Special Vehicle Team Mustang Club

The sixties brought about a revolution in auto design and performance. Of course if I live long enough, I think you will see 1/4 mile 12 second electric cars that may exceed the sixties cool car boom. There are many innovative things that were tried in the 60’s. The cars of the 1960’s had innovation, beauty, and speed.

The early 1960’s brought about the advent of the compact car. The Plymouth Valiant, Dodge Dart, Ford Falcon, Chevy Corvair (rear engine), Buick Skylark, Pontiac Tempest, Olds Cutlass, Chevy Nova, and American Motors Rambler, were some of the Auto makers attempts at a more efficient, easy to drive, less costly car. I had a 1961 Pontiac Tempest with 3 on the floor and what was actually a V8 cut in half. It was a good little bugger and candy apple red. My Aunt’s Corvair took the cake with its sports car feel and rear engine. Darts and other Mopars ran forever and were so easy to maintain.

One innovation from the 60’s was the introduction of every auto maker creating a series of large, medium, and small size cars to cover the needs of America. Fins, Bullet Lights, Push Button Transmissions, better radios with 8 track or cassette players, were anxiously awaited by the public every year. Some even had record players. The Air Conditioner evolved into efficiency too. Big and small block V8’s grew and grew.

The 1964, 389 three deuce GTO started the war of muscle cars. Some other favorites of mine were the 1964 Pontiac Grand Prix with a 421, the pre-1967 Belvedere and Coronet with hemis, the 1962-64 Chevy Impalas were nice too. A 1962 Ford Galaxie with a 292 police interceptor was cool as was the 1966 Galaxie. You can’t ignore all the Corvettes of the 1960’s with the 1966 Stingray being my favorite. Of course the 1964 ½ Mustang brought about the pony car revolution.

1967 was kind of a turnaround year. The 1967 Mustang GT with a 390 was a little slow but so sleek. The 1967 Camaro, the GM entry, was fast and very cool. 1968 brought about the Dodge Scat Pack with the Dart GT, Challenger, and of course Coronet Super Bee and R/T. That 1968 Charger R/T Hemi or 440 was one of my all-time favorites. It looked like a giant Sting Ray. What a sound that 440 made. The GTO Judge, Buick Grand Sport and Hurst Olds 4-4-2 were very very cool too.

I remember my best friend bought a Super Bee with a 383 and I got a 440 Coronet R/T. Then, trying to outdo me, he got a 1969 Mustang Mach One (only 335 hp rated). I found a rare 1969 Mustang Police Interceptor. It had a Super Cobra Jet 428 with about 410 hp. and complete with transmission cooler, gears, cam, air shocks and all from the factory. What a car! All black and no markings, hood scoops or anything.

Of course the 1970’s had it’s share of muscle cars but the 1960’s, in my opinion, had the coolest cars of all-time.

Charles Priore

2011 Ford Mustang V6

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