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1964 GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR

1964 was all about the birth of the big-engined midsize car with youth market appeal, showcased by the 1964 Pontiac GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR.

Pontiac called it “A Device For Shrinking Time & Distance.” Enthusiast automotive writers and magazine editors called it a “Supercar”. The “Musclecar” descriptor came later. And, from coast to coast, enthusiasts flocked to Pontiac dealers to see the new GTO, an option that breathed life into a Tempest. Pontiac – not Ford, Chevy, or Plymouth – essentially created the option that ignited the Supercar Revolution and an almost cult-like movement. The Pontiac GTO’s extensive performance, comfort, and convenience “menu” was the envy of the industry. It was the Supercar for all seasons – and reasons.

Because the GTO became an overnight sensation, fiction often gets in the way of reality when discussing responsibility for its concept and creation. Pontiac’s primary players were Pete Estes, General Manager, and John DeLorean, Chief Engineer. DeLorean’s staff included several racing enthusiasts. The concept of installing a 389-inch engine from a full-size Pontiac into a Tempest evolved from meetings DeLorean had with two performance-savvy individuals – Bill Collins and Russ Gee, who headed the Experimental Engineering Department. One of the key meetings, however, was not about creating a high-performance street car. It dealt with building a slightly longer wheelbase Tempest to replace the NASCAR Super-Duty 421 stockers that had become history!

Gee revealed that since 326 and 389 engines shared the same motor mounts, a 389 could be shoehorned into a Tempest in about a half-hour. With NASCAR in mind, Russ Gee’s team built a ’63 Tempest 389 prototype with a three-inch longer wheelbase – 115 vs. 112 inches. It worked, and it was fast. But DeLorean couldn’t find any support for stock car racing at Pontiac. All efforts shifted to creating a product that would appeal to performance enthusiasts, preferably young ones. That proved to be a far better route, resulting in their effort becoming the 1964 GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR.

During the discussion of a unique 389-engined Tempest, Jim Wangers, above, right, who was a successful Pontiac drag racer and account executive at Pontiac’s advertising agency, McManus, John & Adams, got involved. He also had a relationship with Ace Wilson, owner of Royal Pontiac. Wangers presented youth-market-targeted GTO concepts to Pete Estes. Estes passed them along to DeLorea,n and the 389 Tempest GTO program was greenlighted. Ferrari originally used the model designation GTO – Grand Turismo Omologato – for its 250 GTO. It means that the vehicle meets the standard specifications for racing in the Grand Touring category.

STREET MUSCLE Magazine’s Jim Campisano blogs about what really made the GTO so special and successful:

The story of how the 1964 Pontiac GTO came to be is well known, as is its impact on the performance car market. What is less discussed is what made the GTO so special. Why did teenagers, 20-somethings, and even 50-year-olds get weak in the knees for a midsize GM car?

Part of it was timing. People were ready for something different. Cars had been getting bigger and bigger, and not everyone wanted the hassle of a full-size automobile. Younger people, especially the first crop of baby boomers who were getting their licenses at the time, didn’t want the same old machines their parents drove. They wanted something smaller, faster, sportier. The 1964 Pontiac GTO filled that niche. Heck, it created it.

Continue reading 1964 GTO: MUSCLECAR OF THE YEAR @ https://www.streetmusclemag.com/features/car-features/1964-pontiac-gto-what-made-the-great-one-so-special/

’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE

Ford offered multiple high-performance 312-inch engines in 1957, but the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE was the prelude to Dearborn’s Total Performance marketing.

’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE

In 1957, Ford offered high-output engines in its passenger cars, as well as in the T-Bird. You could order the hottest dual-quad and supercharged 312-inch engines with three-speed manual (with or without Overdrive) or Ford-O-Matic transmissions in any model, base two-door sedan and station wagon to T-Bird! The lineup consisted of a single-four-barrel 312/245, dual-quad 312/270, and a Paxton-McCulloch supercharged 312/300. Law enforcement agencies favored “Police Interceptor” two-door sedans with E-Code 270-horsepower engines. A 300-horsepower F-Code T-Bird could accelerate to 60 mph in the six-second range with a top speed of 125 mph.

