In January 1966, American Motors Corp. unveiled its first prototype featuring a “Ramble Seat,” the company’s updated version of the prewar rumble seat placed where the trunk compartment would be. Although the production 1968 AMX two-seater did not include the Ramble Seat, the concept remained influential.

James “Jim” Jeffords, former Milwaukee-area racer and manager of AMC’s 1968 Javelin Trans Am campaign, partnered with designer Brooks Stevens, also of Milwaukee, to design the custom AMX-R featuring a Ramble Seat. The feature would have added open-air riding for rear-seat passengers of the two-seat AMX, which was a shortened version of the four-passenger AMC Javelin fastback coupe. 

Constructed on Dec. 11, 1967, the featured AMX-R prototype was assembled two months prior to the public release of the AMX in February 1968. It was sent to Dave Puhl’s House of Kustoms in Palatine, Ill., for modification, as House of Kustoms had worked on other AMC prototypes. In six weeks time, Puhl extensively modified the AMX, preserving its original concept. He replaced the fastback rear window with a vertical, removable Plexiglas panel, rebuilt the deck for fold-open seating and created an air dam designed to channel airflow over the roof and rumble seat occupants. The AMX-R also featured rear suspension upgrades to accommodate the extra weight. Puhl lowered the car and stiffened the rear springs, and also swapped the 14-in. wheels for 15-in. Spyder wheels. Additionally, the hood was modified, the car was sprayed with custom paint and the AMX-R was given unique and more plush upholstery with more seat padding and upgraded carpet. The exterior was also dressed with unique “AMX-R” and “Jeffords” scripts.

The AMX-R’s custom paint was an eye-catching Candy Apple Red complemented by flat-black paint on the ram air-type hood that came to be called a “Shadow Mask” hood treatment.

Jeffords and Stevens intended to manufacture a limited number of AMX-R cars and distribute them via AMC dealerships. To attract attention, they showcased the AMX-R as a pace car at several Trans Am races. Ultimately, however, AMC did not support the initiative, resulting in only one prototype — the Puhl-built model — ever being produced. Jeffords’ and Stevens’ plan had been to offer the Ramble seat on 500 production AMXes, making the AMX-R a distinctive and unique prototype. In the end, AMC decided that if performance junkies wanted to seat four people, the four-passenger Javelin upon which the production AMX was based satisfied any need.

Additionally, there were several other significant obstacles that prevented the AMX-R prototype from reaching serial production. These challenges included safety and product liability concerns, AMC’s refusal to sell vehicles for modification, and a strong negative reaction from consumer advocate Ralph Nader regarding the exposed exterior seating concept.

Although the AMX-R never entered full production, its special blacked-out hood treatment later appeared as the “Shadow Mask” option on the 1970 AMX models, leaving a lasting influence on subsequent designs.

Landing the AMX-R

While the AMX-R was making its PR rounds back in 1968, Darryl A. Salisbury, of Vicksburg, Mich., had just returned from five years of overseas service with the U.S. Air Force. Soon after his return, his father showed him an article on the AMX-R in the October issue of Rod & Custom that ended with, “How would you like to have one sitting in your driveway?” Little did Salisbury know one day it would be parked in his driveway.

In 1984, Salisbury was president of the American Motors Owners Association when the AMX-R was displayed at the club’s annual convention. By that time, the car was owned by the Brooks Stevens Museum, and it was for sale. Darryl Salisbury inquired about buying the car and six months later, the museum curator called to say that Bob Stevens, the late editor of Cars & Parts magazine, designer Dick Teague, and the late Duane Mackie, then the editor at Collectible Automobile magazine, believed that Salisbury would be a great caretaker for the AMX-R.

After sitting neglected for a decade, Salisbury and his brother-in-law Brian Moyer began restoring the car. The AMX-R was complete and despite its very low mileage, it was in poor condition from years of basement storage before Stevens owned it. Even today, the former show car shows just 5,200 miles.

The restoration took 10 years, but the award-winning outcome justified the effort. Salisbury said the car drives like his other AMXes, although the Ramble Seat is uncomfortable with its single long seat belt for both passengers.

Launching the AMX

AMC orchestrated the mid-model-year debut of the AMX with a strong emphasis on its sports car capabilities. To highlight its performance credentials, AMC invited automotive journalists to Daytona, creating an environment that showcased the car’s strengths on a renowned racing stage. AMC also entered into a marketing partnership with Playboy Enterprises to broaden the AMX’s appeal among a youthful, trend-conscious audience. The introduction to AMC dealers was equally distinctive, with meetings held at nine different Playboy Clubs, ensuring dealer engagement and enthusiasm for the new model.

The AMX was officially unveiled to the public on Feb. 24, 1968, strategically timed five months after the release of the four-passenger Javelin and the other AMC vehicles for the 1968 model year. AMC positioned the AMX as “the only American sports car that costs less than $3,500,” appealing to buyers seeking performance more affordable than a Corvette. Advertisements depicted a helmeted race driver at the starting line in a sporty AMX, reinforcing the car’s readiness to reach speeds of up to 125 mph, underlining its competitive spirit.

Designed as a two-seater, the sporty AMX targeted a specific, well-defined niche in the market. Its unique attributes succeeded in attracting younger customers to AMC showrooms in unprecedented numbers. Automotive journalists responded enthusiastically, frequently describing the AMX as a “handsome two-seater with American-style acceleration and European-style handling.” Extensive road tests across varied terrains confirmed these impressions, with reviewers often declaring the AMX to be among the best-looking cars produced in the United States.

AMC optimistically advertised it would limit production of the AMX to 10,000 units for 1968, but only 6,725 of this “halo model” were built that model year. 

All 1968 AMX models were equipped with four-barrel carbureted AMC small-block V-8 engines, available in three versions: a 290-cid V-8 engine producing 225 hp (N-code); a 343-cid V-8 engine delivering 290 hp (T-code); and the 390-cid V-8 “AMX” engine, which was introduced with the AMX model and generated 315 hp and 425 lb.-ft. of torque (X-code). While these engines shared external dimensions, their internal construction varied. The 290 featured smaller intake and exhaust valves, thinner block webbing and a nodular iron crankshaft. The 343 received larger valves and thicker webbing, whereas the 390 was distinguished by a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods instead of cast iron, along with larger 2.250-inch rod bearings compared to the 2.090-inch bearings in the smaller engines.

A BorgWarner T-10 four-speed manual transmission came standard on the AMX, complemented by specialized traction bars, a dual exhaust system and wider tires to enhance traction. As an alternative, buyers could opt for the “Shift-Command” three-speed automatic transmission (BorgWarner model M-11B or M-12) with manual shifting capability and a floor console-mounted shifter.

The popular “Go-Package” was available for models equipped with the four-barrel 343 or 390 engines. This package added power-assisted front disc brakes, a “Twin-Grip” differential, E70x14 red-stripe performance tires on 6-inch-wide steel road wheels, heavy-duty suspension with thicker sway bars, an upgraded cooling system and other performance enhancements. Additionally, AMC dealers offered a broad selection of specialized performance parts, organized under the “Group 19” catalog heading, which allowed customers to further tailor their AMX to their performance preferences.

Despite its performance prowess, good looks and rave reviews, the 1968 AMX was never a top-selling muscle car and today, they are rare. But none
is as rare as the AMX-R.

AMC’s your thing? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1971-amc-hornet-sc-360

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1965-amc-ambassador-990

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1970-amc-rebel-machine

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of the Week: 1968 AMX-R prototype appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

In 1968, Bob Mannel began his search for his first Fairlane. A friend had provided him with a 1963 Ford Buyer’s Digest, which showcased all the Fairlane models and available engine options for that year. Among the illustrations, the depiction of a High Performance 289-4V engine caught Bob’s eye and sparked a lasting fascination with this particular powerplant.

Bob wasn’t able to locate and purchase an affordable Fairlane equipped with the High Performance 289-4V back in 1968. It wasn’t until 1984 that he finally landed a Fairlane with the rare High Performance engine option. And what a Fairlane it was!

An affinity for Ford small-block V-8s

From 1968 to the early 1980s, Bob was elbow-deep working with Fords packing other small-block V-8 engines, such as the 221-cid V-8, 260-cid V-8 and the pedestrian version of the 289-cid V-8. His first car, a white-over-turquoise 1962 Fairlane, was powered by the 221-cid V-8. His wife’s chestnut 1963 Fairlane Sports Coupe also featured the 221-cid V-8, which was later upgraded to a 260-cid V-8. Another one of the couple’s Fairlanes, a 1963 Country Squire station wagon, received a 289-4V to replace its original 260-cid V-8. Additionally, a 1963 Fairlane Sports Coupe was upgraded to a 289 engine using Ford’s Muscle Parts Program components, transforming it into a hydraulic version of the High Performance 289. As Bob’s small-block collection continued to grow, it even came to include a couple Mercurys: a 1964 Comet Caliente and a 1965 Comet hardtop, both powered by small-block Ford V-8s.

With so many small-block-powered Ford Motor Co. products — especially Fairlanes — coming and going from his garage, Bob found himself networking with other Fairlane owners. One thing led to another, and in 1981, he and his wife Jane contributed to the establishment of the Fairlane Club of America. They subsequently launched a newsletter titled Fairlaner that, over time, developed into a magazine under their editorial leadership. 

With a wealth of small-block Ford V-8 knowledge and hands-on experience with the engine, combined with his Fairlane connections, Bob set out to write a comprehensive book about the engines that powered his beloved Fairlanes, as well as other Ford models. The book included coverage of popular Mustang V-8s due to the high interest in Ford’s pony car, but Bob’s primary focus was on the smaller-displacement engines found in their predecessors, notably pre-1965 Fairlane models.

New Ford, new small-block V-8

For the 1962 model year, Ford repositioned the Fairlane from a full-size model to a new intermediate model, bridging the compact Falcon and the full-sized Galaxie. The Fairlane was designed to compete with Chevrolet’s new Nova and Plymouth’s new shorter models. Measuring 197 inches in length with a 115.5-inch wheelbase, it was 16 inches longer than the Falcon and 12.3 inches shorter than the Galaxie.

Fairlane styling borrowed from several FoMoCo products, and for its inaugural model year of 1962, it actually borrowed more of its styling cues from the full-size 1961 Fords rather than the restyled 1962 big Fords. The 1962 Fairlane had small canted tailfins that terminated above large, round taillamp lenses, as on a 1961 Ford. The Fairlane grille incorporated horizontal quad headlamps and appeared close to that of the 1959 Edsel grille, but without the Edsel’s central “horse collar.” The roofs of the new 1962 Fairlanes had wide C pillars, as seen on a Thunderbird.

Structurally, the new Fairlane featured unit-body construction incorporating Ford’s distinctive “torque boxes,” which improved vertical absorption of road shock. Its front suspension utilized a standard short-long arm design, complemented by a Hotchkiss drive system at the rear. For 1962, Fairlane body styles included only two-door and four-door sedans available in both the base Fairlane and top-line Fairlane 500 trim lines.

Fairlane powertrain options for 1962 began with a standard 170-cid inline six-cylinder engine, while the introduction of Ford’s lightweight small-block V-8s provided increased performance at extra cost. Initially available as a 221-cid variant generating 145 hp, mid-year saw the addition of a 260-cid “Challenger” version producing 164 hp. These new small-block V-8s packed good punch for their size — with relatively good gas mileage to boot — and fit nicely into the intermediate Fairlane’s engine bay. They were also lightweight, which helped keep the Fairlane’s overall weight down.

A Sports Coupe version of the Fairlane 500 two-door sedan debuted during the 1962 model year, adding bucket seats and a compact floor console. All top-line Fairlane 500s added wider side strip moldings and three bullet accents on the rear quarter panels not seen on base Fairlane models.

