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The Oldsmobile 442, four-four-two, was one of the larger muscle cars that were produced between the years 1964-1971 with some reappearances. It was born out of competition with other muscle cars like the Pontiac GTO, Ford Thunderbird and Mustang, AMC Javelin and Chevy Camaro. This car is distinct because it never sported the fastback or pony car styling that dominated the late 60s and early 70s.

The 442 package option was initially known as the “B09 police apprehender” and the 4-4-2 comes from the four barrel carburetor, four-speed transmission and dual exhaust system. In 1964 this optional package was available with the F-85 and Cutlass models. The 0-60 time was 7.5 seconds and the Quarter mile was 15.5 seconds. 2,999 were sold this first year, partially because it was launched ¾ of the way through.

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Plymouth Barracuda

The Plymouth Barracuda conjures fond memories of a time when the muscle car dominated a perception of toughness, adventurism, and the financial stability to drive one. This classic muscle car was in production from 1964-1974 along with other American favorites like the Pontiac GTO, AMC Javelin and Ford Mustang.

The Barracuda was born in 1964 and was slated to be called “Panda”. That’s a far cry from the toothy and aggressive sea creature which more accurately represents the Barracuda’s muscle car reputation. It was built by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation. The body was in the familiar fastback style of the pony cars. The 1964 model sported the largest rear windshield ever installed on a production vehicle. The best engine option was a 4.5 liter V8 that produced 180 hp.

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The Pontiac GTO “GOAT” was instrumental in the popularity of muscle cars and America’s need for speed. It’s heydays were 1964-1974 with a brief modern reappearance on the market from 2004-2006.

The 1964 GTO was an optional package for the Pontiac LeMans and included a 389in V8 engine offering up 325 horsepower. This package also provided the distinguished GTO badge, scoops and wider wheels. Quarter mile times ranged from 12.8-14.8 seconds. 32,450 GTOs were sold in this first year. Read the rest of this entry »

The Dodge Dart was a smaller yet still full-sized passenger car built by the Chrysler Corporation

Dodge Dart

between 1960 and 1976. The Dart was introduced as an affordable car to compete with the Plymouth Valiant and other smaller cars of the time. It’s the performance packages for the Dart that gets the adrenaline junkie’s blood pressure up. The Demon, Swinger, Sport and GTS models are true muscle cars.

The first Dodge Dart performance package was offered in 1963, though Dodge somehow missed the importance of a V8. The Dodge Dart GT was offered with a 170 I6 and 225 I6 with 34,227 sold this first year. Styling was simple with few frills in an effort to keep the Dart affordable.

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The Chevrolet Nova was also known as the Chevy II, and was introduced as a compact car. The compact car of the 60’s is much larger than the compact car of today. The first generation of the Nova spanned from 1962-1967 with a V8 not available until 1964 because of the small body; though small block V8s were often installed aftermarket.

In 1966 the Chevy II underwent restyling and the Super Sport (SS) did not have the Nova name applied to it. Like all American vehicles, 1967 brought dramatic safety improvements to the Chevy II.

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