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The 1969-1973 Plymouth Fury never chased quarter-mile glory, but its bold “fuselage” styling made it one of the more quietly daring full-size cars of its era. Plymouth kept the same sculptural shape for five model years, refreshing details annually instead of redesigning from scratch. It’s a design chapter often overlooked in Mopar’s muscle car story, and one that’s aged better than plenty of flashier contemporaries. Watch to see why this generation still turns heads.
A tip from a friend met years earlier on the Hot Rod Power Tour led Auto Archaeology to a yard on the Gulf of Mexico, one that turned out to hold not one forgotten Dodge Challenger, but several, buried deep in the woods. The timing lined up with a stop at the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum and the start of the 2016 Power Tour. What’s left of these cars after years of Gulf Coast humidity might surprise you. Watch to see what the crew found.
The fourth-generation El Camino (1973-1977) was the largest yet, boasting a two-door Chevelle wagon platform with bumpers that could absorb a small asteroid. Think Malibu interior with a twist, and you’ve got the Classic model. Handling was as smooth as a jazz sax thanks to a wider wheel track and computer-designed coil springs. Engine options ranged from “get me there” to “hold my coffee,” peaking with a 454-cubic-inch beast. New features included swivel seats, turbine wheels, and a gas tank that could outlast your bladder.
Two vintage commercials, one for a Shelby-tuned Mustang GT and one for Pontiac’s Firebird, capture exactly how Detroit sold horsepower to buyers in 1968, at the height of the muscle car era. The tone, the music, and the language each brand used to out-macho the other say almost as much about the period as the cars themselves. More than fifty years later, the rivalry these ads were built to fuel still hasn’t cooled off. Watch both commercials back to back.
The Ford Mustang, celebrating its 50th year of production in 2014, is a tale of unexpected triumph, launching the “pony class” and outpacing Ford’s sales predictions by galloping past a million units within 18 months. The ’64½ Mustangs, the purists’ delight, came with quirks—headlight wiring, anyone?—that now entice collectors. Despite its early hiccups, the Mustang’s allure remains as timeless as its sleek design. Here’s to the car that turned competitors green and buyers giddy with its iconic charm.
Elmer Trett became the first motorcycle drag racer to break 200 mph in 1983, then spent the next thirteen years breaking his own record again and again, fifteen times in all, on bikes he built himself. His fastest pass came in 1996 at 235 mph, with an elapsed time of 6.06 seconds. He died that same year during an exhibition run at the same track where his legend began.
This 1969 Ford Ranchero GT carries a 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air rated at 335 horsepower, the same engine Ford dropped into its fiercest Mustangs, wrapped in factory Brittany Blue with white GT stripes and chrome wheels. Sourced from the Brothers Collection, it’s the kind of correctly optioned survivor that’s grown rarer than most people realize. V8TV’s Muscle Car of the Week series tracked this one down as entry number 79. See what makes this Cobra Jet truck worth a second look.
A 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator built with the rare 428 Cobra Jet and 4-speed combination lines up against a 1969 Chevelle SS396 packing the solid-lifter L78 396, two genuinely scarce muscle cars that collectors spend years trying to find, let alone see race each other. Road Test TV brought both to the same quarter mile to settle an argument that started in dealership showrooms over fifty years ago. Watch which rare survivor comes out ahead.
A numbers-matching 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda with its factory 440 Six Pack drivetrain still intact is rare enough on its own, but Auto Appraiser Jason Phillips took it a step further, riding along on a Maryland back road to see if the rotisserie restoration actually holds up in motion. One nervous Toyota ahead of them apparently didn’t want to find out the hard way. It’s a close look at what separates a genuinely correct restoration from one that just looks the part. Watch the full inspection unfold.
Real 1970 Plymouth Superbirds now sell for well into six figures, putting Chrysler’s most famous wing car out of reach for almost anyone who wants to actually experience one. This hand-built tribute, constructed from an ordinary Plymouth Satellite rather than a real Road Runner or Superbird, aims to close that gap — matching the look and the performance without the seven-figure price tag. V8TV’s Muscle Car of the Week takes a close look at what it took to build. See how close a tribute can actually get.
Long before regular buyers ever saw a 1967 Dodge Charger on a dealer lot, this particular car was built for one purpose: representing the best-optioned Charger money could buy at the 1967 International Auto Show. Loaded with a 426 Hemi and options most customers skipped to save money, it’s a rare surviving example of Detroit’s own idea of automotive perfection. V8TV’s Muscle Car of the Week traces its story from show floor to The Brothers Collection. Watch to see what made it worth building this way.
The Plymouth Duster (1970-1976), a budget-friendly muscle car, rolled out with a two-door coupe design and shared its platform with the Valiant. Initially, it offered four engine choices, including the fan-favorite 340 cu in V8. The Duster’s price tag was lighter than a diet cola, making it an attractive option against pricier competitors. With trims like the Gold Duster and Space Duster, it covered style and utility. Despite EPA-induced horsepower dips, it still revved up excitement!
Jon Mello bought his gold 1967 Camaro in 2000 with no idea it was the very first Z28 Chevrolet ever produced. Once he found out, it triggered a ten-year, period-correct restoration aimed at returning the car to exactly the way it left the factory the first time. Lou Costabile catches up with Mello and the car at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals to hear how the discovery happened. Watch to hear Jon tell the story himself.
A grandfather who sold used cars for 60 years, a mom who beat the neighborhood Corvette owner in a full-size Pontiac, and a dad who won a drag race at 69 — this is a family where muscle cars run three generations deep. From a Mach 1 Mustang to a Dodge Super Bee to a 2016 Mustang GT painted in a nod to Steve McQueen’s Bullitt car, the cars change but the obsession never has.
Car News Central counts down six of the biggest engines General Motors ever built, spanning the big-block muscle car era all the way through modern truck and diesel powerplants that quietly outdisplace their more famous ancestors. Some entries are legends every gearhead already knows; others are industrial workhorses that never got the spotlight. Watch to see which engine actually claims the top spot.