 |
The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 was the high-water mark for a division that no longer exists, the hottest and most serious performance car Oldsmobile ever built, and one it never managed to top. Its combination of a big-cube 455 and a package of factory drag-strip tricks made it a genuine muscle-car heavyweight in an era full of them. Oldsmobile is gone now, which only adds to the mystique. Watch to see what the legendary W-30 code actually included.
This vintage Chrysler training film pits the 1964 Plymouth Valiant against its direct rivals, the Ford Falcon and Mercury Comet, in a comparison the factory never intended for public eyes. Made to teach mechanics why the Valiant supposedly came out ahead, it is a fascinating and unapologetically one-sided window into how Detroit talked about the competition during the compact-car wars. The claims are bold and the Slant-Six pride runs deep. Watch to decide whether the Valiant earned its bragging rights.
The 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda AAR was never really built for the street. It was a homologation special created so Plymouth could go Trans-Am racing, and only a single model year of them ever left the factory. This EB5 Blue example wears the signature strobe stripe, blacked-out nose, and a 340 Six-Pack that no other ‘Cuda could be ordered with. Filmed during a tour of the V8 Speed & Resto Shop, it is a close look at one of the most distinctive muscle cars Detroit ever homologated.
The Judge gets the fame, but a clean Tuxedo Black 1970 GTO might be the more tasteful pick. Southern Motors offers a body-off restored, true 242-VIN car from Texas with a 400 four-barrel, correct HO heads, and modern Hotchkis suspension and Baer brakes hidden underneath. At 57,000 original miles, it splits the difference between survivor and upgrade. Watch to see the black GTO up close.
By 1973 the muscle car era was supposed to be over, yet here is a 1973 Buick Century Gran Sport GS Stage 1 in Harvest Gold with a 455 V8 that ignored the memo. Owner Phil Roitman has kept it since 2005, and judges scored it a perfect 1000 out of 1000 for correctness. Lou Costabile tells its story at the MCACN show. Watch to see a survivor from muscle darkest year.
Chevrolet built only 201 examples of the 1965 Malibu SS 396 Z16, a car so rare most enthusiasts have never seen one. It hid a Corvette-adjacent 375-horse big block under a plain Chevelle body and came loaded with nearly every option Chevy offered. V8TV features a pristine Rally Red survivor from the Brothers Collection. Watch to see why this Z16 is a true collector holy grail.
A 1969 Camaro parked in rural Indiana since the 1970s turns out to be one of only 201 genuine Super Yenko conversions, and one of an even smaller handful built with an automatic transmission. See what made Don Yenko’s COPO loophole so effective, and why this Fathom Green survivor might be one of the rarest SYC Camaros left.
This 1970 Plymouth Superbird reportedly sat unsold in a dealership for nineteen years before being discovered, a reminder that the outlandish winged Mopars were a tough sell when new. It survived with just 674 original miles, its factory B5 blue paint, and its original 440 Super Commando engine intact. With only 1,920 Superbirds ever built, this untouched survivor is about as close as it gets to seeing one leave the 1970 assembly line. Watch the full Road Test TV feature to take it in.
Parked in rural Indiana and untouched since the 1970s, this 1969 Camaro turned out to be a genuine Yenko 427 COPO, one of the rarest muscle cars Chevrolet’s back door ever produced. It is 1 of only 201, 1 of just 30 automatics, and 1 of merely 7 in Fathom Green with that transmission. The find slept through the entire muscle car market while clones multiplied and values soared. Watch to see the moment collectors realize exactly what was uncovered.
This 1965 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S has spent half a century doing almost nothing, and that is precisely what makes it extraordinary: unrestored, original, and showing just 5,804 miles. Owner Ron George grew up in a Mopar family and deliberately kept the car preserved rather than driven. Filmed at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, the walkaround reveals a factory time capsule making its very first show appearance after decades in hiding. Watch to see a survivor most enthusiasts only know from old brochures.
George struck gold in Lisbon, Ohio, when he nabbed a classic 1970 Buick Skylark GSX tribute. The car, already boasting a GS455 engine upgrade, was spotted with a “for sale” sign before its owner had even listed it. George, now a proud MCF, plans to keep the powerful 455 engine under the hood while preserving the original 350 engine for a potential factory reset. With a few tweaks like an electric cooling fan, George is ready to hit the road by summer 2016, promising to keep us updated on his joyride journey!
Cliff Batson spent his life as a devoted Chevy man, right up until a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback in rare Lime Gold Green quietly changed his mind for good. He has owned it since 1990, and in this My Car Story segment with Lou Costabile he walks through the car that converted him before firing up its V8. It is proof that brand loyalty only lasts until the right car shows up in the driveway.
Rev your engines and travel back to the ’50s with the Oldsmobile 88! From 1954 to 1958, this classic beauty evolved like a fine wine—or maybe more like a chrome-covered rocket. Starting with a modest 165 hp in ’55, it soared to a chest-thumping 310 hp by ’58 with the “J2” package. The ’56 model waved goodbye to the old automatic, saying hello to the “Jetaway Hydra-Matic” with a bonus “Park” position—perfect for those who enjoy not rolling away. And who could forget the ’58’s dazzling “Chrome Mobile” look? Shine on, Olds!
Eleanor is the only Ford Mustang ever to earn star billing in a movie, and the 1971 Sportsroof that played her in the original 1974 Gone in 60 Seconds is the reason the name became legend. Dressed as a 1973 Mach 1, she is both beautiful and brutally tough. This is where the most famous Mustang in film history was born.