When studying automotive history just like any other type of history, you quickly realize how events could have easily played out in a different way leading to a totally different outcome. For instance, what if Ford never produced the Mustang

The Pontiac 400 cubic-inch V8 engine was a big hit with Pontiac buyers when it was released for the 1967 model year. It was based on the familiar Pontiac V8 family architecture which made it reliable along with providing very

For the 1953 model year, the Chevrolet Corvette began life as a 2-seat speciality car rather than a true performance car, it was stuck with a meager 150 horsepower Blue Flame straight-six engine and a 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. By

Chevrolet was a little slow jumping on the V8 bandwagon after World War II. Ford offered its first V8 back in 1932 – a flathead V8. It was the 1955 model year when Chevrolet released its first V8 in many

The Trans Am made a name for itself with its large displacement 400 and 455 cubic-inch V8s in the 1970s. When the last of these engines, the W72 400 V8, made its last stand for the 1979 model year, it

The NASCAR racing circuit became a big priority for the U.S. Automakers by the early-1960s. It led to the development by the mid-1960s of some of the most legendary big-block V8 engines ever produced. By the late-1960s when the high-performance

The GTO which was one of the most influential cars of the 1960s, by 1972 had encountered a massive sales black hole. With the rise in popularity of the Pontiac Trans Am and Pontiac Firebird Formula, it was quite apparent

When the 1970 model year rolled along it was becoming clear that the GTO was beginning to lose its sales momentum. The problems with GTO sales were the rising sticker price of a GTO, higher insurance costs, and competition from

For the 1969 model year Ford released an updated Mustang which was slightly bigger and heavier than previous Mustang offerings. The 1969 styling changes gave the Mustang a bolder and more muscular look, and backing up the look was a

This is Part 2 in our Pontiac GTO History Series. As discussed in Part 1, Pontiac hit a home run with the GTO’s introduction in 1964. It caught the automotive world by surprise. Soon thereafter there were many competitors