For its second model year, the midsize Fairlane/Fairlane 500 started to look more like the full-size Ford it complemented. The 1963 Fairlanes received new front fenders that were led by a concave grille very much like that of the 1963 Galaxie. However, the body shell from the cowl back remained the same as in 1962, so the 1961 big Ford’s tailfins appeared on Fairlanes for another year. The Fairlane line also increased for 1963 by adding station wagon and two-door hardtop models. 

The Challenger 221-cid and 260-cid V-8s returned as options for 1963, so the real news was the debut of the High Performance 289-4V engine (aka Hi-Po 289). This engine was based up on the small-block V-8s that had debuted in the Fairlane line in 1962, but besides being punched out to a larger displacement, it also had cast-iron headers, solid lifters, a nodular iron crankshaft, high-performance connecting rods, a wider harmonic dampener, a dual-point ignition system, Autolite 4100 series four-barrel carburetor, a hot camshaft and screw-in rocker-arm studs, among other performance goodies. These tricks brought the Hi-Po 289-cid V-8’s performance potential to 271 hp — not too far from one horsepower per cubic inch. Fairlanes equipped with the High Performance 289-4V engine received front fender-mounted “V” badges labeled “289 High Performance” to indicate the upgrade to John Q. Public, and a “K” as the fifth character in their VIN to identify the hot engine to Ford personnel. As a result of the “K” in their VIN, High Performance 289-4V cars are often called “K codes.” It’s worth noting the Hi-Po 289 was the same engine supplied to Carroll Shelby for use in Cobras — it’s a true high-performance, no-compromise engine designed for full-throttle operation, capable of generating its 271 hp at 6,000 rpm. Ford offered the engine through 1967, replacing it with the 302-cid V-8 in 1968. 

Fairlanes for 1964 received a minor refresh to mark the new model year, notably receiving a new forward-raked grille that mimicked the grilles of that year’s full-size Galaxies. The tailfins were finally clipped from the Fairlane, but the large, round jet exhaust-inspired taillamps remained, as did the wide Thunderbird-type C pillars. Since the 1962-1964 Fairlanes have a clear resemblance to one another, it’s logical that Bob Mannel would concentrate his small-block engine research efforts to Fairlanes of these model years.

Landing a Hi-Po 289 four-door

Locating and documenting early-1960s examples of the 221-, 260- and standard 289-cid V-8 engines for his book was relatively easy in the large junkyards around Bob’s Los Angeles home. However, the Hi-Po 289 was much rarer and highly sought after by Mustang enthusiasts, making it difficult to find examples. 

After relocating to the Northwest, Bob placed a want ad in the Seattle Times seeking early Ford small-block V-8 engines to document. This led him to a neglected 1963 Fairlane 500 four-door in the Seattle area equipped with the 289 Hi-Po engine he had been searching for. The seller would only sell the car as a complete unit, refusing to separate the engine from the car.

Bob struck a deal and brought the whole Fairlane 500 home. He removed the engine for documentation, but chose to keep the rest of the car since he had never heard of a High Performance 289-4V being factory installed in a four-door sedan. Through further research, Bob discovered that only one other four-door sedan with this engine had been produced in 1963, but it had been scrapped before it could be saved — likely for its valuable engine and drivetrain. This left Bob’s Hi-Po 289 Fairlane 500 as the sole surviving K-code four-door.

When Ford Motor Co. installed the High Performance 289-4V engine in Bob’s Fairlane 500 four-door sedan, it paired it with a column-shifted manual three-speed transmission — specifically, a modified heavy-duty Galaxie unit usually paired with a 390 V-8 — rather than the typical Fairlane unit. It’s believed this transmission was installed to better handle the increased horsepower of the High Performance 289-4V engine. Like other 1963 Hi-Po 289s, the exhaust system was comprised of a single 2-3/4-inch pipe and a special muffler. Both the engine assembly and scheduled build date of Bob’s car occurred on April 9, 1963.

The white 1963 Fairlane four-door sedan had passed through seven owners before Bob acquired it. He learned it was originally ordered by Westside Ford, Inc. in Seattle, potentially for use as a showroom display as it was outfitted with chrome valve covers, likely for aesthetic enhancement. Apparently having a performance engine in its four-door body didn’t help sell the Fairlane 500, and it took five months into the following model year to find a buyer. When the Hi-Po 289 Fairlane 500 did finally sell, it was sold as a leftover model at a heavily discounted price of $1,950 (the base price of a 1963 Fairlane 500 sedan, before any options, was $2,407). Each owner used the car as a daily driver and modified it to suit their needs. These included changes to the rear gear ratio, the vacuum advance distributor and the installation of hydraulic lifters. After 12 years and 94,000 miles of use, the rare Fairlane 500 was parked in a field for four years. Bob saved it from the field in 1984, then stored it another four years, although in better conditions.

Restoration journey

In addition to removing the engine and transmission for documentation, Bob also removed the seats, carpet, door panels and any other items that might attract mold and mildew. He then treated the car’s metal surfaces with primer and undercoating to prevent rust. The car remained mobile and was stored in three different states over the course of Bob’s career as a U.S. Navy pilot. 

In 2016, Bob finally had the opportunity to begin restoring his K-Code Fairlane 500. The car spent six months with a professional restorer to repair the chassis and receive a fresh coat of white paint. Bob then undertook the meticulous task of overhauling and reassembling all components. The restored Hi-Po 1963 Fairlane 500 four-door sedan made its debut appearance at the 2022 Fairlane Club of America National Meet in Kingsport, Tenn. It was the only Hi-Po 1963 Fairlane four-door sedan at the meet, and as the lone survivor, it always will be.

Bob not only finished restoring the unique Fairlane four-door, he finished his book on Ford small-block V-8s. His book, titled “Mustang & Ford Small Block V8 1962-1969,” was finally self-published in 1998. It sold out in December 2024, but since 2015, he’s been updating its contents with a complementing PDF that was included with the printed books. Now that the book is sold out, he offers his PDF as a stand-alone, digital book at a nominal fee to cover his expenses. He continues his small-block Ford V-8 research, and updates his PDF of valuable information at http://www.fordsmallblock.com. 

Looking for more information on Fairlanes or just want to meet fellow Fairlane lovers? Check out the Fairlane Club of America.

Fairlane Club of America
7177 County Road 1135
Leonard,  TX  75452-6083
610-750-4703
https://fca.clubexpress.com

Love Fairlanes? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1968-ford-fairlane-500-428-cobra-jet

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1960-ford-fairlane-500-article

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1968-ford-fairlane-500

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of the Week: 1963 Ford Fairlaine Hi-Po four-door appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

We visited Jeff Stumb, executive director of the Stahls Motors & Music Experience in Chesterfield, Mich., as he prepared its 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car for the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance. During his initial drive, he observed the vehicle’s advanced design, smooth handling, modern features, innovative instrumentation and even the concealed ashtray intended for rear passengers. Following the test drive, Jeff commented that the vehicle exhibited outstanding performance and evoked comparisons to the jet-powered cars depicted in the “Jetsons” television program from his youth. His experience made him one of only a few hundred civilians to have ever experienced driving a 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car.

With its striking design and innovative engineering, the Chrysler Turbine Car captivated automotive enthusiasts and the general public alike. Its unique engine sound and futuristic appearance made it a memorable icon of 1960s automotive experimentation, symbolizing both technological optimism and the challenges of bringing radical new concepts to market.

A turbine car for the masses

Chrysler Corp. produced its most famous turbine car from late 1962 to October 1964 as 1963 models. Bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia of Italy and final-assembled in Detroit, only 55 cars were built. Of those 55 Turbine cars, 5 were prototypes and 50 were built for public testing. Nearly all of them were finished in a paint color that Chrysler called Turbine Bronze that was complemented by a black vinyl top. At least one white example is known to have been produced and was one of two Turbine Cars to appear at the New York World’s Fair, where Chrysler gave rides to visitors. This white Turbine Car (or a different white Turbine Car altogether) also publicly appeared in the 1964 film “The Lively Set.” Otherwise, the cars were indistinguishable from one another and even used the same ignition key.

Elwood Engel, who is also credited with designing the 1961 Lincoln Continental and Ford Thunderbird while at Ford Motor Co., led the Turbine Car design process, with former Ford Motor Co. designer Charles Mashigan also receiving credit for his part designing the 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car. These men’s earlier work designing the 1961 Thunderbird is why the cars cut a similar profile and also share jet-inspired design influences. But whereas the Thunderbird relied on a missile shape, the Turbine Car used a turbine theme throughout.

The Turbine Car’s turbine theme was apparent throughout the exterior of the car, from the round, vaned headlamp bezels to the similarly vaned wheel cover centers and preposterously oversized, vaned housings for the small rear reflectors. Even inside, the full-length floor console that divided the individual front and rear leather-trimmed bucket seats was a giant silver shaft with vanes at the front and rear. The steering wheel hub design matched that of the headlamp bezels, and behind it was an instrument panel housing three large, round pods. It was nothing like anything else in a Chrysler product of the period.

As a top-line Chrysler product, each Chrysler Turbine Car touted such amenities as air-over-oil power drum brakes, power steering, TorqueFlite automatic transmission, radio and heater. The chassis was fitted with a conventional independent front suspension with coil springs and rear leaf springs. It is believed that it cost Chrysler Corp. as much as $55,000 (about $558,000 in 2025) to build each car, about $20,000 of which was just in the hand-built Ghia body.

A turbine future?

When Chrysler began researching turbine engines for aviation in the late 1930s, the program was led by executive engineer George Huebner. After World War II, Huebner and fellow engineers Bud Mann and Sam B. Williams started exploring turbine-powered cars. Turbine engines attracted interest due to their simpler design and fuel flexibility compared to piston-powered counterparts that ran only on gasoline or diesel fuel. By the mid 1950s, Chrysler was a leader in gas turbine car research, although General Motors and Rover also experimented with turbine cars.

After refining its turbine design with a regenerator to improve heat exchange, Chrysler installed a turbine engine in a mostly stock 1954 Plymouth Belvedere. On June 16, 1954, it unveiled the turbine-powered Belvedere at Chelsea Proving Grounds in Michigan before more than 500 reporters. However, engineers found that heating, cooling and emissions posed major engineering challenges for integrating a turbine engine into a car. The engines were also expensive to build and operate, so they weren’t feasible for everyday use by the masses. There was good news, though: Chrysler claimed this turbine had 20 percent fewer parts and weighed 200 pounds less than similar piston engines.

Chrysler continued its turbine research and introduced its next turbine car, this time a mostly stock 1956 Plymouth, on March 23, 1956. Huebner drove it 3,020 miles from New York City to Los Angeles, followed by a support team, with only two minor (non-engine) repairs needed. The successful trip prompted Chrysler to expand its turbine program and relocate operations to a bigger Detroit facility. 

A subsequent version of the Chrysler turbine engine (the second-generation model) was installed in a 1959 Plymouth and achieved an average fuel efficiency of 19.4 miles per gallon during a journey from Detroit to Woodbridge, N.J. This performance represented a notable improvement over the 13 mpg recorded by the first-generation turbine during the 1956 New York-to-Los Angeles trip. 

When Chrysler Corp. introduced its third-generation turbine engine, the CR2A, it became the company’s first officially named turbine engine. This engine worked to reduce the high cost of turbine engine production. During development in May 1960, Huebner noted that the turbine functioned as its own torque converter, produced 140 hp, had a 1.5-second acceleration lag (improved from 9 seconds previously) and weighed 150–450 lb less than similar piston engines.

Third-generation CR2A turbines were integrated into various vehicles, such as a 2-1/2-ton 1960 Dodge truck and the Chrysler Turboflite concept car. Refined CR2A turbines were also installed in a 1962 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Fury, and again Chrysler took its turbine cars to the road, driving the Dart from New York City to Los Angeles in December 1961. The Fury completed a much shorter journey from Los Angeles to San Francisco in January 1962. Upon arriving at Los Angeles with the Dart, Huebner dedicated two hours to providing journalists with test rides in the turbine-powered vehicle.

