STORY LINE: ‘BIG MOTORS  for  BIG CARS’     

The cars of today are  … different. But are they really all that different. For well over one hundred years since the automobile was first ‘created’, four wheels still roll the vehicle, the engine of source is still for the most part, fossil fuel powered and, on board electrical power still ignites everything from the ignition to the stereo to the electronic dashboard.

Some say that, “They don’t build ‘em like they used to”. I say thank the gods as I do really appreciate today’s modern creature comforts. Some say that, “The cars of the ‘50s/’60s were poorly built and, the cars of the ‘70s/‘80s were just pure junk”.

Today we cherish the cars of the ‘50s/’60s as lost icons of our past. And those cars were well built based on then current technology available-mostly hard work. It is certainly not an uncommon sight to still see those models in the south and the southwest, still used as daily drivers. And the cars of the ‘70s/’80s … every one that could be built, was sold. And that is fact.

Today’s cars are better, as we simply possess and utilize better technology.  Today’s cars are a bit smaller, very fuel efficient and in most cases transport but one or two people at a time. Years back families traveled by vehicle, together and typically in a big car and oft-times with big engines. The Buick Century of the forties didn’t earn it’s series name by just being big, it was capable of 100 mph as the name Century implied, same as for the fabled Century Limited train.

Lest we forget, the factory horsepower wars started with Cadillac and Oldsmobile in 1949 and their respective 331 and 303CID-OHV V8 engines, followed in 1951 with the introduction of the famed Chrysler Fire-Power HEMI-V8. Interesting, both the Cadillac and Chrysler HEMI displaced 331CID when first introduced. These were big cars weighing in at a hefty 4,000+ lbs.

With the advent of tetraethyl lead which allowed for the use of  a higher compression ratio, and limited high line model use of a new four barrel carburetor in 1952, advertised horsepower  ratings were approaching the 200 mark, with Cadillac at 210 for 1953. Lincoln introduced it’s OHV-V8 in 1952 and claimed 205HP in 1953. Packard used a straight-8, L-head design through ’54 and advertised 212HP with 1x4 barrel carburetor. By 1955, virtually all American auto manufacturers had an OHV V8 in their line-up.

Through 1976 though, it was the big cars that traditionally had the biggest engines. Cadillac, Chrysler, Packard, offered dual-four barrel carbureted V8s-all displacing above 350CID-in the mid ‘50s, with lesser models of each car company offering smaller multi-carbureted V8 engines.  By 1958 only Chrysler used the 2x4 barrel setup with GM adopting 3x2 barrel as an HP option. Ford was adhering to the 1958 AMA(Automobile Manufacturers Association) ban on factory ‘police option’ packages, although both Lincoln and Mercury offered 3x2 barrels as a 400HP option on 1958 models of the big 430-V8.        

Of the most memorable ‘Big Motored-Big Cars’ -certainly it was the Chrysler 300 letter Series 2x4 barrel HEMI cars built from 1955-1958. 300HP in 1955, 380HP in 1958. The 300 Series spawned a distinct HP model lineup within each division for 1956; Desoto Adventurer, the Dodge D-500 and Plymouth Fury. When Ford dropped it’s 2-seat model Thunderbird for 1958 and went four-seater, it made a huge dent in the personal specialty market place, and within four years each GM division had a personal specialty vehicle. Cadillac had the Eldorado since 1953, in January 1961 Oldsmobile brought back the Starfire in convertible form, and Chevrolet introduced Super Sport in February of 1961. 1962 saw the first Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Wildcat.

All of these GM  special models had big engines. Oldsmobile Starfire 330HP/394CID, Chevrolet Super Sport 305-350HP/348CID or 360HP/409CID, Pontiac Grand Prix 303HP/389CID with options to 405HP/421CID Super Duty, Buick Wildcat 325HP/401CID.

In 1963 Buick introduced the Riviera, for 1965 a highly refined high performance luxury  touring specialty car, the 2x4 barrel carbureted 360HP/425CID GS Riviera debuted. Almost without fanfare in 1965-the last big letter Series Chrysler was built. 1966 saw the first FWD luxury touring car-the Olds Toronado, followed in 1967 by the Cadillac Eldorado. Interesting note … Toronado once won it’s class in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.

Through the latter ‘60s the SS427 Chevrolet Impala, 440 powered GTX Plymouth and Dodge R/T, Ford Galaxie 7-Liter, they carried the banner for ‘big cars-big motors’. Forgotten are the 400HP/455CID RAM-AIR Oldsmobile Toronado of 1968/70, the 400HP/500CID 1970 Cadillac Eldorado and Buick Riviera 455GS Stage 1 models of the early ‘70s. By 1973 big horsepower was going away. By 1978, big motors were gone.

Today I enjoy new big motor technology with an Eldorado ETC/Northstar … but I still enjoy that drive in my 1961 SS409, or my 1973 pic-a-door big old style motored Grand Am. These old ones … they are a little different.

TOP HAT JOHN can be contacted for story leads, vehicle appraisal or questions at:  P.O. Box 46024, Mt. Clemens, MI., 48046-6024; or call 586-465-1933