THESE 10 COLLECTIBLE VEHICLES SPORT SUPERCHARGERS: WHICH WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO DRIVE?

Turbocharging may be the preferred power-adder today because of its efficiency and on-demand performance, but there’s something really appealing about the ever-present boost -not to mention that subtle whine- of a mechanically driven supercharger. No matter the engine’s displacement or cylinder count, a supercharger is guaranteed to make it feel much stronger from the moment your foot touches the accelerator. We’ve scanned the Hemmings Marketplace for cars, trucks, and SUVs with supercharged engines, and turned up well over 600 domestic and imported vehicles in our classifieds, Make Offer, and Hemmings Auctions that fit the bill with prices that range from $4,500 to $1.9 million. Here are 10 of the most interesting examples we spotted; which one most makes you want to hit the road? Comment below with your pick, and if you’ve owned a supercharged vehicle, what you most liked about driving it.

1935 Chrysler Airflow C1

The groundbreaking Airflow may have been a marketing failure for Chrysler in the mid-1930s, but it forecasted aerodynamic design for cars decades into the future and spawned many international copycats. The low-production C1 coupe offered swoopy lines that still stop traffic 90 years after they debuted, and this street-rodded 1935 Airflow coupe shows how nice the classic can look with a modern stance. Replacing the original 5.3-liter inline-eight is a Chrysler-appropriate 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 with an Edelbrock supercharger, together which pump out more than enough power to put those smooth curves to good use.

1940 Graham Model 107

A stunning addition to the Hemmings Auctions docket is this fully restored 1940 Graham four-door sedan with the factory-optional supercharger. Wearing stunning Spirit of Motion styling by visionary designer Amos E. Northup, the sleek four-door is motivated by a Continental-sourced 218-cu.in. flathead inline-six whose Graham-built blower boosts hp from 93 to a very respectable 120 with the help of split exhaust manifolds, twin pipes, and a two-inlet single muffler. It’s one of fewer than 1,900 cars the automaker produced in its final year, so you’re guaranteed not to see yourself at every street corner.

1954 Kaiser Manhattan

Rather than the experimental steam-driven V-4 that company namesake Henry J. Kaiser commissioned to power one of his stylish, “Dutch” Darrin-penned Manhattan sedans, this 1954 Kaiser Manhattan four-door features the rare, factory-optional “Power-On-Demand” 226-cu.in. inline-six engine with a Paxton supercharger that produces a stout 140 hp and 215 lb-ft of torque. The 98,000-mile car is a being honestly presented as a restoration project with minimal rust that is said to run, drive, and stop, but needs mechanical and cosmetic attention to bring it back to fine form.

1965 Excalibur SSK

The car that launched the neoclassic automobile trend was the 1960s Excalibur, a hand-built tribute to 1930s sports cars that originated with famed industrial designer Brooks Stevens and his sons Steve and David, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Pairing a Studebaker Lark Daytona chassis and Paxton-supercharged, 400-hp Chevrolet 327-cu.in. V-8 under fiberglass coachwork (with no doors!) gives this 1965 Excalibur SSK a great power-to-weight ratio and a 0-60 time under 6 seconds. It features original paint, a four-speed Borg Warner manual gearbox, recent comprehensive servicing, and fewer than 24,000 miles from new.

1978 MG MGB

British-car parts supplier Moss Motors sells an Eaton supercharger kit for the evergreen MGB that’s very popular with MG owners since it substantially enhances power and torque, especially in late-model examples like this 1978 MG MGB Tourer that also received goodies like a factory four-speed with overdrive, electronic ignition, Ansa header and exhaust system, Wilwood front disc brakes, a Moss suspension lowering kit, and an aftermarket air-conditioning setup. The seller frankly discusses the car’s condition, noting some typical sill corrosion; since this is a Hemmings Make Offer listing, potential buyers have the ability to negotiate!

1989 Toyota Corolla Levin Twin Cam 16

To the general public, this Toyota may look like a run-of-the-mill, late-Eighties front-drive Corolla GT-S sport coupe, but its fixed composite headlamps and in-your-face hood scoop indicate something different. This is a Japanese-market 1989 Corolla Levin Twin Cam 16 with right-hand drive and a factory supercharged “4A-GZE” 1.6-liter fuel-injected DOHC four-cylinder engine that’s related to the one we got in the contemporary MR2 Supercharged. It has the equivalent of under 40,000 miles, four-wheel disc brakes, a five-speed manual transmission, A/C, a sunroof, high-end cassette stereo, and (because JDM) a rear-window wiper!

1995 Buick Riviera

General Motors’ long-lived 3800 V-6 wasn’t an overachiever in standard form, but it made reasonable power when it was supercharged, like you’ll find under the curvaceous hood of this 1995 Buick Riviera. The final-generation Riviera featured show-car-worthy styling over a stiff new front-drive platform, and the flagship 225-hp/275 lb-ft engine pushed it to 60 in 8.5 seconds, according to the brochure. This sub-31,000-mile Buick has a few cosmetic issues (check out those funky three-spokes!) but they can be addressed; where else can you find a modern-classic full-size personal luxury coupe offering so much style and space?

1997 Aston MArtin DB7

By 1997 -its third year of production- the Aston Martin DB7 had lost none of its head-turning, fist-biting style. Indeed, nearly three decades on, it’s still a stunning grand tourer, especially in the Fire Red Pearl paint worn by this 58,000-mile example. While the DB7 was based on Jaguar XJS underpinnings and would later receive a V-12 engine, early models were motivated by a TWR-built all-alloy DOHC 3.2-liter inline-six topped by an Eaton supercharger; the 335-hp engine pushed that graceful shape to 165 mph. This recently serviced 2+2 coupe has a lovely cream-and-burgundy interior, automatic transmission, and a negotiable asking price.

2002 Ford F-150 Lightning

Ford sells a battery-electric F-150 Lightning today, but it’s 180-degrees away from the earlier tire-shredding pickups that wore the name. The first, 1993-’95 Lightning was a naturally aspirated 240-hp response to Chevrolet’s 454 SS; the second, built between 1999 and 2004, packed a near-400-horsepower punch: this 2002 Ford F-150 Lightning sports a 5.4-liter V-8 enhanced with an Eaton Gen IV-supercharger and liquid-to-air intercooler and it makes 360 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque. A mere 15,308 miles have rolled under its tires, and it’s said to be very clean and in excellent driving condition. Do you prefer your power silent or loud?

2004 Mini Cooper S MC40

While the “R53”-chassis MINI Cooper S -A.K.A. the 2002-’06, first-gen BMW-built model- was retro-styled in standard form, it offered a 1,000-unit special even more retro: the 2004 MINI Cooper S Monte Carlo Rally Commemorative Edition, or MC40 for short. This white over Chili Red car is a not-so-subtle nod to the Number 37 Mini Paddy Hopkirk used to win the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally with its special exterior graphics, unique red and black seats, 17-inch alloys, and more. This modern collectible has just under 99,000 miles on its supercharged 163-hp 1.6-liter engine that’s been recently serviced and boosted to 214 hp.

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2024-08-30T15:16:20Z dg43tfdfdgfd