Chrysler showcased its fleet of turbine cars across North America, Europe and Mexico in February 1962, visiting 90 cities and giving rides to nearly 14,000 people, thus reaching millions more observers. The third-generation turbine program concluded at the Chicago Auto Show that same month, where Chrysler displayed its turbine-powered vehicles, including the turbine-powered Typhoon concept car, which loaned its front and rear styling to the 1963 Turbine Car (and nearly loaned its name). Just before the event, the company announced plans for a fourth-generation turbine engine to be installed in a limited run of 50-75 cars (the final total was 55), which would be loaned to the public free of charge starting in 1963. The company said the decision was driven largely by the enthusiastic response to the touring demonstrations.

Chrysler’s most famous turbine car

The 1963 Chrysler Turbine Cars were powered by the A-831, the name of Chrysler’s fourth-generation turbine engine. Unlike its predecessor, the CR2A, the A-831 featured twin regenerators, one on each side of the gasifier, instead of a single heat exchanger mounted on top. This reduced the engine’s weight by 40 lbs., bringing it down to just 410 lbs. Due to their design, these engines did not need antifreeze, a cooling system, radiator, connecting rods or crankshafts.

The A-831 could run on diesel fuel, unleaded gasoline, kerosene, JP-4 jet fuel and various unconventional fuels including furnace oil, perfume, peanut oil and soybean oil. However, leaded gasoline would damage it. Chrysler engineers even confirmed that Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos successfully operated one of these cars using tequila as fuel. A few Americans were also said to have poured their favorite alcohol — including Jack Daniels — in Turbine Cars’ fuel tanks to power them.

The engine generated 130 hp at 36,000 rpm and idled between 18,000 and 22,000 rpm. Many bystanders compared its sound to the whoosh of a vacuum cleaner. At stall, it was capable of producing 425 lb.-ft. of torque. While idling, its exhaust temperature did not exceed 180 degrees Fehrenheit. When operating at 120 mph, the turbine reached its maximum speed of 60,000 rpm. Accelerating from 0-60 mph took about 12 seconds. 

Turbine Cars hit driveways

From October 1963 to January 1966, a total of 203 people —180 men and 23 women, aged 21 to 70 — participated in Chrysler’s Turbine Car test program. They lived in 133 cities across the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., and 60 percent were already Chrysler owners. At least one Turbine Car also made an appearance in Europe. British journalist Robert Walling of the Evening Standard posed with a Turbine Car in the United Kingdom during October 1963 after that car appeared at the Salon de l’Automobile in Paris. Lucky members of the U.S. test group each had use of their Turbine Car for three months at no cost, but they were responsible for the cost of fuel. In the agreement with Chrysler Corp. to use the cars at no cost, testers would provide Chrysler with detailed feedback from their experience driving them. In total, the testers racked up more than 1 million miles of driving.

Initial issues included sluggish acceleration due partly to their heavy body construction and vibration from tire treads, noticeable due to the smooth turbine engine. Benefits were the smooth engine, the turbine’s reduced need for maintenance and generally easy starts in a variety of conditions. However, some people in higher altitudes experienced starting trouble. Other common complaints were poor fuel economy and a relatively loud noise level. When Chrysler investigated the noise complaint, however, it discovered about 60 percent of users liked the car’s jet-like turbine sound, while around 20 percent disliked it (the remaining 20 percent were indifferent).

Regardless of whether or not testers found they would buy a turbine-powered car if and when they became available, all found the experience memorable. Crowds would gather whenever one of the futuristic Turbine Bronze cars stopped — even when the cars were parked in the testers’ driveways! Although the testers didn’t get to keep the cars, many had one of the popular Turbine Bronze plastic scale promotional models as a keepsake.

The fate of Chrysler’s experiment

In April 1966, Harry E. Chesebrough, Vice President of Product Planning and Development, stated that the test cars would be retired regardless of whether the Chrysler Turbine Car entered production. Chrysler ended up destroying 46 cars after completing user testing and public displays; 45 were obliterated at a scrapyard south of Detroit, while another was demolished at its Chelsea Proving Grounds. Essentially, these test cars were concepts, and Chrysler likely destroyed most of them to eliminate the possibility of liability issues, as is the practice for experimental cars. As one Chrysler executive explained in Look magazine, “Our main objective is research, and we did not want turbines turning up on used-car lots.” Destroying the cars also helped protect Chrysler’s proprietary secrets.

Nine 1963 Chrysler Turbine Cars still exist, all of which are painted Turbine Bronze. Chrysler retained three cars (two of which it still owns), while the other six were sent to museums. Today, at least three of the Turbine Cars are known to be operational: the Turbine Car owned by Jay Leno; the restored example owned by the National Museum of Transportation; and the featured Turbine Car owned by the Stahls Motors & Music Experience.

Ted and Mary Stahl, founders of the Stahls Motors & Music Experience, acquired their Turbine Car in 2021. It previously belonged to the Harrah Collection, from which renowned collector Tom Monaghan purchased it. Equally distinguished collector Frank Kleptz owned the car after Monaghan sold it and kept it in his collection through his passing.

Today, the Stahls Motors & Music Experience regularly displays its Turbine Car at events and among its collection.

The Stahls Motors & Music Experience is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that exists to preserve, restore and exhibit classic automobiles of the 20th Century for educational purposes. The Experience, based in Chesterfield, Mich., features continually changing exhibits of historically significant vehicles from the Depression and Art Deco eras, along with mechanical music machines and automobile memorabilia. It also hosts many community events throughout the year while being open to the public, including an annual fundraising event honoring and benefiting U.S. military veterans.

Stahls Motors & Music Experience
Chesterfield, MI 
www.stahlsauto.com
586-749-1078

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of the Week: 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

For more than a decade I served on the Eyes on Design car show vehicle selection committee alongside Joe Tonietto, among others. During one of our monthly meetings, Joe pulled me aside to share pictures of his current restoration project, a rough 1958 Buick Century Caballero station wagon that he’d rescued. The previous owner wanted to get it into hands that would restore the car rather than scrap it.

Joe said his plan was to restore the Buick to best-in-class level, then campaign it in every major Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) event. To say he reached his goal for the classic ’58 Buick wagon is an understatement. He earned AACA First Junior and First Senior awards in 2019 and the following year, he was awarded the club’s top honor with the prestigious AACA Zenith Award, which the club presents to the finest restored vehicle shown at an AACA Nationals event the previous year.

Starting in 2016, the AACA began awarding its coveted Zenith Award. The winner is chosen each year from the more than 2,800 cars, trucks and motorcycles shown at AACA Nationals events across the United States. Two Zenith Award contenders are nominated from each AACA Nationals show by the AACA National Awards judging team. From this small pool, the car with the “restoration of the year” is selected as the AACA Zenith Award winner.

“Despite tough competition from each of the vehicles nominated, the Buick Caballero station wagon exemplified the Zenith Award as the finest restoration of the year and will wear that title well,” stated Tom Cox, AACA Board VP and the originator of the Zenith Award program upon Joe’s win with his 1958 Buick Century Caballero. “That determination was borne out by competing car owners as well. The competing cars and owners were first-class—a real testament to the fine spirit of the hobby.”

The new 1958 Buicks

Advertised as “The Air-Born B-58 Buick,” the 1958 Buick models were adorned with more chrome and stainless-steel trim than any other production car—ever! From the 160 chrome squares in the “Fashion-Aire Dynastar Grille” to the heating and ventilation controls and simulated jet exhaust outlets in the rear bumper, Jet Age influence was everywhere in the design. The Century Caballero was the latest and greatest Buick station wagon, being poised at the top of its three-tiered station wagon offerings that year, which included the entry-level Special Model 49 pillared-window Estate Wagon, the Special Riviera (hardtop) Model 49D Estate Wagon and the top-line Century Caballero station wagon. The B-58 Buick station wagons were the latest in a long line of Buick station wagons that went back to 1940, the first year that the automaker offered a wagon. In 1940, the Buick Estate Wagon was only offered in the Super line and had a wood body supplied by Hercules or the Ionia Manufacturing Co. Buick station wagons would continue to have at least partially wooded bodies until 1954, when Buick station wagon bodies became entirely constructed of steel. In stride with the baby boom, Buick station wagon production continued to rise through the mid 1950s as families grew and the prices dropped when Buick wagons went from partial wood construction to all steel.

When Buicks received all-new bodies for 1957, a station wagon returned and now offered the option of hardtop styling. By now, all of these Buick station wagon bodies were built by the Ionia Manufacturing Co., which modified Buick four-door bodies into station wagons and placed them on the 122-inch-wheelbase sedan chassis. Buick named its top station wagon, which was part of its mid-level Century series, “Caballero,” the Spanish word for gentleman. As the most expensive station wagon in the General Motors line, and coming from Buick—GM’s second-highest-priced division—the well-appointed Caballero earned its name.

For 1958, all Buick bodies received noticeable updates such as quad headlamps, die-cast chrome squares instead of vertical bars in a new grille and a revised lower front bumper. The tailfin treatment was also updated with new and bigger chromed end caps on the quarter panels and a bulkier rear bumper treatment. A wide, new missile-shaped swatch of bright stainless trim dressed the rear fenders (and rear doors on four-doors), and this trim was in addition to a traditional Buick full-length trim sweep. The end result was a bold and bulky-looking Buick bedecked in brightwork—perfectly in tune with the last General Motors vehicles built under GM’s Vice-President of Styling, Harley Earl. Of the massive-looking GM cars of 1958, Buick was most bedazzled with chrome and stainless trim, earning it the title of “The Chrome King.”

There is an oft-told tale of Earl’s approval of the 1958 Buick exterior ornamentation scheme. Initially presented with three different trim options from which he was to select one production scheme, Earl asked to see all three trim packages together on a Century Caballero station wagon. When he saw all three proposals combined on the Caballero, Earl dictated that the ’58 Buicks would incorporate all three of the exterior styling packages! Whether the story is fact or fiction remains unclear more than 65 years later.

Powering 1958 Buicks was a one-year-old 364-cid V-8 that Buick named the B-12000 for the 12,000 pounds of thrust “behind every piston as it is fired,” Buick said. This vertical-valve V-8 engine had a 10:1 compression ratio and 300 hp with four-barrel carburetion in the Buick Limited, Roadmaster 75, Super and Century series, and a 9.5:1 compression ratio and 250 hp with two-barrel carburetion in the Special models. B-12000 engines backed by an automatic transmission received Buick’s new Flight Pitch Dynaflow transmission touted by Buick as giving smooth and exact response in an instant, as well as Buick’s Rotoflow Torque-Tube Drive that “transmits drive thrust directly from rear wheels in a solid power lockup.”

As a part of the Century series, the top-line Caballero station wagon had the 300-hp V-8 and a more luxurious and well-appointed interior than the Special Estate Wagons. As such, the Caballero boasted premium floor and rear compartment carpets, molded door armrests and a padded upper dash. Interior upholstery was usually Buick’s Cordaveen material offered in six two-tone combinations.

In its second and final year of production, 4,456 copies of the four-door hardtop Century Caballero station wagons were sold, making it the best-selling Buick station wagon that year despite being the most expensive station wagon at a $3,831 base price. Buick sold 3,420 Special Riviera Estate Wagons (49D) that year at $3,261 and 3,663 Special Estate Wagons (Model 49) at $3,145. These production figures were down significantly from 1957, owing to the recession that struck the U.S. economy in 1958. When a Buick station wagon returned for 1959 on a new body, all were of a pillared side window design.

Saving a chrome king

“‘Suggestions? – a free ’58 Buick Caballero’ was the title of the station wagon forum thread that started our journey with this 1958 Caballero,” recalled Joe. The question had been posted to an online forum by a member who hoped to keep the rare Caballero from being scrapped. The thread solicited ideas and interest in the project from multiple members, but Joe was the first to indicate he was interested in the car.

