Sure, I’ve already done 3 pretty awesome Car Pictorials that were enjoyed by millions. But, that was several years ago, and no one remembers it. Nevertheless, I will pick lesser known vehicles and try to avoid repeats.
Can’t wait for some dipshit to complain about posting NON-SERIOUS SHIT (!!!) during this time of deep crisis. This person should become intimately familiar with DDD. I’m just a tad bit weary of Covid, Country 404, Dementia & the DC Klown Show, LGBTQPKFUKOFF, and other such articles right now. I need a little diversion. If you do also, enjoy. (I’m choosing only 1960’s cars because by 1970 many or most American cars were shit and, I don’t remember jack shit before 1960.)
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MUSCLE
According to Muscle Car Club an American muscle car, by the strictest definition, is an intermediate sized, two door, high-performance oriented model, powered by a large V8 engine, at an affordable price.
1963 Stingray. IMHO, the most beautiful of all Vettes. I could look at it for hours. The Split Window model only existed for one year because of a disagreement between the two designers. Others claim Chevrolet was forced to end it because the split window impeded rearward vision and was daaaaangerous. The standard 327 engine with optional fuel injection ($480) produced 360 bhp. You could order an optional 36 gallon fuel tank! Base cost about $4,200, and the St Louis factory could barely keep up with the demand.
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1966 GTO. Simple in design, almost plain, yet possessing stunning elegance. It’s a look that says ‘fuck with me at your own peril‘. One of the most popular muscle cars of all time, and a ’66 in mint condition could easily set you back for over $1ook.
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1966 Ford Fairlane 500 R-Code: The Fairlane 500 went from a ho-hum family car in 1962 to holy-crap muscle in 1966. Ford gave this beast their legendary 427 cubic inch side-oiler V8 cranking out 425 horses and a phenomenal 480 lb-ft of torque. Only 57 were made.
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1963 Chevrolet Impala Z11. Another ho-hum family car that briefly went into Bad Assed Beast mode. Under the hood of the Z11 is a 427 V8 engine that delivered 430 horses. Chevy only built around 50 of them. It is believed only 7 exist today. According to Conceptcarz, the car fetched $525,000 at auction in 2017.
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1970 Chevrolet Chevelle 454 LS6 Convertible. Piss off, MOPAR! That 454 engine was the most powerful of its time …. 450 horses and 500 pound-feet of torque, 0 – 60 in 5 seconds, top speed 142 mph …. pretty damned good for 1970. Hemmings estimates fewer than 20 exist today.
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1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible: Piss off Chevy!! Only 780 units left the factory with the legendary 426 Hemi …. only 21 were convertibles … which means you need to fork over at a minimum a couple million to buy one, if you can find one.
You Boomers fucked up, big time. You saw this ad below back in 1970. Yes, you did. You could have bought it for $4,600!! Did you? Nah!! You went and bought that Granada for $3,200. You putz. You coulda owned a million dollar car!!!!
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LUXURY
1963 Buick Riviera: The Buick Riviera marked General Motors’ first entry into the personal luxury car market segment. It sported iconic style features like the distinctive egg-crate grille and creased lines along the front and rear quarters. It had a flashy interior to boot, with several upholstery choices, a fancy center console, and countless extra-cost options. After a trip to Europe, GM design head Bill Mitchell decided that he wanted an American personal luxury car that would combine the elegance of a Rolls Royce with the sportiness of a Ferrari. Many believe he succeeded.
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1961 Lincoln Continental: Few people remember that Lincoln was in serious danger of being shut down by Ford in the late 1950s. They needed a blockbuster new car to save the marque. They got it in the slab-sided, Elwood Engel-designed 1961 Continental. Originally planned as the new Thunderbird, the car was reworked as a much larger four-door design with center-post, outward-opening “suicide” doors. The ’61 Continental, now forever associated with the Kennedy assassination, remains one of the most significant American car designs of the 1960s.
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1962 Cadillac Coupe De Ville: “I love you for your pink Cadillac. Crushed velvet seats. Riding in the back. Cruising down the street. Waving to the girls. Feeling out of sight. Spending all my money. On a Saturday night. Honey I just wonder what you do there in back of your pink Cadillac.” Enough said.
