Month: April 2026

“Detroit’s Big 3 in World War II”

The country, the world, the economy and the auto industry suffered a crushing blow following the great stock market crash of 1929. Sales and been rising steadily until then. Chevrolet went from 146,243 cars sold in 1920 to 1.5 million by 1929. Ford went from 806,040 cars in 1920 to 1.5 million also by 1929. The crash happened late in the year, October, and the effects were almost immediate. Car sales dropped across the board, and the smaller, weaker brands fell by the wayside. By 1932, Chevy was down to 400,000 cars and Ford just 300,000.

But slowly the economy recovered and so did the auto industry. By 1941, Chevy was back making 1.1 million cars and Ford an even million. Times were starting to look good again. There was a war raging in Europe but President Roosevelt had run for reelection on the promise of keeping America out of the war. Then Japan attacked Pearl Harbor at the end of 1941, December 6th, thrusting us headlong into the war.

America was weak from a military standpoint, with just 458,000 men in uniform, armed with World War I-vintage arms and equipment. The Germans were racing across Europe in modern tanks and crushing everything in their path. The Japanese had more aircraft carriers in the Pacific than we did and they just knocked out most of our battleships. America had been caught flat-footed but we had several key advantages that the bad guys didn’t have. First off, we were huge and rich in agriculture, minerals and people. Second we were isolated from both conflicts by vast oceans. And lastly we had a huge industrial base, the biggest in the world, and we knew how to make stuff, refrigerators, radios, washing machines, and cars, lots and lots of cars.

The government didn’t waste any time. On January 16, 1942, just 40 days after the Pearl Harbor attack, the president created the War Production Board (WPB) to control industrial production and convert civilian manufacturing over to the war effort. Donald Nelson was in charge. On February 2, 1942 the WPB ordered all civilian passenger car and light truck production to be halted. As the result, there are very few 1942 model cars and there wouldn’t be any until 1946. The legal authority for such a bold move came from the Wars Powers Act of 1941. WPB controlled all manufacture and raw materials.

The government didn’t take over, or nationalize the companies. They remained privately owned, but now with lucrative contracts from the government for mountains of stuff. Planes, tanks, trucks, boats, ships, guns, jeeps, ammunition, food, clothing, you name it.

Ford, for instance, went from making cars to building the B-24 Liberator bomber in their Willow Run plant, with a total production of 8,685 planes plus another 1,000-or-so knock-down kits shipped elsewhere. They built thousands of M4 Sherman tanks and M10 tank destroyers, along with other armored vehicles, many in their massive Rouge River Plant. Ford also built most of the Jeeps used in the war. Bantam may have invented it, but Ford and Willys got to build them. Ford alone built 647,925 Jeeps during the war. Ford also produced Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp airplane engines for the B-24s and other aircraft, and the Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 used in the P51 Mustang and Lancaster bombers. They also built gliders, light tracked vehicles, armored cars and scout vehicles, ammunition, gun mounts and trucks, lots and lots of trucks. By 1943 Ford was producing one-third of all US military vehicles.

GM ended up producing about a third one all the military hardware produced for the war. They built 4,318 B-25 Mitchell bombers at the Fisher Body plant in Kansas City, Kansas, 40% of total B-25 production. They also built P-38 Lightnings, P-39 Aircobras, and P-47 Thunderbolts, and tens of thousands of Allison V-1710, Pratt & Whitney R-1830 and R-2800 airplane engines. GM also built M4 Shermans, M10, M18 and M36 tank destroyers, M24 Chaffee light tanks, the M8 and M20 armored cars, over half-a-million GMC 6X6 2-1/2-ton trucks (the famous “deuce-and-a-half”), DUKW amphibious trucks (the legendary “Duck”), 1-1/2-ton trucks, CCKW 6-ton trucks, antiaircraft guns, M2 .50-caliber Browning machines guns by the hundreds of thousands, Mark 13 and Mark 14 torpedoes, ammunition and marine engines. GM alone produced more military equipment than the entire country of Japan. Once they got rolling they were turning out one vehicle every 45 seconds. GM employed over 700,000 workers at the peak. The US Navy awarded them their “E” Award multiple times for excellence in war production.

Chrysler meanwhile, perpetually #3 of Detroit’s Big 3 carmakers, was second in war production only to GM. They too made M3 and M4 Sherman medium tanks, and over 7,500 M4A4s (which were advanced versions of the M4), M26 Pershing heavy tanks, M3 and M5 light tanks, Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone radial aircraft engines for the B-29 Superfortress, helicopter rotors and transmissions for early Sikorsky helicopters, over 350,000 Dodge WC-series 1/2- and 3/4-ton trucks, DUKW “Duck” amphibious trucks, 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns by the tens of thousands, marine engines, and billions of rounds of ammunition. Chrysler operated 30 major plants dedicated to wartime production and employed some 500,000 workers. Chrysler too was rolling out a finished military vehicle every few seconds, and also received the Navy’s “E” Award multiple times. Chrysler’s Detroit Tank Arsenal alone produced more tanks than any single factory in the world at that time.

