Car owner: Ivan St. Amant     Words & Photos: Clive Branson

The paint job is so stunning it should be hanging on a wall in the Museum of Modern Art, but the car – pardon me, the machine – is no delicate wallpaper. It is big, bad and brash with enough horsepower to eliminate any compromise.

The 1969 Plymouth GTX was among the precious few muscle cars that needed no excuses. It was a street racer complete with enough bulked-up steroids to merit double-spread presence in every car magazine. Its fiberglass simulated hood scoops advertised what lay beneath – the bad boy Super Commando 440 V8 cu. in. of high-performance – when flexed, tire marks were the only evidence remaining and the sound of its Herculean rumble still resonated in your ears.

Little has changed over time. This massive powerplant put out a solid 390 bhp (by adding bigger values into redesigned heads), enabling the GTX to perform nearly as impressively as the optional, more expensive, slightly more temperamental brother, the Hemi. The Air Grabber option, which consisted of dual air intakes in the hood, could be shut off with a dash control.

It requires the attention of heavy-duty construction, boot-sized shocks and springs that make it one of the most agile intermediates to hit tarmac. Add to this a set of 11-inch disc brakes at the front (drums at the rear) and you’ve got enough power to make its contemporaries look philistine in comparison.

“I had been looking for a GTX on the Internet for a year,” declares Ivan St. Amant, “when I finally saw it: the condition, the colour, and a matching-number engine with its original power train. I was hooked.”

Ivan mentions that both the engine and power train have since been refurbished. Plymouth designer/stylist John Samsen wrote, “At the time we designed these cars to look as wide as possible, front and rear. Quad lamps were mandated and being smaller than standard lamps, they were easier to fit into the grilles.”

Ivan smiles as he nestles himself behind the wheel. “Sitting behind the wheel of these high performance Mopars and going down the road with the rumble associated with it – it is something everybody should experience. But with all the fun, you are still dealing with a 50-year old car. You have to deal with unexpected repairs and agonizing oil leaks. For me, it’s part of reality in owning a classic. You have to love getting your hands dirty and work on old cars because you know you can always improve the performance while learning what makes such a beast run strong.”

The GTX’s horsepower translates directly into an immediate gut-wrenching rush unmatched by any other street machine of its era. “I had to do lot of work to get the car to this point: stripping the interior, cleaning the seat and carpet. I had all gauges restored, radio repaired, fixed the interior lights so that everything works as it should. For the body work, I had the black paint stripes redone to meet the 1969 standard for the GTX. As far as the engine bay, man, I put in so many man-hours, but I look at it this way – it was worth it.” Ivan nods vehemently.

The colour is mesmerizing and looks like neon, cotton-candy orange. “The car was red originally, but the previous owner decided to paint it Vitamin C orange.”

And it struck a nerve. “I gotta admit, it’s a head-turner. Everywhere I go, and I’ve put on an additional 6,000 miles to its existing 67,565 since I bought it in 2015, I get the thumbs up and people are pulled towards it, I’m sure, for its colour.”

The car was restored a dozen years ago by a body shop in Toronto. “This car reminds me of my days street racing when I was 22. I owned a ’69 Plymouth Satellite with a Roadrunner 383 engine (because the insurance for a Roadrunner car was too expensive). We had so much fun with this fabulous high-performance machine. Though I don’t street race anymore, it still brings me back to those days.

“I think the younger generation are more intrigued by the look and the sound of the car. Some kids are really interested. When they ask questions, I’m always ready to help with whatever information they are looking for, because at the end of the day it’s really up to the older generation to pass on our knowledge. I think the classic car market will always be there, and the future for these one-of-a-kind vehicles is looking very good. We’ll see.”