Latest Posts Under: History
In the groovy ’70s, the Ford Fairlane Ranchero got a facelift, embracing a curvy Coke bottle shape and a fancier Ranchero Squire edition, complete with wood-grain vinyl—because why not? The mighty 428 Cobra Jet engine shook things up, literally, with its shaker hood scoop. As emissions laws put horsepower on a diet, the Ranchero soldiered on, adapting to the Thunderbird platform by ’77. This quirky classic cruised into the sunset in ’79, but not before a cheeky 1979½ model made a cameo.
Meet the Ford Thunderbird 1957, Ford’s stylish retort to Chevy’s Corvette, but with more luxury and less vroom-vroom. In its third year, the ’57 T-bird got a spiffy makeover and packed a 312 cu in engine that could deliver a cool 245 hp. For those who thought that was a snooze, you could soup it up to 300 hp with a Paxton supercharger, making it the perfect car for a leisurely drive that says, “I could go fast… if I wanted to.” Thanks to Gateway Classic Cars for the drool-worthy pics!
Chrysler’s Hemi engines, the original FirePower Hemi, kick off with a 331 cu in displacement, producing 180 bhp in the early ’50s. Things heat up by 1956 with the 354 cu in engine, cranking out 340 bhp, while the 392 Hemi in ’57-’58 dazzles with up to 390 bhp, thanks to a rare Bendix fuel injection. Meanwhile, Desoto’s engineers play catch-up with their own Hemi, peaking at 345 bhp in 1957. These engines are powerhouses, proving that Chrysler knew how to bring the heat, with a sprinkling of humor on the side!