Joe’s Caballero had last been registered in 1972, but little else is known about its history. It sat outside and uncovered near Santa Fe, N.M., from 1990 until Joe acquired it in 2014. It had obviously been used as a desert off-road adventurer, as evidenced by significant rock damage on all of its lower body panels and fuel tank, Joe says. He recalls the interior was in typical, southwest desert dried-out “potato chip” condition; the paint was almost completely sun-scorched; and the transmission was missing. Only one piece of glass—the unavailable curved liftgate glass—was present.

“If only this car could talk…” Joe ponders. “The 4-1/2-year restoration effort included body removal followed by replacement or repair of all damaged metal. The engine and [a different] transmission were rebuilt, and the electrical, suspension, steering and interior systems were completely renewed.”

The car sports its original color scheme inside and out and retains its original engine. Major metal repairs, paint, plating, engine machining/assembly and driveline refurbishment were completed by a team of highly skilled professionals, Joe says. The balance of the restoration, including interior fabrication and installation, fabrication of replacements for “unavailable” components and all assembly was completed by Joe and a few of his trusted friends.

In addition to its accolades on the AACA show circuit, the car has won multiple class awards at concours d’elegance events and achieved Senior Gold status at the Buick Club of America’s 2019 national meet. 

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

Ever wonder what your classic ride is worth? Old Cars Price Guide is now online! Check it out and join to get the unbiased and real-world pricing on classic cars. You get pricing anytime, anyplace on your phone, tablet or computer.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

The post Car of the Week: 1958 Buick Caballero appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

In 2013, I was assigned to cover the Woodward Dream Cruise from Mustang Alley in Ferndale, Mich., where I observed a custom orange-metallic T-top 1988 Mustang GT. According to Bill McClelland, the vehicle’s owner, he personally completed all of its modifications, aside from the bodywork and paint.

A few days later, I invited Bill to have his 1988 Mustang GT photographed at a private airport near Flint for possible magazine publication. We met for the photo shoot on Oct. 12, 2013, and the article later appeared in Mustang Monthly. Afterward, Bill thanked me and mentioned he was looking for another Mustang GT for his son, Blake.

In 2015, Bill contacted me to share his enthusiasm about finding a 1988 Mustang GT convertible locally listed on Craigslist. The vehicle had previously spent much of its life in the southern United States before relocating to Michigan. The 50,000 miles on the odometer indicated it had only been modestly driven — but not babied — during the first 30 years of its life.

Despite moderate wear to the white paint, gray lower two-tone accents, convertible top and leather interior, the car remained structurally sound — ideal for restoration and customization.

Bill and Blake intended to completely transform the Mustang by replacing many factory components with advanced options from the automotive aftermarket sector. Their goal was to create a truly unique vehicle incorporating numerous custom elements designed personally by Bill and Blake.

Earlier this year, their 1988 Mustang GT convertible build was complete and ready for a photo shoot. We met at the same airport near Flint where I had photographed Bill’s 1988 T-top GT years ago. After photographing both cars together, I focused on Blake’s convertible — shooting it with the top up and down. 

Blake’s journey from inspiration to reality had unfolded over nearly a decade, a testament to both the persistence and strength of Blake and Bill’s father-son bond. At our photo shoot, I learned the McClellands’ garage became more than a workspace; it was a crucible for ideas, skills and shared memories. Through late nights, trial and error and countless cups of coffee, the vision for Blake’s Mustang GT convertible slowly took form. Each setback — whether a back-ordered part, a family matter or an unexpected obstacle — was met with new determination.

As months turned to years, Blake said his automotive knowledge grew alongside his ambition. He learned the subtle art of aligning body panels, the patience required for intricate wiring and the satisfaction of overcoming engineering puzzles. The Mustang GT became not just a car, but a canvas — one where creativity, resourcefulness and attention to detail shaped every decision. Even the smallest improvements were celebrated, with Blake and Bill refining their plans as new technologies emerged and tastes evolved.

By the time the project neared completion, the Mustang GT convertible bore little resemblance to its humble beginnings. It had become a rolling chronicle of lessons learned, skills mastered and the unwavering pursuit of a promise made years earlier. 

After completing our photo shoot of Blake’s GT, the pair drove away with the convertible top down, and the stunning Symbiosis Green paint glowing in the evening light. It was a perfect scene for a perfectly completed project.

We’ll leave the details of the Mustang GT’s build to Blake himself:

Building a Mustang GT

From an early age, I was immersed in a family environment that valued classic automobiles and fostered a keen interest in cars from the outset. Unlike my peers, whose preferences leaned toward action figures or sports, I gravitated toward Hot Wheels and LEGO sets — particularly the automotive-themed kits — which quickly became my favored toys. Prior to obtaining my driver’s license, my mother often collected me from school in either my father’s Mustang or her Nissan 300ZX, experiences I greatly anticipated after each school day. Car shows and weekend cruises were always enjoyable opportunities, despite my not yet being able to drive. 

At age 14, I expressed to my father a desire to undertake a car restoration project together, hoping to eventually own and drive my personal vehicle. He welcomed the idea, eager for a collaborative “father and son” endeavor, yet remained careful not to pressure me, understanding that could potentially diminish my enthusiasm. Our search began with considerations between a T-top Mustang and a 300ZX, reflecting my appreciation for both American and Japanese domestic market vehicles. Ultimately, practicality and affordability influenced my decision to pursue a Mustang. After an initial attempt to purchase a T-top model fell through, we located a solid 1988 Mustang convertible for $2,500 on Craigslist — a southern vehicle reportedly showing only 50,000 miles.

Initially hesitant about the convertible’s aesthetics, I proceeded with the acquisition for the sake of owning my own car. In September 2015, we purchased the Mustang GT convertible, at which point I underestimated the scope and complexity of a ground-up restoration. I envisioned using the Mustang as a daily driver following its refurbishment, but soon realized a more practical daily vehicle was necessary; I subsequently acquired a Saturn Aura from relatives in 2016 for that purpose.

That February, my father and I began incremental upgrades, culminating in a manual transmission conversion, suspension enhancement, larger brakes and a five-lug conversion. Our first drive post-conversion occurred in May 2016. Although initially frustrated by the challenge of operating a manual transmission, practice with a pit bike improved my proficiency, which I then applied to smoother car operation. By June 2016, we continued customizations, including the addition of a spoiler, style bar and larger wheels. The car served reliably for events and exhibitions from 2017 to 2019, during which time I came to appreciate the benefits of the convertible configuration.

October 2019 saw the installation of a Cervinis Ram Air hood, aligning with my aesthetic preferences. When the COVID-19 pandemic rendered large gatherings unfeasible in December 2019, I elected to have the Mustang professionally repainted in lieu of a graduation party. This decision initiated a comprehensive tear-down and restoration process. By January 2020, we removed the engine, and upon inspection, confirmed the indicated low mileage. My uncle, Butch Kaznecki, assisted with bodywork, welding new inner fender panels, repairing trunk lid holes and accommodating a side-exit exhaust.

In May 2020, the vehicle was sent to Creative Autosports & Restorations (CAR) for painting, a process extended over 12 months due to workforce challenges, ultimately completed by the shop owner. The Mustang returned from paint in May 2021, and reassembly began. By July 2021, with guidance from my father, I successfully rebuilt the 5.0L V-8 engine. And it was my first. In June 2022, I started the engine independently, marking a significant personal achievement.

Visualizing the final result was aided by digital renderings and a racing simulator I assembled, allowing me to virtually drive the Mustang while physical work progressed from 2022 through 2024. Custom lighting and interior enhancements continued, and in October 2024, the car was roadworthy. Further modifications, including a custom exhaust by BAM (Barry’s Ace Maintenance) concluded in November 2024.

December 2024 brought the profound loss of my grandmother. In her memory, I incorporated her green flashlight into the car with custom trunk trim, ensuring a meaningful connection with her always remains present. By July 2025, all audio system components and trunk trim were installed, and in August 2025, the finished vehicle debuted at the Mustang Alley show during the Woodward Cruise.

This extensive project was only possible with the support of my family, notably my parents and Uncle Butch. The experience provided invaluable technical knowledge and served as a deeply meaningful father-and-son collaboration, one I will always hold in high regard.

The blessing of a ‘father and son’ project

A mother’s perspective

As Blake’s Mom, I couldn’t be more proud of all of his accomplishments, especially finishing his Mustang. Through all the delays and unfortunate family events, he was able to stay the course and get to the finish line. It wasn’t easy, and the struggles with this project were very real. Everything led to this point, and what an honor to be featured in a professional photo shoot for a magazine!

Blake and his dad worked tirelessly to make this build a very unique show stopper. His face lit up with such pride when he brought home a first-place trophy at his first judged car show. I am truly thankful and blessed to be the mom of such a special young man! Congratulations, Blake, and enjoy all your hard work! — Tania McClelland 

A father’s perspective 

The wish for any father is to have his son take interest in his hobbies and to spend quality time together in life with his son. As much as I wanted to have my son join me in the garage to work on cars, I did not want to force him and have him reject it. I knew he loved Hot Wheels and riding in my Mustang, so I knew there was a chance that he may someday get the car bug.

When going to car shows, he started telling the story of my Mustang when people came over to look at it. Once I built my wife, Tania, her Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo convertible, I could see the excitement grow. One wonderful day when my son was 14, he approached me and asked if we could work on a car together. It was amazing to hear the moment that I was waiting for, and I had to hold back my excitement. I asked Blake, ‘What did you have in mind? Are you willing to get your hands dirty?’ He responded, “As long as it’s a car for me.” That is when the journey began to evolve, and I knew the car legacy would continue in our family.

Once we found the 1988 convertible Mustang GT, he was committed. The timeless hours, the stages of completion and the challenges we solved together built a bond that is priceless. My son has become a sponge for knowledge, and the projects became a great learning tool for him mechanically and electrically. Now that he is going to college, I see how he is developing into a tremendous engineer  His degree is in mechatronics, which is a blend of both. I’m extremely proud of Blake and grateful to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience with my son.

I thank my wife for her patience and time that she has given up for the hours we spent in the garage. This was a gift in our lives that brought us together, and I can only hope for others to experience this. I now realize how rare this opportunity was and know it was a blessing. — Bill McClelland

Love ‘Stangs? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1966-shelby-mustang-g-t-350-h

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1970-ford-mustang-boss-429

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1981-mclaren-m81-mclarens-first-mustang

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of theWeek: 1988 Mustang GT convertible appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Approximately 10 years ago, I photographed this Starlight Black 1963 Pontiac Catalina 421 Super Duty near Detroit. The Catalina had just undergone a systematic restoration to return it to its factory-original condition after its owner had acquired it.

I met Jim Crawford back in 2008 while scouting a local car show and noticed his stunning green 1963 Chevrolet Biscayne in the distance. The hood was open and as I approached it, the massive engine with its “409” valve cover decals instantly caught my eye.

After introducing myself to Jim, he told me the Biscayne’s restoration had just been finished. I asked if he would be interested in having me photograph the show-stopper for a magazine feature and he agreed. Jim also shared that since the Biscayne was finished, he turned his attention toward restoring the featured 1963 Pontiac Catalina Ventura 421 Super Duty. He was working with the same local restorer who had helped with the Biscayne. The Catalina was only as far as the primer stage, but I asked if I could see it and he shared with me the address where the work was being done.

Later in the week, I met Jim at the restoration shop, which was located in an old warehouse just west of Detroit. After seeing the Catalina in person, we decided I would document the restoration process. For all practical purposes, this was the start to my journey of documenting and photographing automobile restorations.

For nearly two years, I followed the Catalina’s restoration, capturing each stage from primer application to block sanding, guide coat, paint application, wet sanding and then buffing. These steps were followed by the final assembly and detailing. What you see in the pictures within this article is the culmination of a process that took more than two years. The finished product is an award-winning, best-in-class restoration that possibly makes this Catalina the finest example on the planet. It has received top honors and awards at the Pontiac Nationals and concours events throughout the Midwest. Like every world-class restoration project, the attention to detail sets this 1963 Pontiac Catalina Ventura 421 Super Duty apart from many of the automobiles it has gone head to head with at judged events. 

