The 5 best dashboards of the muscle-car era

1967 Chevrolet Corvette dashboard Mecum

2023 marks 70 years since the first Corvette rolled off the line in Flint, Michigan. To complement our extensive coverage of America’s sports car, from never-realized prototypes to Barbie partnerships to the future of Corvette Racing, we dug up this 2018 story focusing on interiors and starring the C2 (shown above). Enjoy! — Ed. 

When it comes to American performance cars of the 1960s, we tend to focus on style and quarter-mile times. Considering that cars were made to be driven, it is somewhat curious that ergonomics took so long to catch on with designers. Is it any wonder the aftermarket was so successful with accessories like tachometers?

Yet not all performance cars were designed with sweeping needle speedometers and poorly placed tachometers. All it took was one quick glance and vital statistics were easily registered without having to take your eyes off the road.

Who got it right? Here’s a subjective list:

1963–67 Chevrolet Corvette

Chevrolet’s redesigned Corvette was special for several reasons: Split-window style, four-wheel independent suspension, and great weight distribution, among other things. The 1963 Corvette also had “new conveniences [that] blend Sunday-driving ease with sports car function,” thanks to its functional instrument grouping: speedometer, tachometer, ammeter, oil pressure, and fuel and temperature gauges were grouped in a “single smart-looking cluster,” all within easy eyeshot. There were few changes through 1967, and for good reason—it followed a standard that was appropriate for a sports car and set one that should have been emulated by Detroit but rarely was.

1963–64 Studebaker Avanti

1963 Studebaker Avanti steering wheel
1963 Studebaker Avanti Mecum

The Avanti was a make-or-break model for Studebaker, which at the time was America’s oldest automotive manufacturer. With fiberglass construction and exotic, Euro-inspired style, this 2+2 from South Bend, Indiana, was unique in so many ways. The interior kept the unique which included “aircraft throttle-like controls” and functional instrumentation that included 160-mph speedometer, tachometer, ammeter, oil pressure, water temperature, manifold pressure, gas gauge, and clock. All this was illuminated by red backlighting that seems to have picked up in popularity in recent years.

1966–67 Dodge Charger

1966 Dodge Charger dash
1966 Dodge Charger Mecum

The 1966 Charger’s “four easy-to-read hooded circles” (150-mph speedometer, 6000-rpm tachometer, alternator, water temperature, oil pressure, and fuel) stood in contrast to the regular Coronet dashboard, which was a generic horizontal needle design with an optional tach only available on the console for the Coronet 500 trim level. While the Charger’s chrome bezels could be prone to glare, the dials themselves were large, legible, and illuminated by nifty electroluminescent lighting. Chrysler had previously used electroluminescence in 1960–62 which, at night, provided a gray-green glow with the added effect of depth as if it was rendered in 3D—something that is mimicked by today’s electronic dashboards.

1967–68 Mercury Cougar XR-7

1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7
1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Mecum

Only the base Cougar was available when Mercury’s pony car was introduced in the fall of 1966. The Cougar received a boost of European style with the XR-7 model, an upscale trim level introduced in the middle of the model year. Included in the XR-7’s standard features were “supple, glove-soft leathers” combined with vinyl for both front and rear seats, toggle switches, overhead console with dual map lights and warning lights, and map pockets and door assist straps, plus several other features. But it was the simulated walnut instrument panel, complete with “competition-type” gauges consisting of oil pressure, temperature, ammeter, tachometer, and fuel gauge, that gave the XR-7 its characteristic flavor. Add the GT package or, for 1968, the GT-E package, and you’d have yourself an American-style gran turismo.

1969–70 Pontiac Grand Prix

1969 Pontiac Grand Prix
1969 Pontiac Grand Prix Mecum

For 1967, buyers had the option to accent the GTO’s wood-grained dashboard with an all-new hood tachometer. When combined with the Rally cluster, the driver could grasp all major vitals while keeping tabs of the engine’s heartbeat without removing his/her eyes from the road. Now imagine that with a “cockpit-style instrument panel that almost lays every gauge, control, and switch in your lap.” That would look like the 1969–70 Grand Prix, a driver’s car with an instrument panel that curved around the driver (shades of the Studebaker Avanti). Sure, the hood tach mechanism didn’t take too kindly to hood-slamming, and the lighting has been described as done by overworked fireflies, but this was Pontiac at the top of its game, especially when equipped with the 428 HO and four-speed.

 

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Comments

    Thanks for the dashboard photos, nice, but I didn’t see my dashboard on the list. I’m 😢 hurt. Just kidding!
    My dashboard photo is in my 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air. I believe you have a photo of it, with the photos I sent.
    Thanks, Jerry Osborne

    My ’62 Grand Prix had an awesome interior. Lots of chrome, white tuck and roll seats, a beautiful console. Better than that plastic ’69 they showed.

    The XR7 instruments were actually made by Smiths in England, which is why they so closely resemble the ones installed in Jags of the era. I owned a ’68.

    But, but, but where is the 20″ display screen where we can play video games while the car drives itself – sort of? Sarcasm for sure.

    I would choose the Avanti because it had such a style difference from the cars of its time.

    I’ve always liked the XR7 dash. Great euro-vibe, love the simulated walnut and love the toggle switches. Out of this group though, the Avanti is my winner hands down. Having said that, there were lots of great dashboards in the late 50’s and through the 60’s. Early 60’s jet-styled Thunderbirds come to mind, Chrysler had some great dashes in the early 60’s, ’59 and ’60 full size Chevs had cool Corvette-like dashes, and the ’63/’64 Riviera dash had elegant style to match the gorgeous exteriors. A lot to like from that era, much better than the hard plastic monotone interiors from much of the past 2 decades.

    Charger is the only muscle car on the list. Cougar would be considered a pony car like Mustang, Camaro and Firebird. 68-69 Olds Cutlass should be on the list.

    While not considered a muscle car of the ’60’s but an era correct example is the Corvair Corsa panel. I don’t see an option to attach an image or I would.

    A visually pleasing dashboard also has to provide worthwhile information and I consider the steering wheel a component of the overall dash design.

    Among your choices the Corvette is tops (dash and steering wheel) but you also left out of your collection the 1965-66 Chevy Corvair Corsa, a black wrinkled finish Corvette inspired(?) or certainly aviation inspired, even the earlier 1962-64 Corvair Spyder, a brushed stainless, though this slightly proceeded the golden era of muscle cars the Corvair did stimulate the pony car market with; a turbo motor, four speed trans and independent suspension that a certain model from Ford lacked in its Falcon based days.

    The Cougar while hosting a beautiful plank of wood/like finish lacks worthwhile info part speedo. It is almost Jaguar in its appeal as a luxury pony car but the steering wheel is awful looks like a Full size Ford sedan in its uninspired design.

    Pontiac branded as performance GN division is not up to par of others as a muscle car.

    Though you titled this best dashes of muscle car era (time defined) you didn’t limit it to only domestic as there were many foreign muscle cars of this era as many Ferraris, Lambos and the Porsche 911 should/could be included.

    Great selection. Favorite is the Grand Prix with the cockpit style dash. Remember the 66-67 Charger with the bright green illumination. All were great selections! Wish the Avanti had survived.

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