​The flat-top era at General Motors lasted only two years, but it left a memorable impression.on the automotive world.

The flat-top cars of General Motors for 1959-60 were created during a tumultuous period for the automaker’s styling shop. At that moment, the studio was carefully navigating the transition from Harley Earl to Bill Mitchell as leader of the operation. And meanwhile, the GM designers were thrown for a loop by Virgil Exner’s stunning 1957 Chrysler line, which seemed to obsolete everything they had on the drawing board.
In response to the challenges, the GM stylists cleared their easels and for 1959, they came up with some of the most distinctive cars ever produced by the company. One of the more striking innovations was a bold, blade-like roofline for the four-door hardtops that soon became known as the flat top.

​The Flying Wing, as the automaker preferred to call the cantilevered top configuration, was the creation of a young Japanese-American GM stylist, Bug Sugano, in early 1957, with support from Carl Renner, who developed the concept for production. Since all five GM car divisions shared their interior structural sheet metal for 1959, all five brands got their own versions of the simple yet dramatic greenhouse package: Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac.

​With all five car brands sharing a common roofline, on their four-door hardtop body styles at least, the company’s product line presented a unified look across the price range—not such a common occurrence at GM in those years. Following their existing naming conventions, Chevrolet and Oldsmobile called the body style a Sport Sedan, while Cadillac chose the name Four Window Sedan, having a multitude of four-door styles for buyers to choose from. Buick took the simple route: Four-Door Hardtop. For its version of the flat top, Pontiac chose the name Vista, underscoring the design’s excellent 360-degree visibility (glass distortion notwithstanding). Even after the flat tops were discontinued for 1961, Pontiac continued to use the Vista model name for its four-door hardtop styles.
While the flat top era proper at GM lasted only two model years, Cadillac soldiered on for one more year with a variation on the theme (below). The Four Window Sedan style for the SIxty-Two and De Ville models in ’61 used a modified Flying Wing with less rear overhang and a more prominent rear glass. But sales were poor as the more conventional six-window four-door outsold the flat top by more than a five-to-one margin, and the body style was killed off permanently for 1962. Automotive fashion was evolving once again, toward more formal limousine-style roof treatments.

​Chris Webb of Webb Motorworks has done the unfathomable: He’s converted the beloved small-block Chevy V8 into an all-electric vehicle propulsion module.


This flabbergasting project is the work of Chris Webb of Webb Motorworks of Victoria, British Columbia, where the previous products include conversion kits to make a Chevrolet small-block V8 resemble a vintage Ford V8 or Lincoln Zephyr V12. From there, it seems the next step was only natural, almost. Now he’s re-engineered the familiar Chevy SBC to contain a pair of electric motors hidden away inside, creating a drop-in EV conversion unit for hot rods, street machines, and so on. How will this product go over with the traditional hot rodding crowd? We have no clue, but it’s an awesome and fascinating idea.

This largely original 1964 Pontiac GTO in Aquamarine and Parchment is expected to cross the block at the Mecum Indy sale, currently rescheduled for June 23-28.
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Some automotive writers like to engage poetic license with the familiar term “muscle car.” They’re willing to speculate that perhaps the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 was the first muscle car. Or maybe the Rambler Rebel, the Buick Century, or the Stutz Bearcat. But not us. We’re strict constructionists on the matter. As far as we’re concerned, the muscle car era for real begins in 1964 and the first true muscle car, the one that started it all, was the Pontiac GTO. One like this, for instance: a distinctive Aquamarine and Parchment Coupe that is scheduled to cross the block at the Mecum Indy Auction on June 23-28.

Technically, the GTO was not a stand-alone model for ’64 but an optional equipment group that piggybacked on the sporty Le Mans. Three body styles were available: a two-door Hardtop, a Convertible, and a two-door post Coupe like this one. Depending on your point of view, the Coupe could be the most desirable of the three: With its sturdy B-pillar construction, it’s the lightest and the most rigid, and the least prone to wind and water leaks.
This particular GTO has an additional feature of interest to hardcore performance enthusiasts: It’s equipped with the Royal Bobcat package, a special dealer setup offered back in the day by Ace Wilson’s Royal Pontiac in Royal Oak, Michigan, just outside Detroit.
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In the Royal Bobcat treatment, the 389 CID Pontiac Tri-Power engine, factory rated at 348 horsepower, was upfitted with thinner head gaskets to bump up the compression ratio, a more aggressive distributor advance curve, fatter carburetor jetting and mechanical-progressive carb linkage, blocked heat risers, poly-locks for the valvetrain, and other classic hot-rodding tricks.
Hard-wired to the division’s upper management through marketing wizard Jim Wangers, Royal was the go-to performance emporium for Pontiac enthusiasts in the muscle car era. Top mechanics in the Royal performance department included Milt Schornack, who raced the dealership’s Pontiacs on the drag strip when he wasn’t performing his trickery on customer cars.

