5 Quickest Muscle Cars Over the Quarter Mile During the 1965 Model Year

Though drag strip-oriented, high-performance versions of mass-produced American cars existed in the past, 1964 marked the introduction of one that catered to a wider audience.

Dubbed GTO, after the European homologation specials (Gran Turismo Omologato), the performance package introduced by Pontiac brought a full-size V8 into the engine bay of the intermediate LeMans.

The GTO quickly became insanely popular, so for the following model year, other American carmakers introduced high-performance models aimed at rivaling the GTO.

For potential buyers, performance was generally the name of the game, and quarter-mile times usually influenced which dealership they visited.

5. Buick Skylark Gran Sport

Midway through the model year, Buick - who was in desperate need of infusing some excitement into its lineup - surprised everyone by introducing its own GTO-rivaling performance package for the intermediate Skylark.

Called Gran Sport and available for the "thin-pillar" coupe, hardtop, or convertible Skylark, the package added chassis reinforcements, heavy-duty shocks, a thicker front anti-roll bar, and larger drum brakes.

More importantly, it also added the "nailhead" 401-ci (6.57-liter) that was advertised as a 400 to dodge GM's 400-ci (6.55-liter) displacement ban on intermediate V8s.

Rated at 325 hp and 445 lb-ft (603 Nm) of torque, the potent engine enabled the Skylark Gran Sport to run the quarter mile in 15.3 seconds at 88 mph (142 kph), according to a test conducted by Car Life magazine.

4. Oldsmobile 4-4-2

Like GM stablemates Buick, Oldsmobile was more focused on delivering upscale passenger cars. However, months after Pontiac introduced the GTO in 1964, Olds followed suit with the 4-4-2.

For the 1965 model year, the 4-4-2, which, like the GTO and the Gran Sport, was still a performance package, was improved, as Olds chose to replace the venerable 330 with an all-new 400-ci (6.6-liter) tall-deck "big-block" V8.

Equipped with a 515-cfm Rochester four-barrel, the 400 made 345 hp and 440 lb-ft (597 Nm).

Apart from the new engine, the package added several performance-oriented components, including a sturdier suspension, a heavy-duty steering ratio, a performance rear end, and dual exhausts.

In a test published in the May 1965 issue of Car and Driver magazine, the 4-4-2 managed to run the quarter mile in 15 seconds flat at 98 mph (158 kph), making it the fourth fastest muscle car available that year.

3. Shelby GT350

Introduced in the second part of the 1964 model year, the Ford Mustang was already a sales sensation, and in 1965, it entered the performance arena.

While Ford added the GT package and made the 289 HiPo "K-code" available as the top performance V8 in Venice, California, the legendary Carroll Shelby and his talented crew developed the first thoroughbred performance Mustang.

Finished in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue rocker stripes, the GT350 two-door fastback received numerous chassis and bodywork improvements that improved maneuverability and lowered weight.

Nevertheless, the most important upgrade was found under the hood, where Shelby fitted a HiPo, which received bespoke exhaust headers, an aluminum intake manifold, and a larger Holley 715-cfm four-barrel carb.

Linked to a Borg-Warner T10 four-speed manual, the tuned 289 was rated at 306 hp and 329 lb-ft (446 Nm) of torque.

Lighter and more powerful than a conventional, 289-equipped 'Stang, the GT350 could run the quarter mile in 14.7 seconds at 90 mph (145 kph), according to a test conducted by Road & Track magazine in May 1965.

2. Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS 396 Z16

The Bowtie brigade's answer to Pontiac's GTO was the SS (Super Sport) package, which traced its origins to the 1961 Impala SS.

Initially released in 1964 for the two-door hardtop and convertible Chevelle Malibu, the SS returned in 1965, but this time, it was available with a new option dubbed Z16.

The option added boxed frame rails typically available on the convertible, a narrowed rear axle and brake assemblies borrowed from the Impala, and a heavy-duty suspension setup.

More importantly, the Z16 added an L37 396-ci (6.5-liter) V8, marking the first time a big block made its way into a factory-built Chevy Intermediate.

Equipped with forged pistons and crank, four-bolt mains, ported cylinder heads, a hydraulic-lifter cam, an aluminum intake, and a Holley 3310 four-barrel carb, the 396 made 375 hp and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm) or torque.

Though those figures triumphed the GTO's 389 Tri-Power, the Chevelle Malibu SS 396 Z16 ran the quarter mile in 14.6 seconds at 100 mph (161 kph), according to Popular Hot Rodder magazine, so it was just shy of becoming the quickest factory-built muscle car of 1965.

1. Pontiac GTO 389 Tri-Power

As you can imagine, Pontiac didn't rest on its laurels, and apart from the exterior restyling of the entire Tempest/Le Mans/GTO line, it also bumped up performance.

All versions of the 389-ci (6.4-liter) V8 engine received revised cylinder heads with improved intake passages and high-rise intake manifolds, which enhanced airflow.

Therefore, the top-dog Tri-Power, with its trio of two-barrel Rochester carbs and hot cam, was now rated at 360 hp and 424 lb-ft (575 Nm) of torque.

Equipped with this engine, plus a host of GTO-specific upgrades, including heavy-duty suspension and performance rear-end ratios, the 1965 GTO was the quickest factory-built muscle car of 1965.

In a test conducted by Car Life magazine, the GTO 389 Tri-Power ran the quarter mile in 14.5 seconds, traveling at 100 mph (161 kph).