’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM

Posted on August 19, 2025 by MartynL

Arguably, 1972 was the last year of the great ones. The ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM, however, still delivered head-turning style, sporty car ride & handling, plus big-block performance! Chrysler and Ford followed GM with a vengeance, not only reducing compression ratios but killing some great engines and models. This resulted in GM’s carryover vehicles, including the ’72 PONTIAC FIREBIRD, FORMULA & TRANS AM, powered by underrated engines, dominating the marketpl...

’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET!

Posted on July 12, 2025July 12, 2025 by MartynL

One of the early adopters of street performance (’49 Rocket V-8 coupe), Oldsmobile kicked butt with the ’66 OLDS 4-4-2: TRI-POWER ROCKET! When carmakers announced their 1966 models in September 1965, it was like the Musclecar/Supercar floodgates had opened. Ford had already proven that its 1964-1965 marketing mantra – “Win On Sunday, Sell On Monday” – worked. For 1966, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors unleashed their all-time hottest models, and it was nirvana for car enthusiasts and ...

’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS

Posted on April 29, 2025April 29, 2025 by MartynL

The ’72 OLDS W30 4-4-2 & W-45 HURST/OLDS were the last of the great ones from Lansing! Like the GTO and LeMans, Oldsmobile’s venerable 4-4-2 was reduced to an option available on various Cutlass models. To get maximum 4-4-2 power and image, you had to opt for the W29 Sport/Handling 4-4-2 and the W30 Performance Packages. When you selected the W30, it included the L77 Force-Air 455 rated at 300 horsepower at 4,700 rpm and 410 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. The best part of the W2...

’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR

Posted on March 20, 2025 by MartynL

One of the finalists for CARS Magazine’s 1966 Top Performance Car honors was the ’66 OLDS TRI-POWER 4-4-2: SERIOUS SUPERCAR! In 1966, Olds Engineers in Lansing finally developed a big-engined midsize car to compete seriously with Pontiac’s GTO. After revealing the latest 4-4-2 with a four-barrel 400/350, they upped the ante with a late-arriving Tri-Carb version conservatively rated at 360 horsepower. It was Oldsmobile’s first use of three-two-barrel induction since the legendary 1957-19...

’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 2024 by MartynL

Few midsize Musclecars from the 1970s can match the road and track creds of the ’70 OLDS W30 4-4-2 ROAD WARRIOR. In many ways, 1970 was the storm before the calm. The war in Southeast Asia continued casting a pall over a much-divided country and thinning the ranks of young enthusiasts. Carmakers’ racing budgets were being drastically cut and engineering resources reassigned to prepare for restrictive emissions and safety legislation. And, Ponycar sales had been plummeting and would regi...

’67 BARRACUDA: PLYMOUTH’S POTENT PONYCAR

Posted on August 16, 2024August 16, 2024 by MartynL

Whatever the ’67 BARRACUDA: PLYMOUTH’S POTENT PONYCAR lacked in power, it more than made up with slick styling and ride & handling! Suddenly the Ponycar market was chock full of new style and power choices. Not long after the ’67 Camaro’s public introduction a potent 302-inch small-block in Z28 trim and big-block 396 engines with up to 375 horsepower appeared. Plymouth upped the ante with a redesigned and very slick Barracuda in fastback and notchback coupe and convertible body styl...

FRED MACKERODT, A LIFE WELL-LIVED.

Posted on January 10, 2024January 11, 2024 by MartynL

A bid farewell to a colleague, a mentor and a friend: FRED MACKERODT, A LIFE WELL-LIVED. Frederick T. “Fred” Mackerodt died peacefully at home in upstate New York on Christmas Day, December 25, 2023, surrounded by loving friends. Born on September 17, 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, he and his former wife of 35 years, Christy Woods Mackerodt, resided at the Stone House Farm in Chester, New York, and in New York City. Fred was respected as a creative communicator, founder and president of...