McCulloch VR 57 superchargers on 300-horsepower Y-Blocks, like the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE, were manufactured and marketed by Paxton Products, which was acquired in 1958 by Andy and Joe Granatelli. Since the early Flathead days, the Granatelli Brothers had been active in Ford hot rodding with Grancor high-compression heads and multi-carb intake manifolds. The VR 57 centrifugal blower with variable drive ratio delivered a maximum of five-psi boost and was a very pricy $500 option.

The ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s fuel-injection, optional in 283-horsepower 1957 passenger cars (and Corvettes). Chevrolet was racking up wins in NASCAR and USAC until Ford counted with supercharged 312 engines with six-plus pounds boost and horsepower ratings in excess of 340. Prior to 1957 when NASCAR’s Bill France banned supercharging, multiple carburetion, and fuel-injection, Ford’s racing accomplishments were spectacular, with 27 Grand National wins plus 12 USAC firsts. Top Ford drivers included Tim Flock, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly, and Glen Wood.

In addition to drag and stock car racing, Ford’s participation in competitive events in 1957 was broad-based and countrywide. It was not unusual to see a ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE running at local drag strips from coast to coast. DePaolo Engineering, Ford’s captive race shop, prepped sedans and T-Birds raced at Bonneville, set Flying and Standing-Mile records on the sand at Daytona Beach, and built the Ford that averaged 117 mph for 22 days in the Stephen Trophy Trials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ford was aware that, while winning races unquestionably helps sell cars, setting durability/reliability records would give dealers even more to brag about. In 1956, Ford signed off on a program to build “stock” ’57 Fords to run at Bonneville for USAC and FIA National and International records. The mission: To prove how durable Ford’s high-performance cars were.

Pete DePaolo built two Fairlane 500s powered by blueprinted stock-spec 270-horsepower dual-four-barrel engines and, with racer Danny Eames, managed the program. After a few weeks on the Salt in September 1956, ’57 Ford Fairlane 500s, driven by Johnny Mantz, Chuck Stevenson, and Jerry Unser Jr., averaged 130.94 mph for 100 hours, 120.62 mph for 24 hours, 109.39 mph for 14 days, and 108.16 mph for 50,000 miles! On September 28, 1956, USAC and FIA officials certified that Fairlanes set an incredible 458 records! One car set an International Class B Speed record at 106.55 mph over 14 days and 35,800.30 miles, the other set a National Class B Speed record at 107.09 mph over 20 days and 51,403.99 miles, and six American Class B Closed Car Standing-Start Speed records.

Ford celebrated by having its advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, create a three-page advertorial hyping the record-setting event, The Longest Left Turn In History. It was placed in a variety of mass audience publications, including the October 29, 1956 issue of LIFE MAGAZINE.

For more information on the ’57 FORD SUPERCHARGED FAIRLANE, and the full range of models and options, please visit Over-Drive magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/06/01/1957-ford-cars-fact-sheet/

’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE

Ford continues its Win On Sunday, Sell on Monday marketing mantra, with a packed performance portfolio including an updated ’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE.

’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE

In 1964, Ford carried over its winning ways with new engines, race-only cars available for purchase, a game-changing Mustang, and aggressive dealer marketing and advertising programs.

“It is the full intent of the Ford Division to continue its total commitment to open competition during the 1964 model year. For only under the conditions existent in competitive events can we assure ourselves that we bring to you and the public a product of durability and reliability, totally tested … a total performance Ford,” said Ford Special Vehicles Manager, Frank E. Zimmerman Jr., to dealers. He added, “Let your total dealership reflect total performance!”

Zimmerman’s mission was to make the public more aware of Ford’s performance activities and show dealers how to – in his words – “Capitalize on this fast-growing, profitable youth market!”

For 1964, Ford and Mercury offered a full line of high-performance models ranging from 260 V-8 Falcon Sprints and 289/271 Comets, Mustangs, and Fairlanes, and 427 (410 and 425 horsepower) Galaxies and Marauders. All supported racing activities, but as far as appealing to street performance enthusiasts, the Falcon, Comet, and Fairlane lacked raw horsepower and sexy styling. The all-new ’64 ½ Mustang, available with the 289/271 engine, was in a class by itself, and first-year Mustang sales skyrocketed.

