What’s the best “sleeper” car of all time?
You don’t realize that a car is a sleeper until it’s too late. Whether on drag strip or race track, you challenged it and wound up seeing nothing but its taillights. A “sleeper” doesn’t look fast, but it performs far better than it looks. The Buick Regal T-Type Limited is one of my favorite examples of the breed. It sports all the performance of the Grand National, clad in unassuming chrome trim and packed with top-level Limited luxury features inside and out.
Sleepers have likely been around since people were souping up Model Ts. Take this 1915 Ford Model T Sherman Super Fire, with a claimed 50 horsepower and a four-speed transmission. That’s more than double the engine’s factory output, and the vehicle clearly looks like its built for racing. But it doesn’t have to be.
All (most?) of the performance bits that make the aforementioned red Model T speedster so special can be added to a stock-looking, mundane Model T Doctor’s Coupe. Indeed, the cozy coupe intended for medical professionals would be quite the sleeper with more gears, way more power, and a resultant increase in speed and acceleration.
You could call such a machine a precursor to Urgent Care. Or perhaps a sleeper T Doctor’s Coupe is more of an Urgent Car?
No matter, a sleeper is a formula well known by aftermarket parts vendors looking for more sales and increased awareness. But even manufacturers are known to see the business model for themselves.
I’ll spare you the historical spiel on how a famous racer came together with a newly minted CEO to make the 1984 Ford LTD/LX, but suffice to say that making a Mustang GT–infused sleeper on one of the more forgettable derivatives of the Fox-body platform proved that the concept had merit.
All of this is a very, very roundabout way of encouraging you to answer my question:
What’s the best sleeper car of all time?
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The mule for XJ220 development was a Ford Transit van. It was later purchased by Don Law Racing, tuned up to ~600 hp, and was the fastest thing up the hill at Goodwood – it has a ladder bolted to the roof and lad mags glued to the dashboard.
Not The best sleeper by any means, but something you would not expect to be so snappy, the most recent Dodge Grand Caravans. Stock with 283 HP, 6 speed automatic… not grampa’s mini van.
Here is my contribution:
Stock appearing 1937 Ford Business coupe (this was in 1954), 281 CID flathead V8, 4 carbs, track cam, etc. It ran best on a heavy load of nitro and never lost a street race. It turned 104 MPH at Orange, MA back in the day. It was a real money maker. One exhaust was short and hidden from scrutiny.
1965 Jaguar MK11 sedan with 485 HP Trans-Am SBC power. At Epping NH dragtrack’s announcer went crazy yelling how a 6 cylinder ‘tea pot’ was eating up all the muscle cars. This low drag thing would lift its front wheels off the pavement at 165 MPH.
1967 Lamborghini GT350 with a 4 liter V12 – 60 HP stronger than stock. Even the cops chose not to chase it.
2009 Cadillac CTS-V 4 door with no badges showing. Unbelievably fast for only 556 HP. GM had to rate it below Corvette’s blown models.
1974 Taylor jet boat – only 19′ long but packed 585 HP in its 1969 ZL-1 BBC. This thing accelerated so hard it made one cry, Also had a blown BBC tunnel hull that chine walked at 109 MPH. No sleeper it was an overpowered sled just waiting to kill somebody.
1959 Kellison J3R Roadster. So small everyone assumed it was a 4 cylinder Clown Car. 490 HP SBC makes all the difference. Runs the 1/4 @ 123 MPH in low 11’s thru quiet mufflers on street tires. Has always beat Cobras of every model on race tracks and at hill climbs.
Finally: 1968 Formula 5000 with 7-liter Hlborn injected SBC developing 700 HP and 601 ft-lbs of torque. 0 to 130 is 8 sec on unprepared tarmac up a 22% grade. It runs on ‘funny fuel’ which adds 12% to power. Thus a 50-year old race car driven by a near octogenarian competes nicely with modern equipment driven by youngsters. It visually would pass a 1968 tech inspection. It literally shakes the ground and is easily the loudest car at any event.
My 1973 Ford Maverick 2 door. It had a 302 and white walls. Surprised a lot of folks back in the day.
Pontiac T37… most don’t know what it is. Ask some old timers from the late 60’s… very unassuming car… I believe a 4 speed and a 455 was what it was
The ultimate sleeper would have to be the 1992 Dodge Spirit R/T in Silver. The 91 & 92 Spirit R/T were all sleepers but the red or white wheels on red or white cars made them stand out a little. But the only other physical difference was a tiny trunk spoiler. So these cars and especially the Silver 92 (only 30 made) looked mostly like every other grocery getting Spirit. But they were the quickest production car when it came out in 1990. I had one and even by today standards you wouldn’t be shamed by most cars on the road. Back then it was scary quick.
I drive a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruser 2.4 Turbo GT. Surprise! It Is A Sleeper. I Love this car and i am 73 years old.
In the early 90s I worked for a dealer that had multiple high end car lines. The car that I found to be the best sleeper was an Audi 200 Quattro with the 20 valve turbocharged 5 cylinder engine. It looked like a family hauler, but the engine was the same as the S4 and the Quattro meant traction galore. I drove a lot of fast and exciting cars, but that Audi gathered the least attention and gave me the most confidence when pushing hard.
Left out of the Chrysler lineup was the 1984 Plymouth Colt Turbo, a bare bones, lighter and faster version of the Omni. The absolute epitome of a pocket rocket, more street fun than should ever be allowed in stoplight to stoplight contests.
I had a new 1989 “jellybean” and how I wished it had been an SHO. Then again, as a teenager I was drawn to sportscars from places like England and Germany. So my first thought of a sleeper was the Sunbeam Tiger.
Don’t forget 1969 Chevy c10 short box 396
I had a friend who owned a 1968 AMC American. Square box but it had the 390 AMX motor and 3 speed stick on the column. Everyone thought it was a 6 until they lined up with him. Never saw it beat. 2nd sleeper I saw was a T37 Pontiac with a factory 455ho. It was either a 71 or 72. I watched him run a Dodge Coronet with a 426 Hemi that he edged out. That car was a beast also
Some other sleepers I was around. A friend with a family ordered a 1970 Plymouth Sattelite 4 door family car but he put a 383 super commando and geared like a Road Runner. You only realized something was up when he left you looking at the duel exhaust as he ran away from you. My Dad also sold Pontiac for a friends dealership on the side. He had a guy order a Pontiac Tempest in 1968 as a work car. His only option he got was the sprint engine. It was 250 OHC 6 with split manifold, duel exhaust, 4 barrel carb. It had rubber floor 3 speed stick on column, no options at all. That car shocked lots of v8s. It had the nickname of the GTOs mean little brother.
I was looking forward to an article about cars you can comfortably sleep in. These sleepers were sleepers for a reason; Uncool cars.
We had two ’58 Mercurys. My dad’s go to work was a Monterey 2 door sedan with the 383 V-8 4V rated at 335 hp, was blue with a white top. Mom’s car was a Monterey 4 door hardtop with the 430 V-8 with three 2 brbls, was cream color body with a gold top. Dad was 58 & mom was 57, talk about “sleeper cars” we also had “sleeper” looking drivers that surprised quite a few Corvettes.
My 04 Marauder will hold its own in this group and with its 32 valve 4.6 it is a pretty rare bird. Anxious to see when it’s day to be recognized arrives.