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1966 Oldsmobile Toronado: This car was waaaay ahead of its time. Just SOME of its many innovations; The Turbo Hydra-Matic THM-425 front-wheel drive automatic 3-speed transmission (torque converter separate from the planetary gearset), the Rochester down-draft 4-bbl carburetor, spherical-shaped exhaust flange gaskets that allowed freedom of movement within the exhaust system and prevented leakage, flow through ventilation which eliminated the vent windows that also reduced wind noise, Toronado-based design drive train for GMC motor, GM’s first subframe vehicle, and on and on …… The legendary Super Rocket V8 engine powered the vehicle. A potent 7.0 litres (!!!) 16-valve naturally aspirated V8 produced 380 hp and 644 Nm of peak torque at just 3,200 rpm. Base price was $4,500 (about $45,000 today). (It averaged about 38 miles per gallon.)
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FAMILY CARS
1982 Checker Marathon A12 / the last production year for the civilian, non-taxi model, and this blue beauty hardly looks any different than the silver 1964 Checker Marathon above it. Checker Motors was founded by Morris Markin, a Russian immigrant, who had a strong distaste for change. His philosophy was that once you get the right design —> stick with it.
The magnificent and legendary Checker Marathon, aka the New York Taxi, was introduced in 1960 and was sold until 1982. The Marathon was available as a sedan, wagon, and the interesting and rare 12-seater Aerowagon. Available with a straight-six or V8 engine from Chevrolet. It was designed and built from the ground up with a singular purpose; to be an absolutely dependable and tough machine. That is why they used and abused it as the definitive taxi vehicle for decades, and not only in New York but in other cities, as well.
It didn’t sell in big numbers which is somewhat odd considering it was one of America’s most durable and reliable vehicle. But, the 1960s cars were all about tail fins, bulges, chrome, more chrome, plushness, and people demanded changes year over year. The Marathon had few options, hardly ever changed, and was simply to austere for the era.
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1964 Ford Falcon: QOTD; “Can ya get any plainer than this??“. After seeing how compact cars were having an increasingly bigger market share, the Ford Motor Company changed its stand on small vehicles, and in 1960 came up with the Falcon. It was an immediate success. Ford hit a home run with the compact yet roomy Falcon even though the car was absolutely nothing special or innovative in terms of design or technology. I mean, the standard model only had a 2.4-liter measly 90 HP engine! The secret of the Falcon’s success was its affordability (Ford’s most inexpensive car) and a very long list of options — for example, the bigger six-cylinder or 260 V8.
Then again …. some Falcons are more equal than other Falcons
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THE 1960s STATION WAGON!!! Millions were built in the 1960s, many were as powerful as muscle cars, they could actually haul 10 people or a 4×8 sheet of plywood ….. and they were just friggin AWESOME! I really truly miss them. Enjoy the video.
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FOREIGN
1960s Jaguar E-Type: A timeless beauty with barely a straight line anywhere on its flanks, Enzo Ferrari said the E-Type was “the most beautiful car I have ever seen“. Hard to disagree. From 1961 to 1975, the E-Type defined the British sports car. When this car first came out, it was one of the fastest on the road. In 1965, Autocar magazine stated that “In its 4.2 guises, the E-Type is a fast car (the fastest we have ever tested) and offers just about the easiest way to travel quickly by road.”
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1965 VW Microbus: Introduced in 1950 by Volkswagen, but it really came into popularity during the ‘60s, when it became the archetypal “hippie van,” and a symbol of the counterculture movement. In 1975, while stationed in Greece, I bought an orange and white bus from a hippie (not kidding) for $500. I painted flowers and other hippie shit all over (not kidding). The whole back end was basically a mattress. Colorful beads separated the bedroom from the driver. One weekend five of us decided to go see the Oracle of Delphi and the real Mount Olympus which was nearby. We BARELY made it to the top. That woefully underpowered engine never getting out of 2nd gear or faster than 20 mph. I think we pissed off a LOT of drivers stuck behind us. But, we were doing hippie shit like drinking Ouzo and smoking joints so we didn’t really give a shit.
