Horsepower. Was there a more important word in 1970, the year that served as the absolute zenith of the horsepower war that began-along with Motor Trend-in 1949? V-8s were king, gas was cheap, and horsepower was still rated in gross numbers. It was Hemi versus Boss versus the big-block Chevy, and it was Good. This was also the year MT expanded its already-world-respected Car of the Year program, by adding an Import Car of the Year category.
Safety bumpers, catalytic converters, gas crunches, and the Pinto/Vega/Gremlin boredom machines were all just around the corner. But in the meantime, America was filling up on leaded premium and burning rubber.
On Track* Our March issue contained an interview with just-crowned Formula One Champion Jackie Stewart-a name that still figures heavily in the sport. Other interview subjects that year included Dan Gurney and a racy, blue-eyed movie star named P.L. Newman.
* The NASCAR event at Riverside International Raceway was still called the Motor Trend 500 back then, and for a change, Dan Gurney didn't win. Parnelli Jones had it in the bag when mechanical woes sidelined him mere laps from the finish, and one Anthony Joseph Foyt, Jr. took the flag.
* Speaking of Parnelli Jones, he did play a happier part in a rather important win that year, that being the winning car owner at the Indy 500. Al Unser piloted PJ's Johnny Lightning Special to his first of four Brickyard victories.
Performance Trends, Circa 1950-1960Car owners have been actively modifying and upgrading their vehicles since the dawn of the automotive age. But it wasn't until the '50s that the mass marketing of performance-enhancing hardware and visually distinctive accessory add-ons really took off. However, for every legitimate item, it seemed there was at least one enterprising entrepreneur ready and willing to provide this burgeoning group of eager consumers with some type of breakthrough technology or bolt-on/paste-on aftermarket goody of a slightly less bona fide pedigree. The following gallery taken directly from the pages of Motor Trend recalls just a few of the more egregious efforts in this questionable realm. Save for the inexplicable failure of the Auto Shocko to gain widespread favor, we can confidently report that the American motoring public duly ignored their timely passings without long-term adverse effects.