For me, this Catalina started a new chapter in my journey of capturing classic automobiles and sharing them with the motoring world. Much was learned from this endeavor. Many of the techniques remain in my memory bank and the approach and process that I have successfully used for 17 years started here with Jim Crawford and this 1963 Pontiac Catalina. 

The Super Duty is born

In the early 1960s, Detroit was waking up to a new kind of horsepower war. Long before the term “muscle car” had officially entered the lexicon, Pontiac was already staking its claim as a performance leader. At the center of that revolution stood a beast draped in full-size steel: the 1963 Pontiac Catalina 421 Super Duty—a factory-built dragstrip warrior that helped redefine the guts of American performance.

More than just a stoplight brawler, the Catalina Super Duty was the physical embodiment of Pontiac’s growing performance image. Born from a combination of corporate rebellion, engineering brilliance, and a hunger to dominate the quarter-mile, the ’63 Super Duty remains one of the most revered and rare factory-built performance cars of the immediate pre-muscle car era.

Christening the Catalina

The Pontiac Catalina made its debut in 1950 as part of General Motors’ line of new pillarless “hardtop” two-doors that captured the spirit of postwar America. “Catalina” was simply the name of the hardtop derivative of existing Pontiac models until 1959, when it became a stand-alone, mid-line Pontiac model available in hardtop, sedan or even a convertible body types. That year, Pontiac also began its split-grille front-end motif and its “Wide-Track” handling theme, adding more pizzazz to the Pontiac brand as it blazed head-on into its performance marketing strategy under the industry’s brightest minds of the period: General Manager Bunkie Knudsen, marketing whiz Jim Wangers and engineers John DeLorean and Pete Estes.

In 1961, all GM products received a significant restyling and the Catalina model returned, but was now at the bottom of the Pontiac hierarchy as it sat on the make’s shortest full-size car chassis with the least amount of trim. In 1963, the Catalina remained Pontiac’s least-expensive full-size two-door model — and its lightest.

The 1963 Catalina was an integral part of Pontiac’s ambitious performance plans for the ’60s. The American muscle car was beginning to take shape, and Pontiac was right at the forefront of that movement. In fact, the Catalina of this era can be seen as the precursor to Pontiac’s famous GTO, which would arrive a year later in 1964. But before all of that, there was the Catalina — a car that offered great looks consistent with the rest of the Pontiac line, and the perfect full-size lightweight for getting the most out of Pontiac’s hottest engines.

Enter the Super Duty Program

Almost immediately after finally getting a modern overhead-valve, over-square V-8 engine in 1955, Pontiac began experimenting with it to get more horsepower. In 1956, some Pontiac V-8s were fitted with dual four-barrel carburetor setups, and 1957 brought the introduction of the novel fuel-injection system on Bonneville convertibles, as well as the Tri-Power (three two-barrel) option available on all Pontiacs. In 1960, Pontiac developed its first Super Duty (SD) engine packages designed specifically for competition use. These weren’t warmed-over production engines only fit with additional carburetors — they were hand-assembled, heavy-duty, high-compression monsters built for serious racing.

The Pontiac 421-cid V-8, introduced in 1961, was the centerpiece of the Super Duty program that year. Rated at 405 hp by 1963 (though the real number was likely closer to 450), the Super Duty engine featured forged internal components, a high-lift cam, dual Carter AFB four-barrel carburetors, and factory long-tube headers. It was a street-legal powerhouse that could humiliate nearly anything that dared to line up next to it.

Catalina + 421 Super Duty = Fast

While later muscle cars would prioritize lightweight midsize platforms, the 1963 Catalina Super Duty was unapologetically big, bad and brutal. Despite weighing in at more 3,700 pounds, Pontiac engineers found creative ways to shave off weight and increase speed on the most serious lightweight race versions.

Buyers could option their Super Duty Catalina as lightweights with aluminum front-end panels, including the hood, fenders, bumper, and radiator support. Inside, a no-frills interior, sans radio, and optional lightweight bucket seats helped further reduce mass. The “Swiss Cheese” Super Duty Catalinas even had giant holes drilled in their chassis to lighten them up further for drag racing.

Every component of the car—from the heavy-duty suspension and Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission to the beefed-up rear end—was designed with one purpose in mind: to win. Only about 88 of these lightweightss were built before General Motors, under pressure to downplay its performance image, officially ended factory racing support in early 1963. That makes the ’63 Catalina 421 SD not only rare, but one of the last true expressions of unrestricted factory racing engineering from Pontiac.

Quarter-Mile Royalty

The 1963 Super Duty Catalina found its natural habitat at NHRA-sanctioned dragstrips across the country. In the hands of legendary drivers such as Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick, the Catalina Super Duty quickly built a reputation for devastating performance and unmatched durability. In the early 1960s, his car consistently ran mid-12-second quarter-mile times at more than 110 mph—astonishing numbers for the period and especially impressive considering the big car’s full-frame construction.

The Catalina’s sheer speed helped Pontiac further stake its claim as a performance brand, paving the way for the GTO and the rest of the muscle car revolution. While the Catalina Super Duty wasn’t a muscle car in the classic sense (a midsize car with a big engine), it laid much of the groundwork for what was to come. Perhaps more importantly, it gave engineers like DeLorean the confidence to plant the 389-cid V-8 into the midsize 1964 Tempest — creating the Pontiac GTO and igniting the muscle car era.

The ’63 SD Catalina is now one of the most sought-after collector cars in American muscle history. Survivors trade hands for six-figure prices, and rightly so — each one represents a brief but glorious chapter where engineers were allowed to build unfiltered performance machines with full factory support.

Love Ponchos? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1964-pontiac-gto-red-car

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1974-pontiac-trans-am-sd

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1967-pontiac-firebird

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of the Week: 1963 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

I met “Bronco Jack” Niederkorn in 2010 at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) in Rosemont, Ill., where he was displaying his 1971 Stroppe Baja Bronco within the confines of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. During our introduction, he mentioned how his fascination for the Ford Bronco started back in 1980, and today he says he has “never been without one since.” Since 1980, he has owned 15 of Ford’s off-road ponies, with five currently in his collection.

According to Niederkorn, it all started with the purchase of an original 1972 Bronco that he upgraded with a suspension lift kit with the intent of doing some off-roading near his home in rural Illinois. The fun times navigating that Bronco through rough terrain and mud bogs quickly turned into a fondness for the little 4×4 vehicle. 

“There’s just something cool about the Bronco with its unique looks and off-road capabilities,” Niederkorn adds. “I started with a nice original one back on June 12th, 1980. Nearly 45 years and 15 trucks later, this is where I’m at. 

“They are a cool-looking truck. With their boxy shape and raised fenders, they have attitude, personality and one-of-a-kind styling, and I just love them. This little one, the first-generation trucks, are my favorites. I will continue to collect them.” 

Niederkorn’s collection really took off after he joined the thriving Bronco community. With each new Bronco that he purchased, his collecting evolved as he became more informed about the various Bronco models. In the end, his Bronco collecting didn’t just take him down rough back country paths, but also down smooth highways to acquire various unique and rare models. Niederkorn initially began hunting original and unrestored versions, but when the opportunity presented itself to restore a rare model back to like-new condition, that’s when Bronco Jack hit his stride.

Restoring a rare 1967 Bronco Sport

Old Cars readers might recall Niederkorn’s unrestored original 1974 Bronco Ranger on the publication’s cover back in May 2021. While photographing that Bronco survivor, I learned about Niederkorn’s 1967 Ford Bronco Sport Pickup featured here. Niederkorn had acquired the rare Raven Black Sport Pickup back in 2018, and it was still undergoing a concours restoration in 2021, with a significant amount of the work being done by Niederkorn himself. He reached out to Ross Gregory at Marquette Classics in Ionia, Mich., to do the body and paint work. Gregory and his team started with the original Bronco sheet metal and transformed it into a laser-straight body with a mirror-like paint finish that’s world class. 

Niederkorn’s featured Bronco is one of just 86 Sport Pickup “half cab” models produced for 1967, and one of only four originally painted Raven Black. (“Half cab” is the nickname given to Broncos with the short steel roof that turns the Bronco into the Pickup version.)

Niederkorn has traced the history of his 1967 Sport Pickup back to when it was new. Its original owner raced stock cars and was a master mechanic at Charles City Ford in Charles City, Iowa. After the original owner’s death, the second owner bought the Bronco at an estate sale in 2017, with the intent of giving it a complete body-off-frame restoration. For unknown reasons, he lost interest and Niederkorn bought the partially disassembled Bronco a year later, storing it at a friend’s farm before starting on the restoration a year later. Deterred for a time by the COVID-19 pandemic, Niederkorn completed the concours restoration in 2023.

The painstaking restoration involved a complete engine rebuild. In addition to doing the body and paint work, Marquette Classics crafted metal parts and reconstructed the cargo bed. Finishing Touch of Chicago replated all the chrome parts and polished the Bronco’s stainless-steel trim. Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard in Brighton, Mich., was the source for numerous Ford-authorized reproduction parts.

A close-up look of the Bronco reveals the smallest details within its amazing restoration carried out by Niederkorn, whose goal was to “take it to the highest level.” We’d say he did just that.

Bronco Sport: A prettier pony

According to the 1967 Ford sales catalog, “Should you prefer sizzling, total performance on any road with a Ford Bronco, then choose the optional, big 289cid V-8 that delivers 200 horsepower. Big Six or V-8, Bronco engines are equally bred to give you responsive, spirited power at work or play.” This Bronco’s original owner, who had an inkling for horsepower, opted for the 289-cid V-8.

Niederkorn is a hands-on owner and when it came time to put the finished product together, he meticulously went about the painstaking task of reassembling the Bronco. His assembly process was methodical, deliberate and done to the highest standards. 

When you step back and look at the finished product gracing these pages, it’s hard to believe we are not looking at a Bronco on the showroom floor of Charles City Ford in 1967. Broncos equipped with the V-8 used a black air cleaner until Ford changed the color to Ford Blue in 1970, and that’s how Niederkorn restored his Sport Pickup. His only modifications to the Bronco are a few tweaks on the chassis.

“It’s a factory-correct restoration, with the exception of the suspension and tires,” Niedekorn says. “I did not want the ride and handling it had back in 1967, so I added new springs, shocks and larger 31×15-inch tires.” He notes that optional suspension packages for 1967 would have created a height nearly identical to his example, despite his change in springs, shocks and tires.

Ford offered the Sport package for the Bronco Pickup and Wagon models in 1967. The Sport included the nameplate and insignia affixed to the fender, just behind the front wheel opening. The Sport package also provided an array of exterior and interior enhancements, as well as additional optional factory equipment, such as front tow hooks, a winch and power take-off.

Niederkorn indicates the Bronco Sport-specific vinyl-covered door trim panels with bright-metal moldings and armrests were unique for 1967, and they are back on his Sport Pickup. He adds that the door window frames can be detached, which most people don’t realize if they have never owned a Bronco. Removing the two chrome knobs located at the left and right sides, just below the dash padding, allows the windshield to fold down and lock into a U-shaped latch located on the top side of the hood.

A 1967 Bronco sales brochure included a nearly identical interior view of the attractive, upscale Sport interior. With the passenger side door open, the Parchment Rosette vinyl-upholstered bench seat and padded dash can be clearly seen to welcome passengers. Even with the upscale Sport option, Ford equipped the Bronco interior with the vinyl floor mat as an acknowledgement that the Bronco was designed for off-road use. In wet, dusty, muddy or snowy conditions, its design and engineering favored functionality. 

The Bronco Sport full-size wheel covers add an element of class and are identical to the covers on the Ford Galaxie. The rear wheel covers feature the complete design, while the front wheel covers provide an opening in the center for access to the mechanical 4×4 wheel hubs that require manual locking when switching to four-wheel-drive mode.

The transmission shift lever for the Bronco’s three-speed, fully synchronized transmission was mounted on the steering column. A single floor-mounted T-bar shift lever operates the Dana 20 transfer case. 

