During the 1960s and early 1970s, muscle cars reigned supreme in the US. Naturally, some of the most popular models received pace car duties at the famous Indy 500 race, where they got a huge boost in popularity.
First held in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has become the most prestigious race in the US. Along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix, it forms what's called the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
Since its inception, the race has had a pace car that leads the starting grid around the track for warm-up laps and also enters the race during caution periods to slow the cars on the track.
Traditionally, pace car duties are handed down to a just-released or upcoming series production model for promotional purposes, and during the golden age of muscle, some of the most iconic rides in US automotive history received this honor.
Most of these awesome rides have been forgotten, so for this article, we decided to take a look back at five of the most iconic pace cars from that exciting era.
1964 ½ Ford Mustang Convertible
Photo: Jay Leno's Garage - via YouTube
The Mustang was met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction by the public and the press when it was unveiled on April 17, 1964, at the New York World Fair.
To capitalize on that, Ford general manager Lee Iacocca ordered his staff to prepare three Mustangs for the upcoming Indy 500 race, but due to time constraints, only two were developed.
The cars, which were some of the very first to roll off the assembly line, were both convertibles painted in the traditional pace car white.
Though they looked like standard Mustangs, the pace cars were actually heavily modified by the Blue Oval's motorsport partners, Holman-Moody.
Each received additional chassis bracing, a revamped suspension system with adjustable Koni shocks, beefier tires, and, last but not least, a GT40-spec 289-ci (4.7-liter) V8 rated at 450 hp.
1965 Plymouth Sport Fury
Photo: Mecum
In 1965, Plymouth was awarded Indy 500 pace car duties for the first and only time in its history.
The model chosen by the Chrysler division was the freshly redesigned fourth-generation Fury in its range-topping Sport trim in convertible guise.
Painted white, the Sport Fury pace car featured a two-tone blue vinyl interior with bucket seats.
Unfortunately, no official information about the exact modifications of the original pace car has survived. Some sources state that it was powered by a stock 330-hp 383-ci (6.3-liter) Golden Commando V8, while others tell us a 425-ci 426-ci (7.0-liter) Max Wedge was placed between the shock towers.
Regardless of the actual engine, it must have been quite a sight to see the gargantuan Sport Fury barreling down the track with a host of open-wheelers chasing it.
Apart from the car that received the honor of pacing that year's race, Plymouth also built around 1,500 replicas that were sold through the division's most successful dealerships.
1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT
Photo: Mecum
After the Mustang's appearance at the 1964 race, FoMoCo was awarded pace car duties once again in 1966, but this time, it was the Lincoln-Mercury division who received the honor of delivering the car.
The model chosen for the task was the new third-generation Comet, which had just grown from a compact into an intermediate and was available with a performance-oriented trim dubbed Cyclone GT.
While the standard Comet Cyclone GT was powered by the 390-ci (6.4-liter) Interceptor big-block V8 conservatively rated 335 hp, the pace car driven by Benson Ford at the famous race received a different lump.
Painted red and equipped with a series of upgrades, including extra chassis bracing, beefier suspension components, and larger brakes, the Holman-Moody-prepped pace car was powered by a race-spec 427-ci (7.0-liter) "side oiler" that made around 500 hp.
Apart from the official pace car, Mercury also sold 100 replicas powered by the standard Cyclone GT 390-ci V8.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS
Photo: Mecum
In 1967, Chevrolet finally introduced a Mustang-rivaling pony car in the shape of the Camaro. Management pulled the right strings and received an official Indy 500 pace car spot for their newest model.
The Camaro chosen for this prestigious task was an RS/SS, a combination of the SuperSport performance package and the RS appearance package.
A convertible, the white car with a blue interior received several modifications, including stronger suspension components and a 325-hp balanced and blueprinted L35 396 in place of the L78.
Unlike previous years, the 1969 pace car wasn't driven by an executive. Instead, Chevy chose three-time Indy 500 champ Mauri Rose.
As customary, race winner A.J. Foyt was awarded the car, but he refused to take it home since it wasn't equipped with an air conditioning system and a power top.
Chevy made Foyt another car with all the options he desired, and the rejected Camaro was repurposed as a USAC pace car for the 1967 season.
Thankfully, this piece of motorsport history has survived. It was auctioned off by Mecum in 2022, fetching a whopping $632,500.
1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2
Photo: Mecum
In 1970, Oldsmobile returned as the official pace car supplier after last receiving this honor in 1960.
The model chosen was the high-powered 4-4-2, which, thanks to GM's abolition of the 400-ci internal ban, was now powered by 455-ci (7.4-liter) conservatively rated at 365 hp in stock form or 370 hp with the W30 package.
The car prepped to run the track at the 1970 race was a convertible powered by a non-W30 engine. Nevertheless, its suspension and brakes were upgraded, and it received a white paint job with a special decal package.
The 4-4-2 pace car was driven by two-time Indy 500 winner Rodger Ward, and at the end of the race, Al Unser, Sr. blew past the checkered flag first, earning the right to drive the special Olds home.
Like other pace cars, replicas of the white Olds were sold to the public. However, Olds chose to built 382 units of standard 350-powered Cutlass convertibles with pace car graphics and only 268 authentic 4-4-2 replicas.
Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News