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.
If you actually read the description on Mecum’s website, there is no claim that “McQueen owned the car”. The commentary about this article is seems to have become a game of button button.
Do some research; man,y many articles written about Cunningham automobiles, racing and streetable. Most are probably on paper, oc. Long tradition of American mills in exotic (usually Italian, but not always) bodywork. There are websites on those specialties, too. Amazing story! All preceding Shelby.
Mecum………”it is noted that Steve McQueen once told this cars owner to %#*& OFF after he was cut off by this incredible Cobra………..what appears to be full documentation includes photos of owners two black eyes received on the same day………”
While some people have definite opinions about what qualifies as a muscle car and what doesn’t, the term usually applies to two-door, rear-wheel-drive, small to midsize cars with large, powerful eight-valve (V8) engines. Muscle cars became popular with young drivers in the mid-1960s. Muscle cars have engines typically V8 or larger and have more horsepower than most cars. The powerful engine in a muscle car allows it to reach high speeds. While sports cars can safely speed through tight turns, muscle cars may need to slow down while turning.
Back in the day (when they were new), muscle cars were mid-size and had powerful motors. Pony cars were compact specialty cars, initially based on the manufacturer’s compact platform, such as ChevyII/Camaro, Valiant/Barracuda, Falcon/Mustang, American/Javelin. Pony cars did not always have the muscle motors. Outliers such as the compact Nova SS and Dodge Dart GT with muscle motors were usually referred to as “compact muscle cars”. At the tail end of the era, things got muddied, particularly the 70-74 Barracuda/Challenger. Their “E-body” platform, essentially a “B-body” (mid-size) with six (Challenger) to eight (Barracuda) inches chopped out of the wheelbase, stretched the definition of a Pony car.
Currently it’s anything goes as far as application of the “muscle” moniker, much the same as the term “classic”, which seems to be slapped on any car over 20 years old.
I wish modern car design worked better with color matching wheels. Porsche is pretty much the only recent one I’ve seen that makes it looks cool.
The engine pictured for the Cunningham isn’t a Hemi, and that’s not 2 four barrel carbs
It’s definitely a first-generation hemi-you can see the “Chrysler FirePower” embossed on the rocker cover-with four 2-bbl carbs, as stated in the text.
Do NOT restore the ’69 Z/28
Now I’m dying to know the performance specifications on this GT40. 0 to 60?, 1/4 mile?, maximum lateral g force?