On the outside, this GTO could be described as just a touch on the plain side with poverty hub caps and Coker redline tires, but in the cabin there’s plenty of ’60s Detroit flash with near-white Parchment (Code 219) upholstery, a full-length bright-metal console to house the four-speed shifter, and the classic GTO instrument panel with its familiar engine-turned look. In the authentic Day Two muscle-car manner, there’s a Sun electric tachometer clamped to the steering column and a three-dial accessory gauge panel attached to the bottom of the dash.
The factory-correct Aquamarine paint (Code P) is said to be a single repaint since new  on a largely original car with just 14,900 miles showing on the odometer. This example is one of nine Pontiac GTOs from the personal collection of auction impresario Dana Mecum, billed as “Dana’s GTOs” and originally scheduled for sale at the annual Mecum Indy sale in May. Due to the COVID-19 emergency, the sale date has been pushed back to June 23-28 (and you’ll want to check for updates at Mecum.com).
Our preferred reference on American car pricing, Hagerty Insurance, currently values the 1964 GTO at all the way up to $119,000 for an example in #1 concours condition. But of course, the originality of this car and the Royal Bobcat package put a unique twist on the valuation. We’ll be interested to see what the auction market decides.  -Photos by Mecum Auctions. ​

​The Pontiac Grand Prix was well-positioned for the upsurge in personal luxury car popularity in the 1970s, as it had been serving that market since its 1962 debut. With the SSJ conversion offered by the Hurst Performance Research Corporation, its standing could be further elevated.
When reinvented for '69, the Grand Prix featured contemporary long-hood/shortdeck styling, a much trimmer appearance than its full-size predecessor, and a cockpit-inspired interior. Borrowing nomenclature from Duesenberg, GPs were offered as a Model J or the sportier Model SJ. They posted record sales.
George Hurst wanted to introduce a limited-edition Pontiac, and when he saw adman Jim Wangers' white '69 SJ with Tiger Gold Royal Pontiac paint accents, George bought it to use for development. Hurst partnered with the Pontiac Motor Division to produce the 1970-'72 SSJ Hurst.
The '72 GP's 400-cu.in. four-barrel low-compression engine was standard and a 455 was optional. Both had D-port heads, were rated at 250 hp, and were backed by the rugged TH400 three-speed automatic, but the 455 had an additional 50 lb-ft of torque at 370.

​A 10-bolt 3.08:1-geared differential was standard and 3.23 gearing was optional. The C-type 12-bolt differential with 3.07 gears was used with the 455 and 3.31s were available. Safe-T-Track (limited-slip) for either type cost extra.
The 118-inch wheelbase of the G-body Grand Prix's perimeter frame was 6 inches longer than that of the A-body GTO and two-door Le Mans, but like them, it used a short, long arm (SLA) front suspension with anti-roll bar, the four-link rear, and coil springs and shocks fore and aft. Power assists for the variable-ratio steering and disc/drum brakes were standard.
For '71, single headlamps replaced the dual layout on each side of the new grille. Boattail styling was revealed in the revised deck lid, and the taillamps and bumpers were updated. The grille pattern and taillamp details were altered for '72.
To buy an SSJ, a Model J (J or SJ for '70) was ordered at a Pontiac dealer in Cameo White or Starlight Black. Interestingly, George Hurst's '72 SSJ was silver, and a Bluestone Gray (1971 color) '72 SSJ also exists, as does a green one. Rumors of additional colors have surfaced as well.