The Sherman was a fine medium tank for the times, but wouldn’t stand a chance against a German Tiger tank, tank-to-tank. However, there was one Tiger and six Shermans. And we were building them faster than they could be destroyed. Same with ships. In both the Atlantic and the Pacific, we were replacing transport ships faster than they could be sunk by submarines. Henry Kaiser was building one ‘Liberty Ship’ every 24 hours at his peak. And he was just one shipbuilder.

In the end it was this, our massive industrial might, that won the war, more than any other single factor. Not to take anything away from our brave troops who had to go over there and do the fighting. But they couldn’t have done it without the overflowing material support. Germany barely had enough fuel to run its tanks, while the US had boatloads of the stuff.

During the Battle of the Bulge an American was taken prisoner and he had a birthday cake with him. They brought it to the German general who realized the significance of this. The Germans were starving for fuel and ammo and food to carry on the fight. Meanwhile the Americans had so much logistical capacity that they could ship a birthday cake from America to this soldier. He knew, at that point, that they were sunk.

War almost always comes down to logistics. And what made our victory possible was our industrial miracle. Of course, it wasn’t pulled off entirely by the auto industry. Companies that made all sorts of things were enlisted into the cause. My mother worked at a Norge factory in Detroit in 1942. Norge made refrigerators before the war, but now they were making gun turrets for B-17s.

Americans were always known for their ingenuity and resourcefulness back in those days and this was a perfect example of it. How we pulled together as a nation, how the big industrialists went through the trials and tribulations of switching over their manufacturing, to workers who put in 110% working long hours under harsh conditions. It was a collective national spirit that we’ll probably never see again in this country. Of course, the people back then were tough, much tougher than today. They’d just been through the Great Depression, crushing poverty, the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, labor unrest and more. Most had been raised on farms and were accustomed to hard work and sacrifice. Good thing, too, because the war demanded it, in spades.

But the US auto industry really stepped up. They marshaled all their manufacturing, design and engineering genius to not only do the job but shine at it. They all took pride in their contributions to the war effort, which was THE central focus in everyone’s lives at that time. America was proud of her car companies and the soldiers and sailors out there in the world appreciated the fine products that they relied on every day to win the war and stay alive.

The 2-front war ended in Europe first on May 8, 1945, then Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945 officially ending the war. The WPB began lifting restrictions almost immediately and by late-October to early-November the factories started producing civilian-market cars again, the 1946 models. Ford and GM cars hit the market first in October followed by Chrysler in November.

Because there had been no new cars for 4 years and all those service men returning home wanted one, there was a shortage of cars right after the war. Detroit rushed to fill that vacuum, but all their attention had been on the war, so no new cars had been designed. It’s takes usually 3 to 5 years to create al all new car, so all they could do is rewarm their 1942 designs. They had been fully tooled up and were already producing 1942s in late 1941 when the war started, so most of the hard work was already done and sitting there. The Big 3 all did the same thing. They tarted up their old 1942 models with some different trim and called it a day. Or rather, called it a 1946. And America was so hungry for anything with wheels that they sold well anyway.

The industry was short on cars and Detroit couldn’t make them fast enough. So the sales numbers weren’t as strong as before, not because the demand wasn’t there, but because the supply was lacking. Chevy sold 800,000 cars in 1946, Ford 600,000 and Plymouth 300,000. But bigger numbers were just around the corner as the factories ramped back up.

By 1948 Chevy was up to 1.2 million cars, Ford sold a million, and Plymouth sold halfa- million, and the numbers just kept climbing, and they didn’t stop until 1958, but that’s another story. All of this sales success and growth was on the old car, based on the pre-war 1942 models. That was all about to change.

It took about three years to come up with totally new clean sheet designs, and they all started hitting about the same time, in 1949. Ford (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury), GM (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac) and Chrysler (Dodge, Chrysler, Plymouth, DeSoto) all came out with stunning new cars for the 1949 model year. GM came out with their first high compression OHV (Overhead Valve) V8 in the ’49 Olds and Cadillac, igniting the horsepower arms race that wouldn’t end until 1970.

