About This Quiz
In the 1960s, sports car designers hit their strides, making memorable models from Britain to Detroit to Italy and back again. Fancy names like Porsche and Ferrari made their marks, but so too did more pedestrian manufacturers like Ford and Dodge. Do you think you really know the ‘60s sports cars in this high-speed quiz?
By the time the ‘60s rolled around, the family sedan was getting a bit stale, and Baby Boomers had the cash to blow on fancier models. Manufacturers scrambled to accommodate demand by offering high-performance sports cars with flashy designs that wowed bystanders and drivers alike. Do you recall some of the first popular sports cars of the decade?
All of the big car companies got into the act. BMW offered its CS, Austin-Healey had the Sprite, and Fiat and Ford all participated in the speed feeding frenzy. Do you think you can match the iconic models of the age to the correct manufacturers?
The youth-driven market sparked a desire for ever greater speed, with big-block engines and crazy horsepower ratings making cars faster than ever before. Suddenly, “pony cars” were a thing. Forget hot rodding — in the ‘60s, you could buy a production car that was faster than anything your parents ever could have dreamed of. Take our ‘60s sports car quiz now and see if you really know these speedy cars of yesteryear!
Introduced in 1964, the Ford Mustang essentially created a brand-new "pony" car category. The Mustang helped to spark the muscle car frenzy of the ‘60s.
In 1963, Porsche unveiled what is likely the company’s best-known model, the 911. The little two-door car has an iconic curved shape that hasn’t changed much over the decades.
The 911s featured rear-mounted engines. And with just a few tweaks, racing teams used these little cars to win competition after competition.
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The 1600 was a roadster, letting you get the wind in your hair as you raced around hairpin curves. A hardtop version was introduced the following year.
Jaguar introduced its E-Type in 1961, and with its long, streamlined body, this car is still a head-turner. It could zoom from 0 to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds.
The first E-Types featured a 3.8 L 6-cylinder engine. The motor could generate more than 260 hp.
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It’s true, in the ‘60s, the 911s were very much air-cooled. In fact, they were still air-cooled all the way up until the 1990s.
The DB5 is a two-door sports car with a 282 hp engine. That motor helps the car hit top speeds of more than 140 mph.
Chevy couldn’t stand by idly while Ford made off with the sports car craze. In 1967, the first Camaros hit the market, competing directly with the Mustang.
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From ‘66 to ‘69, the Ford GT40 ruled the famous race called the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car was so fast and capable that in the ‘66 race, it swept the podium.
The Stingray is a variant of the Chevy Corvette. The Stingray had fantastic "hidden" headlamps that rotated out of view when they weren’t in use.
Starting in 1962, MG began making the MGB, a little sports car that was produced until 1980. The MGB wasn’t exactly setting the highways on fire — it had a 0-60 mph time of around 11 seconds.
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From 1963-65, Aston Martin built its legendary DB5, which gained fame due to it being featured in the James Bond film "Goldfinger." Just over 1,000 of these cars were made.
Coming from a master car maker like Ferrari, it was quite the compliment. Enzo called the Jaguar E-Type "the most beautiful car ever made."
The Toyota 2000GT was a 1967 supercar that is now a serious collector’s item. One of the cars wound up featured in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice."
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In the UK, it was the AC Cobra. In the U.S., though, this fast sports car gained fame as the Shelby Cobra.
In 1962, Ferrari introduced its 250 GTO. Only a few dozen of the cars were made, and they had crushingly-powerful V-12 engines.
In ‘66, Italian car maker Alfa Romeo introduced the Spider, a snappy roadster. It featured a five-speed manual transmission and 108 hp engine.
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The AC / Shelby Cobra is a small car with a big V-8 engine. Later, the company made a Cobra 427 variant that produced 485 hp.
The S800, with its 70 hp engine, barely qualifies as a sports car. But it was a zippy car, and Honda’s first to top 100 mph in maximum speed.
In the ‘60s, the E-Type was accurately called one of the fastest cars around. It had quarter-mile times of about 15 seconds and could hit more than 150 mph.
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Lamborghini debuted the Miura in ‘66 and produced it until 1973. Its sleek appearance and huge V-12 engine drew raves from reviewers and buyers alike.
The C2 featured a famous small-block V8 engine. Customers could also upgrade to the big-block version if they were extra power-hungry.
The E-Type had a 4-speed manual transmission. Later versions made a 3-speed automatic version available.
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The Mistral Spyder was a powerful contraption ... it sneaked an F1-worthy engine into a rather normal-looking car. A few dozen of these little cars had big 4.0 L engines.
Dodge, of course, is famous for its Hemi engines, and its Charger muscle car had a Hemi option. The ‘66 Hemi was a 427 cubic-inch, 7.0 L beast.
In ‘64, Pontiac unveiled its GTO, a muscular sports car. The "Grand Tempest Option" had a big 6.4 L V-8 engine that gave lead-footed drivers a thrill.
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The MGB featured a 4-speed manual transmission. And if you wanted it, you could pay for optional overdrive, too.
In 1966, a new "Supersnake" version of the AC Cobra was unveiled. It essentially made the race-worthy Cobra legal for street driving.
Dodge ramped up the Charger for racing purposes, but its high-speed handling was terrible ... until a spoiler helped to improve traction. The Charger eventually was the first production car with a spoiler.
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