Class of 1967 at MCACN 2022

The 1967 class got the proper treatment at the 2022 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals. Celebrating its 55th anniversary, 1967 was a pivotal year for performance cars, the culmination of what was and what would be.

For one thing, Chrysler has teamed up and eventually produced dedicated performance models with the Plymouth GTX and Dodge Coronet R/T after relying on the Hemi and the lukewarm 383 at Belvederes. Of course, image was everything, and Chrysler solved its problem in 1967. Other midsize vehicles carried over, although most were improvements over the 1966s.

Several pony cars were introduced in 1967, with the Camaro and Firebird heating up the Mustang, which was restyled to be longer/lower/wider. A new upscale companion at Mercury added to Ford’s fortunes in the pony car segment. The Barracuda was also redesigned, but its Valiant origins were still evident, for better or worse.

A year later, Chrysler, GM and Ford had all redesigned their midsize vehicles, and the Plymouth Road Runner changed the rules in the high-performance market. Like rock ‘n roll in the mid-1950s, 1968 was the year that the youth market became a priority in Detroit. Here’s a look at some of the cars that made 1967 a pivotal year.

Buick’s Gran Sport has been revised in several ways. Although revised from 1966, the Gran Sport was now called the GS 400 in response to the new 400 replacing the 401 “Nailhead”. Also new was the GS 340, later known as the “Junior Supercar”; There was also an odd regional special called the California GS that would be available nationwide for 1968-69.

This Blue Mist 1967 GS 400 Hardtop was produced with the standard three speed manual gearbox on the floor. Only 373 hardtops were built with this transmission, which was actually a Ford unit.

The air scoops on the hood of this Regal Black GS 400 were painted like the rest of the body, but the GS 340s were painted red, along with a wide vertical stripe running from the non-functioning fender pullers to the rear.

You can see that this ivory GS 400 convertible sports a saddle interior, a color not really seen on other GM muscle cars, but given Buick’s clientele it makes sense that Buick would offer more mature colors would. These colors became more popular across the industry around 1970.

This color is called Verde Green, which was not available on other GM cars except the Oldsmobile Toronado. All GS 400s were fitted with a stylish red “Star Wars” air filter.

The Buick Riviera also received an updated engine for 1967, measuring 430 ci. Due to GM’s ban on multiple carburetion alongside the Corvette, the Riviera no longer had a 2×4 option. This example is one of 4,837 built with the GS package.

The 1967 Camaro had a secret: a street racing package, option code Z28. Few knew about it, which is why only 602 were built. Word got around by 1969 and over 20,000 were built. This ’67 features the Rally Sport package and is outfitted in Day 2 configuration.

The regular horsepower Camaro was the Super Sport, originally only available with an exclusive 350hp 295hp, but after a few months two 396s became available. This Granada Gold Camaro SS/RS 350 has an automatic steering column shift and standard hubcaps without decorative rings.

Compare the above to this Capri Cream 1967 Camaro and you might think it’s a super sport. However, it’s simply a Rally Sport with the D91 striping that was standard on the SS package. Engine is a 275 hp 327, the top-of-the-line engine for the “regular” Camaro except the Z28. Note the new 1967 Rally wheels, which featured a flat center cap different from all subsequent years.

Here is a Granada Gold 1967 SS 427. Basically the big brother of the Chevelle SS 396, the Z24 SS 427 package included a 427 (L36) producing 385 hp, mated to a robust 3 speed manual gearbox, hood with special decoration, SS 427 badging front and rear, special 427 engine badging unique to the Z24, SS hubcaps, Strato bucket front seats with console or Strato Black seat with armrest, and a variety of other upscale interior and exterior trims.

This 1967 Chevelle SS 396 features the optional SS wheel covers and Z29 vinyl side stripe. A D96 with a wide side stripe was also available in 1967. Three versions of the 396 were available from 1966 to 1969, ranging from 325 to 375 hp.

Dodge’s Coronet R/T 440 Magnum with 375 hp was more powerful than most competing models Optional Engines. When the 440 had its hands full, the optional 426 Hemi was available. Other standard R/T features included TorqueFlite transmission, louvered hood, longitudinal pinstripes outlining the contour, distinctive R/T identification, special Charger-like grille, concealed taillights, 7.75×14-inch red stripes, bucket seats and 150 mile speedometer. Note the standard hubcaps with no decorative rings on this dark blue metallic R/T convertible.

This metallic silver R/T convertible with a red interior has a sportier look than the blue one above thanks to optional steel road wheels, but the latter looks more purposeful.

Compare the Dodge above to the similar 1967 Plymouth GTX in metallic silver here. The GTX’s equipment list was similar to that of the Coronet R/T, although the 440 was called Super Commando and was topped by a hood with two simulated air intakes. A notable feature of the GTX was the pit stop fuel cap. This ’67 features the standard 440 and optional chrome Custom Road Wheels, which were not available with disc brakes.

This handsome Mauve Metallic Hemi GTX was not originally ordered but was built the way the owner wanted it. Note the sports stripes, which were an option spanning the hood and decklid.

Do you think this triple black 440 GTX looks that spooky? Or do you think it would look better with stripes? White, Dark Red, Dark Blue or Medium Copper were available, all with matching interiors if desired.

The Silver Bullet is arguably the most famous GTX of all (Black Ghost who?), a Detroit street racing legend. Jimmy Addison was a mechanic at a Sunoco on Woodward Avenue in Birmingham (a suburb of Detroit). Ted Spehar, the station’s owner, built racing engines on the side, and is believed to have sold Addison parts for his street races. In fact, it is believed that the Silver Bullet was used as a Skunkworks species by implication. This explains why the scene on the street was as powerful a marketing element as anything else. Lightweight components such as doors, hood (taken from the “R023” Hemi Belvedere II Super Stock), windows and more are said to have removed 500 pounds from the B-body.

The Hemi also dropped from 426ci, now measuring 487 thanks to a 4.25″ stroker crank, oversized TRW pistons, Racer Brown cam, aluminum cylinder heads and more. In street trim with M&H drag slicks, the Silver Bullet ran mid-10 ETs. The Silver Bullet has been in Harold Sullivan’s collection for over two decades.

How about Shelby’s? Like the Mustang, the Shelby GT was redesigned for 1967. As the Mustang matured a bit, the Shelby lost some of its street-racing charm but moved up the ranks as a deluxe pony car with show-car-inspired styling.

The GT350 was joined by a GT500 powered by a 355 horse “Special Interceptor” 428 out of two quads. This Nightmist Blue big block is car number 706 and has built in high beams (outboard units would be an ongoing change due to some conditions requiring spacing between lights) as well as a 3.50 speed four speed and a rare parchment interior design.

The Hi-Po 289 was carried over for the GT350, although the extra weight detracted from its performance. This Raven Black car has car number 051 and has several features unique to early cars such as the courtesy lights in the grille and the additional brake/turn signals on the scoops on the C-pillar. Originally sold new by Gotham Ford in Manhattan, this four-speed Shelby was purchased by racer Cristobal “Batman” Gajluf and exported to Peru.

This 1967 GT350 was originally sold at Presidential Ford in Philadelphia. The Wimbledon White Roß is equipped with a four-speed, 3.89-speed transmission and the usual equipment you would find at Shelby’s including Competition Handling Package, shoulder harness, deluxe steering wheel, 140 speedometer, 8,000 rpm tachometer and oil pressure and ammeter gauges , among other.

To see more coverage of MCACN 2022, follow this link.