 427 Fairlane, Ford still offered customers a choice of W-Code or R-Code 427 side-oiler engines with four-speed transmissions in the full-size Galaxie. Collector Charlie Lill...

1969 MERCURY CYCLONE & SPOILER

Posted on February 13, 2025February 13, 2025 by MartynL

Packed with 428 CJ power, the 1969 MERCURY CYCLONE & SPOILER delivered maximum performance and head-turning styling. It was a banner year for Ford Bosses: Boss 302, Boss 429, and Bunkie Knudsen, the new boss of bosses. His passion for racing—and racing what dealers could sell—supported the Boss 429 program, which helped impact Mustang sales. More importantly, it helped move mainstream Mercury Montego/Cyclone/Spoiler and Ford Fairlane/Torino models like those that dominated NASCAR, U...

THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER

Posted on November 18, 2024 by MartynL

Bigger than a Ponycar and larger and more luxurious than a Musclecar, THE ORIGINAL DODGE HEMI CHARGER in 1966 turned heads and blew off the competition. The biggest big news for 1966 was the 426 Dodge and Plymouth Street Hemi. After teasing us with on-again, off-again streetable 426 Hemi cars in 1965, the option was officially announced. Rated at 425 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 490 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, the Street Hemi was, essentially, a detuned race Hemi with milder 276-d...

’64 PONTIAC GTO & THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION

Posted on October 22, 2024October 22, 2024 by MartynL

An option turns a midsize Tempest into the ’64 PONTIAC GTO & THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION, and a decade of GTO-badged high-performance Pontiacs. Pontiac called it “A Device For Shrinking Time & Distance.” Magazine editors called it a “Supercar”. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac - not Ford, Chevy or Plymouth - essentially created the option that ignited the Supercar Revolution and an ...

CHEVY 427 MARK II MYSTERY MOTOR

Posted on October 20, 2024October 20, 2024 by MartynL

Unlike the Z11, the CHEVY 427 MARK II MYSTERY MOTOR was not available in a car, or to the public. You had to have serious NASCAR cred to get one of the 20 built. In the 1960s, Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen always seemed to be one step ahead of GM Chairman Fred Donner’s anti-racing missives. While running Pontiac, he had supported the Super-Duty Group that later, after he left, managed to get 421 Catalina Lightweights to drag racers before the axe fell. Then he moved on to Chevrolet in 1961 and...

CHIP GANASSI: THE AMELIA’S 2022 HONOREE!

Posted on January 12, 2022January 12, 2022 by MartynL

The 27th Annual Amelia Island Concours will celebrate the career of racer and racing legend, CHIP GANASSI: THE AMELIA’S 2022 HONOREE! The founder of Chip Ganassi Racing has touched every major form of North American motorsport plus the ultimate international road race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi’s legacy extends far beyond being an accomplished driver, he is a decorated race team owner who has fielded highly successful teams in INDYCAR, NASCAR, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champ...

‘57 CHEVY: BLACK WIDOW REDUX

Posted on January 14, 2020January 14, 2020 by MartynL

Ronnie Staples channeled Chevrolet’s Vince Piggins and SEDCO to come up with a modern, resto-modded version of the legendary Black Widow ’57 Chevy. It’s a true Road Warrior! The SEDCO vanity license plate on Ronnie Staples’ ultra-slick ’57 Chevy 150 two-door could easily go unnoticed unless you’re a student of 1950s Chevrolet factory racing programs. SEDCO, Southern Engineering and Development Company, was home to Chevrolet’s backdoor NASCAR racing efforts in 1957. It was hidden in plain sight, ...

ST. MICHAELS: CONCOURS ON CHESAPEAKE BAY!

Posted on October 3, 2019October 3, 2019 by MartynL

Maureen & Mike Matune represented the CarGuyChronicles at the 13th annual St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance. Here are some highlights. This year was lucky number 13 for the St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance. Situated on the grounds of the Inn at Perry Cabin and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, it showcased the beauty and grace of classic cars and boats set among the splendor of Maryland’s Eastern Shore on a late summer Sunday afternoon. New this year was a gathering of the Senior Award winn...