According to Motor Trend magazine’s 1966 coverage of the Bronco, “instrumentation is simple, direct, and complete. Bronco uses real live gauges. Padded dash is a useful option, especially for back roads.” 

Niederkorn adds, “The instrument cluster did not change from the prior model year, but all dash knobs were changed for 1967 and included an aluminum insert.” 

Our featured Bronco includes the optional instrument panel-mounted manual AM radio with the single speaker located between the ashtray and glove box.

Niederkorn has added a period-correct front license plate that acknowledges the model year of his Bronco and pays homage to its original owner by displaying Iowa’s “34” license plate code for Floyd County, Iowa, which includes Charles City. The “U14” represents the code for the Pickup or “short roof” Bronco model. 

Bronco Jack isn’t done restoring his favorite trucks. He has started the process of restoring the latest addition to his collection, a 1967 Sport Pickup in Holly Green with Parchment Rosette Bucket Seats. It promises to be as stunning and eye-catching as this Raven Black gem.

Meet Bronco Jack and see his Raven Black ’67 Bronco Sport Pickup up close and personal at the 2025 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) from Nov. 22-23. Learn more at www.mcacn.com.

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of the Week: 1967 Ford Bronco Sport Pickup appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

The T-Top is a beautiful example of compromise. If you want the open-air fun of a convertible, but don’t want the body flex, draftiness and added weight of a droptop, then the T-Top was made for you. Yet it’s also not a feature you’ll find in any car being manufactured today.

GM gets its money back

While many credit General Motors for the T-Top, it was actually invented and patented by legendary car designer Gordon Buehrig. It was first used in a Buehrig-designed 1948 prototype for The American Sportscar Co., or “TASCO.” While the TASCO had an innovative roof, the company never made more than one prototype.

The T-Top wasn’t seen again until GM introduced it on the 1968 Corvette Stingray, at which point Gordon Buehrig reportedly took legal action against the company for using his patented roof. While his suit was apparently successful, the payout was allegedly small by today’s standards.

The Corvette’s T-Tops were so well-liked they were cited as the reason Chevy discontinued Corvette convertibles for the 1976 model year and didn’t make a convertible available on the Corvette again until 1986.

Perhaps the most iconic application of the T-Top was on the second-generation Pontiac Firebird. Offered on the Firebird for the first time in 1976, these T-Tops were originally provided by Hurst until 1978, when they were replaced by larger, less-leaky panels manufactured by Fisher Body. The “Smokey and The Bandit” Trans Am featured the Hurst version of T-Tops, called Hurst Hatches. Earlier, Hurst Hatch T-Tops were offered on other GM products, such as the 1975 Hurst/Olds and the 1975 Buick Century. 

Eventually, all of the Big Three American car manufacturers tried their hands at making automobiles with T-Tops. They even made their way onto the Fox-body Mustang in the early ’80s, as well as less performance-oriented models such as the Chrysler Cordoba and seventh-generation Ford Thunderbird.

The featured 1971 “Shark Nose” C3 Corvette Stingray was produced at GM’s St. Louis assembly plant as a Mille Miglia Red coupe with T-Tops, the 350-cid V-8 and automatic transmission. It was purchased by Kathryn “Kay” Buehrig and gifted to her husband, Gordon Buehrig, after receiving a metallic green repaint and gold-tinted T-Top panels. Legend has it that the intent for the green repaint and gold T-Tops was to send a message to GM, reminding the company that Gordon Buehrig had won a settlement against it when his patent was overlooked. The green paint was intended to reflect the color of money, while the gold was to identify the “Golden Gordon Buehrig Idea” of creative design.

Behind the C3 ’Vette 

The third-generation Corvette, patterned after the Mako Shark II concept car, was introduced for the 1968 model year and was in production until 1982. C3 coupes featured the first use of T-top removable roof panels in a production car. The C3 introduced monikers that were later revived on later Corvettes, such as LT-1, ZR-1, Z07 and Collector Edition. In 1978, Corvette’s 25th anniversary was celebrated with a two-tone Silver Anniversary Edition and an Indy Pace Car replica based on the C3. This was also the first time that a Corvette was used as a pace car for the Indianapolis 500, starting a long string of pace car duties for the fiberglass two-seater. 

Corvette engines and chassis components were mostly carried over from the C2, but the C3 body and interior were new. The 350-cid V-8 replaced the old 327-cid V-8 as the base engine in 1969, but power remained at 300 hp. The all-aluminum big-block 427-cid ZL-1 engine was also new for 1969; the special racing engine was listed at 430 hp, but reportedly produced 560 hp and accelerated a ZL-1 model through the quarter-mile in 10.89 seconds. 

There was an extended production run for the 1969 model year due to a lengthy labor strike, which meant sales were down on the 1970 models, to 17,316. 1970 small-block power peaked with the optional high-compression, high-revving small-block LT-1 that produced 370 hp. The 427 big-block was enlarged to 454 cubic inches with a 390-hp rating. The ZR-1 special package was an option available on the 1970 through 1972 model years and included the LT-1 engine combined with special racing equipment. Only 53 ZR-1s were built.

Inside the 1971 Corvette

In 1971, to accommodate regular low-lead fuel with lower anti-knock properties, Corvette engine compression ratios were lowered, resulting in reduced power ratings. The power rating for the L48 350-cid base engine decreased from 300 to 270 hp, and the optional special high-performance LT-1 engine saw power decrease from 370 to 330 hp. The LS5 454-cid V-8 was carried over and produced 365 hp.

The 1971 Corvette’s arrival also accompanied a flurry of new federal regulations that forced manufacturers to reassess the types of cars they were producing. In addition to the federally sanctioned mandates on reducing exhaust emission outputs, Edward Cole (who was now president of General Motors) had decreed that all 1971 GM cars be capable of running on fuel with a Research Octane Number (RON) no higher than 91 octane.

According to Cole’s calculations, this octane rating was low enough for the fuel companies to begin marketing the lead-free regular gasoline needed to avoid fouling catalytic “reactors” (known as converters today) that were going to be required on automobile engines. This reduction in fuel octane rating would translate into a reduction in engine compression (now just 8.5:1) and horsepower (a mere 270 bhp in the base 350 engine).

These sanctioned emissions and fuel requirement changes didn’t only impact Corvette’s base engine, of course. There was also a notable reduction in compression and power on almost all of the engines offered in the 1971 Corvette. The solid-lifter, small-block LT-1 engine, which had boasted 370 hp in 1969, was now rated at a more modest 330 hp with a 9.0:1 compression ratio.  The big-block engines also received the same treatment. The LS5 454-cid V-8 big-block produced 365 hp at 4,800 rpm, and a new aluminum-head big-block engine identified as the LS6 was rated at 425 hp at 5,600 rpm.  Given the output numbers of these engines, there were few who would argue that the 1971 Corvette was weak, although most would agree that it was a far cry from the Corvettes that emerged in the unregulated era of muscle car performance.

The 1971 Corvette production specs called for the use of amber parking lamp lenses. However, most 1971 Corvettes carried over clear lenses and amber bulbs from the 1970 model year. Additionally, the 1971 Corvette included an optional custom interior trim package that included leather seat trim, wood-grain accents and lower carpet trim on interior door panels, plus wood grain accents on the console and special cut-pile carpeting.

There were minor advances made for 1971, such as an easier-to-open fuel filler door, and an automatic transmission selector quadrant that illuminated during nighttime operation. Otherwise, very little separated the 1971 Corvette from the 1970 model.  However, the 1971 Corvette would be the last Corvette model to feature the fiber-optic light monitoring system, and it is believed that many late-model 1971 Corvettes were actually manufactured without the fiber-optic system. (While not a notable change to the 1971 Corvette, the removal of the fiber-optic system allowed Chevrolet to make the optional anti-theft alarm system (RPO UA6) standard equipment for the 1972 model.)

All in all, the 1971 Corvettes were nearly identical to the 1970 models that had come before them. Styling changes were nearly non-existent, and visually it was all but impossible to distinguish between the two models. 

Gordon Buehrig’s Career

After dropping out of Bradley University in 1924, Buehrig worked as a body shop apprentice in Wayne, Mich. He soon gained design experience with Packard, General Motors and Stutz. In 1929, he was responsible for designing the Weymann-built bodies of the Stutz Black Hawks entered at Le Mans. At the young age 25, he became chief body designer for Duesenberg, where he designed several bodies for the Model J chassis. He joined the Auburn Automobile Co. of Auburn, Ind., in 1934, updating the Auburn line for 1935, and notably designing the famous 1935 851 Speedster. Buehrig also designed the distinctive and modern Cord 810/812, the latter recognized for its originality by the Museum of Modern Art in 1951. At the end of World War II, Buehrig worked with Studebaker and his design ideas led to its 1947 models. 

In 1949, Buehrig joined Ford, where his projects included the 1951 Victoria coupe, the 1952 station wagon and the 1956 Continental Mark II. He invented the removable T-Top, patented on June 5, 1951, which had been used in the aborted TASCO sports car. 

Retiring from Ford in 1965, Buehrig taught from 1965 to 1970 at the Art Center College of Design in California. In 1979, he produced the design for the Buehrig motor car, a limited-production carriage roof coupe. In his last five years, he consulted for the Franklin Mint and helped oversee the development of its model cars. Buehrig died in 1990.

‘Big Green’ finds a permanent home

The National Automobile and Truck Museum (NATMUS) in Auburn, Ind., acquired Buehrig’s 1971 Corvette in 2017 from Hira Harrington, the grandson of Gordon Buehrig. Harrington was apparently relocating to Michigan from Batesville, Ark., and did not have the space to store it. Prior to handing down the Corvette to his heirs, Buehrig had stipulated that if, for any reason, a family member no longer had the means or suitable place to store the Corvette, that all efforts should be made to take it to Auburn, Ind. 

Harrington called retired NATMUS Executive Director Don Grogg, who reached out to Don Monesmith, asking if he would be interested in and available to make a trip with him to Arkansas to pick up the Gordon Buehrig Corvette and drive it back to NATMUS. Monesmith agreed and the men trekked to Arkansas. 

At the onset of the drive back, the Corvette started to show signs of engine mechanical issues with excessive smoke coming from the exhaust. Monesmith and the Corvette made it to Auburn, but it was apparent the engine would need to be rebuilt. 

Enter the NATMUS Youth Volunteers. Monesmith oversees the program in which 13- to 21-year-old youths learn the mechanical function and operation of automobiles and trucks under a structured, mentor-driven program at the NATMUS facility garage. 

Knowing that the Corvette and its 350-cid V-8 engine required skillful hands to disassemble and then reassemble the engine, Monesmith called on David Overy and Scott Armstrong, a pair of high school friends who were capable of taking on the project. These two 15-year-olds possessed the expertise, drive and passion to see the job done. In fact, Armstrong came up with the nickname “Big Green” for the Gordon Buehrig Corvette. The engine heads had to be sent out for a professional valve job, so from disassembly to reassembly, the project took about two months to complete.

Monesmith says “Big Green” is a favored automobile from the NATMUS automobile collection. It’s shown regularly by the youths at automobile events, but there’s one recent event that is extra special. Camden Reese, a student in the youth mentoring program, asked if he and his bride could use it at their wedding to drive from the church to their reception and permission was granted. In that moment, “Big Green” entered into the life and history of yet another couple: Mr. and Mrs. Camden Reese.

Find out more about The National Auto & Truck Museum (NATMUS) at https://natmus.org/

Love Corvettes? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1954-corvette-gm-motorama-proposal-car

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1956-chevrolet-corvette-black-silver

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1965-chevrolet-corvette

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of the Week: Gordon Buehrig’s 1971 Chevrolet Corvette appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Need proof that the ’60s were as swinging as people say they were? Then look no further than the 1966 Ford Mustang Shelby G.T.350-H. Driver license-carrying Americans could march into their local Hertz Rent A Car office and borrow a bona fide Shelby muscle car by day, and flog it by night. Hertz, of course, didn’t condone such behavior of its rental cars, advertising the G.T350-H Shelbys as cars to “add a dash of excitement to your next business trip.” Certainly some businessmen simply did just that, but likely a few of them — and others ­— had more nefarious intentions (and actions).

