American Muscle We’ll Be Watching in Monterey 2024
As usual, Monterey Auction Week will gather some of the most exclusive and valuable cars from around the world. That doesn’t mean that American muscle power will be left out—on the contrary, many of us here at Hagerty will be paying close attention to the strong contingent of pushrod V-8-powered collectibles that are up for sale. Here is just a sampling of some of the finest American sports and muscle cars crossing the blocks.
1953 Cunningham C3 Vignale
Owned by banker and philantropist William A.M. Burden Jr., who served as U.S. Ambassador to Belgium under President Eisenhower from 1959-1961, this Chrysler-Hemi-powered Le Mans homologation car would have been quite the powerhouse in its era. Its Vignale-built body is oozing with mid-century Italian style and could easily be confused for a Ferrari of similar vintage. With four two-barrel carbs, this hot-rodded Hemi could certainly take the fight to Italy’s best. Broad Arrow puts the sale estimate at $750,000-$950,000 for this Cunningham.
1963 Shelby Cobra
Usually it’s the powerhouse 427 Cobra that brings the most attention at auctions, but Steve McQueen’s association with this 289-powered Cobra may cause a few more paddles to raise for loot F99. Originally purchased by television and film producer David L. Wolper, the Cobra changed hands a few times after McQueen’s two year tenure with the car, and it eventually made its way to Switzerland where it was given a roll hoop, a hood scoop, and a refresh on the black paint. The cachet of driving such a beautiful and capable machine once wheeled by The King of Cool will definitely add to the demand of an already desirable sports car.
(Editor’s note: An earlier edition of this article stated that this Cobra was owned by McQueen. While he did possess, and presumably enjoy, the car for a couple of years, he did not own the car. We have corrected the characterization and appreciate the sharp eyes of our readers.)
1967 L88 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
Chevrolet’s rowdy L88 427 spanned two generations of Corvette, debuting in 1967 and lasting until 1969, giving America’s Sports Car a “430 hp” shot of adrenaline. Of course, the 430hp rating was a joke, as the big-block’s aluminum heads, forged pistons, and solid-lifter camshaft were all meant for serious performance. The 12.5:1 compression ratio meant that L88 Corvettes needed to swill high-octane fuel, so this was no normal street bruiser and it well exceeded its rating.
Even among the rare L88 cars—only 20 were built in 1967—this black convertible is special. Its color combo makes it unique, but its racing pedigree is what’s more impressive. The first L88-equipped Corvette sold, it was raced by Tony DeLorenzo, son of GM executive Anthony G. DeLorenzo. Tony campaigned the car to a second place finish in SCCA A Production in 1967 and the car went on to race for years, racking up a win in the 1982 Canadian Road Race Championship. Soon after, it was retired from racing and restored back to showroom condition by Ken and Gary Naber. With such impressive performance and a solid documentation of its race history and restoration, this could be one of the biggest Corvette sales of the year.
1968 Chevrolet Yenko Super Camaro
While Chevrolet was happy to put 427 engines into Impalas and Corvettes in 1968, it took a bit more effort to get its most potent big-blocks into any car that wasn’t full-sized or fiberglass. One method was ordering your car from a dealership that was willing to put in the work to swap a 396 for a 427. Yenko Chevrolet, in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was one such dealership. Yenko built 64 of its Super Camaros in 1968, and only two were Grotto Blue. This fine example was ordered with COPO 9737, the Sports Car Conversion option, which came with high-performance parts from the factory—like improved cooling, suspension, and brakes, a Muncie M21 four-speed, and a 4.10:1 Positraction differential—that simplified the conversion process for Yenko. It’s one of the lowest-production Chevy muscle cars, and also one of the most powerful. Its performance options, as well as Yenko’s aesthetic touches, like the custom hood, make this one of the most collectible Camaros ever.