’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE

As much as I enjoyed driving the high-performance compacts and new Mustang Ponycar, I found the sculpted and face-lifted ’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE hardtop with dual-quad 427/425 power and four-speed to have the most appeal. Galaxies could also be ordered with a single-four-barrel version of the 427, rated at 410 horsepower. Even with its manual steering, lack of factory limited-slip rear option, and voracious appetite for Sunoco 260, I loved cruising in an R-Code Galaxie that we tested for CARS magazine!

My introduction to the ’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE was in the summer of 1963 at the 1964 Ford Technical Press Conference at Riverside Raceway. I had the opportunity to drive a prototype 500XLR-Code Galaxie – 425 horsepower engine, B-W T-10 four-speed, and “small” rear with 3.50 gears and skinny 6.70×15-inch tires. Spanning 210 inches and weighing in at close to 4,000 pounds, I didn’t expect it to handle well on the Riverside track, and it did not disappoint. It was a solid feeling and, even with its standard heavy-duty suspension and brakes, was not at home on a twisty sports car track. We did manage to run some 0 to 60 mph sprints, with most runs in the high sevens.

Essentially carryover for 1964, the R-Code 427/425 engine was equipped with dual Holley quads on a low-rise manifold, .500-inch lift, 306-degree duration camshaft, forged 11.5-to-1 pistons, steel crank, improved big-valve heads, dual-point ignition, and free-flow long-branch exhaust manifolds. You could order rear gears from 3.00 to 4.11-to-1, but, until mid-1964 production, you could not get the big nine-inch rear

with 31-spline axles. The only way you could get a limited-slip differential was to buy a Detroit Locker and have it installed at a speed shop ora Ford dealer. In mid-1964, Ford replaced the T-10 four-speed in 427 Galaxies with its own, beefier Toploader four-speed.

In addition to driving a ’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE on the high-speed oval at the Dearborn Proving Ground in the spring, I also spent a week with a Wimbledon White 427 R-Code Galaxie 500 in New York. During my experience on the Dearborn track with John Zimmerman riding shotgun, I asked if I could get one to test and take to the track back home. A few weeks later, I got a call from Ford’s New York City office regarding a 427 Galaxie in their garage that had my name on it! Zimmerman had come through.

The ’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE, top photo, had New Jersey DTM Manufacturer’s license plates, not unusual for a media road test car, but it also had paperwork in the glove compartment indicating that the car had been shipped to New York from Charlotte, NC, home of Holman & Moody. It also didn’t look stock. There was a tach mounted on top of the dash, whitewall tires on bare Kelsey Hayes 15×15.5-inch steel wheels, and side-exit exhaust outlets. Designed like classic custom car “lakes pipes” with caps that could be removed with a wrench, these looked like scaled-down and capped NASCAR Galaxie exhausts. In 1963 ½, Ford listed an optional dealer-installed Exhaust Cutout option, but this was the first I had ever seen. Needless to say, they remained open for the week!

One of three 427/425 R-Code four-speed ’64 convertibles built, Wesley Allison photo

’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE

After running the Galaxie in A/Stock at Westhampton Drag Strip on Long Island, my best time was 95 mph in 15.4 seconds – not good enough to win anything. On the way home, we stopped at a shopping mall that was pretty much empty to clock some 0-to-60-mph times, left. The best we could do was 7.4 seconds. It didn’t have the right tires. But it sure sounded great with those straight exhausts. From all indications, its engine had been heavily breathed on by the folks at H&M before we got it!

In February 1964, Ford Division sent its District offices a Distribution Bulletin outlining the limited availability of a 427 Galaxie two-door hardtop, powered by the updated 427 High-Riser engine, lightened and engineered specifically for NHRA A and B/Stock competition.

Galaxie Lightweights were originally built for NHRA A/Stock and A/SA, but due to rules changes, engine modifications, tire choices (seven or ten-inch wide), and weight, Galaxie Lightweights ended up in AA/Stock, AA/SA, B/FX, and C/FX. There was also a Galaxie Lightweight powered by the R-Code 427/425, designed to run in NHRA B/Stock.

Ford also built 50 lightweight drag racing 427 Galaxies with fiberglass body panels, Thunderbolt hood scoops, and 500 horsepower high-rise 427s. To be legal in NHRA Stock classes, Ford built 25 stick and 25 automatic Lightweight drag cars at select assembly plants.

