Very Rare Old School Low Production Automobiles
1970-71 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible
Five of these four speed Plymouth Cuda Convertibles were built in 1970 and the following year there were only two models produced
Only 21 examples of the Hemi fitted Cuda left the assembly line
The last year the e-body was used to accommodate the 426 Hemi before it simply got too expensive to produce
1971 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible
Only 357 hardtop models and 17 GTO convertibles were built in 1971
The ’71 Judge had a new standard four barrel carburetor 455 HO 335 hp at 4800 rpm and 480 pound feet of torque at 3600 revs.
The Judge trade mark of the GTO was canceled early in the selling season
GTO models started at $3446 as a hardtop or $3676 as a convertible and the Judge package added $395
Declining sales and production cost made this model a collectors item
1967 Dodge Coronet R/T 426 Hemi
Only 10,181 examples of the Coronet R/T models were built in 1967 and were powered by V8 engines, while most were hardtop coupes with just 628 examples being convertibles
Three drop tops were equipped with the optional Hemi, one with torquef lite auto transmission and two with 4-speed manual transmission
Despite the Hemi 426 power performance demand decreased with customers seeking sports car models
1969 Chevy Corvette ZL-1
High price tag in 1969 and limited production with 22,129 coupe models which had a base price of $4,781, 16,633 were convertibles with a base price of $4,438
Only two Corvettes were built with the ZL1 option in 1969
The Chevy ZL-1 replaced the L88 engine with aluminum 7.0-liter V-8 designed specifically for racing
The 1969 ZL1 was an experimental car with a special all aluminum 427 V8
The ZL1 option cost $4,718.00 and required other mandatory options of around $550
1966 Ford Fairlane 500 R-Code
Only 57 examples of the Fairlane 500 R-Code left the assembly line
The 500 R-Code models were fitted with Ford’s most powerful engine at the time, the 7.0-liter Cobra V-8
The 7.0-liter Cobra V-8 was rated at 425 horsepower and 480 pound feet of torque
For the average person, the $4,501.12 price tag was steep, considering you could get a regular Fairlane V8 for about half that price
No demand for 500 R-Code models signaled customers were not interested in the fancy name title
1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 SUPER SNAKE
Shelby built a special GT500 model for Goodyear to help the company promote a new line of tires,
with a 7.0-liter V-8 engine from the Ford GT40 MkII race car and created the Super Snake
The Shelby Super Snake was capable of reaching 170 mph at top speed in 1967
Shelby had seriously planned on building 50 examples, but when Ford found out that it would cost twice as much as a normal GT500
the udeal was a closed topic
1963 Chevrolet Impala Z11
In 1963 Chevy introduced the first high performance version of the sedan, available under regular production option Z11
This Z11 Impala was based on the sport coupe model available as a two door hard top only
The 6.7 liter Turbo Thrust V-8 made Z11 the largest engine ever dropped in a Impala model
The 7.0-liter V-8 engine was capable of 430 horsepower with 575 pound feet of torque
Built for drag strip racing only a few survived out of 57 units
1955 Dodge La Femme
The Dodge La Femme was a automobile built for women and during the two run 1955-1956 sales were very
disappointing explaining why 2500 models were produced
T he La Femme was a Dodge Custom Royal Lancer with a feminine paint palette with La Femme on the fenders
Base price for the Custom Royal Lancer was. $2,543 and the special La Femme option cost< $143.00
1968-1970 Dodge Super Bee Hemi
The Super Bee Coupe was a rebadged Plymouth Road Runner and 15,506 Super Bees were produced in 1970 with fewer than 200 of the 440s being coupe models and Only 87 had automatic transmissions
Super Bee production would improve to 19,644 hardtops and 8,202 coupes in 1969
The Super Bee had three different engines, the 383 cu-in big-block V8 rated at 335 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque, while the 440 cu-in big block V8 generated 390 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque, the 440 cu-in option became known as the Six Pack
The name Six Pack came from the three Holley two-barrel carburetors fitted on the Edelbrock manifold and produced 425 horsepower with 490 pound-feet of torque