​Body-colored mirrors were required by Hurst but a Cordova top was not allowed. Morrokide or cloth-and-Morrokide-covered buckets with the factory Sport shifter and console, or a notchback bench seat without them could be had. Extra-cost Rally II or Honeycomb wheels with G78-14 whitewall tires were mandated. A Hurst order form was also completed by the salesperson.
American Racing wheels with gold centers, GR60-15 BFG T/A Radials, Wheel- Guard Sentry, Auto Security Alarm System, Auto/Stick shifter for bench-seat SSJs, Roll/Control, and engine super-tuning and blueprinting were offered by Hurst at extra cost. The Digital Performance Computer that calculated ET and mph, a portable Sony TV, and an onboard telephone were innovative for the era.
GPs destined to become SSJs were built on a Pontiac assembly line and then drop-shipped to Roseville, Michigan, ('71-'72) for the Hurst conversion. Shipping code "50 012" ('71-'72) is on the lower right of the factory invoice. (A copy of it is included in a package that can be purchased from PHS Automotive Services, www.phs-online.com, which also contains additional useful information).
An electric sunroof and a black, Antique White, or plain white landau-style half-top were installed, Hurst Fire Frost Gold high-metallic paint accents were applied to the upper body (and wheels) and outlined with hand-painted pinstripes, and die-cast SSJ Hurst emblems were added. For '72, the package's retail cost was $1,275.00. The buyer could take delivery at Hurst or the dealer.

SPECIFICATIONS
Engine OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads
Displacement 400-cu.in. (standard); 455-cu.in. (optional)
Horsepower 250 @ 4,400 rpm (400); 250 @ 3,600 rpm (455)
Fuel system Four-barrel with cast-iron intake manifold
Transmission Turbo Hydra-Matic 400
Wheelbase 118 inches
Length 213.6 inches
Width 76.4 inches
Height 52 inches
Curb weight 3,960 pounds (approximate)
Production Unconfirmed, believed to be between 52 and 200 for 1972

Abridged article courtesy of Hemmings, written by Thomas A. DeMauro.

​With their pure, projectile-like styling, the third-generation 1961-63 Thunderbirds have become known as the Bullet Birds.

Somehow, the generations of Ford Thunderbird often manage to inspire nicknames. The original two-seat Thunderbirds of 1955-57 are called the Baby Birds. The second-generation four-seaters of 1958-60 won the name Square Birds. And the third-generation 1961-63 Thunderbirds, with their pure, projectile-like styling, will forever be known as the Bullet Birds.

​Built on a unit-construction body/chassis with 113-inch wheelbase, the Bullet Bird was similar in size and layout to the ’58-’60 Thunderbird, maintaining a winning formula. And the exterior sheet metal was all new, but with some obvious roots in the 1953 Ford X-100 dream car (read about it here)  and the 1961 Lincoln Continental—especially in the nose and grille, as shown above. And while the fact is well disguised, the Thunderbird and Continental shared some glass and interior structure, aka black metal. While the Bullet Bird’s styling is relatively simple and unadorned, there are clever details to catch the eye, including the door handles incorporated into the side trim.

​Ford lead stylist Elwood Engel had a hand in all these vehicle designs, and when he was passed over for promotion to vice-president of Ford styling, succeeding George Walker (Eugene Bordinat got the job instead) Engel departed, taking the top design job across town at Chrysler Corporation. The Chrysler Turbine Ghia (check out this rare factory film here) that soon emerged there bears an uncanny resemblance to the Bullet Birds. The lineage seems unmistakable.

​As the pioneer of the personal-luxury category, the Thunderbird promised car buyers a sporty yet sumptuous cockpit, with thickly padded bucket seats and a wide center console (above). Novel features included a swing-away steering column for graceful entry and exit and a fabric convertible top that stowed away in the trunk under a reverse-opening deck lid, leaving no visible boot. All Bullet Birds were powered by Ford’s trusty 300 hp, 390 CID V8 and Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission, though there was an M-code option in ’62-’63 that offered three two-barrel carbs and a slightly hotter cam, good for 340 hp according to the factory literature.

​The ’61 and ’62 Bullet Birds are similar, differing mainly in trim details. Two additional models were rolled out for the ’62-’63 model years: a Landau Coupe (complete with vinyl top covering and enormous landau irons as desired) and the Sports Roadster, which featured a fiberglass tonneau cover to make the four-seat convertible resemble a two-seat roadster (above). Remarkably expensive at more than $5,400, well into Cadillac territory at the time, the Sports Roadsters had relatively few takers, and they are especially prized today.
For ’63, the Bullet Bird’s sheet metal got a minor massage, with a new grille and a hockey-stick character line added to the front fender and door (as seen below). While the Bullet Birds were not quite as successful as the ’58-’60 Square Birds, they sold well enough, and they provided a sound foundation for the revised fourth-generation Thunderbirds that arrived in 1964—the cars known as the Flair Birds.