Galaxie Lightweights made a great showing at tracks around the country. In June 1964, at the Hot Rod Magazine Championships at Riverside Raceway, Larry Dacini ran 113.44 mph in 12.60 seconds to win B/FX, and Jesse Mendez took the C/FX win with a 94.83 mph, 15.06-second run. Mike Schmitt, driving the Desert Motors AA/SA Lightweight, won class honors (111.80 mph in 12.18 seconds) at the 1964 NHRA Indy Nationals and went on to win the NHRA Little Stock Eliminator World Championship.

Ford won the NHRA Manufacturer’s Cup in 1964. This award was presented for supremacy in more than 50 NHRA Championship Points drag racing events with Fairlanes, Falcons, and Galaxies. Even though thwarted by Hemi-powered Dodges and Plymouths and Bill France’s refusal to accept Ford’s 427 SOHC engine, Ford still won NASCAR’s 1964 Manufacturer’s Award Of Excellence. It was awarded to Ford because of the 30 wins in the Grand National Division – more than twice that of its nearest rival. Bill Stroppe-prepared Mercury stockers won five Grand National races in 1964.

In 1964, Ford did a lot of winning on Sunday; Ford dealers did a lot of selling on Monday!

For complete details on the ’64 FORD 427 GALAXIE and big-block road tests, tech data, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2023/12/19/1964-ford-full-size-cars-fact-sheet/

CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS

Chrysler jumped on the performance bandwagon in 1955 with its 300-horsepower C-300, kicking off nine years of CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS.

Chrysler’s letter-series entry in the 1955 horsepower wars, weighing in at more than 4,500 pounds, could accelerate to 60 mph in the 9s and top out at 130 mph. In NASCAR competition, Kiekhaefer’s legendary Chrysler C-300s were the cars to beat. Chrysler’s Hemi, one of the most successful engines in American racing history, was unstoppable on super speedways and drag strips in the 1960s-1970s and later.

While CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS were heavy luxury cars, they offered true Supercar/Musclecar performance. A 331-cubic-inch Hemi with two four-barrel carburetors, solid lifter camshaft and valve train, beefed suspension and dual low-restriction exhaust system powered the ‘55 C-300. A stock C-300 could go to 60 mph from a standing start in under-ten-seconds flat and cover the quarter-mile in the mid-17s at over 80 mph. A prepared C-300 clocked almost 128 mph in Flying Mile competition in 1955 and won the prestigious Tom McCahill trophy in the NASCAR Unlimited Class!In 1956 Chrysler upped its game and the 300B was available with 340 or 355 horsepower, 354-cubic-inch Hemis. Fitted with the optional 355 horsepower engine, a 300B ran almost 140 mph in the Flying Mile. It was the first American car to deliver one-horsepower-per-cubic-inch (low-volume 355 horsepower option), a year before Chevrolet’s fuel-injected 283-cubic-inch, 283 horsepower engine. Ralph Gorenstein’s rare ’56 Chrysler 300B powered by dual-quad Hemi, below, two photos, is one of only 20 built with three-speed stick!

Chrysler continued its lead position in the performance car marketplace in 1957 with the restyled 300C, powered by a stock 375 horsepower 392-cubic-inch Hemi or optional 390 horsepower version. Performance was blistering for the time, with enthusiast magazines reporting 0 to 60 mph times in the high-eights and quarter-mile times of low-seventeens at over 90 mph. Running on the old Daytona Beach sand course, a Chrysler 300C won its class with an impressive 138.9-mph pass.

In 1958 the 300D received the last version of the dual-quad 392-inch Hemi, rated at 380 horsepower. A small number of fuel-injected 390 horsepower, 392-inch Hemi 300Ds were built, but the system proved to be unreliable and was quickly discontinued. A 300D, piloted by Norm Thatcher, ran over 156 mph at Bonneville to set the Class E record.

