Picture Time: American Muscle From the Keeneland Concours

Corey Lewis
by Corey Lewis
picture time american muscle from the keeneland concours

In our previous concours edition of Picture Time, we shared five distinctly American luxury cars from years gone by. Today we move forward in history a little, and subtract some luxury for the sake of sheer power.

Follow along now for some great American muscle cars from the show.

The Buick GSX was an option package on top of the Buick GS455, available from 1970 through 1974. Low sales figures make it a fairly rare car today.

The GSX was Buick’s equivalent model to the Pontiac GTO, and featured sporting details like this excellent optional hood tach.

Speaking of the GTO, this red and white convertible beauty was nearby.

The internet tells me this example, with concealed headlamps (lost for 1970) and rear side marker shaped like a GTO logo, is from 1969.

Who doesn’t love the familiar visage of a golden late ’70s Firebird Trans Am?

The brown vinyl interior lets onlookers know that not only are you a sporting driver, but you’re also someone who enjoys a nice, wide lapel on a suit.

As previously proven in the Pontiac 6000 Rare Rides article, Pontiac often received wheel designs better than other General Motors offerings. Golden snowflakes are always a win.

The Trans Am was an option package on the base Firebird, upgrading the model’s power, suspension, and handling. It also added Trans Am-specific visual cues.

But enough about General Motors, as this enormous Mustang Mach I also made an appearance at the show.

The huge exterior proportions of the Mach I did not translate into extensive interior room for occupants.

Inset headlamps and front corner vents were only available on the 1970 Mach I. The model debuted for the first time in 1969.

Back to GM one last time, for this utterly mustard Corvette Stingray.

For 1969 through 1976, the C3 Corvette Stingray maintained this same basic shape. The egg-crate fender vents seen here place this example between 1970 and 1972.

With T-tops and an automatic transmission, the Stingray was ready to brougham you around throughout the remainder of the 1970s.

Come back soon, for our next Picture Time from the Keeneland Concours.

[Images: © Corey Lewis]

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  • Bob65688581 Small by American standards, this car is just right for Europe, and probably China, although I don't really know, there. Upscale small cars don't exist in the US because Americans associate size and luxury, so it will have a tough time in the States... but again Europe is used to such cars. Audi has been making "small, upscale" since forever. As usual, Americans will miss an opportunity. I'll buy one, though!Contrary to your text, the EX30 has nothing whatsoever to do with the XC40 or C40, being built on a dedicated chassis.
  • Tassos Chinese owned Vollvo-Geely must have the best PR department of all automakers. A TINY maker with only 0.5-0.8% market share in the US, it is in the news every day.I have lost count how many different models Volvo has, and it is shocking how FEW of each miserable one it sells in the US market.Approximately, it sells as many units (TOTAL) as is the total number of loser models it offers.
  • ToolGuy Seems pretty reasonable to me. (Sorry)
  • Luke42 When I moved from Virginia to Illinois, the lack of vehicle safety inspections was a big deal to me. I thought it would be a big change.However, nobody drives around in an unsafe car when they have the money to get their car fixed and driving safely.Also, Virginia's inspection regimine only meant that a car was safe to drive one day a year.Having lived with and without automotive safety inspections, my confusion is that they don't really matter that much.What does matter is preventing poverty in your state, and Illinois' generally pro-union political climate does more for automotive safety (by ensuring fair wages for tradespeople) than ticketing poor people for not having enough money to maintain their cars.
  • ToolGuy When you are pulled over for speeding, whether you are given a ticket or not should depend on how attractive you are.Source: My sister 😉
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