Country Boy i n City Traffic

ERNIEB · Oct 30, 2000

When it comes to styling, you fellas have the right make but the wrong models. The most beautiful car ever built was the Studebaker Avanti.
Somewhere around 60 or 61, my older brother was a teenager and bought a 1940 Studebaker Champion. Kept it about a year before selling it. My Dad swore he got rid of it because he couldn't tear it up. That old Champion was practically bullet proof.
ErnieB

scruffy · Oct 30, 2000

63-64 Avantis were nice, but THE car (production) IMHO was the 426 AC Cobras produced by Carroll Shelby. That was, and still is, one bad ... machine! That definately was the era of muscle cars. I had a 69 SC/Rambler w/390 c.i. engine, 4 spd, that was a screamer also. Guarenteed mid twelves off the showroom floor! With just a little work, you could pull high nines with it. The sixties were quite a decade for muscle car production! Even Buick got into the act.

Bird · Oct 31, 2000

Ernie, when the Avanti came out, the first one to come to Dallas was being shown, and they were taking people for rides in it, but said they were not letting them drive it. However, a buddy and I went to see it and go for a ride and when the guy found out that I was driving an Austin-Healy Sprite and my buddy was driving a Corvette, he let us drive it awhile when we got out of sight of the dealership. Performance-wise, it was an amazing machine; I loved it, but don't think it was nearly as good looking as the older Hawks.

Bird

RobertN · Oct 31, 2000

Scruffy,
The 427 Cobra's were, and still are AWESOME. But, the Viper is right there...

I saw a article a while back somewhere where the "Hennessey" modified viper was pulling high 10 sec 1/4-milers, and was still California smog legal. Suppossedly it put out 650hp.

anyone know how much hp those Cobra 427's, corrected to match today measurement method?

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

scruffy · Oct 31, 2000

Robert, IMHO the Viper is a good looking rig, BUT the 427 AC Cobra's had them beat hands down for looks. Can't say about the overall performance, but you have to consider the 35 + or - years differance in technology. Even if they are equal, I would still have to give the Cobra the edge because of that factor!

ERNIEB · Oct 31, 2000

Of course, looks are all in the eye of the beholder. I recall the AC Cobra well, It was a production made race car. Road course, drag strip, it could do it all. But, going on looks and looks alone, Here is my five favorites.
1.Studebaker Avante
2.Auburn 851 boattail speedster
3. 63 Corvette coupe
4. Jaguar XKE
5. 57 T-bird
The ugliest car ever made? Any of the jelly beans with wheels you can find at most dealers today.
ErnieB