Starting in 1959, CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS received new 413-cubic-inch Wedge engines, first with inline dual quads and later with long (30-inch) and short (15-inch) cross-ram dual-quad induction systems. In 1960 the 300F came with a stock 375-horsepower engine; approximately 15 optional 400 horsepower models with 15-inch short ram manifolds were produced. The short ram cars were fitted with exotic Pont-a-Mousson four speeds built in France originally for Chrysler powered Facel Vegas.By 1961 most American carmakers were involved in building performance cars and racing. The Chrysler 300G was once again restyled and still available with long and short ram 413-cubic-inch Wedge engines rated at 375 and 400 horsepower respectively. While the four-speed was no longer available, you could order a three-speed manual racing transmission – if you were well connected. Only a few of these Option Code 381, three-speed 300Gs were built for competition and first surfaced at the 1961 Daytona Flying Mile Trials. In articles and advertising, Letter series Chryslers were often referred to as “Banker’s Hot Rod” and “Gentleman’s Express.”The idea of a car that was designed around, built – and marketed as a true performance car was initiated in 1955, during the “Horsepower Wars” – by Chrysler Corporation with the first Chrysler 300. Chrysler marketed the 300 as a purely performance/luxury car for nine model years, culminating with the ’63 300 convertible Indy 500 Pace Car. It was a 300 model, not J, fitted with a 413-inch, 390 horsepower engine and 300J coupe wheels and tires. Chrysler skipped a “letter” for 1963, going from the 1962 300H to the 1963 300J. All 400 production 300Js were coupes; Indy Pace Car special-build convertible was a one-off.

A 390-horsepower short cross ram engine was available in 300J coupes that could sprint to 60 mph in the low-mid 8s and cover the quarter-mile in the high 15s at just under 90 mph. However, that engine was not available in replica Indy 500 Pacesetter coupes and convertibles which were fitted with lower-horsepower single four-barrel engines.

CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS were designed and marketed to grasp the buyer who wanted power, performance, luxury and handling that few others could touch.

’59 Chrysler 300 factory promo postcard courtesy of Sarasota Café Racer Ralph “Red” Hynch, a former member of So-Cal’s legendary Kagel Canyon Gang.

Check out the 1955 to 1963 CHRYSLER 300: LETTER SERIES SUPERCARS details and sales brochures @ Over-Drive magazine, https://over-drive-magazine.com/category/fact-sheets/fs-chrysler/

‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR

Ford offered OHV V-8s, dual quads & superchargers; yet it was the worst of times: the AMA racing ban. The ‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR, however, represents the prelude to TOTAL PERFORMANCE.

The 1950s ushered in an era of aggressive competition, both on the street and racetracks. Ford, Chrysler and General Motors did whatever it took to lure buyers into showrooms. Detroit’s competitive spirit during the mid-to-late-1950s set the stage for some of the most exciting years in automotive performance history. Ford’s weapon of choice – an all-new, short-stroke, overhead-valve Y-Block V-8, first released in 1952 for Lincoln and then in 1954 by Ford and Mercury. By 1957, Fords could be ordered with optional dual-quad and supercharged 312-cubic-inch Y-Block engines.

The overhead-valve V-8 was introduced in popular-priced ’54 Fords a full model year before Chevrolet revealed its vaunted small-block V-8. The 239-cubic-inch Y-Block was rated at 130 horsepower. The mid-priced Mercury received a 161-horsepower, 256-inch version. Weighing 610-630 pounds including accessories, Ford’s Y-Blocks represented a new generation of lighter, modern V-8 engines. The Y-Block designation came from its deeply skirted block, giving it a “Y” profile.

It was the 160-horsepower, 317-cubic-inch Lincoln V-8 that gave Ford its first OHV engine bragging rights. Lincolns prepared by Bill Stroppe & Associates, Signal Hill, CA, were winners of the grueling road race across Mexico, the Carrera Panamericana. First run in 1950, the race crowned a single winner. It was then expanded in 1952 to multiple classes: Sports Cars and Stock Cars with large and small-displacement engines. The nine-stage, six-day race over approximately 2,100 miles lasted just five years and was cancelled in 1955 for safety reasons. In the mid-early 1950s, Mexican road race Lincolns dominated the field.