Not only did Detroit do a great service for our country, and not only did they make a ton of money doing it, but they gleaned invaluable knowledge and experience in the process. Chrysler at one point was tasked with creating an inverted V12 airplane engine but the war ended before it could be built. However, Chrysler engineers came away with a ton of knowledge about hemispherical combustion chambers, in other words ‘hemis’. It was this express knowledge that led them to create the Gen I Hemi engine family, which they released in 1951. It was very advanced for its time, as it should be, it was aircraft tech.

Classic car fans often view the War years as four missing years, four blank pages in the art and history of the car, that were just skipped over. But that’s not true at all. Our heroes weren’t building cars because they were busy saving the world and being the Arsenal of Democracy.

“Camaro Z/28, the First Two Generations”

Following the very successful launch of the Ford Mustang in 1964 (as a 1965 model), GM took two full model years to launch a response in the form of their own pony cars, the 1967 Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. Both were spun off the same F-body platform, which was loosely based on the Nova platform. They were essentially almost the same cars with different sheetmetal skins, interiors, engines and minor tuning and setup differences.

Chevy couldn’t hope to outperform the red-hot Mustang in sales, but they could outperform it on the street and at the track. GM’s built-in advantage was that any engine they had would fit, whereas the Mustang was severely limited on engine choices because of its narrow engine bay. And both of GM’s ‘sister cars’ had high performance engine options and packages. Over at Pontiac the Firebird could be optioned up to the Firebird Formula package which came with a 400 ci V8 and was their straight-line stoplight drag car, or the Trans Am, known for it’s great handling. Chevy did the same thing.

On the Camaro side the straight-line acceleration beast was the Camaro SS, available with the new 350 small block or the 396 big block. The 1967 Camaro SS was the first GM vehicle ever to get the new 350. And their great-handling track car was the Camaro Z/28.

Initially the Z/28 was intended purely as a limited-production homologation to qualify them for SCCA Trans Am racing. Homologation is where the governing body of a racing series requires the manufacturer to sell a certain number of the cars to the public to establish it as an actual ‘production car’. SCCA required 1,000 sales to qualify to race in the series. Just 602 Z/28s were built for 1967. How did they homologate it with less than the required 1,000 sales? Because Chevy did the same thing that Pontiac did with their Trans Am. They claimed that the Z/28 was simply an option package for the Camaro, meaning that every Camaro sold should count, and since they sold 220,906 Camaros in 1967, they passed.

The Z/28 dominated the 1968 and’69 Trans Am racing seasons, winning the Manufacturer’s and the Driver’s Championships both years with Mark Donohue driving. In ’68 he won 10 races and in ’69 he won 6 out of 7 races.

However, a genuine 1967-69 Z/28 is not an ideal street car. To race in the Trans Am series, engine displacement was limited to 5.0 liters (305 ci) so the standard 327 ci V8 couldn’t be used. Instead they used the block from a 327 with its 4.00-inch bore and dropped in a forged steel crank out of a 283 with it’s 3.00-inch stroke and this came out to 302 cubic inches, just below the limit. The new engine was named DZ302, some say to honor Zora Arkus-Duntov, the father of Chevy performance. This severely oversquare setup created an engine that loved to rev, but didn’t make much power at lower RPMs. On the track, running a full throttle all the time, that was perfect, but in stop and go traffic on the street, it sucked.

All 1st-generation Z/28s came exclusively with the M21 or M22 Muncie close-ratio 4-speed manual, and most didn’t have power steering. AC wasn’t even on the option sheet. These were meant to be stripped-down race cars and they weren’t easy to live with on a daily basis. All 1st-gen Z/28s could be ordered with the RS (Rally Sport) appearance package as an option. Their prominent feature were their hideaway headlights. As such, they were called Z/28 RS.

The 1968 Z/28 continued almost unchanged, other than a few styling touches over the ’67 model. Chevy began to realize they should be selling these cars in volume, not just homologating them. They sold 7,199 Z/28s in 1968 and 20,302 in 1969. Of course 1969 was a longer production year than normal, as problems with the 2nd-gen car delayed its release. The 1969 Camaro Z/28 is the most famous and popular of all Z/28s and probably all Camaros. You see them everywhere at car shows and at auctions. There are probably many more ‘clones’ or ‘tributes’ than genuine Z/28s, which is flattering. It’s easy to ‘create’ one. You start with a base Camaro, add some Z/28 emblems and stripes, black out the grille and add an appropriate engine. Some look very convincing. Make sure you’re looking at an authentic Z/28 if you’re paying Z/28 money for it. There’s nothing wrong with clones as long as the seller is honest about it and the price reflects it. In fact, they can be a good way to have a great car that you can actually take out, drive and enjoy. Genuine ’69 Z/28s are getting so valuable today that you’d have to be crazy to drive one on a regular basis. It’s estimated that over 25,000 clones of the ’69 Z/28 have been created, more even than Chevy built. To make sure you’re looking at a genuine Z/28 from the factory, check the VIN and the 5th digit must be a “G”. This is the engine code for the DZ302, and the only car that engine ever came in was the 1st generation Z/28.

