This 1970 Stage 1 is one of 2,465 produced that year.

This car was displayed with a copy of the original window sticker.

Another 1970 Buick GS455.

1987 Buick Grand National.

The story of the Buick Grand National is a wonderful tale of how Buick, the division known for making "Doctor's cars," and "Old men's cars," suddenly had the fastest accelerating production car in the US in 1986.

Unfortunately, the GN was also known for its less than stellar interior. I remember reading a contemporary road test back in the day, (can't remember if it was Car and Driver or Motor Trend), that described the car as, "Darth Vader on the outside, Rosanne Barr on the inside."

Another 1970 Buick GS Stage 1.

1970 Buick GS Stage 1.

This was the second of two 1970 Stage 1s on display.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454.

I've made it to Class 36G: Factory High Performance, Chevrolet and Oldsmobile, 1970 - 1981.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454.

This car has the RPO LS5 version of the 454 CID V8 that makes 360 hp.

1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS454.

This is a rare car, one of 3,823 produced that year.

The same 360 hp RPO LS5 version of Chevrolet's 454 CID V8 that powered the previous Chevelle SS also powers this Monte Carlo SS.

1970 Yenko Deuce Nova.

1970 Yenko Deuce Nova.

Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Chevrolet dealer Don Yenko became a legend by building and marketing modified Chevrolets in the 1960s. His first project, the Yenko Stinger Corvair, arrived for 1966. The idea was to get the Corvair approved for SCCA racing, which was accomplished. The Stinger was available in 4 stages of tune, one of which was full-on race car.

When the Camaro debuted in 1967, the largest engine available from the factory was the already potent RPO L78 396 CID V8 that made 375 hp. Yenko replaced the 396 with a modified Chevrolet RPO L72 427 CID V8 in approximately 107 Camaros that year, and another 65 for 1968.

By this time, Chevrolet began to take notice and started working with Yenko through the COPO (Central Office Production Order) program to have the 427 installed at the factory. For 1969, approximately 198 Camaros and 99 Chevelles left the factory with engines normally not available through conventional channels. Yenko transplanted the 427 into approximately 37 Novas as well that year, something he later admitted wasn't a good idea.

With new emissions standards and high insurance premiums knocking at his door, Yenko realized that a modified big-block in a small car wasn't going to work. His next idea was to offer a higher performance version of the Nova's standard 350 CID V8 in an attempt to fly under the radar. The most potent 350 available at that time was the RPO LT1 350 CID V8 from the Corvette that made 360 hp.

So Yenko headed back to GM and came up with a COPO program code for the 1970 Nova. The new Yenko Deuce started out life as a base 350 V8 car, (RPO L65 350 CID V8 that made 250 hp). Other required options were ordered that included power front disc brakes, a 4.10 positraction rear axle, and dual exhausts. When COPO 9010 was added, the base 350 CID V8 was replaced with the 360 hp RPO LT1 350 CID V8 from the Corvette.

The Yenko Deuce Nova featured a standard black vinyl bench seat and upgraded door panels.

The Yenko Deuce could be ordered with either a Turbo 350 automatic transmission or an M20 4-speed manual transmission. This car has the 4-speed.

Like the other Yenko cars, the Deuce was a great performer and has become quite collectible. A total of approximately 175 Deuces were produced in 1970.

1972 Oldsmobile 442 convertible.

According to the information on display, this is an original owner car. In fact, the owner ordered this car from the dealer where he worked when he was 19.

For 1972, the 442 reverted back to an option package for the Cutlass, (instead of having its own series with its own style codes). This makes documenting an authentic 1972 442 much harder. This car's original window sticker, like the one seen in the photo above, confirms that it is one of the 1,171 442 convertibles made that year.

It is estimated that of those 1,171 442 convertibles produced in 1972, fewer than 300 of them were equipped with the RPO L75 455 CID V8 making this car extremely rare.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 convertible.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 convertible.

The 1970 SS454 Chevelle usually gets most of the attention thanks to its 454 CID V8 that was available in two stages of tune, (450 hp RPO LS6 and 360 hp RPO LS5). But the 396 CID V8 was also still available, (called the "SS396" even though the actual displacement was 402 cubic inches). This car features the mid-level RPO L34 396 CID V8 that makes 350 hp.

Class 36I: Factory High Performance, Ford and Mercury, 1970-94.

1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R.

1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R.

The 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra was the original Fox Body's last hurrah, (it would be replaced by an extensively redesigned version known as the SN95 platform for 1994). In addition to the base Cobra, a limited run of Cobra R Mustangs were produced. This is car number 60 of 107 produced for 1993.

The "R" in the car's name stands for "race." The Cobra R was designed for the race track. Everything not associated with forward motion was deleted. Options and accessories normally found on a Mustang - power equipment, air conditioning, sound deadener, a back seat, etc - were not available on the Cobra R.

The engine in the Cobra R was the same as that in the regular SVT Cobra with the exception of an upgraded radiator and purge tank. The 235 hp rating remained the same. The difference is that the Cobra R is about 450 pounds lighter.

The other significant part of the Cobra R package was its giant set of upgraded front and rear brakes.

Instead of spending time on the race track, this car went into a garage. All of the original paperwork, including the window sticker seen in the photo above, were with the car. The plastic was still on the seats. It looked like the car was never prepped.

1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351.

1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351.

Model year 1971 was the beginning of the end for the traditional Muscle Car era. The outlook was bleak thanks to tightening emissions and safety standards coupled with rising insurance premiums. Ford managed to squeeze one final legit performer out of the factory before the end - The Boss 351 Mustang.

The Boss 351 Mustang is seen as both a high and a low in the car's history. The 351 CID "Cleveland" V8 under the hood makes 330 hp and 370 ft-lbs of torque. Power was put to the ground via a 4-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter and a 3.91 Traction-Lok rear axle. The mid-13-second quarter mile performance received generally positive reviews.

However, by 1971, the Mustang had grown once again and had become longer, wider, and heavier than it had ever been, drifting even further away from its roots. Yet somehow, the increase in size didn't translate to the interior which was described "cramped" by one contemporary magazine review. The fastback, or "SportsRoof," styling looked good. But the almost-horizontal rear window made for tricky rear visibility, (Car Life Magazine called it, "a good skylight"). Sales continued to drop during the three years covered by this restyle, (1971 - 73).

This very rare car is one of 1,806 Boss 351 Mustangs produced in its only year of 1971.

I thought I had reached the end of the show field with the previous Boss 351 Mustang. But I spotted two late arrivals on my way back to the speedway.

I didn't see a sign on this Maxwell. But as near as I can determine, it appears to be a pre-1910 model.

The Maxwell-Briscoe Company began manufacturing automobiles around 1904 in Tarrytown, New York. One name change and several relocations later, the Maxwell Motor Company became one of the top automobile producers in the country. But by 1920, the company's fortunes had started to slip away. Walter P. Chrysler acquired the company in 1921 and merged it into his new Chrysler Corporation.

By 1925, the Maxwell name had been phased out and production halted. But the Maxwell automobile design continued to be improved and became the basis for Chrysler's entry-level brand Plymouth.

This car is powered by a 2-cylinder engine that I believe makes 14 hp.

1954 Kaiser Darrin.

Officially known as the Kaiser Darrin Model 161, the Darrin is the result of a collaboration between Kaiser Motors founder Henry J. Kaiser and renown coachbuilder and designer Howard "Dutch" Darrin.