When the Dodge Super Bee made its debut in 1968, it had a base price of around $3,000 and the available Hemi producing 426 hp, cost owners $1,000 more
Only 125 426 Hemi engines were ordered by interested customers
The 1969 Daytona Charger Hemi
The 1969 Daytona Charger was the first to turn a lap speed of 200 mph in nascar racing
The 1969 Daytona was originally based on the R/T Charger’s design specifications, base engine a 7.2-liter Magnum
The Daytona underwent a series of specialized modifications to be race ready including an 18 inch sheet metal nose cone, a 23 inch high stabilizer rear wing
Sales were very disappointing resulting in only 503 models being produced
Designed for racing customers found the body styling bad for everyday transportation
The Daytona Charger was designed to be a limited edition race car with no real appeal to the public
The 426 V8 Hemi offered 425hp at 5000revs/minute and a torque of 490 lbs/feet at 4000 revs/minute
Only 75 Hemi powered Chargers were ever sold
1962 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty
Pontiac introduced the 421 Super Duty for 1962 with the dual four barrel version of the 421 SD rated at 405 horsepower
Pontiac really never considered the streetability aspect of its Super Duty engines
Production records show 179 total Super Duty Pontiacs were built that model year, including 16 Grand Prixs and 162 Catalinas
1961 Chevy Impala SS
GM produced 491,000 Impalas for the model year, 453 had the SS package while just 142 came equipped with the new Turbo Fire 409ci engine The SS package made this an expensive automobile so production was kept to a minimum
1961 Pontiac Ventura Super Duty
Pontiac built 16,906 Bonneville hardtops and 14,524 Catalinas that same year
The Ventura creation was based on the Catalina, but had a custom trim level that included three color tone upholstery, custom steering wheel, in dash clock and unique oval shaped taillamps
Straight from the factory the 61 Ventura was being offered with the 389-cu in V-8 engine
The Ventura was considered expensive in the 61 model year and many were sold for the of racing
Pontiac headquarters kept their expectation low due to budget cost and a high retail asking price
1963 421 Super Duty Grand Prix
The public responded to the restyled Grand Prix as production jumped to 72,959 models which more than double the previous year's total
Customers could order a 421 Super Duty Grand Prix for competition purposes but only three were ever built, one with the 390 4-barrel 421 SD, and two with the 405-hp 421 SD with dual quads and aluminum front ends
1953 Chevy Corvette
The release of the first Chevrolet Corvette was a white convertible roadster decorated in beautiful red interior with the blue flame inline six cylinder engine under the hood with a two speed automatic transmission
The very first all fiberglass bodied american sports car was ahead of the competion but performance quickly became an issue with a $2,943 sticker price
Installed options were very limited with a heater and AM radio, instrument panel with an electric clock, a 5000 rpm tachometer and several other features in all the 300 hand made models that were only available in exterior polo white
Fiberglass was chosen because it allowed designer Harley Earl more freedom to create rounded shapes which defined the creation of a great looking wrap windshield two seat sports car
This slow production model had no roll-up windows, or exterior door handles and molded from reinforced fiberglass
All 300 1953 Corvettes were convertibles with black canvas tops with the existing chevy 235 cubic inch 6 cylinder Blue Flame engine producing 150HP
The blue flame 150 HP six cylinder and 2-speed Powerglide transmission was disappointing to performance enthusiasts
The early released Corvettes were delivered only to high profile celebrities and GM executives
1954 Oldsmobile F-88
The 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 was one of the most spectacular concepts designed by Harley Earl but General Motors struck down the ideal of sending this automobile into production in favor of
the Chevy Corvette and the chevrolet line
The first Oldsmobile F-88 concept was built for the 1954 Motorama show circuit which was where manufacturers received the attention they needed to persuade customers to look at their available automobiles