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1964 Porshe 911: There is much beauty in simplicity. The 1964 911 wasn’t a powerhouse, with a 128 hp flat six cylinder, but the beauty and handling dynamics were all there. The infamous Porsche options list began here, with targa tops and gasoline burning cabin heaters available in the ‘60s. While it wouldn’t get a turbo until the ‘70s, this is where it all started.
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THE ULTIMATE CLASSIC CAR!!
1957 Chevy Bel Air: OK, I missed the 1960s by three years. So, sue me! Elvis. The Beatles. Marilyn Monroe. Herman Munster. All mythical icon superstars, just like the Bel Air. Considered to be among the most recognizable American cars of all time. The car made its debut during a unique time in American history; 1957 was an age of economic prosperity and technological advances, when average wages and consumerism were growing at an unprecedented speed. And Chevrolet leveraged that zeitgeist by bringing to the public the right product in the right place at the right time — an affordable and yet beautiful-looking car that was perfectly adapted for the rising middle-class. And it was no slouch! The potent fuel-injected 283 version could sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.7 seconds and top out at 128 mph.
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Bonus Section: WTF was I thinking??
1975 Mercury Capri: I was discharged in 1975 and needed a car for college. We got extra discounts if we ordered a car while overseas, so in 1974 while still in Greece I ordered the car just like the one above. Of course, there were no Lincoln dealers in Athens! I ordered the car without seeing it in person, giving it a test drive, etc. Truly one of the dumbest of dumbfuk things I’ve ever done. My final tour was in southern CA (Victorville) so I picked up the car in Los Angeles.
I had my WTF!!!! moment within about 60 seconds …… I couldn’t fit in the car!! I had to tilt my head 45 degrees, bend my ankles, and contort my body in ways I didn’t know it could bend just to get in. Oh, it was a stick shift, oh what effing joy THAT was! Within a few days I took it to a body shop, they took out the seat and moved the rails as far back as they could. That, plus tilting the seat, made it drivable … even if I felt, and looked, like I was lying down on a recliner.
I bought it because I was Being Responsible. We just had a gas crisis in ’73 and my post military income would be like my pecker, small and barely adequate, and the insurance was cheaper on that car than the one I really wanted. In other words, I bought something I could afford … a mistake I rarely made again.
It was woefully underpowered and made worse because it was a California car which by then already mandated something called a “catalytic converter”. It was faster than my dad’s 1961 VW bug (another truly iconic car), but not by much. On the plus side, I had it for 6 years, no repairs ever, and still running strong at 90k miles before I crashed into a guard rail and totaled it.
One last thing …. the real tragic part of this tale of woe. This is the car I REALLY wanted, and I could have afforded it as it was only about $1,700 more … a studly car … a car where I could have actually picked up babes (instead of babes pointing at my wannabe pimpmobile and laughing) …. this iconic beauty … 1975 Pontiac Trans Am
In closing, if there is ever a QOTD — “Who is the dumbest fucker you ever knew?” — you might want to consider nominating your pal, Stucky. Not kidding.
THE END
Good list, Stucky.
As to Corvettes, the waiting list for the C8 is 9-15 months. My order was just put in after 13 months, and it will be another 2 months before it’s delivered. The factory can’t keep up with demand, plus there have been some supply chain parts issues.
Late this summer the C8 Z06 will be produced–demand for that flat-plane crank engine version is also 12-36 months, depending on when you got on a dealer’s list. It sports a 670 HP engine. Pricing has not been revealed but is expected to be ~$90,000 for the “base” model, vs. $63,000 for a base C8 495 HP LT2 engine .
Wow, that looks awesome!
BUT …. and this is NOT a criticism …. just one fat-assed old man’s opinion ……… it hardly even looks like a Crovette anymore.
Yes, that is the common criticism by die-hard Corvette traditionalists.
And that is exactly why I like it–it’s a mid-engine sports car now. And although I always appreciated Corvettes, I never had a desire to own one, until the mid-engine showed up.
The Corvette is now sort of what the V8 swapped Fiero guys have been building since the early 1990s.
If GM had let them, Pontiac would have been selling the “new Corvette” back in 1993 or so.