In order to borrow a Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H, drivers had to be at least 25 years old and members of the Hertz Sports Car Club, then fork over $17 per day and 17 cents per mile to race — er, drive ­— one of the 1,000 or so G.T.350-H cars rentable only from Hertz. Reportedly, Hertz completed very thorough inspections of each G.T.350-H upon its return, and those renters who noticeably thrashed their Shelbys were held responsible for paying for any damage.

The ‘Rent-a-Racer’ is born

The Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H was developed through a partnership between Shelby American and Hertz Rent A Car, which also had a long-standing relationship with Ford Motor Co., to offer the high-performance rental vehicles. Hertz had begun its Sports Car Club in 1958 to rent other high-profile cars from a few of its locations, for which it charged a premium, but by the mid 1960s, the program was faltering. Shelby’s offer to supply its Mustang-based G.T.350 seemed to be the answer to save the Sports Car Club program, and Hertz bit on the idea. The initial plan called for the Hertz G.T.350s to all be painted the company’s colors: black with gold stripes. As excitement for the cars gained momentum within Hertz, its order for G.T.350s grew from 100 cars to a final order of 1,000 cars (give or take a car). 

Each rental Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H featured a modified K-Code 289 HiPo V-8 engine rated at 306 hp at 6,000 rpm and with 329 lb.-ft. of torque, the same engine available in white-and-blue Shelby G.T.350 that could be outright purchased at Shelby-franchised Ford dealers. Some early G.T.350-H cars were built with a four-speed manual transmission, but most of the Hertz cars were built with the newly optional C-4 Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission. After service in the Hertz fleet, these vehicles were refurbished and sold to the public by Shelby franchises, with assistance from Ford Motor Co. itself.

Of the 1,000 built for 1966, approximately 750 G.T.350-H Shelbys had black exteriors with gold stripes; the remaining cars were painted in one of four other colors: Wimbledon White; Candy Apple Red; Ivy Green; or Sapphire Blue. The rocker panel decals of G.T.350-H cars incorporated an “H” suffix (for Hertz) at the end of the standard “G.T.350” name in this decal and were usually gold. Regardless of exterior color, all G.T.350-H cars had a black interior with the optional rear fold-down seat and radio. Additional Hertz-only features included unique chromed Magnum 500 wheels with likewise unique “Hertz Sports Car Club” wheel center medallions. Hertz waffled on having its rental cars carry LeMans stripes on the roof, deck lid and hood, and most G.T.350-H cars had the top stripes, although some did not. Under the paint and Hertz-specific striping, the G.T.350-H was a carbon copy of a standard 1966 Shelby Mustang, and as such, they featured the competition-type suspension of a regular Shelby, although some sources say later G.T.350-H Shelbys had alterations to this suspension to make the cars more roadable for renters.

Like other G.T.350 models, the Shelby G.T.350-H featured the distinctive profile of the Mustang 2+2 fastback while incorporating Shelby-specific Plexiglas rear side windows in place of louvered vent units, lending the model a unique character. A further exclusive G.T.350 feature was the addition of rear brake scoops, positioned at the leading edge of the quarter panel, just behind the door. These scoops were incorporated into the Mustang side cove and channeled air through 3-inch-diameter ducts into the wheel housing, thereby enhancing airflow over the rear brake drums for improved performance. 

Hertz expected regular passenger-car-level braking for all of its rental cars, and so many of the G.T.350-H cars were specially fitted with aftermarket master brake cylinders or power brake units that the company hoped would help the Shelby’s standard, race car-type hard metallic brake pads stop better in traffic, especially since the cars were often driven by drivers lacking racing experience. Several brake setups were tested by Ford and Shelby to make the Shelby’s standard competition brakes — which worked best when hot — work more predictably when cool, as one would need in city driving. Ultimately, the issue wasn’t completely solved, and as a result, G.T.350-H’s never stopped in the same manner as a standard Mustang upon which they were built. The concern over the brakes resulted in all Hertz-rented G.T.350 Shelbys receiving a black-and-gold decal on the instrument panel stating, “This vehicle is equipped with competition brakes. Heavier than normal brake pedal pressure may be required.”

On all G.T.350 Shelbys, the standard Mustang hood was replaced with one featuring a functional central air scoop to supply fresh air directly to the carburetor. For safety, competition-type locking studs and safety pins were installed on Shelby hoods to prevent accidental hood opening at high speeds. The front grille featured horizontal bars, with a small Mustang emblem on the driver’s side.

The “Rent-A-Racer,” as the G.T350-H soon became known, quickly rose to legend status, with stories circulating of customers returning their Hertz Shelbys sporting signs of track use — brake pads worn, tires balding, rubber shards on the rear fenders and the aroma of burnt rubber and clutch lingering in the interiors. Most of these stories are simply legends in and of themselves.

For many, the G.T.350-H became an attainable dream, a vehicle that bridged the gap between racing fantasy and reality by allowing enthusiasts to drive a Shelby without having to write a big check each month. The G.T.350-H made high-performance motoring available to nearly anyone, even if but only one day at a time. It was a bold marketing move for Hertz and Shelby, and certainly elevated each company in the public eye. For 1965, Shelby American had built just 562 G.T.350s, and another 1,377 were built for 1966. The purchase of another 1,000 G.T.350-H cars by Hertz added as many G.T.350s to the total, making the cars successful for Shelby American. Although the G.T.350-Hs reportedly needed more care by Hertz rental agencies than the Fairlane 500 sedans is normally rented, Hertz found the program successful enough that it ordered 230 new Shelby Mustangs for rental purposes during the 1968 model year. These cars didn’t get the unique features of the 1966 Shelby G.T.350-H, however, and even lacked the “H” suffix in their lower-body stripes.

As part of its 1966 contract with Shelby American, Hertz purchased the cars for $3,815 each and rented them for nine months. After that period, the cars were bought back by Shelby American for $2,589, minus any repair costs to make them saleable as used cars. The cars were returned by Hertz to their nearest Shelby franchise, which sold them as used cars, or sent them to auction where other dealers bought them to sell. 

A lucky survivor

The featured 1966 Shelby G.T.350-H (serial number SFM6S715) was among those painted Raven Black paint with gold stripes and fitted with a power brake booster. It served as a Hertz rental car based out of the Chicago district beginning in February 1966 and was delivered to Hertz via Jack Loftus Ford. After its nine months of service, it was transferred to Courtesy Motors in Littleton, Colo., where it was prepared for resale, and subsequently listed for public purchase.

SFM6S715 retains its original 289-cid V-8 K-code engine, C4 automatic transmission, rare factory steel hood (some G.T.350 hoods also incorporated fiberglass), override traction bars and Koni shocks, which are typical of early-1966 models.

Throughout its nearly 60-year history, this G.T.350-H has changed owners a handful of times. In 1998, it was purchased by David Dotts, who resided in Colorado, not far from Courtesy Ford. This Shelby has spent the majority of its life in Illinois, North Dakota, Colorado and Michigan and was well cared for by its private owners, who maintained it in show car condition. According to records, the engine and transmission were rebuilt in 2013, and everything else received a complete going over and rebuild at that time. 

The Stahls Motors & Music Experience in Chesterfield, Mich., added the 1966 Shelby G.T.350-H Mustang to its extensive automobile collection in 2024. Today, it’s displayed in a special Ford vs. Ferrari display that features a Kirkham Cobra Replica and a 1967 Shelby G.T.500. SFM6S715 exemplifies the innovative engineering and forward-thinking design led by Carroll Shelby and his team, seamlessly integrating street-oriented performance with track-derived capabilities. Distinguished by its well-preserved correctness and notable provenance, this specific G.T.350-H reflects an era when automobiles served as symbols of freedom, adventure and American character.

Stahls’ Automotive Foundation is a 501© (3) non-profit organization that exists to preserve, restore and exhibit vintage vehicles of the 20th century for educational purposes. Learn more at www.stahlsauto.com or call 586-749-1078.

Love Mustangs? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment…

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1970-ford-mustang-boss-429

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1981-mclaren-m81-mclarens-first-mustang

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1968-ford-mustang-high-country-special

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Car of the Week: 1966 Shelby Mustang G.T.350-H appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

In the super ’60s, Chrysler Corp. had a need for speed. Race wins on Sunday directly increased showroom sales on Monday, and so Chrysler took competition seriously on the quarter-mile strip and on the circle tracks of NASCAR. The company was at the top of the game in 1964 when it unleashed the 426 Hemi engine to drag racers and NASCAR teams only to be told by NASCAR the engine had to be homologated by offering a minimum of 500 to the buying public. After an incredibly dominant 1964 race season, the Hemi was outlawed for 1965. Chrysler bowed to NASCAR and soon added the Hemi to its dealer brochures, thus exceeding the minimum required to race and the engine returned to the track.

As the 1960s advanced, so did the race competition, especially between Chrysler Corp. and Ford Motor Co. As drivers barreled toward the 200-mph mark on NASCAR superspeedways, car manufacturers began steps to get them there by squeezing more speed through aerodynamics.

At Dodge, work was undertaken to make the new, second-generation Charger more slick. Although attractive design features, the B-body 1968 and 1969 Charger’s recessed front grille and rear backlite created significant drag. Work quickly began to correct these speed-inhibiting features and a special 1969 Charger model was built with a flush grille and backlite. The grille came from the Dodge parts bin and was a 1968 Coronet unit modified to fit the Charger body; the flush backlite required manufacture of a special metal plug that fit in the space between the back of the roof, the flying buttress-type C pillars and the deck lid. To accommodate this plug, the depth of the deck lid had to be shortened. To the A pillars, stainless-steel covers were added to further reduce drag. All of this work was completed for Dodge by Creative Industries of Detroit.

Dodge christened this slicker 1969 Charger the Charger 500, a nod to the homologation number required by NASCAR for the Charger 500 to compete. However, it’s believed as few as 392 were actually built. The possible reason for the small number is that Dodge was already planning another trick for later in the season.

The Charger 500 triggered in NASCAR what is now known as the Aero Wars. Ford Motor Co. shot back at the Charger 500 with special, slicker mid-size Ford Torino and Mercury Cyclone models with longer noses carrying flush grilles and specially rolled rocker panels in the quest to hit 200 mph. The results were the Ford Talladega, named for the new superspeedway that it was intended to conquer, and the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II. Ford’s investments paid off and the Talladega was first to pass the 190-mph mark. The highly successful Talladega won 26 NASCAR races in the 1969 season, but Talladega wasn’t the location of one of its wins. That honor goes to a Charger. Specifically, a Charger Daytona.

The 1969 Charger Daytona was the next evolution of Dodge’s Charger 500-based aero warrior. It added to the Charger 500 a 23-inch-tall stabilizer wing on the rear fenders; a special sheet-metal “nose cone” that turned the flat face of the Charger into a wind-splitting wedge; specific front fenders and hood modeled after the upcoming 1970 Charger components; and fender-mounted cooling scoops. These aerodynamic features were influenced by wind-tunnel testing and helped the Charger Daytona become the first car to hit 200 mph on the Talladega NASCAR superspeedway, surely to the chagrin of Ford.

Again, Creative Industries was employed to undertake the conversion, and this time, Dodge officially met the 500-car requirement for homologation with 503 Charger Daytonas built.

The Daytona proved so successful on the NASCAR circuit that Plymouth followed suit. For 1970, Plymouth developed a very similar nose cone and rear wing to race its Road Runner as the Superbird.

Developing the Daytona

As development of the Charger Daytona began, it was named the Super Charger. Early discussion of the Super Charger/Daytona appears in a March 12, 1969, Chrysler Corp. Inter-Company Correspondence from H.D. Reeker to L.B. Wiser in which directions were given to “…proceed with the design and development work on this project per our discussion. Because of the tight timing overtime is to be used where necessary.”