The F-88 was built on the same chassis of an early model Corvette and shared the Vette’s 102-inch wheelbase
Only four models were ever started and completed and rumor tells the story of only one survivor remaining and in January 2005 was sold at the barrett jackson auction for $3,240,000.00
Under the hood the 324-cubic-inch V8 from the 1954 Oldsmobile Super 99 and special modifications boosted the engine to 250HP
After being disassembled and packed away in crates for years the survivor model was reassembled and sold at auction to Discovery Communications founder John S. Hendricks
There are many stories regarding total production of the F-88s and what happened to the missing models
1969-1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Ford Motor Company produced 1359 original Boss 429s during the two years of availability 1969-70
The 429 power performance engine was intended to homologate the 429 semi-hemispherical engine for NASCAR racing
NASCAR's homologation rules required that at least 500 cars be fitted with the same motor and sold to the general public
Ford chose their fastback mustang over the ford torino and 859 Boss 429s were made in 1969
Ford made only 499 Boss 429s in 1970 because of declining sales
The Boss 429 engine was a monstrous big block V8 rated at a conservative 375 hp and 450-lb. ft. of torque
Classic Recreations is the only company officially licensed to sell 1969 Boss 429 continuations and each build starts with an original 69 Mustang body that it restores to factory condition
Classic Recreations charges a minimum of $209,000 for a Boss 429, and the price can climb from there depending on options
1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird
Plymouth offered a 426 cubic-inch Hemi producing 425 horsepower and 490 foot pounds of torque if you purchased the 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird
Production was limited because of the expensive price on powerful horsepower producing engines and the actual numbers were 1,084 for the 440 4-barrel, and 716 for the 440 6-barrel, and only 135 for the 426 Hemi
The 426 Hemi Superbird 0-60 was clocked at 4.8 seconds, the quarter mile at 13.5 seconds at 105 mph, compared to the base 440 V8 the Hemi could distance the quarter .76 seconds faster
This automobile was designed for racing and not the usual street cruising which meant sales were disappointing in most cases
This would be the only year the Superbird would be produced because NASCAR imposed new engine modifications and weight restrictions on aero designed cars
Their were 1,935 Plymouth Hemi Superbird's sold in 1970 which considering the cost and racing body design was about the estimation
1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1
The original power punch 427 cubic-inch ZL1 engine was never intended for production camaro's
The Yenko Camaro's of 1969 were COPO cars with a production based Corvette 427 engine
The supercharged 427 cubic-inch ZL1 engine was estimated at 640 horsepower
The expensive price and racing design engine meant only 69 Camaro ZL1s were produced in 1969
1967 Plymouth R023 GT
The Chrysler 426 Hemi rated at 425 hp was optional in the Belvedere GTX for an additional $546 and only 720 GTX’s were with this engine choice were produced
The R023 GTX was a stripped down looking model Plymouth did not bother marketing, Plymouth only built 55 of the R023 GTX’s
The engine choices were 426 Hemi V8 425 hp @5000rpm, 490ft-lb torque @4000rpm440 V8 375 hp @4600rpm with 480lb-ft torque
These engines were rated 440 V8:0–60 in 6.6 seconds, ¼ mile in 15.2 seconds @ 97 mph426 Hemi:0–60 in 4.8 seconds, ¼ mile in 13.5 seconds @105 mph
1967 Plymouth R023 GTX — 55 models produced
Production 2D Coupe — 11,249 2D Hardtop — 686
1966 Plymouth Barracuda
In 1966 the Plymouth Barracuda S fastback had won the championship in the sports car club of america’s national rallying class
The first generation Barracuda was a fastback A-body coupe based on the Valiant, had the distinctive wrap around back glass
The golden commando version of the Chrysler 273-cid V8 was the powerful engine option
The 1966 Barracuda V-8 Price was $2,655
Total production was 38,029 for the cuda in 1966
1954 Buick Skylark
The 1954 Buick Skylark was Buick’s top line model with a total production of just over eight hundred
