‘70 LS6 CHEVELLE – MAGNUM FORCE FROM MOTOWN!

Posted on November 1, 2026November 1, 2026 by MartynL

The new year ushered in bigger, more powerful engines, new specialty Supercars, and a plethora of Ponycars. One of the bright spots was the ‘70 LS6 CHEVELLE – MAGNUM FORCE FROM MOTOWN! 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 le...

FORD’s 1970 TORRID TORINO COBRA

Posted on October 19, 2026 by MartynL

In 1970, Dearborn offered Supercar shoppers more high-performance choices than ever, including FORD’s 1970 TORRID TORINO COBRA. Bob Dylan nailed it six years earlier with his anthem, The Times They Are a-Changin', the title track of his 1964 album of the same name. It could have been Ford’s 1970 anthem, too. The only thing constant at Ford in 1970 was change. Ford’s big news was in the midsize model lineup, known back then as Supercars, later tagged Musclecars. FORD’s 1970 TORRID TORINO COBR...

1965 Z16 Chevelle SS396 MUSCLE MACHINE

Posted on September 27, 2026September 27, 2026 by MartynL

Whatever the 1965 Z16 Chevelle SS396 MUSCLE MACHINE lacked in head-turning styling, it more than made up with tire-shredding performance! Musclecars were big news in 1965, but for me personally, it was one of the biggest years in my career as an enthusiast automotive magazine editor! Not long after having access to 1965 high-performance test cars, I suggested to Mel Jacolow, editor of CARS magazine, that he change the name of the award “American Classic of the Year” he presented annually to car...

1964 OLDS 442

Posted on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by MartynL

1964 was all about the birth of the Supercar, Hemis, and factory-built racecars. It was also the launch of the 1964 OLDS 442: ‘Police Needed it - Olds Built It - Pursuit Proved It…and enthusiasts celebrated! Pontiac called its GTO “A Device For Shrinking Time & Distance.” Magazine editors called it a “Supercar”. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers to see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac - not Ford, Chevy or Plymouth - essentially...

STREET (426 HEMI) IS NEAT!

Posted on August 8, 2026August 8, 2026 by MartynL

Proven on the quarter-mile, a detuned race Hemi is optional in 1966 Plymouth & Dodge midsize models, proving that STREET (426 HEMI) IS NEAT! The biggest 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 a milder 276-degree solid-lifter...

FORD MUSTANG 1 MID-ENGINE CONCEPT

Posted on August 1, 2026August 1, 2026 by MartynL

Roy Lunn’s FORD MUSTANG 1 MID-ENGINE CONCEPT was a 100-day-wonder that had much more to do with the GT40 racecar than the sporty production Mustang! In early June 1962, famed sports car constructors Troutman and Barnes in Culver City, CA received body molds from Ford for an experimental sports car – the Mustang I. Troutman and Barnes were known for building stunning Indy and sports cars, including Lance Reventlow’s Scarab. Known internally as Project W-301, Mustang I was a concept for a seri...

SIX-PACK TO GO SUPER BEE

Posted on July 17, 2026 by MartynL

Dodge’s aggressive midyear, midsize & SIX-PACK TO GO SUPER BEE delivered a venomous sting without breaking the bank! Dodge’s highest-profile enthusiast offerings were the low-volume ’69 ½ Charger Daytona and Super Bee. The winged Daytona was the first stocker to clock over 200 mph on superspeedways and set Flying Mile records at Bonneville. Built off the midsize Coronet platform, the Super Bee was packaged for testosterone-infused enthusiasts. Like the streamlined Charger 500 and Charger...

’55 – ‘56 CHRYSLER 300 LUXURY SUPERCARS

Posted on April 11, 2026April 11, 2026 by MartynL

Chrysler jumped on the performance bandwagon in 1955 with its 300-horsepower C-300, boosting Hemi displacement and power the following year, resulting in ’55 - ‘56 CHRYSLER 300 LUXURY SUPERCARS. Lots of people will spend time arguing what the first Musclecar was. The fact is that manufacturers - from the beginning of the automobile - have always wanted to tout performance as a selling point. Certainly, in each decade, manufacturers built performance cars, sometimes as thinly veiled rac...

’70 FORD TORINO COBRA

Posted on October 4, 2025 by MartynL

All new styling and engine options up to and including the 429 SCJ turn the Fairlane into the ’70 FORD TORINO COBRA, a maximum muscle Supercar. The new year ushered in bigger, more powerful engines, new specialty Supercars, and a plethora of Ponycars. But the future of the performance car phenomenon was not bright. 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. Carmake...

’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION

Posted on September 19, 2025September 19, 2025 by MartynL

There were bigger-engined and more powerful performance cars from the competition, but the ’64 PONTIAC GTO IGNITES THE SUPERCAR REVOLUTION! Pontiac called it “A device for shrinking time and distance.” Magazine writers and editors called it a “Supercar”. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers to 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 ...