SUPERSPORTING

SOME CARS ARE BUILT FOR TRAVEL. Back in the ’60s, that meant full-size cruisers with cabins that could swallow six people on supportive bench seats with ample legroom, headroom, and sufficient personal space. In those days, even in a modestly priced model, the cozy commuters would likely have been enveloped in a refined, stylish body with a greenhouse’s worth of windows that provided a nearly unobstructed panoramic view. Under the hood you’d probably find an economical straight-six or a modest V-8 that provided sufficient power without delivering a knockout punch to the fuel budget. From there, the option sheet offered a cornucopia of choices: bigger V-8 engines, automatic transmission, and enough creature comforts to make the average suburban living room envious.

Then there were cars that were built to go fast and, in a perfect world, look good doing it.