Both the 1953 and 1954 Skylarks were limited production models, 1953 1,690 Skylark vehicles were produced and in 1954 just 830 were available
1969 Pontiac Firebird Transam
The 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am model was in the hands of john deLorean himself while trying to distinguish the Pontiac brand as being superior to Chevrolet
DeLorean was working on an overhead cam six cylinder for the Firebird he had in mind but GM slammed that ideal because it was considerably more expensive than existing engines
Under the hood the 1969 Trans Am model received the 400 Ram Air III V8 engine producing 335 hp
Only a mere 55 cars were produced despite being unique and definitely different than the base model Firebird
All Trans Am models that year came with a polar bear white paint finish and blue racing stripes down the entire length of the car
The 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was a singular model in the history of pony cars because a new body style would be adopted the following year
It was a middle of the year release and the price tag for the WS4 option was high $1,100 to $1,200 and rumor had leaked to the buying public that a redesigned F-Body would be available for 1970
The 1969 Trans Ams are rare because only 697 were produced
1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
The 427 V8 in the Thunderbolt was rated by Ford at 425 horsepower
1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt was designed for drag strip racing which meant unloading the weight, fiberglass was used for the high rise hood, fenders, doors, and bumpers
Chrysler’s whining at the drag strip resulted in aluminum bumpers replacing the fiberglass, plexiglas windows were used instead of glass, sunvisors, armrests, insulation, rear window cranks, jack, lug wrenches,heater and radio removed
Quarter mile time for the Thunderbolt was 11.9 seconds at 122 mph
Ford won the 1964 NHRA manufacturers cup and several trophies thanks to the Thunder Bolt
Just 127 were produced and they went to racers on the drag strip
1966 Shelby Mustang GT350
1966 Shelby Mustang GT350 with 289 CID Cobra producing 306 horsepower and 329 ft-lb of torque made the biggest splash that year while doing 0-60 in 6.6 seconds
Options were expensive including the 289 cobra engine resulting in production of 1365 models
1967 Camaro Z28
The 1967 Camaro Z28 was designed especially for the trans-am road racing series
Sporting a 302 cubic-inch version of the small block V-8 engine which met the requirements needed for drag racing events
Trans Am rules required production based cars with engines of 305 cid or less
At least 1,000 street examples had to be produced to meet drag racing requirements, so the 302 with no sales literature became available to customers
only as an option at a package cost of $400
Test performed reported 63 mph in first gear, 85 in second, and 113 in third with top speed approaching 140 mph
General motors only produced 602 Z28 coupe models that year
1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible With Ram Air
The pontiac GTO 400 cubic inch 6.5L V8 produced 360 horsepower with the quadrajet single four barrel carb
Only 56 convertible's with ram air were produced
1969 Hurst Oldsmobile Convertible
In 1969 the Hurst Oldsmobile returned for a 2nd year and under the hood
455 cubic inch Rocket V8 engine rated at 380 HP
General motors had problems answering demands during production and these
numbers below make this a bad year and rare automobile
Sports Coupe - 2,475 produced
Hardtop Coupe - 19,587 produced
Convertible- 4,296 produced
Hurst/Olds Hardtop- 912 produced
Hurst/Olds Convertible- 2 produced
Total Production- 27,272
1973-74 Pontiac Super Duty Transam
Pontiac introduced the 455 cubic inch V8 called the Super Duty or SD-455 and this engine was hand built with a heavy duty block, forged aluminum flat top pistons, with a rochester four barrel carburetor performance was 290 HP at 4,000 rpm and 390 pound feet of torque at 3,600 rpm
With a three speed automatic 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds and quarter mile in 13.8 seconds at 103.6 mph
Federal regulations regarding drive by noise standards required the scoop to be riveted shut in order to cut down on noise
The SD-455 Trans Am club package was $521 and customers who purchased this option had the fastest american performance car in 1973
Just 1,195 SD-455 Trans Am's were built