Named After a TV Catchphrase: Four Factory Special Edition Muscle Cars, Ranked

One of these muscle cars was named after a TV comedy catchphrase. Factory special editions were Detroit’s way of turning an ordinary muscle car into a headline, with unique paint, badges and a story to […]

One of these muscle cars was named after a TV comedy catchphrase. Factory special editions were Detroit’s way of turning an ordinary muscle car into a headline, with unique paint, badges and a story to tell. Here are four that became legends, counted down from number four to number one.

#4: 1970 AMC Rebel Machine

A 390 V8 with 340 horsepower and red, white and blue paint.

AMC’s Rebel was a midsize car, and for 1970 it got The Machine, a performance package with a 390 cubic inch V8 rated at 340 horsepower, a hood-mounted tachometer and a loud red, white and blue paint scheme. It was the closest AMC came to a full-on muscle car statement, and it remains one of the most visually unmistakable special editions of the era.

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#3: 1969 Dodge Charger 500

Built for NASCAR with a flush grille and a flush rear window.

The 1968 Charger had a recessed grille and a tunnel-style rear window that hurt its aerodynamics on NASCAR superspeedways. For 1969 Dodge fixed both problems on the Charger 500, using a flush grille and a flush rear window to cut drag. The 426 Hemi and the 440 Magnum were available, and Dodge built only 392 cars despite the name. The Charger 500 was a stepping stone to the winged Charger Daytona that followed.

#2: 1968 Hurst Olds 442

A 455 V8 with 390 horsepower, finished in white and gold.

Oldsmobile teamed up with Hurst Performance to build a limited run of 442s powered by a 455 cubic inch V8 rated at 390 horsepower. Each car was finished in white with gold accents, and Oldsmobile built 515 of them for 1968. The Hurst Olds proved that a factory partnership with a well-known aftermarket name could create a halo car with real performance to back up the badge.

#1: 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge

Named for a TV catchphrase, with a 366 horsepower Ram Air 400.

Pontiac borrowed the name from the line “Here come da judge,” made famous on the TV show Laugh-In. The Judge package added a Ram Air III 400 cubic inch V8 rated at 366 horsepower, a rear spoiler, bold stripes and bright paint. Pontiac built 6,725 Judges in 1969. It started as a lower-cost answer to cheaper rivals, but the Judge became one of the most recognizable GTOs ever made.

Image credits: 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge (6983728893).jpg by Mustang Joe (CC0) · 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Hardtop.jpg by Sicnag (CC BY 2.0) · 68 Hurst Olds 06-29-2019 2.jpg by SsmIntrigue (CC BY-SA 4.0) · 1969 Dodge Charger 500 (34958871802).jpg by Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA (CC BY 2.0) · 2022 Downtown West Allis Classic Car Show 081 (1970 AMC Rebel Machine).jpg by Michael Barera (CC BY-SA 4.0). Facts from Wikipedia.

Which special edition is your favorite? Tell us in the comments.

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