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If someone says the word ?hybrid? to you during an automotive discussion, what car do you think of first" If you answer ?Toyota Prius,? then you are likely in the majority. Today, auto manufacturers have adopted the term ?hybrid? to define any vehicle which uses both an internal combustion engine and electric power as a fuel-saving measure.
But 40 to 50 years ago, ?hybrid? cars were all the rage with enthusiasts, and no, these did not employ battery packs.
Setting The Stage
The term ?hybrid? was used to define a car with a body from one manufacturer, and an engine from another, in a high-performance combination. More specifically, a powerful American V8 engine would be dropped into a European-designed and built sports car. The new and improved power-to-weight ratio gave these vehicles tremendous acceleration. Low development cost and ease of maintenance were also seen as positive attributes, especially compared to some of the high-strung powerplants employed in other foreign-born exotica.
Today, these hybrids from the ?60s and ?70s are very popular among collectors, and for good reason. Most of them were also built in very low numbers, making them as rare as they are valuable. Let?s take a look at five of the more popular hybrid models (each built below 10,000 units, or about one week?s production of the Ford F-150.) We?ll examine their origins, what features they have in common, and what distinguishes them from ...