American 1960s Classic Muscle Cars Archives

Dodge Charger Daytona 500

The Charger Daytona 500 was Dodge’s response to Ford dominance. Specifically, in the form of NASCAR racing. The Charger car had been competitive in terms of outright power. But, it had been held back by an excess of speed-sapping drag. The Charger 500 version was an attempt to redress the balance. The Charger’s nose was duly enclosed. Its rear window fitment now sat flush with its surrounds. Those two changes alone made a big difference. In the ’69 season, the 500 won 18 races. Unfortunately for Dodge, its biggest rival – the Ford Torino – won 30! More was clearly needed. In short order, the 500’s nose grew 18″. Most noticeably, the car sprouted a huge rear wing. The updated model was 20% more aerodynamically efficient. It was duly dubbed the Daytona. NASCAR’s tables had turned!

505 Daytona road cars were built. Racing homologation rules required it. Sadly – from a Dodge point of view – they did not sell well. But – just as the showroom dust was starting to settle – TV rode to the rescue. The Dukes of Hazzard series turned the Charger tide. Indeed, for many – in the guise of the General Lee – the Charger was the star of the show. Week after nerve-racking week, the Sheriff seemed in perpetual pursuit of the Dodge-borne Dukes. Though, thanks to its GM Magnum V8 engine – and the 375bhp it provided – the good ol’ boys were able to stay out ahead! For real-life drivers, there was the choice of a 4-speed manual – or 3-speed TorqueFlite – gearbox. Suspension was by torsion bars, upfront – and leaf springs, at the rear. Respectively, they were connected to disc brakes and boosted drums.

Ironically, the new nose and rear wing – game-changing for the Daytona racer – hindered the roadster. The added weight slowed it down. And it was not travelling fast enough for the aerodynamic package to really kick in. That said – if performance took a tumble – turned heads and double-takes turned up by the shedload. But, it was on the oval banking that the Charger truly came into its own. Buddy Baker, for instance, drove a Daytona to NASCAR’s first 200mph lap. That was in 1970 – at Talladega, Alabama. The Daytona was, after all, named after one of the world’s most iconic race-tracks. Luckily, the Dodge Charger Daytona 500 fully lived up to the legend!

Oldsmobile Toronado

Of all the cars to have been made in Detroit, the Oldsmobile Toronado must be one of the biggest. This two-ton leviathan hit the road in ’65. The Toronado was the first mass-produced American car with front-wheel drive. As a result, it handled better than its rivals. 60% of the Toronado’s weight was over the front wheels. Torsion-bar suspension sealed the deal, stability-wise. Plus, two of the four tyres Firestone made especially for the Toronado. They featured stiffer sidewalls – and extra grip. The wheels were slotted – the better to cool the finned brake drums.

Power was provided by a 7-litre V8. Dubbed the Rocket, the engine produced 385bhp. That gave the Toronado a top speed of 130mph. The motor was mated with a 3-speed Hydra-Matic gearbox. Rubber insulation smoothed the V8 vibes. The mill sat in a solid, perimeter-framed chassis.

The Toronado was ahead of the game in its looks, too. Clean and vibrant lines set it apart. Its headlights’ electric flaps were a sweet styling touch. Alec Issigonis – designer of the Mini – said large engines could never be successfully twinned with FWD. Automotive giant though he was – the Oldsmobile Toronado proved him wrong!

Ford Shelby GT350

As motoring luminaries go, they do not shine much more brightly than Carroll Shelby. So – in ’65 – when the erstwhile racer trained his tuning sights on the Ford Mustang, the sports car community sat up. The first-model Mustang had been released the previous year – to great acclaim. It had impressed in every area … except one. In performance terms, the Mustang underwhelmed. Enter Carroll Shelby!

Styling-wise, the Mustang was fine. So, that was left alone – apart from new side-exhausts and stripes. Shelby headed straight for the engine – a Cobra 4.7-litre V8. He already knew a thing or two about it. He had, after all, been the catalyst for the AC Cobra. When Shelby picked up his spanners, the Mustang’s V8 made 271bhp. Ford had already uprated the original spec. Shelby, though, was sure there was more. He was right. By the time he put down his spanners, output had risen to 306bhp. That came, in the main, by modifying the manifolds. Though a Holley carburettor certainly helped. Top speed had risen to 149mph … with a 0-60 stat of 6.5s. Ensconced in their LA workshops, Shelby and his team had turned a meek and mild Mustang into a muscle car!

But, it would not have been a ‘Shelby’ without racing attached. It came in the form of the SCCA B-Production road-race series. The Shelby GT350R duly hit the grid. And went on to take the ’65, ’66 and ’67 titles. The R dished out 360bhp. While the roadster was not quite in that league, it was no slouch. Koni suspension was suitably solid. The chassis was well up to taking the strain. Front discs – and rear drums – provided safe and assured braking. Transmission was 4-speed. Carroll Shelby had done it again. Cut from the same cloth as the AC Cobra, Ford’s GT350 was already a thoroughbred sports car. And when a class act like Shelby got a hold of it, sparks were always going to fly. In a perfect trajectory, of course!

Dodge Charger

There have been few cars as iconic as the Dodge Charger! Since Steve McQueen found himself followed by one – in the movie Bullitt – it has been the stuff of legend. The Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger squared up to each other in the showrooms, too. Between the pair of them – in their battle for muscle car pre-eminence – they put Detroit on the world map. Before that, some Stateside cars were getting just a tad gaudy. There is a limit to how much chrome – and how many fins – a car can take, before it starts to become borderline kitsch. Cars like the Charger stripped things back to basics. Simple lines defined a new, no-nonsense approach to styling. The Charger was built to, well, charge – and not much more. Its only concession to design décor was the buttressed rear window.

There could be only one engine for this masterclass in American machismo. A V8 was a shoo-in for the Charger’s powerplant. All that grunt, though – piledriving rear wheels into the tarmac – meant handling could be hairy. That was best illustrated by the R/T – Road and Track – model. Released in ’68, it was the most uncompromising version of the Charger. Delivering 375bhp – and 150mph – the R/T was a heady brew of torque and speed. 0-60 arrived in 6s. This time round, rock-solid suspension – and anti-roll bars – enabled the R/T to handle as well as it went. It came with a 4-speed Hurst gearbox. Powerful front disc brakes were optional. Well, according to the spec list, anyway!

The Charger would be one of the last of the muscle car breed. It was produced until ’78. After that, the automotive industry took a more leisurely, safety-oriented tack. Never again would the roads of America echo with such ear-splitting gear-driven crescendos. Of course – in Bullitt – the Dodge Charger was driven by the bad guys. Certainly, it is among the most dramatic cars ever to have turned a wheel. And anyway … we all secretly love a good baddie, don’t we?