’64 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA: FIRST PONYCAR

Posted on August 2, 2024August 2, 2024 by MartynL

Contrary to popular belief, the first Ponycar was not a Mustang. Plymouth beat Ford, introducing its compact sporty car - ’64 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA: FIRST PONYCAR - a couple of weeks earlier! Plymouth introduced its Valiant-based, fastback ’64 PLYMOUTH BARRACUDA: FIRST PONYCAR on April 1st, 1964, edging out Ford’s Mustang reveal on April 17th. A few months later in August, Ford showed its competitive 2+2 fastback. Plymouth may have beaten Ford to the marketplace, but it barely dented Ford’s owners...

’24 LEXUS LC 500: COUPE DU JOUR!

Posted on July 29, 2024July 29, 2024 by MartynL

Lexus beautifully blurs the line between luxury car, sports car and GT, resulting in the ’24 LEXUS LC 500: COUPE DU JOUR! Unlike hand-crafted, one-off Concept Cars that showcase brands at auto shows and typically lack functionality, Lexus’ LC 500 Coupe is actually a Concept Car you can buy! While it hasn’t officially been a Concept since LC 500 Coupe production started for the 2018 model year, for all intents and purposes they both share common styling and trim. First shown as the LF...

1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS

Posted on July 19, 2024July 19, 2024 by MartynL

Dodge and Plymouth freshened their midsize models for 1967 and increased high-performance options. Big-Block 440 and 426 Street Hemis powered the hottest 1967 DODGE & PLYMOUTH MUSCLECARS. The top-dog 426/425 Street Hemi was carried over and joined by a 440/375 Wedge ideally suited for the street and track. New 440 four-barrel models were much cheaper to buy, insure, and live with than Street Hemis. Mopar Hemi race engines continued to distinguish themselves in competition. Richard P...

RODS & ROSES BLOOMS AGAIN IN CARPINTERIA, CA!

Posted on July 18, 2024July 18, 2024 by MartynL

Showcasing classic American hot rods, sports cars and Musclecars, and supporting local charities and non-profit support groups, RODS & ROSES BLOOMS AGAIN IN CARPINTERIA, CA! Since 1912 the small seaside city of Carpinteria on California's Central Coast has promoted its designation as the location of the "World's Safest Beach" – and since 1997 the city has also been touting its Car Guy credentials as the home of the rad Rods & Roses car show. This popular community event has never been t...

‘49 OLDS ROCKET 88: GM’s FIRST MUSCLECAR!

Posted on July 14, 2024July 14, 2024 by MartynL

General Motors started the industry’s OHV revolution in 1949 with Cadillac and Oldsmobile. Racers loved the ‘49 OLDS ROCKET 88: GM’s FIRST MUSCLECAR! Decades before 1964 when Pontiac created the GTO by putting a big motor in a Tempest, and even before 1949 when Cadillac and Oldsmobile introduced powerful overhead valve (OHV) V-8 engines, carmakers had been keenly aware of the public’s need for speed and responded accordingly. Low-volume, high-performance cars debuted shortly after the turn of t...

’57 CORVETTE FUELIE: BUILT TO RACE!

Posted on July 11, 2024 by MartynL

Zora Arkus-Duntov created RPO Options so anyone could order a ’57 CORVETTE FUELIE: BUILT TO RACE! In 1957, the Corvette was the first production American car powered by an engine producing one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch – 283 cubic inches, 283 horsepower - and fitted with an optional Rochester Ramjet Fuel Injection engine. Checking off the right boxes could net you with a four-speed transmission and Positraction rear axle. The ’57 Corvette is respected worldwide as one of the most signif...

’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY

Posted on July 4, 2024July 4, 2024 by MartynL

1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Vietnam, racing budgets cut and diverted to safety & emissions engineering, Ponycar sales plummeting, plus parts delays and production glitches, resulted in the ’70 CAMARO: COMING LATE TO THE PARTY. Eagerly awaited, the all-new ’70 Camaro (and Firebird) had been hyped by auto writers because of anticipated new platform, and engineering and styling changes. They did not disappoint. But there were production problems. When we evaluated 19...

‘25 DEFENDER OCTA: HIGH-PERFORMANCE HERO

Posted on July 3, 2024 by MartynL

The toughest, most durable, and most powerful – ‘25 DEFENDER OCTA: HIGH-PERFORMANCE HERO – is also the most dynamically accomplished Defender ever created! Powered by a 4.4-liter Twin Turbo mild-hybrid V8 engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with high and low-range gears, the OCTA is the most powerful Defender ever - with 626 horsepower and up to 553 pound-feet of torque. The OCTA’s new powertrain enables 0-60 mph sprints in just 3.8 seconds. Its heavily revised chassis...

BONNEVILLE LAKESTER, SALT OF THE EARTH!

Posted on June 30, 2024June 30, 2024 by MartynL

Turn-key 300-plus mph, record-setting racer with rebuilt engine, trailer and tow truck - BONNEVILLE LAKESTER, SALT OF THE EARTH! – is looking for a new owner. After setting the AA/FL (Fuel) record (290.49 mph) at Bonneville in 2009, veteran hot rodder and racecar builder Bob Dauernheim’s Lakester, driven by Don Biglow, was completely redesigned in 2011 to run on gas (AA/GL). It was again updated for Speed Week 2012. Bob Cuneo, designer and builder of the U.S. Olympic Team’s winning bobs...

FORD 428 COBRA JET & BIG BLOCK HERITAGE!

Posted on June 29, 2024June 29, 2024 by MartynL

In February 1968, 1968½ Cobra Jet Mustangs swept Super/Stock Class and Eliminator titles at the NHRA Winternationals. FORD 428 COBRA JET & BIG BLOCK HERITAGE! is showcased here, and in the latest edition of Over-Drive Magazine. Ford’s primary performance car for 1968 was the mid-year 428 Cobra Jet Mustang, with Toploader four-speed manual or beefed C-6 automatic transmissions. The powertrain option was available in coupe, convertible and fastback SportsRoof models. In 1968 the Musta...