The awesome DZ302 was rated at 290 hp, which is a joke. Most experts today agree it was more like 330-350 hp. This motor came with a Holley 780 cfm 4-barrel on a special high-flow aluminum intake manifold, a high-performance solid-lifter cam, highflow exhaust manifolds and dual exhaust, one of two close-ratio Muncie 4-speeds, the M21 or M22 “Rock Crusher”, a 12-bolt positraction rear end in either 3.73:1 or 4.10:1 ratios, heavy duty suspension, stiffer springs and shocks, larger front and rear antisway bars, quick ratio steering, power front disc brakes, 15” X 6” styled steel wheels with trim rings sporting F70-15 tires, a rear spoiler, and the Z/28’s famous stripes and emblems. Inside, it came with front bucket seats, a center console, floor-mounted Hurst shifter, a tachometer (mounted on either the steering column or the center console), and a Z/28 steering wheel.

The 1970 model year started late for Camaro and the new 2nd-generation car was a complete change from the 1st. While sharing the same F-body platform with the same 108-inch wheelbase as before, the new car was longer, benefitting the styling and proportions. Gone were the sharp corners, in their place was a smooth, aerodynamic shape with ‘European influences’. They looked great. The RS option package lost the hideaway headlights but gained a set of gorgeous split bumpers.

Homologation was no longer an issue so the 2nd-gen Z/28 got the new 350 ci LT1 with either a 4-speed Muncie or a 3-speed automatic. The new engine read like a checklist of what you do to make your V8 fast. 11.00:1 compression, solid lifter cam, big heads (2.02” intake valves), forged steel crank and rods, forged aluminum pistons, dual-plane high-rise aluminum intake manifold, Holley 780 cfm 4-barrel with mechanical secondaries. It produced 360 hp at a lofty 6,000 rpm, it had torque down low and it made big power on the high end. The big 350 liked to rev. The chassis itself had been structurally reinforced so the car handled better and felt more solid. Of course, Pontiac was working on the Firebird, and the Trans Am. They had their own family of engines though. Back then, Chevy’s got Chevy engines and Pontiacs got Pontiac engines.

The new 2nd-gen 1970 Z/28 was a fantastic car, performance-wise. They were fast and they handled incredibly well, partially due to their low center of gravity. These were low cars which made them harder to get in and out of, and left little room for exhaust plumbing. That’s why the Corvette version of the 1970 LT1 made 370 hp. But, just as things were getting interesting the Malaise hit in 1971. The combination of new smog, fuel economy and safety regulations, lead being removed from the fuel and rising insurance costs were killing performance. GM started neutering all its engines to try to meet the new standards. Big block options became limited and soon went away, compression ratios fell, cams became milder, carbs got smaller, tuning was dialed back and an endless array of weird new gadgets was appearing on these already struggling engines. By 1971, output on the LT1 dropped to 330 hp and by 1972 it was down to 255 hp (net). It got so bad that there was no point in having a high-performance option like the LT1, so the engine was dropped for the 1973 model year.

The new ‘5 mph bumper law’ forced Chevy to change the face of all of its cars, Camaro included. The new law required that the front bumper must be able to sustain a 5 mph collision with no visible damage. This required mounting the strengthened bumper on spring-loaded shocks and providing the space they would need when they compressed. Some 5 mph bumpers looked like park benches. The 1973 model year was when it was supposed to take effect, but Chevy cleverly found a way to reinforce the front ends of the ’73 Camaro to buy another year. But starting in 1974 they got big, ugly bumpers. In 1975 the top engine for the Z/28 was the L48 350 making a wheezing 155 hp. It got so bad that Chevy was too embarrassed to produce a Z/28 in the 1976 model year, so they just passed it over. There are no 1976 Z/28s.

The Z’ was back in 1977 with the L48 now making 185 hp. That’s more like it. Advances in technology were starting to show. The Camaro got it’s second facelift in 1978. The first one was in 1974 when they got the ugly bumpers. The new face was quite attractive, with a molded plastic skin hiding all the bumper stuff. They decked the ’78-81 Zs out with a teardrop-shaped, almost-NACA faux hood scoop and louvered faux heat extractor vents in the front fenders along with a rear spoiler, and of course the obligatory stripe package which by now was getting quite garish. It was the perfect look for the times, and it was a handsome car. They came with ‘styled steel wheels or a 15” aluminum turbine-style ‘mag’ with 30 spokes.