Working with DePaolo Engineering in 1956 and 1957, Ford fielded dozens of blueprinted-stock as well as heavily-modified new Fords and T-Birds for Standing and Flying-Mile competition at the Pure Oil Trials and Speed Weeks on the old Daytona Beach course. In 1957 alone, 15 supercharged T-Birds (part of a 100-car NASCAR homologation program) “ran on the sand” during Speed Week.Between 1955 and 1957, Ford OHV V-8 displacement grew from 239 and 256 cubic inches in 1954, to 272 and 292 cubic inches in 1955. Ford increased displacement to 312 cubic inches in 1956. In 1956, Ford offered a dual-quad 225-horsepower engine and a dealer-installed M-260 Performance Kit consisting of a hotter camshaft, new cylinder heads and dual four-barrel carbs, upping horsepower to 260. Large displacement 368-inch Y-Block engines were available for Lincoln in 1956 and in 1957 for Mercury.In 1957, Ford offered high-output engines in passenger cars as well as T-Birds. You could order the hottest dual-quad and supercharged 312-inch engines with three-speed manual (with or without Overdrive) or Ford-O-Matic transmissions in any model, base two-door sedan and station wagon to T-Bird! The lineup consisted of a single-four-barrel 312/245, dual-quad 312/270 and a Paxton-McCulloch supercharged 312/300, the ‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR. Law enforcement agencies favored “Police Interceptor” two-door sedans, above, with E-Code 270-horsepower engines. A 300-horsepower F-Code T-Bird could accelerate to 60 mph in the six-second range with a top speed of 125 mph.

McCulloch VR 57 superchargers on 300-horsepower Y-Blocks were manufactured and marketed by Paxton Products, which was acquired in 1958 by Andy and Joe Granatelli. Since the early Flathead days, the Granatelli Brothers had been active in Ford hot rodding with Grancor high-compression heads and multi-carb intake manifolds. The VR 57 centrifugal blower with variable drive ratio delivered a maximum of five-psi boost and was a very pricy $500 option on the ‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR.Supercharging was Ford’s answer to Chevrolet’s fuel-injection, optional in 283-horsepower 1957 passenger cars and Corvettes. Chevrolet was racking up wins in NASCAR and USAC until Ford counted with supercharged 312 engines with six-plus-pounds boost and horsepower ratings in excess of 340. Prior to 1957 when NASCAR’s Bill France banned supercharging, multiple carburetion and fuel-injection, Ford’s racing accomplishments were spectacular, with 27 Grand National wins plus 12 USAC firsts. Top Ford drivers included Tim Flock, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly and Glen Wood.

In addition to drag and stock car racing, Ford’s participation in competitive events in 1957 was broad-based and countrywide. DePaolo Engineering, Ford’s captive race shop, prepped sedans and T-Birds raced at Bonneville, set Flying and Standing-Mile records on the sand at Daytona Beach and built the Ford that averaged 117 mph for 22 days in the Stephen Trophy Trials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.Ford was aware that, while winning races unquestionably helps sell cars, setting durability/reliability records would give dealers even more to brag about. In 1956, Ford signed off on a program to build “stock” ’57 Fords to run at Bonneville for USAC and FIA National and International records. The mission: To prove how durable Ford’s high-performance cars were.Pete DePaolo, above, built two Fairlane 500s powered by blueprinted stock-spec 270-horsepower dual-four-barrel engines and, with racer Danny Eames, managed the program. After a few weeks on the Salt in September 1956, ’57 Ford Fairlane 500s, driven by Johnny Mantz, Chuck Stevenson and Jerry Unser Jr., averaged 130.94 mph for 100 hours, 120.62 mph for 24 hours, 109.39 mph for 14 days and 108.16 mph for 50,000 miles!

On September 28, 1956, USAC and FIA officials certified that Fairlanes set an incredible 458 records! One car set an International Class B Speed record at106.55 mph over 14 days and 35,800.30 miles, the other set a National Class B Speed record at 107.09 mph over 20 days and 51,403.99 miles, and six American Class B Closed Car Standing-Start Speed records.

In 1957 the AMA in banned direct factory participation in organized racing and motorsports, encouraging carmakers to play down performance and racing and play up safety in advertising and marketing. All members initially observed the ban, but it turned out to be a short-lived victory for the trade association. Not long after agreeing to the ban and closing their front doors to racers and racing, carmakers’ back doors started opening up!Ford divested itself of racecars as well as the contents of DePaolo Engineering. DePaolo was not interested in continuing without a Ford contract. John Holman and Ralph Moody purchased the inventory, including the legendary Lincoln-powered Battlebirds. It was the end of one era and start of a new one, leading to Ford’s first “Showroom Supercar” in 1961! By 1963, Ford’s “marketing mantra” had become, TOTAL PERFORMANCE.

For more information about the ‘57 FORD Y-BLOCK SUPERCHARGED MUSCLECAR, and the complete 1957 Ford lineup, please visit OVER-DRIVE magazine @ https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/06/01/1957-ford-cars-fact-sheet/