“The Charger Number for this phase of the project 4430-885-799.”

A Dodge Division cost of Sales Charger Number will be furnished later to cover the cost of the production tooling and procurement.” It was signed by H. Dale Reeker and received by L.B. Wiser on March 13, 1969.

Prior to getting approval for the Super Charger project, Larry Rathgeb, Special Vehicle Group Head Stock Car Engineering, and Dodge Product Planner H. Dale Reeker presented drawings of the winged Charger to Bob McCurry, Vice President and General Manager of Dodge. McCurry reportedly said, “God, it looks awful, will it win races?” Rathgeb and Reeker assured him it would and they pled their case. McCurry gave approval to start the Super Charger/Daytona project on March 12, 1969. 

About a month earlier, on Feb. 7, 1969, Chrysler Corp. produced a Dodge Charger R/T SE in Paint Code F6 (Bright Green Metallic) at the Hamtramck Plant. Delays with scheduling approval to ship the Charger R/T SE to the dealer allowed Reeker and his team to reroute it from retail sale to the engineering department where it would serve as an engineering test mule for what would become the Daytona. Reeker and his team were under an extremely tight timeline to get the Super Charger project up and running. Having the already-built Charger R/T available allowed them to get the project moving forward without delay. 

On March 12, 1969 — the day of the aforementioned memo — Reeker was appointed to head up the Super Charger project in collaboration with Creative Industries to create a prototype and begin production of what would become the Dodge Daytona. The intent of it was not only to win NASCAR races, but to complete enough production cars to sell to the public, thus meeting NASCAR’s homologation requirements. Reeker and the project team were given a short timeline to start the process of building an engineering prototype. Reeker discovered the F6 Bright Green Metallic Charger R/T SE during a check of the inventory at the Hamtramck Plant and directed scheduling to officially place it into company service where it became the Super Charger program engineering Daytona prototype.

In a recent interview with Julie Moghal, daughter of Dale Reeker and spokesperson for her mother, Sandra Reeker, we were able to verify the history of the Charger Daytona prototype and add to its story.

According to Julie and Sandra, Reeker would drive the Charger Daytona prototype to his office in Highland Park, Mich., during the day, then at night he would drive it to Creative Industries, where the bodywork was being done. Sandra was pregnant at the time and remembers her husband bringing the bright green Charger home. She also recalls how she would wait in the car after riding along while he and the team at Creative Industries would hash out things while going back and forth about the car. The majority of the discussions were on how to improve the wing, with which Reeker was never completely satisfied, but had to accept due to the time crunch. When he was working on the final touches of the car, Reeker would drive it to Chrysler’s Chelsea Proving Grounds. At Chelsea, he and others would drive the car at the test track. Using the resulting data, they’d take it back to Creative Industries for further modifications.

Sandra Reeker specifically recalls her dad complaining about the cooling performance of the car. The scoops were added and mounted on top of the fenders as a last attempt to fix the cooling issue. She wasn’t sure of the exact timeline, but thought that is why the scoops didn’t appear on the car when it was photographed for a Playboy magazine article. (Dodge’s advertising department borrowed the car for the Playboy magazine photo shoot when design work was being done, and the fender scoops weren’t ready for installation on the car.) Reeker and Creative Industries later added the scoops as a final attempt to fix the cooling problem. In order to follow NASCAR rules, Reeker apparently told NASCAR inspection officials that the fender scoops were added for tire clearance when, in fact, they were designed for engine cooling purposes, and to help the car go faster. 

When the project was completed, Creative Industries turned the Daytona over to Reeker, whose boss told him he could use the Daytona prototype. After using it as a daily driver for a couple months, Reeker turned it in and move on to the next project. He gave the Daytona back to Chrysler where it was added to its inventory as an engineering test pool car. Select Chrysler engineers were given permission to drive and evaluate the car.

Eventually, the Charger Daytona prototype was shipped to East Cleveland Dodge where it was put into its retail car inventory and available for sale to the public. It was advertised in the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper in October 1969. The advertisement stated, “Car formally belonged to Chrysler Engineering. Featured as a cover car and show car. Never titled, being sold with full warranty.”

From test car to private hands

Bobby Hodge was a liaison for the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. His job was to help with bringing home fallen soldiers. At the time his military service ended, he was living in the Cleveland area and he decided to buy himself a new car. On Oct. 16, 1969, he bought a bright green 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona with a white wing and rear stripe from East Cleveland Dodge.

During a recent interview with Dr. Cyril Gostich, who was Bobby Hodge’s neighbor and eventual husband to Bobby’s sister, he recalled going for a ride in the new Dodge Daytona. 

“I was 16 years old getting the crap scared out of me in the passenger seat at 118 mph,” Dr. Gostich recalled. He added that “the car had been featured in a Playboy spread just before Bobby bought it.” Bobby didn’t own the car for very long, maybe 6-12 months, as the payments were more than he could handle. 

The Daytona prototype’s second owner was Gene Clinton. His son, Clyde Clinton, heard mention that his father won the Daytona during a poker game. Gene was known to play high-stakes poker and had won several cars over the years. Clyde has pictures of the Daytona painted orange-red with a black wing, Magnum wheels and black push-button door handles. He indicated his father only owned it for a short time, as with other cars he’d won.

In 1972, Albert Ousley purchased the Daytona from Bill Mayer Auto Sales in Mansfield, Ohio. Albert indicated that, when he bought the car, paperwork was including from Marshall Ford, a local car dealership. Albert said the car was the orange-red color with a black wing and has pictures to prove it. He installed American flag decals on the quarter panels in the black stripe that extended into the black rear wing. He also installed a set of chrome side pipes, and with plans to do some street racing, he installed a Six Pack intake and carburetor setup on the 440 Magnum engine. There was apparently a problem with the clutch, so he took the Daytona to his father-in-law’s house to work on it. The garage flooring and driveway were concrete, perfect for working on the car and its faulty transmission. While the Daytona was parked on jackstands in the driveway, his father-in-law forgot about it being there and backed into it, damaging the nose. Albert reportedly reached out to a local body shop to have the nose replaced and it informed him they couldn’t find a replacement nose and the damage was beyond repair. After getting the news, Albert put the car up for sale.

Les Bowman bought the Daytona from Albert in 1975 with plans to restore it. The original intake was in the trunk (minus the carburetor), and Les found a new-old-stock (NOS) nose cone at Glass City Dodge in Toledo. He then repaired and painted the Daytona in (F4) Charger Red and made other modifications, including changing the black push-button door handles to chrome. He installed a set of rally wheels and removed the C pillar and rear quarter panel emblems, believing they weren’t correct to the car. 

After Les completed a mild restoration of the Daytona, he took it to the 1977 Wing Car Nationals in Michigan where it received a first-place award. The late David Patik, a Wing Car “guru,” questioned the car’s unique features and wondered whether it was a real Daytona. At the time, Les was not aware of his car being the Chrysler Engineering prototype, since the official registry of Daytona cars wasn’t yet available or made public until years later. Frustrated by the under-hood review at the show, Les slammed the hood and said, “That is enough of that.” He took the Daytona home and put it up for sale in 1978. 

About this time, the Rizek family reached out to Les to have him restore their 1970 Plymouth Superbird. The restoration was completed in early 1978 and returned to the family. After delivery, a couple issues were noticed so Les picked up the Superbird for repairs and left his Daytona at the Rizeks’ home with a “for sale” inside the windshield. Shortly thereafter, the Rizek family purchased the car for themselves. It sat in storage for 25 years with only a couple miles added to its odometer since 1978.

In 2003, John Rizek bought the Daytona from his family. A few years later, he had the opportunity to speak with Les about the Daytona in more detail. Les provided additional information, adding to John’s curiosity. 

In 2009, John began a journey to thoroughly research the Daytona and contacted Wing Car expert David Patik, who told John they needed to determine if the car was real or not. David recalled seeing the Daytona years earlier, when Les showed it for the first time at the Wing Car Nationals. John wanted to know more about its uniqueness, and with his interest piqued, he contacted another respected Wing Car expert, Gene Lewis, who completed a visual inspection of the car in 2010. After a lengthy inspection, Gene asked John, “Do you know what you have here?” He explained that the car was the first Daytona built and had many one-of-a-kind prototype features.

In 2010, John hired Galen Govier to do a full in-person inspection of the car. Galen documented the car as being numbers-matching, and described it as the “pre-production Charger Daytona, referred to as the Playboy Daytona.” He also noted the carburetor was not correct to the car. With help from Ken Mosier, a date-code-correct carburetor was located and installed on the Daytona.

In 2023, John met historian Matt Clark, who asked John if he could further research the Dodge Daytona. John agreed and Matt started the journey to locate as much information as he could about the car. Matt reached out to Sandra Reeker, Dale Reeker’s wife; Julie Moghal, Reeker’s daughter; Dr. Cyril Gostich, brother-in-law to first owner Bobby Hodge; Clyde Clinton, son of the car’s second owner; and third owner Albert Ousley.

John gives special thanks to Matt for all the long hours he spent researching the “Playboy Daytona.” His passion and determination to complete the research, including locating and contacting people who had firsthand knowledge, was paramount to documenting the history of this legendary Aero Wing Car.

The story as it unfolded

Nearly a decade ago, I met John Rizek at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) in Rosemont, Ill., after a formal introduction through Ken Mosier, owner of Finer Details in Dansville, Ill.

It all started during a discussion with Ken about the history of  the Dodge Daytona Aero Wing car. At the time, I was gearing up to document a 1969 Charger NASCAR chassis believed to be the Rossi’s Automotive Engineering car raced by NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison. During our discussion, Ken mentioned knowing the whereabouts of the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona prototype. He said this Daytona was believed to be the first one built and appeared in Playboy magazine.

Ken introduced me to John Rizek, owner of the Daytona prototype. After speaking with John, I learned he displayed the Daytona at his private collection in Walkerton, Ind. My interest was piqued after meeting John and hearing about how it had been in his family since 1978. At some point during our introduction, I asked if he had ever driven it on the open road and John said he had not. I indicated an interest in photographing it at a private outdoor location for an article, but John said he had no plans of taking it outdoors; if I wanted to write an article about the car, I’d have to photograph it while housed in his collection. Since I only photograph cars outdoors or in studio settings, the photo shoot didn’t immediately progress.

For more than a decade, John and I would get together at MCACN, and for the most part, the topic of doing a photo feature about the Daytona prototype remained in limbo until November 2024. During last year’s MCACN, John expressed an interest in moving forward with a photo feature. In the spring of this year, John caught me off guard when he indicated that taking it to a private location was probable; in fact, he planned on purchasing a set of road tires and wheels after having his mechanic go through the engine and drive-train to make it road-worthy again. Less than a month later, John called to say the car was ready. 

The plan was to drive it to the location, and with help from his son Josh and grandson Jayce, the new wheels and tires would be swapped out at the location for the old redline bias-plies that had been on the car since it was restored in the 1970s.

On April 26, 2025, (aka “426 Day”), history was made when John drove his Dodge Daytona prototype on the open road for the first time in many years. The Daytona performed flawlessly on its short trip to the private location where I’d arranged our photo shoot. When I arrived on the scene a few minutes later, I helped John position the Daytona for its moment in front of the camera lens. John, Josh and Jayce worked like a racing pit team to swap the wheels and tires. As I looked at three generations of Rizeks working together to prepare the Daytona for the photo shoot, reality sank in. The photo shoot was really happening. They stepped aside and I looked through the viewfinder of my Nikon at the stunning red Daytona and the internal switch flipped: it was time to make automotive history once again.

Is it MoPar or no car for you? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1961-dodge-dart-pioneer

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1971-dodge-charger-super-bee

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1974-dodge-dart-sport-rallye

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

The post Car of the Week: 1969 Dodge Daytona number one appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.