The new styling paid off. Sales jumped to 272,631 Camaros in model year 1978 and 24,600 of them were Z/28s. That’s the most Z/28s ever! By the end of the 2ndgeneration in 1981, the L48 in the Z/28 was making 190 hp.

The 70s were behind us and with it, the Malaise. Technology was finally catching up and enabling the smart people in Detroit to make cars fast again, while meeting all the federal mandates. The 3rd-generation would exemplify this, in spades! The new car would advance to art and science in its structure, aerodynamics, styling and powertrains. But, that’s another story for another day. The Camaro and the Z/28 have lived on for seven generations, this was just the first two. Yet by this time the Z/28 had staked out its place in automotive history.

“C2: The Mid-year Corvette”

The second-generation Chevrolet Corvette (C2) only lasted for 5 short model years, 1963 through 1967, and yet is the most iconic, and certainly the most valuable of all Corvettes ever built. They call them a lot of things, 2nd-gen Corvettes, C2’s, Sting Rays and Midyear Corvettes. They were called ‘Midyear Corvettes’ or just ‘Midyears’ for short for decades until the Corvette started racking up more and more generations later in life. That’s when the C1 through C8 naming convention came along and just in time too. Before that, C1s were called ‘solid-axle Vettes’, the C2 was called Sting Ray and the C3 became known as ‘the Shark’ Confusing and inconsistent, because not everyone knew what kind of axle it had.

After 10 model years of the 1st-gen Corvette , or C1 (1953-1962) the car world was ready for an upgrade. The C1 was a primitive car. Barely a car, starting out in ’53, it had no roll-up windows, no outside door handles and no heater. But it had evolved into a full fledged car, and a respectable high-performance roadster with world-class looks, and America’s only sports car. But, to save money, Chevy had cobbled the Corvette together from existing parts in GMs vast inventory. Front and rear suspension, rear axle, steering and brakes were all ancient, having been designed in the late 1940s. The primitive kingpin front suspension and worm-and-roller steering were glaring weak spots in a world of ball joints and recirculating ball steering. The Corvette had aged past its obsolescence. Sales had been decent and climbing, although just a pittance compared to GMs volume models. The final year of C1 production, 1962, saw 14,531 Corvettes sold, its best year ever.

Another key influence on the need for a change was Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Belgian-born engineer and resident genius who worked his way up through the ranks of GM until they appointed him Chief Engineer for the Corvette program. Duntov was into racing and he wanted the Corvette to be the car to beat. So far the C1 had had lukewarm racing results, and while powerful, the handling just wasn’t there. He felt nothing short of a completely new, clean-sheet design could keep the Corvette relevant and competitive. He wanted this new Corvette to run with the best from Europe such as the Jaguar E-Type.

In 1959 GM’s Chief Stylist Bill Mitchell (who had just succeeded Harley Earl) had overseen the creation of a one-off showcar/concept car, the 1959 Stingray Racer. In 1960 the Stingray Racer (XP-87) was built and raced. It previewed the bold styling of the C2 with it’s sharp nose and tail, rising fenders with wheels tucked in just right. Everything was already in place.

During 1961 and ’62 full scale development began on the production car. Many major decisions had to be made right up front. Ditch the old ladder-type frame in favor of a modern perimeter frame? Retire the ancient leaf springs and solid rear axle and invent a new independent rear suspension setup? During this time the C2 Corvette was being developed under the code name “Q-model” or “Sting-Ray” The new 1963 Corvette was officially unveiled at the New York Auto Show and the Chicago Auto Show in September of 1962.

The new C2 was bristling with innovation. The independent rear suspension (IRS) made it to production, as did the perimeter frame, which allowed a lower seating position and center of gravity, not to mention greater rigidity. And the styling was radically changed, for the better. The new shape was like nothing else anywhere, but in fact the Jag XKE was a worthy comparison because the new C2 Corvette’s shape followed some of the same patterns, with long hood/short deck and pointed at both ends. It was gorgeous!

For the first time, the Corvette came in two body styles: Coupe and Convertible. And for its initial introduction in 1963, the new Corvette coupes got a ‘split window’, now legendary. Rumor has it that at the time making a compound-curved piece of safety glass that big was difficult and expensive and so they opted for two smaller windows with a split down the middle. The other reason they went with it is that Bill Mitchell loved it. However, many dealers and customers hated it because it impaired rearward visibility. And so it was ditched by the 1964 model year and continued through the rest of its generation this way. They looked good either way, but the split window was distinctive and still commands attention and high auction prices today.

