With the popularity of movies like The Fast and The Furious,
Gone in Sixty Seconds and The last Ride, there has been some
reference to the good old muscle cars which were immortalised in
movies like Bullit, Vanishing Point and of course The Dukes of
Hazzard series. This top ten list has a look at some of the
muscle car icons born from the late 60's and early 70's.
The main measure of these cars is power, with Brake Horse Power
(bhp) being the term flung around most commonly. What this
refers to is the power released by the engine before the
gearbox, generator, differential, water pump, and other
components sap its power. If you are used to Kilowatts, then
take into consideration that 250kw translates to 335.26bhp.
The 1969 Pontiac GTO
Conceptualised to gain appeal to the younger market, Pontiac put
a 6.3 litre V8 engine into the midsized Tempest shell, making
for a cheap fast car. To the surprise of Pontiac's marketing
team the GTO became massively popular and in 1969 they fitted it
with a 6.5 litre V8 which could kick out 366bhp. The Judge was
born
Again the idea here was to squash a beast of an engine into a
midsized body, in this case the Buick Skylark. In 1967 the Buick
GS became recognised as a standalone model available as a sedan
and convertible.
The 1970 model was given a monstrous 7.5 litre engine capable of
producing 400bhp. The GSX body came in yellow or white only,
adding to the image which made this car a distinct classic.
There were various options available to those purchasing a first
generation Camaro, the Z28 package being the most exciting. With
a 4.9 litre engine, power steering, disc brakes on the front and
a four speed manual gearbox, the Z28 was made for racing -
producing up to 400bhp.
The Plymouth Roadrunner
Built to beat 14 seconds over a quarter mile, the Plymouth
Roadrunner was stripped down to the bare essentials, sacrificing
even the carpets in order to make this into a beast of a
machine. It featured a beefed up steering, brake and suspension
systems and a 6.3 litre engine which pushed 335bhp. An optional
boost came from the 7.0 litre version's 425bhp.
The Dodge Challenger
Hitting the market in 1970, the Dodge Challenger was a hit from
the get go, selling more than 80,000 in the first year. Although
various options were made available, the R/T is the model which
attracts the most attention with its 7.0 litre Hemi engine
kicking out 425bhp. Later models lost the plot, with the '72
model dropping to a measly 240bhp. See the Challenger in the
cult classic movie, Vanishing Point.
The 1966 Ford Fairlane GT
Launched in '62 with a 3.6 litre V8, the Ford Fairlane was given
a makeover in 1966, complete with a 6.4 litre engine capable of
335bhp. As if this were not enough they decided to upgrade to a
7.0 litre NASCAR engine with 435bhp. Rigid front suspension and
disc brakes gave the car better handling, and the brute power
kicked the dial over 60mph (100km/h) in six seconds.
Oldsmobile 442
The Cutlass model was equipped with a police specification
engine capable of 310bhp. The 442 refers to the four barrel
carburettor, four speed manual gear box and the twin exhausts.
The 442 had a reputation for its handling when compared to other
muscle cars, thanks to its improved springs, shocks and the
comforting safety of an anti-roll bar.
The 1968 edition was redesigned as a shapely coupe, with a 7.5
litre block blasting 390bhp.
Plymouth Barracuda
Although the Barracuda was launched in 1964, just a couple of
weeks before the Ford Mustang, it was not until 1970 that
Plymouth gained wider popularity with sexy lines and some
serious growl under the hood in the form of a 7.2 litre 390bhp.
The other choice was a smaller 7.0 litre Hemi block which
knocked out some extra power at 425bhp!
Even with a revamped suspension the power was so much that the
'Cuda gained a reputation for difficult handling.
The 1965 Chevelle SS sported a 6.5 litre block pushing 375bhp,
which was all too much for the front end of the car, making for
some pretty horrible handling. Luckily this was addressed with
the revamping of the suspension and the addition of disk brakes
on the front.
1969 saw the introduction of the top engine spec, which was
featured in the El Camio pick-up as well. The 1970 SS was
powered by a 7.4 litre V8 with 450bhp pulling the Chevell to
100km/h in just six seconds. Later models were adjusted for
unleaded fuel and the power output suffered considerably.
Bo and Duke's ride of choice, the Charger was launched in 1966
and some 37,000 cars were sold in the first year. A 7.0 litre
Hemi reputedly kicked out around 500bhp, though it was
officially rated at 425bhp. This monster reached 100km/h in just
five and a half seconds. The Hemi engine option was available
until 1972.
