Nice cars other than x-fire
- Thread starter 1st Vette
- Start date
LE BARON
Power User
Back when they knew what a chair was. And probably a hell of a lot better for craftmanship and comfort that what is around today even within homes
Dave91TM
Power User
The new Stutz complete with seats by Lazy Boy!
LE BARON
Power User
Cadillac gets all the historical credit for unleashing the 16 cylinder automobile, but General Motors actually stole the march on a far superior rival. Howard Marmon started designing an all aluminum V16 back in 1926 before a defecting engineer carried those secret plans directly to Cadillac.
Cadillac beat Marmon to market by 1 year, yet the 1931 Marmon Sixteen thoroughly outclassed the Detroit giant in every measurable metric.
While Cadillac used a heavy cast iron block pushing 175 horsepower, Marmon engineered an advanced 491 cubic inch aluminum V16 with steel cylinder sleeves. Producing 200 horsepower, it weighed hundreds of pounds less and each example was certified past 100 miles per hour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before delivery.
Industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague penned a clean, modern body built by LeBaron.
The Great Depression crushed the independent automaker after roughly 390 builds, letting GM claim the glory while the superior machine slipped into obscurity.
Cadillac beat Marmon to market by 1 year, yet the 1931 Marmon Sixteen thoroughly outclassed the Detroit giant in every measurable metric.
While Cadillac used a heavy cast iron block pushing 175 horsepower, Marmon engineered an advanced 491 cubic inch aluminum V16 with steel cylinder sleeves. Producing 200 horsepower, it weighed hundreds of pounds less and each example was certified past 100 miles per hour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before delivery.
Industrial designer Walter Dorwin Teague penned a clean, modern body built by LeBaron.
The Great Depression crushed the independent automaker after roughly 390 builds, letting GM claim the glory while the superior machine slipped into obscurity.
LE BARON
Power User
Pontiac gets all the credit for launching the American street wars with the GTO. They won the marketing battle but engineers at another General Motors division built a vastly superior machine.
The 1968 Oldsmobile 442 arrived as a completely redesigned standalone model becoming the undisputed gentleman of the muscle era. While competing brands focused entirely on straight line acceleration with sloppy steering Oldsmobile decided a performance vehicle should actually navigate a corner.
Under the muscular new body lines sat a torque heavy 400 cubic inch V8 engine. The real secret weapon was bolted underneath. Every single 442 came standard with boxed rear control arms stiff springs and a thick rear sway bar that eliminated the terrifying body roll found in rival cars.
It delivered massive raw power wrapped in premium luxury and sophisticated handling. The GTO was built for teenagers wanting to spin their tires but Oldsmobile engineered a refined heavy hitter for the thinking driver
The 1968 Oldsmobile 442 arrived as a completely redesigned standalone model becoming the undisputed gentleman of the muscle era. While competing brands focused entirely on straight line acceleration with sloppy steering Oldsmobile decided a performance vehicle should actually navigate a corner.
Under the muscular new body lines sat a torque heavy 400 cubic inch V8 engine. The real secret weapon was bolted underneath. Every single 442 came standard with boxed rear control arms stiff springs and a thick rear sway bar that eliminated the terrifying body roll found in rival cars.
It delivered massive raw power wrapped in premium luxury and sophisticated handling. The GTO was built for teenagers wanting to spin their tires but Oldsmobile engineered a refined heavy hitter for the thinking driver
LE BARON
Power User
By 1970 tire technology was dangerously lagging behind Chrysler aerodynamics. A winged sister car officially crossed 200 miles per hour at Talladega, and the Plymouth Superbird carried that exact velocity directly onto superspeedways. Richard Petty collected 8 victories in 1970 alone.
The crisis was pure survival. Period bias ply racing tires began to blister and disintegrate under sustained 200 mile per hour friction. Contemporary track barriers and catch fences were never engineered to absorb impacts at those velocities.
To lure Petty back from Ford, Plymouth had extended the front nose by 19 inches and mounted a 24 inch aluminum rear wing to slice through clean air above the roofline.
Fearing a catastrophic fatality, NASCAR boss Bill France effectively banned the aero cars for 1971. He restricted winged vehicles to a suffocating 305 cubic inch displacement, while conventional bodies kept their 426 and 429 big blocks. The rulebook killed the birds before the tires did
The crisis was pure survival. Period bias ply racing tires began to blister and disintegrate under sustained 200 mile per hour friction. Contemporary track barriers and catch fences were never engineered to absorb impacts at those velocities.
To lure Petty back from Ford, Plymouth had extended the front nose by 19 inches and mounted a 24 inch aluminum rear wing to slice through clean air above the roofline.
Fearing a catastrophic fatality, NASCAR boss Bill France effectively banned the aero cars for 1971. He restricted winged vehicles to a suffocating 305 cubic inch displacement, while conventional bodies kept their 426 and 429 big blocks. The rulebook killed the birds before the tires did
Dave91TM
Power User
I wonder how its handling would compare with vehicles today?
Like a boat! lol. Though for cars then a lot less than a boat.
I had a 69 SS 396 Chevelle. There is zero comparison with todays vehicles.
Hmmmmm.... Having driven a dump truck, the Chevelle wasn't that bad but cornering was biggest difference. Decent suspensions for corners and weight distribution was something only race cars had back then and they still weren't as good as todays.