With a muscle-car drivetrain in a big luxury coupe body, the Sport Fury GT was a plus-sized performance car. Plymouth called it “Big Daddy.” 

The excitement of the muscle car era (1964 through 1974, we’ll call it) inspired countless variations on the popular theme from the Motor City’s product planners. For muscle-minded buyers who wanted to experience their straight-line performance from the comfort of a full-sized car, Plymouth produced, for two brief years, the Sport Fury GT. In a nutshell, the GT offered the same (almost) engine packages as the Road Runner and GTX but dropped into Plymouth’s largest platform, the Fury C-Body, which boasted a generous 120-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 18 feet.

GT shoppers (check the box for the A52 package) had two available engines to choose from in ’70: the 440 cubic-inch, 350 hp Commando V8 (not to be confused with the 375-hp Super Commando) or the 440 CID, 390 hp 440-6 barrel with three Holley two-barrel carbs. No 426 Street Hemi, alas. Both came standard with dual exhausts, but the only transmission offered was the 727 Torqueflite three-speed automatic. Chassis upgrades included stiffer springs, dampers, and front antiroll bar, heavy-duty 11-in drum brakes, and 15×6-in Rallye wheels with H70 Goodyear Polyglas white-letter tires.

The GT’s exterior look was as smooth and sporty as any full-size Chrysler product of the fuselage era (read about the fuselage years here). The most flattering feature might be the hidden headlamps that were shared with the Sport Fury, while the unique GT identifiers included tape stripes, badges, and a special hood with stylized dual vents. The interior included a split-bench front seat with a folding armrest, with bucket seats available at extra cost. By the way, in ’70 Plymouth also offered the S/23, similar to the GT in equipment but with a 318 cubic-inch V8 under the hood.

Magazine testers reported quarter-mile times in the low 16-second range at 92 mph for the 440 6-Barrel, hampered no doubt by the GT’s 4200+ lb curb weight and the limited available final gear ratios: 2.76:1 and 3.23:1. Clearly, the GT’s element was the highway, not the dragstrip. Plymouth brochures referred to the big coupe as “Daddy Longlegs.”

The Sport Fury GT was continued for 1971 with minor changes (below). Mainly, the grille was restyled and now the only available engine was the 440 Super Commando V8 with 375 hp, splitting the difference between the two choices offered the previous year. The muscle era was winding down, and for 1972 the most powerful engine offered in Plymouth’s C-body range was a 440 V8 with 8.2:1 compression ratio, single exhaust, and 225 horsepower.