The Celebrated Groups At MCACN 2024: A12 Mopars, Pontiac 2+2s, AMCS, Class Of ’74 And Studebakers

The major celebration at the 2024 Muscle Cars and Corvette Nationals was for the 60th anniversary of the Pontiac GTO, the car credited with creating the blueprint of the prototypical musclecar. But MCACN showcases more than one thing; obviously, the Barn Find and Hidden Gems display is a fan favorite, but there are usually many… The post The Celebrated Groups At MCACN 2024: A12 Mopars, Pontiac 2+2s, AMCS, Class Of ’74 And Studebakers appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

Dec 1, 2024 - 22:24
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The Celebrated Groups At MCACN 2024: A12 Mopars, Pontiac 2+2s, AMCS, Class Of ’74 And Studebakers

The major celebration at the 2024 Muscle Cars and Corvette Nationals was for the 60th anniversary of the Pontiac GTO, the car credited with creating the blueprint of the prototypical musclecar. But MCACN showcases more than one thing; obviously, the Barn Find and Hidden Gems display is a fan favorite, but there are usually many different groups on the floor of the convention center. This year was no different, so continue on and check out some of the machines that made it to Chicago this year.

A12 Anniversary: Celebrating The 440-6 Mopars

In Mopar-speak, A12 is a fearsome code. The factory started with a low-optioned 1969 Dodge Super Bee or Plymouth Road Runner and plonked in the V-code 440-cu.in. V-8 with three two-barrel carburetors on top, an engine that could give a Hemi a proper run for the money. You could choose between the Hemi-rated A833 four-speed or the 727 automatic, and you gained the 26-inch radiator, seven-blade fan, and 9.75-inch Dana rear axle with 4.10 gears and 11-inch drum brakes at all four corners. Forget air conditioning or any wheels that weren’t the 15×6 steel wheels. The result was stronger than an appearance package, but wasn’t a full-tilt race car, either. It was the cheap way into a power-heavy Mopar B-body. Surely, those wheels would be the first to go once the car was delivered to the lucky buyer! According to the A12 Registry, 1,907 Dodge Super Bees and 1,412 Road Runners were so equipped.

The Tuxedo Club: A Black-And-White Mopar Gathering

Mopars of the muscle era are remembered for the vibrant and vivid High Impact Color palette that included such iconic shades as FC7 Plum Crazy, EV2 Hemi Orange, FM3 Panther Pink, and FJ5 Sublime and GY3 Curious Yellow. And there were plenty eye-searing colors on the floor, but there was also a gathering of tuxedo-themed Mopars gathered. Painted TX9 (Black Velvet) and featuing white interiors (except for the 1966 Coronet, which featured a gold interior), the gamut ranged from twin 1971 ‘Cudas to the black-and-white 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona. Though, there is quite an intimidation factor to the 1969 Plymouth Fury GT.

The Pontiac 2+2 Invitational

Pontiac’s 2+2 was effectively a Catalina that had learned a thing or two from the success of the GTO. More than just a sporting air to a fullsize model, the 2+2 was big, bold, and packed big power under the hood. Early cars used the Tri-Power 421, while later models used the torque-heavy 428, with the 376-horsepower 428 H.O. optional. Other improvements over the Catalina included a heavy-duty suspension, a bucket seat/console interior layout, some additional dress-up trimmings inside and out, and if desired, those iconic eight-lug finned drums. While intermediate cars were the stars of the muscle car scene, full-size options like the 2+2 kept stoplight warriors on their toes.

The AMC Herd

American Motors had been carrying the torch for small, fuel-efficient cars for years, but when Roy D. Chapin, Jr. took control of the company in early 1967, American Motors pivoted and began focusing on the “younger demographic markets”… or, in other words, he led the company into the muscle car war. While American Motors’ time in the era was significantly shorter than the Big Three, the products they put out were just as potent and wild as anything that Ford, GM or Mopar could dream up. Javelins and AMXs were the obvious stars, but the Rambler Rogue showed the early steps AMC took in getting spicy. The Hornet SC/360 in the Barn Finds and Hidden Gems lineup showed the rare example of AMC’s junior supercar.

The Class Of 1974

If you thought that 1974 was the start of the bad days, here’s the proof that not all hope was lost. Admittedly, the Class of 1974 display was skewed towards Pontiac’s favor, with a pair of SD-455 Trans Ams and a surprising number of SD-455 powered Firebird Formulas. The Buick Century Gran Sport and the Camaro Z28/Type LT rounded out the lineup.

South Bend Stompers: The Studebaker Army

Studebaker’s South Bend, Indiana plant ended production at the end of 1963 and the last vehicle was produced in March, 1966, which ended a company that had been formed in 1852. But in the last years of automotive manufacturing, Studebaker was an early adopter of horsepower as an answer. R2-equipped cars like Larks and Avantis used a Paxton supercharger to give the 289-cu.in. V-8 a top-end kick that would surprise many. We had to do a double-take around the rare Lark Wagonaire, with it’s sliding rear roof section. It too packs an R2 engine, plus a four-speed transmission!

The post The Celebrated Groups At MCACN 2024: A12 Mopars, Pontiac 2+2s, AMCS, Class Of ’74 And Studebakers appeared first on The Online Automotive Marketplace.

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