Another bold styling feature was the hideaway headlights, a first on a Corvette. They completed the streamlined nose perfectly when closed. When they opened, they didn’t flip up, they rotated which kept the exposed headlights in place and minimally obstructive aerodynamically. They looked good either way, and people loved to watch them open and close.

Lots of exciting new performance and comfort options became available for the first time in a Corvette with the 2nd-generation. Power steering and air conditioning became available late in the 1963 model year (unavailable on certain engines), aluminum knock-off wheels could be optioned from 1964 on. Power windows made their first appearance in 1965, and those gorgeous factory side pipes were offered from 1965 through 1967. The Corvette was becoming a real car.

Under the hood, the C2 started out exclusively with the 327 ci small block V8. The W-series big block 409 was never considered because of its weight and bulk, and it was already on its way out. For 1963, the 327 came in 3 flavors, the base engine with 250 hp (RPO 469), the high-performance version with hotter cam and compression with 300 hp (RPO 469A), both using single 4-barrels, and the “Fuelie”. This last entry used Rochester’s futuristic Ramjet mechanical fuel injection in service since 1957, which had just been completely reworked for the C2, making 360 hp (RPO 579). Gone were the dual-quad setups of the C1.

For the 1964 model year, another engine was added to the lineup. RPO 469Z was a 327 with single 4-barrel, solid lifter cam, and higher compression making 365 hp. And to make sure that the Fuelie remained the top dog, they bumped its horsepower to 375 where it stayed until its demise after the 1965 model year.

One more engine was added to the option list for 1965. Chevy’s new Mark IV big block had just been released with 396 cubic inches and 425 hp, thanks to a hot solid-lifter cam, high compression and a big carb. Of course, as the world would soon learn, big blocks were very good at making big power. The added weight (some 200 pounds) changed the handling dynamics of the car, but people bought them anyway. 2,157 chose the 396 in 1965.

For 1966 the big block was enlarged to 427 cubic inches making 390 hp with single 4-barrel (L72), or 425 hp with single 4-barrel, a solid-lifter cam and higher compression (L36). The expensive, finicky Rochester fuel injected 327 was gone, replaced by the cheaper-to-build big block. But now the base 327 made 300 hp (L469) and the high-performance version with all the usual upgrades making 350 hp (L469A). Remember when it was a big deal when the 1957 Corvette Fuelie broke the one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch barrier? First time ever in an American production car and the Corvette did it, and it was a big deal. Now Chevy was doing better than that with nearly all it’s high-performance engines.

In 1967, the final year of the 2nd-gen Corvette, the 427 got something very special. Tri-Power was a system of three Rochester 2-barrels on a special aluminum manifold. Under light loads, it ran on just the center carburetor, getting good mileage. But nail it and the other two 2- barrels would kick in with more air than a big 4-barrel. The L71 made 435 hp, and this engine would continue on until 1969 in the 3rd-gen Corvette. It was the Corvette’s top street engine. But what about off the street? In other words, racing? The L88 was a very special 427 hand built in GMs Tonawanda engine plant with higher-than-normal quality control. They started with a special high nickel-iron block with 4-bolt mains, stronger internals, aluminum heads with larger ports and valves, a radical solid-lifter race cam, with a 12.5:1 compression ratio, topped off by an 850 Holley on top. They claimed it made 430 hp but it was more like 550 hp or more! Just 20 L88s were installed in the 1967 model year, and only in Corvettes. This engine would continue until 1969

Something else was new for 1967. The big block 427 was taller than its small block cousins so a new hood was created that added 4.5 inches of much-needed vertical clearance. It was called the “Stinger Hood” and it was very handsome and distinctive, with a wide scoop that had a ‘stinger’ coming out the front of it. They were so handsome that people started putting them all all their C2 Corvettes to improve the looks. Today these are a very common upgrade.

With all this power, how did the C2 Corvette fare in motorsports? It dominated SCCA amateur and professional racing, and Dick Thomas, known at ‘The Flying Dentist’ won three SCCA National Championships in 1963, 1964 and 1965. At the Sebring 12 Hours their best finish was a 6th overall in 1965, and competitive in all other years. They got numerous wins in GT and Prototype classes, and several finished in the top 10 overall at the Daytona Continental race. In 1966 a C2 piloted by Dan Gurney and Bob Bondurant finished 7th overall in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, which was a private effort. The C2 also did well in short-track and drag racing.

