Racecar driver and car dealership owner, Don Yenko is responsible for the 1969 Yenko Super Camaro 427. Yenko worked with Chevrolet to build a 427-big block engine Camaro with a full 5-year warranty. The full-bodied Camaro was rated with a thundering 425 horsepower, but Yenko tagged it at 450. It came with a Hurst 4-speed manual or dual-gate automatic transmission.
It was also loaded with Z28 heavy-duty suspension and four F70x14 performance tires. Yenko special-ordered deluxe versions of the car, tagged with a “sYs” (Yenko Super Car) badge. Added were all kinds of bells and whistles inside, and on the outside, 15-inch Rally wheels, larger front roll bar, and a 140 mph-speedometer.
1971 AMC Javelin
The 1971 AMC Javelin galloped to the head of the pony car pack. Lightweight muscle cars like this sportscar were all the rage by the early 1970s. The AMC Javelin came standard with a 360 cu. in. V-8 with 245 horsepower and a two-barrel carburetor. But for just $137 more, you could pony up to a 401 cu. in. V-8 with 330 horsepower. Introduced in 1968, the Javelin earned accolades for its powerful engine that Road & Track called “an asset in such a small vehicle.”
The Penske AMC team raced the Javelin and won the 1971 and 1972 Trans-Am seasons. It zoomed 0-60 in 6.5 seconds. And its body was muscled-out with 15-inch Rally wheels, a severe rear spoiler, slick racing stripes down the side, and a black t-stripe on the roof.
1963 Buick Riviera
General Motors invented the personal luxury car concept in the late fifties, and in 1963, it introduced the Buick Riviera, an exquisite 2-door sports coupe. The Riviera improved on the T-Bird, not just with a backseat and more luggage space, but with more power, better brakes, and superior handling. The Riviera’s powerhouse consisted of a standard 401 cu. in. Nailhead V-8, outpowering the T-Bird by 25 horsepower, with 325 in total.
You could upgrade to the “Wildcat 465” engine, raising it to 340 horsepower. Inside, bucket seats and a center console created a sportier look than its predecessor, also standard. General Motors hoped the Buick Riviera would sell up to 55,000 models, and priced it about $100 less than its competitor, but the T-Bird outsold it by 50 percent! The Riviera was fast, better, and prettier, but it could not finish the sales race.
1960 Chrysler 300F
The 1960 Chrysler 300F Convertible was a big break with the 300E that came before. A stylish crosshatch grille was punctuated, front and center, with the “300F” logo. And it stood out with long conspicuous tail fins spreading out like airline wings. The unique trim gained plenty of notice.
Inside, the stylish trend continued. Four bucket seats with leather trim sat alongside a full-length console. Under the hood was an overhead valve V-8 with a 413 CID system, generating up to 413 horsies.
1962 Porsche 356 B
The first 356 B Porsche was introduced in 1960, completely redesigned from its 356 A predecessor. By 1962, the Porsche 356 B looked similar to an elongated VW Beetle, but it had a lot more power. It was a rear-wheel-drive, rear-engine sports car available in coupe or roadster. Designed by Porsche designer Erwin Komenda, the biggest difference between the A and B was an elongated front lid, widened severely at the bottom with the addition of vertical ventilation grilles.
Also, a new tank cap appeared on the front right wing. It came with a choice of three 1600 cc. engines, the 1600, the 1600 Super, and the 1600 Super 90. Varying in horsepower from 70 to 115, there was also the option of a 4-Cam Carrera 2. Prices ranged from $4,100 to $4,300. Porsches were built largely by hand during their early days, in spite of increasing demand.