This Might Just Be The Highest-Horsepower Small-Block Engine Of The 1970s

The 1960s were exciting times for gearheads. The muscle car era was in full swing, engine outputs were reaching heady new heights, and new nameplates were being introduced left, right, and center. It must have seemed like the good days would never end, but strict engine emissions regulations, as well as soaring gas and insurance prices, were lurking just around the corner in the 1970s, and these would soon spell an end to the muscle car's golden era.

Almost overnight, performance across the entire American automotive landscape dropped. Automakers tried to combat this by making engines even larger, but in the end, not even Cadillac's monstrous 500ci V8 could kick out 200 hp. Performance had died, and we had no choice but to sit around and wait for the turbocharged '80s to arrive.

However, before the miserable Malaise era kicked in, General Motors blessed us with a truly wondrous small-block V8 powerful enough to take on pretty much everything else out there at the time. While the fiercest big-blocks were kicking out 450 hp, this humble 350ci lump kicked out 370 horses, and it could rev all the way out to 6,500 rpm, too. The engine in question is the LT-1 — no, not the LT1 that motivates modern-day Corvettes — but rather a special lump from the early '70s. It was the brainchild of Zora-Arkus Duntov, the father of the Corvette, and it holds the title of the highest-rated factory-supplied small-block of the 1970s.

Not many Chevrolets were fitted with the LT-1 engine in the '70s, with the list largely consisting of Camaro and Corvette models. A small number of Novas were equipped with the engine through the Yenko program, but really the main way was to buy either a Camaro Z/28, or so-equipped C3 Corvette.

On the 1970 Corvette, which carried a base price of $5,192, the LT-1 engine was a $447.60 option. Interestingly, the big-block LS5 454ci V8 which sported an additional 20 horsepower would set owners back just $289.65 as an option. Fast-forward to today, though, and getting behind the wheel of an LT-1 motivated anything is considerably more expensive, although they still aren't stratospherically pricey, unlike some other classic Chevrolets.

Hagerty pegs a good-condition '70 LT-1 C3 at $57,900, or over double this at $131,000 for a concours-quality car. It's worth noting that these prices are almost 40% up from what they were just 12 months ago, so if parking an LT-1 equipped 'Vette appeals, then acting quick is advised before prices soar even higher.

As for the Camaros, prices are a little softer, at $49,400 for a good car, and $98,700 for collector-grade examples. Unlike the Corvettes, prices have been softening for these, with prices down roughly 9% on average when compared to last year. Finally is the Yenko-tweaked Novas. These are exceedingly rare and prices reflect that. These cars, dubbed "Deuce Coupes," fetch similar money to top-quality LT-1 Corvettes, with one (of a total 175 produced) especially smart example commanding $154,000 at auction in 2022.