This new 2nd-generation Corvette had it all: mega power, excellent handling and the looks. The 1st-gen’s low production numbers peaked in its final year of production (1962) with 14,531 sold. The C2, known then as the Sting Ray (2 words), did marginally better, but didn’t set the world on fire. In 1963 they sold 21,513 Vettes, in 1964 the number climbed to 22,229, then in 1965 it went to 23,562, in 1966 27,720 (it’s best year) and in its final year, 1967 sales actually dropped to 22,940. Over the 2nd generation, coupes outsold convertibles by a healthy margin (72,093 coupes to 45,871 convertibles). A grand total of just 117,964 Corvettes were built during its second generation.

Today the C2 is considered the most desirable by collectors as shown in the auction prices that they fetch. The current record stands at $3,850,000 for a 1967 L88 at Mecum’s Kissimmee sale in 2025. The top 4 sales of C2 Corvettes are all L88s. That’s not only the highest price ever gotten for a C2 Corvette, it’s the highest of any Corvette, regardless of year or generation. That’s the C2 legacy. And while the newer Corvettes are spectacular performers, they’re not classics, although maybe some day they will be. But for now, the world’s most valuable Corvettes in the world are all C2s.

 

“The Plymouth Road Runner”

The mid-1960s were the heyday of the muscle car. Started in 1964 by the Pontiac GTO, the muscle car craze boomed out of control as every American carmaker hurried high performance products to market. Cars like Chevy’s Chevelle SS, the GTO, the Oldsmobile 442, the Buick GS, the Ford Fairlane 500XL and GT, even American Motors had the Rambler Rebel. Plymouth, Chrysler’s bargain brand, needed a car that could take a chunk out of that lucrative market for the home team.

Chrysler wanted a low-cost muscle car it could build out of parts it already had. Marketing manager John Herlitz and Product Planner Jack Pitman pushed for a stripped-down B-body (midsize) car with a big engine, but devoid of frills or luxury features as standard equipment with the goal of keeping the MSRP Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) under $3,000.

As it turned out, all of the 1968 cars in its class made it under the $3,000-mark. The Road Runner at $2869 wasn’t even the lowest. That honor went to the Rebel at $2,689. Lots of very stripped Road Runners rolled off the lots with powerful engines, but manual drum brakes, manual steering, ‘dog dish’ hubcaps or even a 3-speed manual shifted on the column. They were actually an option, as it came standard with either the excellent New Process A-833 4-speed manual or the rugged 727 Torque Flite 3-speed automatic. But the 3-speed manual could be optioned to get the cost down. Few were ordered that way.

The ’68 Runner Runner came standard with the 383 Magnum rated at 335 hp. Optional engines were the 440 Magnum with single 4-barrel with 375 hp and the awesome 426 Hemi at 425 hp. Other standard equipment included heavy-duty suspension, dual exhaust, Redline tires, a 3.55:1 rear axle ratio and no frills. Inside they came standard with a front bench seat, no center console, no radio and rubber floor mats instead of carpet. 44,599 Road Runners were built during its first year, 1968, much more than

expected.

The name, by the way came from the popular Saturday morning TV cartoon the Road Runner Show. It featured this road runner that was faster than the speed of sound and he was being chased by this scrawny, starving coyote that was trying to eat him. But the Road Runner was always too fast to catch. As he’d leave the coyote in his dust he would happily say “Meep meep!” and be gone. Chrysler paid Warner Brothers $50,000 for the rights to the image and that crazy “Meep meep”. They named the new car Road Runner and made the horn go “Meep Meep”. They went further by adding a large graphic to the oblong air cleaner lid that said “Coyote Duster” with a picture of Wiley Coyote on it. It was part of the N96 Air Grabber option, available with any engine starting in 1969.

Things went so well the first year, they loaded up the Road Runner with lots of new, and highly profitable options. The new, optional new Air Grabber was a functional hood scoop that offered ram air/cold air induction. The 440 Six-Pack became optional and the styling got more aggressive with a new grille and side stripes. 1969 saw 45,034 Road Runners sold, which turned out to be its high-water mark.

The stated goal of the Road Runner was always to put race-winning performance within reach of young buyers who didn’t have a lot of money, and didn’t demand too many frills. At that, they absolutely nailed it. On the streets, Road Runners quickly gained a reputation for being quick. They had a series of TV commercials back in the day where a young fellow was pulled over in a Road Runner by a pot bellied Southern

sheriff who naturally assumed this kid couldn’t afford a car this nice, so he must have stolen it. He’d say “You’re in a heap a’ trouble, boy”, only to be proven wrong. Even a young kid like this could afford a Road Runner.