1969 Ford GT40 Lightweight
The gorgeous lines of the GT40, evolved from Lola designs, met with Ford V-8s and Shelby’s dogged determination to win at LeMans and create an icon. We don’t have to explain the historical significance of the Ford GT40—there are plenty of books and movies that already have. We just have to point out that even among GT40s, this one is special as it’s a race-winner that has managed to survive with its original body, chassis, engine, and transaxle. No small feat for a race car that was campaigned for several years.
1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
When Dodge and Ford battled each other for high-speed supremacy on NASCAR’s superspeedways, the results were some of the most interesting designs of the muscle car era. Ford’s Torino Talladega and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II, with their longer noses and sleek fastbacks, were countered by the Charger 500 that brought a more aerodynamic grille and rear window. Dodge didn’t stop there, and visited the wind tunnel to create the wildly styled Charger Daytona. Its tapered nose and tall wing were designed to cut through the air and provide stability as speeds eclipsed 200mph.
This F8 Green example is likely the most well-equipped Charger Daytona ever. One of just 22 equipped with a Hemi and a four-speed manual, it’s a muscular brute, but it also packs power steering, power brakes, power windows, and a six-way adjustable driver seat for driving comfort. We love the green-on-green look, especially with the green wheels. There’s no such thing as an “understated” Charger Daytona, but this combo actually tames the wild looks a bit, which isn’t a bad thing.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Chevrolet had a winning 1969 Trans Am season thanks to the driving exploits of Mark Donohue and Ronnie Bucknum, and the stellar performance of the Z/28 Camaro. The 1969 model year marked the end of the first-generation Camaro and also the end of the Chevy 302, as SCCA rules for 1970 no longer required homologaiton vehicles to use the same 5.0-liter displacement as the race cars. So while the second-gen Camaro and its 350-cubic inch LT-1 V-8 were strong performers of their own, they don’t have the same mystique as the 302.
This diamond in the rough was owned by Paul Walker, and was supposed to be a project car for the actor and collector prior to his 2013 death. The car is an early production 1969 Z/28 and doesn’t have a cowl hood or spoiler as you’d expect, but it does have the Rally Sport option that included the signature hidden headlights. We sort of appreciate the car’s weathered look, but it also appears to be a great candidate for restoration as the important parts, including the numbers-matching 302 and M21 transmission, are intact.
1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible
Arguably Mopar’s most attractive pony car, the E-body Barracuda backs up its chiseled lines and sporty looks with a formidable engine lineup. Of course, the 426 Hemi was the top dog, and pairing the elephant engine with a convertible ‘Cuda is a recipe for an instant collectible.
Finished in Lemon Twist with matching wheels and a tan interior, the striking color combo leaves nothing to be desired. It is one of 11 Hemi ‘Cuda convertibles and just one of three built for export to Canada. Fittingly, its stunning looks are due to a full restoration performed by Legendary Motorcar in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada.
There is one “muscle” car on this list and it isn’t a Corvette, Cobra, Camaro, Cuda, or a Ford. And yes, I am grouchy before the coffee is served, and not much better after coffee.
You are wrong since the ‘Cuda is actually a pony car, not a muscle car.
The author said “muscle and sports cars’
My reply was to Paul Ipolito, not to the author.
“American Muscle We’ll Be Watching in Monterey 2024” I stand by my comment. The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona is the only Muscle car on the list.
When stated in this manner it is implied that these are American cars with Muscle not Muscle cars. There are pony cars with Muscle and there are GT’s with and without muscle And there are sports cars with and without muscle. lol to serious.
You are correct, sir.
Can’t you find anything of a bit more importance to argue about? Do you even know what a “Muscle car” is?
“American muscle”; you copied it yourself. Nowhere does it say musclecar. Also “American muscle power” and “pushrod V-8 power”.
Reading comprehension and attention to detail is important, especially when trying to make yourself seem a little bit smarter than the rest of the class.
