fuel economy

[Murray B.]

Its not quite a muscle car but my favorite car was a '69 Wildcat with 430-4 (360 H.P.). It gave 17 mpg (Canadian 160 ounce gallon) under normal circumstances and 25 when cruising at a constant 75 mph. Try as I might to conserve fuel those darned old police just kept giving me tickets. Guess they weren't environmentally friendly.

My least favorite car was a '76 T-bird with 460 (220 H.P.). It could barely move its own weight and only gave 7 or 8 mpg on a good day. This was a common problem with Detroit iron made between '73 and '78.

Now I keep hearing about the "gas guzzlers of the sixties" on at least a monthly basis from mass media talking heads. That is a big lie. Cars of the sixties gave better mileage and performance because they were just more efficient. Truth is it was the post-environmental-lobby-cars of the seventies that were the gutless gas guzzlers.

The media won't quit lying so it is up to us '60s lovers to get the truth out. First truth is that muscle cars were extremely rare. Second truth is that no matter how much HP was produced during the sixties it was still done efficiently.

It is up to us to get the facts out there because nobody else is going to do it. It needs to be done before they legislate yet another injury to the American car industry. Who is with me?

[Tomsriv]

I'm with you. I am sick and tired of hobbiests getting picked on. Especially when diesels are unregulated and pollute a lot more than cars. Big business has to much pull and they always move the focus to the easy target.

[Murray B.]

Thanks, Tomsriv, for a while I thought I was the only person in North America that owned one of those legistated gutless gas-guzzlers. There are probably others but they are just shy.

Thanks again for your message.