1970 saw a complete reskinning of the car that many feel made for the best looking Road Runner ever. It softened the boxy lines of the former model, and gave it more of a ‘Coke bottle-shape’. Faux scoops were added to the rear quarters. The blacked-out grill had a bright band that circled the headlights and crossed the grille forming what is called today a ‘race track’. The entire body shell, with the exception of the greenhouse was changed. 1970 turned out to be the last unfettered year before the Malaise Era

reared its ugly head. It brought with it all sorts of new federal laws governing emissions, fuel consumption and safety, and Detroit scrambled to meet the new rules after two decades of doing whatever the heck they wanted. It was a wakeup call for the industry and it was ugly at first, very ugly. Between the formerly-powerful engines

that now just gasped to the hideous, park bench-sized 5 mph bumpers, it was tough on Detroit and on buyers of high performance cars.

Despite this, the 1970 Road Runner retained its full list of engine options without any reduction in horsepower. This would be the last year of that. The 1970 Road Runner came standard with the 383 Magnum making 335 hp. There were still two 440s available, the good ol’ 440 Magnum Super Commando with single 4-barrel and 375 hp, and the rocking’ 440 Six Pack (three 2-barrel carbs) making 390 hp. And of course, always on the top of the heap, the mighty 426 Hemi, still making a claimed 425 hp (which was understated, they made more like 530 hp).

For the 1971 model year everything changed. Gone were the squared lines of the 1st generation Road Runner (1968-1970), replaced by a sleek new shape that they called ‘fuselage styling’. The front bumper was now a one-piece loop of chrome that encircled the entire grille opening. There was no break between the C-pillar and the rear quarters, they flowed smoothly together. The wheel openings were gently squared up, yet still rounded. It made for an impressive-looking car. The all-new interior was now mostly plastic. It was built on the same B-body platform as before with the same 116-inch wheelbase.

Despite the onset of the Malaise in 1971, the Road Runner managed to hold on to some serious muscle, for one more year at least. The standard 383 was still making 335 hp, but the 440 Magnum dropped from 375 hp to 370, and the 440 Six Pack dropped from 390 hp to 385. But the 426 Hemi thundered on with its same 425 hp.

In 1972 the base engine became the small block 340 making 240 hp, but the 440 was still on the option list, now down to 280 hp. This was the year that the Feds forced carmakers to express net horsepower numbers, rather than gross, so they appear even smaller than they actually were. But horsepower was dropping for sure. A 400 V8 B series big block was added to the option list. Horsepower continued to drop every year and 1974 was the last year for the 440.

1974 was also the last year for the ‘true Road Runners’. In 1975 the Road Runner became nothing more than an option package on the Plymouth Volare. From then on they were called Volare Road Runners and the fun was over. Hardly worth talking about here, and a disappointing end to a glorious car.

On a brighter note, mention must be made about special models. First, obviously, is the GTX. Strangely, it came out one year earlier than the Road Runner. Introduced in 1966 as a 1967 model, it was initially based off of the Belvedere, which would also spawn the Road Runner a year later. Then, for the rest of its short life, the GTX was a top-line version of the Road Runner.

Whereas 1st-gen Road Runners came standard with the 383 Magnum, the GTX came standard with the 440 Magnum, with the 440 Six Pack and 426 Hemi as options, and they came standard with just about every item on the Road Runner option list. The GTX ran from 1967 through 1970.

Of course, the king of the hill as far as Road Runners are concerned is clearly the 1970 Superbird. In late-60s NASCAR, every manufacturer was struggling to win on the track, assuming it would lead to increased sales in the showroom. But the boxy Road Runners were an aerodynamic brick and it was hurting their top speeds and high speed stability. Dodge had the same problem with the Charger, so they crafted a new nose and huge rear wing and cleaned up the back window area, and hit a new NASCAR speed record, topping 200 mph for the first time. They called it the Charger Daytona. So, Plymouth followed suit and built the Superbird.

The 1970 Superbird came standard with the 440 Magnum Super Commando making 375 hp, with the 440 Six Pack (390 hp) and the 426 Hemi (425 hp) as options. Of course the real attention-getter was that big wing on the back. It stood 23 inches off the deck lid and provided over 600 pounds of downforce at 150 mph. They also grafted on a huge fiberglass nosecone with hideaway headlights that streamlined the front end. And the rear window angle was laid down slightly to improve its drag coefficient, sort of like Dodge did with the Daytona.

The Superbird was a homologation car. NASCAR required that 500 similar units be sold to the public to qualify it. Plymouth sold 1,935 Superbirds in the 1970 model year, making it not only one of the rarest muscle cars, but one of the most sought after. One sold at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction in 2023 for $1,430,000! Yikes