The only car here that speaks to me is the rusty Z/28 RS. Celebrity ownership isn’t why. In the mid ’70s I was in highschool with a guy who’s monied parents provided him with a real solid lifter 302/4spd ’69 RS Z/28. Blue metallic, white stripes. Chambered zero muffler exhaust. My 440 Charger could put a length on him at the light. After 3rd I saw taillights. And the noise that thing made? Wound up tight it sounded like, well, you had to be there.
There are a lot of really worthy cars, but if you haven’t heard a real solid lifter 302 Chevy through the factory (!) chambered exhaust wound up tight, you missed something.
Paul I – Sounds like you shouldn’t have stopped smoking.
Too many Pauls in your comments.
Well, understanding “Muscle” to mean engine power it seems the term certainly applies to these cars. Any and all of them are favorites of mine. Others do have the right to have their own opinion of course.
well said
The 1953 Cunningham C3 Vignale is a curious oddball. I’d like to know more about it.
Cunningham s were Built in USA. Chrysler engines I believe. A rare odd duck.
While the chassis & running gear were built in the shops in Florida, the Vignales were sent to Italy and received bodies built by the Vignale company there. As you say, the engines were Chrysler. Three different types of transmissions were used, with most cars getting Chrysler’s “Presto-Matic” semi-auto.
Hmmmm, has something changed in the “general consensus” around Steve McQueen’s ownership of a Cobra? I have read for years that he never owned one, just borrowed one for a while from Shelby. That was the consensus. What changed? New information? New documents?
I’ve heard that McQueen’s so called Cobra was a single lone car Shelby promised to many celebrities. This one car was repainted several times for each different car magazine test to falsely imply they were a legit company producing and selling many cars. This was the first 289 and the early beginnings of Shelby American of Venice, California.
McQueen borrowed CSX2174 from Carroll which is not the car on offer here.
I’m not a fan of patina but #9 looks much better in the photo taken in the race garage with the raced look.
Just an update to my previous comment: according to my copy of the COBRA WORLD REGISTRY 4Th Edition, CSX 2161 was LOANED to McQueen in 1965 by its then owner, Composer Elmer Bernstein. McQueen used the car but he never owned it. Someone is playing fast and loose with this car’s history to make a buck me thinks. My 2 cents? It is cool that he drove it, but any document that shows McQueen’s ownership on it should be inspected for forgery or fraud.
If you click on “Mecum Lot F99” under the photo, a more detailed and accurate “biography” of the car is provided. I too am leary of undocumented hearsay being used to jack up the price of an item. Hopefully there are photos of McQueen driving the car to substantiate the claims. If not, I would discount them.
There will likely be photographs of him driving it as he had it for his free usage for over a year, but driving it and documented ownership are about a quarter-million dollars apart when it comes to the “McQueen price bump”.
Impossible choice to make! Every one is a Collector’s dream, especially the American cars.
At least a couple of those seem to only come out for auctions…but it’ll be interesting to see what the difference between McQueen using a car vs owning it will be – and if in fact the truth’s been stretched on that, one wonders if the auction house will do the right thing when presenting it (not holding my breath on that) ?
Could care less if McQueen ever owned that Cobra (although I’m sure prospective buyers will), I just think it’s a heck of a great car. The FIA “look” to this 289 seems (in my mind) better proportioned than the later 427’s.
The L88 Corvette is interesting, the history of this car has been published in DeLorenzo’s brother’s web site a couple of times…race cars live a complex life.
Hey, my cousin has an MG that he says Ali MacGraw (Steve McQueen’s ex-wife) rode in while filming “Love Story.” He will sell it for $250,000 if you’re interested.
GT40 or the Cunningham would be my choices.
Again, misleading title leading me to open and read this article.
Hagarty, where’s the Muscle Cars???
To be fair, Mecum is NOT claiming McQueen ever owned the subject 289 Cobra. Mecum’s catalog states McQueen maintained possession of the car during ownership by Elmer Bernstein and later Richard Mathis, and he enjoyed “stewardship” of the car during this period, but nowhere does it state McQueen was the registered or legal owner.
That McQueen “owned” the car appears to be sloppy reporting on the part of Hagerty.