Hemmings Muscle Machines July 2023

While muscle cars by the traditional definition didn’t yet exist in the ’50s… As I was poking around the internet a couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon a story someone had written back in the ’80s, which was then posted to a website sometime later. It told of a young man’s escapades at the wheel of a 1957 Chrysler 300C back in the early ’60s. While muscle cars by the traditional definition didn’t yet exist in the ’50s when the 300C was built, it certainly made its performance intentions known; Motor Trend even referred to it as a “super car” at the time. Our man in the story found himself in the Army and stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey circa 1961, but the anticipated international conflict that brought…

PRODUCTION LINE A year ago, we spent a week in a twin-turbo V-6 Ford Raptor (“Production Line,” July ’22) and suggested that its 450 horsepower felt merely adequate against just shy of 6,000 lbs of truck. Ford knew, and had already announced what you see here: the Raptor R. Fortified with a torquier variant of the Shelby GT500’s supercharged 5.2-liter “Predator” V-8 engine, it offers a useful power boost (700 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque, versus the standard Raptor, up 250 hp and 130 lb-ft) as well as a beefier front axle, retuned front suspension, a recalibrated 10-speed automatic transmission, and a girthier driveshaft. Despite the entire F150 line’s slow-but-steady adherence to the Weight Watchers plan for pickups, the Raptor R still clocks in at an eye-opening 5,950 lbs.…

In a rare instance, Jeff and I each had the opportunity to sample the same new vehicle at virtually the same time, though on opposite sides of the country. The Raptor R I was able to spend a few days with was notably devoid of the factory graphics package, even calling out “Graphics Delete” as an option on the window sticker, and this is how I’d probably order mine. Both of our trucks were Carbonized Gray Metallic, and you might think that the subdued hue and lack of aggressive decaling would make the R blend with other Raptors — maybe even other F150s — but even in our small town, just pulling into the local pizza place elicited inquiries: “Is that the Raptor R?!” There are lots of Raptor fans…

Letter of the Month: The Value of Cool Neighbors Bruce TripkeIndian Rocks Beach, Florida THE KING’S TORINO First, I’d like to say that HMM is absolutely my favorite magazine ever — I’m a long-time subscriber. I read it cover to cover, usually the day I get it out of the mailbox. I read with interest the story of how Richard Petty’s switch to Ford in 1969 influenced Mr. Romaine to purchase his own 1969 Ford Torino GT new (“Win on Sunday, Sell… in Six Months?” HMM #238) and hold on to it all these years. But were you aware that Ford apparently made five special “Richard Petty” editions in 1969 in conjunction with the World 600 in Charlotte? Apparently, the only way to get your hands on one of the…

SPECIAL FEATURESPOTLIGHT: Shelby Special SHELBY’S MUSTANGS HAVE LONG been used as the canaries in Ford’s coal mine, whether for tech or for visual spiffs. Witness the kicked-up tails of the ’67 and ’68 Shelby models, which were then seamlessly integrated into all of the ’69s. Look at the Boss 302, whose mission was presaged by the original G.T. 350. The wild hood of the ’69 models had an awful lot in common — hello NACA ducts — with the ’71 models’ scooped hood. The dramatic trapezoidal nose of the 2007 GT500 was quickly integrated into the lesser Mustang line, where it remains. See the new Dark Horse Mustang for 2024, and its 500-horse Coyote V-8, hot on the heels of the late-model GT350’s 5.2-liter “Voodoo” flat-plane-crank engine. Want to see…

MODIFIED LET’S GET THIS STRAIGHT FROM THE START: You don’t drive a Dodge Charger to blend into the scenery. That’s just common knowledge. The bold, brash Chrysler-bred B-body has always been a ride that could draw long stares and get the people’s neurotransmitters percolating. To many Mopar-loving purists, and perhaps the general public alike, the Coke-bottle restyling that brought this Dodge model to new heights in ’68 has no muscle car equal. Praised not just in the realm of auto enthusiasts, but in contemporary pop culture, the Charger has become one of the most in-demand collector cars in the world. Don’t believe us? Just go and try to buy one today. The passage of time only seems to further the Charger’s legend and appeal, as the 1968-’70 models have stayed…