The muscle car era of 1964-1971 was a time of hippies, rock and roll, and the space race. Muscle cars from that period were beautifully styled, relatively affordable, and had immense torque power for a thrilling acceleration experience. In this video, we focus on the year 1969 and list the top 10 quickest and most powerful factory muscle cars that you could buy at the time, along with their original prices and current values.
At number 10, we have the Ford Mustang Mach 1 with the 428 Super Cobra Jet engine. In 1969, the Mustang had a wide range of 11 engine choices, from a 120 horsepower inline six to the mighty 429 cubic inch big block behemoth. The Super Cobra Jet and the Mach 1 went beyond the plain old Cobra Jet spec, with 335 horsepower 428, and included an engine oil cooler, beefier crankshaft and connecting rods, along with the drag pack specific 3.9 or 4.3 to 1 differential gear ratios. This Mach 1 was good for a 13.69-second quarter-mile pass at 103.4 miles per hour, straight from the factory. It would have set you back about $4,300 in 1969 and today costs around $170,000.
At number 9, we have the Plymouth GTX. It had a standard 440 cubic inch V8 with a single four-barrel carburetor. This GTX put out 375 horsepower and earned the adjective “super” on its name sticker. The two-door hardtop or convertible GTX was the more upscale version of the Belvedere B body over that of the pillared Plymouth Roadrunner Coupe. It was quick too, earning the position of number 9 on our list. The quarter mile would flash by in 13.56 seconds, at which point you would be traveling at 104.9 miles per hour. When new, this car cost around $3,700 in 1969 dollars. Today, you could scoop one up for about $90,000.
At number 8, we have the 1969 and a half Dodge Super Bee. The M code got you the 440 cubic inch V8 with race-strengthened internal components and a bump in horsepower to 390 from the 375 ponies of the standard 440. Its coup de gras was the trick intake manifold and carburetor setup consisting of three two-barrel Holley units, hence the term “six-pack.” The quarter mile arrived in 13.56 seconds at a velocity of 105.8 miles per hour. It cost $3,800 in 1969, and today it goes for around $110,000.
At number 7, we have the Corvette Stingray L88. Some might argue that this isn’t a muscle car, but it is considered an icon and part of the super sport team of vehicles in Chevrolet’s 1969 lineup. The ultra-high compression L88 required high octane fuel or engine damage could result if a lower rated fuel was used. It could shred the quarter mile in 13.5 seconds at 111.1 miles per hour. It was not cheap when new in 1969, and would ding your bank account by about $5,700. Today, these are super rare and would require $425,000 to put one in your hands.
At number 6, we have the 1969 Dodge Charger 500 with the 426 Hemi, of which only 67 were built, making it super rare. Created as a homologation requirement vehicle, it achieved aerodynamic superiority over the standard Charger RT with its flush-mounted rear backlight and a front grille and headlights from a 1968 Dodge Coronet. In doing so, it made it more competitive on the high-speed oval tracks like Daytona and Talladega. Besides being fast on the left-turn-only ovals, it was quick on the drag strip too, requiring only 13.48 seconds to burn down the quarter-mile at 109 miles per hour. If you were lucky enough to pick one up when it was new, it would have cost you $4,300 in 1969. Today, it will leave a hole in your wallet where $220,000 used to reside.
At number 5, we have the Ford Mustang Boss 429, which was created to go racing in NASCAR to compete against the Chrysler Hemi engines that ruled in the late 1960s. To qualify for racing, Ford had to build at least 500 copies of the engine and sell them to the public. To do that, Ford chose to wedge it into its Mustang Sports roof body with extensive engine bay modifications required along the way. The Boss 429 was front-heavy due to the big block lump occupying its engine room but could still conquer the quarter mile in 13.3 seconds at 107 miles per hour. Originally costing around $5,000 when new, these are one of the rarest and most expensive Mustang types on the market today and at auction go for about $450,000 and climbing each year.
At number 4, we have the Plymouth Roadrunner with the fabled 426 Hemi with the air grabber hood. An early example of cross-brand marketing between Warner Brothers and Plymouth, the Hemi Roadrunner is a rare bird with only 787 produced with this engine. True to its namesake, the Roadrunner sprinted through the quarter mile at 13.32 seconds at 107.65 miles per hour. The Hemi Roadrunner would have cost about $4,500 in 1969 when new, with the Hemi engine option alone contributing a hefty $813 to the total. They come up at auction every so often, with about $170,000 needed to park one in your garage.
At number 3, we have the 1969 Camaro Copo ZL1. There were 1,069 Copos produced in total, with the majority of these having the solid lifter L72 version of the 427. However, 69 of the Copos had the very special and rare ZL1 engine option. This was the all-aluminum version of the 427 designed specifically for drag racing in the super stock classes and rated at 430 horsepower. It could put lots of other muscle cars to shame back in the day by devouring the quarter mile in 13.16 seconds at 110 miles per hour. When new, the ZL1 engine choice for the Camaro would set you back $4,000 alone, as part of the $7,300 total price for the car. Nowadays, these celebrated muscle boots go for around $800,000.
At number 2, we have the 1969 Camaro SS with the L89 engine. If you wanted a lighter big block engine in your Camaro, this was the option to have for that year. The L89 started off as a 375 horsepower L-78 396 cubic inch V8 and added a higher compression ratio and aluminum heads for a net horsepower gain of zero. But it weighed 50 pounds less than its L-78 sibling. It could definitely expedite one’s trip down the quarter mile and cross the trap in 13 seconds at 108.6 miles per hour. Not many people ordered these in 1969 as it was hard to justify the extra $400 for the L89 engine with no bump whatsoever in rated horsepower. When new, the SS L89 cost around $3,800, with only 311 produced that year. It’s another example of a rare beast that has been escalating in value over the years, where they’re now going for around $220,000.
And finally, at number 1, we have the 1969 and a half Plymouth Roadrunner with the A12 drag racing option and the M code 440 cubic inch 6 BBL, for six-barrel. This was the same package found on the Dodge Super Bee 446 pack at number 8 on our list. Again, this was the 440 engine with the specially cast aluminum intake manifold with mounts for three two-barrel Holley carburetors that became fully activated under spirited acceleration inputs and was rated at 390 horsepower. The engine was outfitted with race-spec internal components to give it that extra oomph over that of the standard 440. It takes the number one spot here because it was the quickest of them all, with the quarter mile taking only 12.91 seconds at 111.8 miles per hour straight from the factory. As with the Super Bee, it also cost around $3,800 when new. Pick one up at auction these days, and it will set you back about $150,000.
In conclusion, these muscle cars of 1969 were a sight to behold, and they left an indelible mark on the automotive industry. The raw power and acceleration they offered were a testament to the engineering prowess of their manufacturers. And even today, they continue to captivate enthusiasts and collectors alike, commanding high prices at auctions and leaving a lasting impression on anyone lucky enough to get behind the wheel.
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