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This 1984 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme wore a standard 3.8L V6 and a 4-speed automatic, but buyers could also step up to a 5.0L V8 or even diesel power depending on how they optioned it. Spread across four trims from a base coupe to the Brougham sedan, the Cutlass Supreme’s rear-wheel-drive G-body formula made it one of the best-selling cars in America during the mid-1980s – a very different kind of success story than the big-block muscle cars that came before it.
1969 was the final and best-selling year of the original Camaro, with a mid-cycle restyle that gave the car its most aggressive first-generation look. Small-block, automatic-equipped cars like this one were far more common than the COPO 427 legends that dominate auction headlines — and they’re just as much a part of the model’s story.
The Cadillac Series 62 from 1954-1956 was where luxury met innovation, with features like the “Florentine” rear window and headlamp visors giving it a style all its own. With options like power seats and auto-dimming headlights, it was the epitome of ’50s tech. Engines roared with 0-60 mph in a “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” 17.3 seconds! By 1956, sales skyrocketed, helped by the addition of power steering and new models like the Eldorado Biarritz. This Cadillac was truly the king of the road!
In 1964, Ford squeezed a race-bred 427 V8 into the Galaxie 500, and NASCAR promptly banned the racing version as “too exotic” before it could dominate a single superspeedway. Only 3,140 R-code Galaxies were built that year, and just 76 are known to survive today. Here’s the story behind Ford’s short-lived big-block gamble and the handful of survivors still turning heads.
Step into the stylish world of the 1969-1973 Chrysler Imperial, where luxury meets aerodynamics in a fuselage-inspired design. This unibody beauty, sharing panels with the Chrysler Newport, flaunts a streamlined elegance. The only choice under the hood is the powerful 440 cu in V8, ensuring you’re the fastest on the block. From quirky “Mod Top” mysteries to anti-lock brake rarities, the Imperial’s quirky charm shines through. By 1973, it’s the longest ride on the continent, fit for presidents and car enthusiasts alike.
1968 was a one-year-only moment for the Dodge Charger: its dual circular taillights and reworked fastback body never appeared again after that model year. Under the hood of this R/T sits a 440 Magnum V8 good for 375 horsepower and a sub-6.2-second run to 60 mph. That same body style would go on to chase Steve McQueen through Bullitt just months later.
The 1970s Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda is the muscle car that makes even Ferraris green with envy. With its daring colors, hood pins, and pistol grip shifters, this car screams suave and macho in one growl. Though only 652 were made, each Hemi ‘Cuda is a treasure, especially the 14 convertibles. It boasts a 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds with a tire-shredding glory. The Hemi ‘Cuda’s legendary status is solidified with appearances in Need for Speed and Fast and Furious 6. Who knew muscle could be so glamorous?
Dive into the groovy world of the first-gen Chevrolet Chevelle (1964-1967), where muscle met finesse on the mid-size “A” body platform. This Chevelle wasn’t just a pretty face; it was a muscle car contender with options galore. In ’64, the Malibu badge made its debut, along with the “SS” package for those who craved luxury and power. By ’66, the Chevelle SS 396 strutted its stuff as a standalone series, boasting up to 375 hp and a body that could turn heads faster than a cheetah on roller skates.
This 1934 Ford, nicknamed ‘Panther’ by its current owners, was built just two years after Ford introduced its groundbreaking flathead V8, the engine that made eight-cylinder power affordable for the first time. By 1934, Ford had resolved the flathead’s early reliability problems and pushed output to around 90 horsepower. That combination made 1932-34 Fords the founding platform of American hot rodding.
The 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL offered buyers a spread of engines topped by an all-new 427-cubic-inch V8, built specifically to exploit NASCAR’s newly raised displacement limit. The rarest version, a dual-carburetor 425-horsepower R-code, saw fewer than 3,900 examples built for the entire model year. That combination of race-bred engineering and genuine scarcity makes surviving R-code Galaxies among the most valuable full-size Fords ever built.
Built during Cadillac’s 50th-anniversary year in 1952, the Series 62 accounted for a record share of the brand’s total sales that year. This example, dressed in the era’s gold anniversary trim, now runs a 4.6-liter Northstar V8 in place of its original 331-cubic-inch engine. It’s a rare pairing of golden-anniversary styling with a drivetrain from decades later.
Steam power was a genuine rival to internal combustion in the earliest days of the automobile, and Leon Serpollet’s flash boiler was central to that fight. His design generated usable steam almost instantly instead of requiring a long warm-up, and in 1902 it helped him set a 75 mph land speed record. His death in 1907 left flash-boiler technology as one of the automobile’s more fascinating dead ends.
This 1936 Chevrolet pickup started life with a modest inline-six and three-speed manual, part of a lineup that introduced hydraulic brakes and an all-steel cab that year. Somewhere along the way it was reborn with a 383 small-block V8 and a Turbo 350 automatic. The swap turns a Depression-era work truck into a driver capable of keeping up with modern traffic.
This cream-and-orange Grand Marquis is actually a mid-1980s example, built on Ford’s long-running rear-wheel-drive Panther platform shared with the Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car. Under the hood is a fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 tuned for smooth cruising rather than speed. Its size, comfort, and old-school construction made it a favorite with fleets and traditionalists alike.
The AMC Hornet, a “junior” marvel from 1970-1977, buzzed onto the scene with a rich history, including a Hudson lineage and Chrysler ownership. AMC invested $40 million and a million man-hours into this compact, priced at a sweet $1,994 in 1970. It outlasted its rivals, featuring mighty engines, a reinforced body, and even a Levi denim interior. With options like the SC/360 and a Gucci trim, this car was as fashionable as it was fierce. Who knew a Hornet could be so stylishly stinging?