This one is newer and nicer to most no doubt, but I hate all new cars as they are more XBox than vehicle. I like simpler and without all the driver aids.
I want to drive, not be driven.
Also, IMO Corvettes should have an engine in the front. They should have kept the C7 for that reason and called the new mid-engine car the Zora.
Let’s go!! Only 6 More posts to 200. I NEED 200!!!
Someone post a picture of your Yugo that you put wide wheels and headers on. Or, post nekkid pics of your girlfriend. Or, even Bible verses related to cars …. like Acts 2:11 —” And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all in one ACCORD.”
I had a ’67 Chevelle SS 396 purchased in ’70 for $1500. At least that’s the price I recall. Don’t recall the mileage when I bought the car. “Back then” it seems “everything” was not under a microscope and we did not have search engines on Al Gore’s Internet. The “mileage” was not much however. It was a “local” “street” car.
Regardless, the car was the “fastest” in the 1/4 mile in “my town”, at the time. Everyone knew about it. The “testing” ground was a flat roadway area we referred to as “the bottoms”, not to give away my “identity” where I went to high school, no different than anyone else, where they “grew up”.
I’m unable to locate pictures of that SS 396, we used camera film then, but it was a really nice vehicle. A 396 C.I. , forget its HP, probably 325, don’t think it was like 440 or whatever. The car had a 4.11 “positrack” rear end , a Hurst 4 speed shifter and a 4 barrel Holley carburetor. It was a 2-door thing and I recall it had a vinyl top, black. It was “yellow” , but looking at Al Gore’s Internet, it seems the yellow was a bit darker than what Al terms “canary yellow”. No pics to confirm, but it was some shade of yellow, perhaps the canary.
Glad you enjoyed it, bucknp. Here’s the car you described …
It had 350hp ….. 0 – 60 in 5.3 seconds. Yup, fast! Specs are here …
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https://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1967/435080/chevrolet_chevelle_ss-396_sport_coupe_350-hp.html
That is closely it. And yep, it was the canary yellow.
Bible verses related to cars? Reading Old Testament , must have been feet for the most part. 🙂
Will a Lada do?
I don’t know, kind of weird looking for Americans…just saying. And the license plate? No relate.
Your list is missing a 69 Mustang Mach 1
The show may be over. It does not have to be. Looking at cars now, 2022, I’m thinking the Toyota Prius has got to be a “practical” choice. Just for transportation, gasoline prices like “we” , the US has not known. I would prefer it different, convince The Tyranny Oil, I’m “great” with that,right. /s. Meanwhile, if I were interested in a car , the Prius seems to fit the bill of the beast AND desiring to visit my peeps in Oregon , without flying, I sort of wish I had a Prius, 50+ MPG.
You have some nice metal here – always lived the classic Rivieras. May I offer my own ’60s fave? The 1962 Studebaker Avanti:
Still my fave ride.
P. S. My late father always liked the 1954 Studebaker Starliner Coupe. After his passing I learned that the same designer (Raymond Lowey) gave us both of these classics:
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Thanks for an enjoyable diversion from our Time of Troubles.
Studebakers are GORGEOUS cars. I should have included one. But you posted two beauties.
Below is the mansion Herr Studebaker built for himself in South Bend ….now called Tippecanoe Place. It is now a restaurant … serves fantastic food, and the ambiance is unsurpassed.
’62 Bel Air was a fun car with a unique appearance-well, almost-the Pontiac people borrowed the roof line in their similar ’62 model.
The most beautiful car in my opinion…the latest from Ferrari – 296 GTB. It’s a 654 HP twin-turbo V6 electric hybrid. With the electric motor, total output is 819 HP.
And it only costs $321,000!
I distinctly remember my Dad’s Chevy Bel Air. I must have been about five or six and I asked him about the rockets on the hood. He said he had a secret switch that would fire them if he needed.
I was in total awe.
Why not a future pictorial on classic pickups, SUV’s and jeeps?
Interesting list. In 1964 you could order a Vette sans split window with a monster small block fuelie 327 that did 375 Horses. As an aside, my car would be a Vanishing Point Challenger. Just sold my LT4 96 CE Corvette.