The passing of Hugh Hefner ends an era for one of the most iconic and sometimes controversial magazines in the world: . Every year, one of the 12 Playmate of the Month models would be chosen for Playmate of the Year.
Since 1964, each Playmate of the Year was awarded an automobile, usually in some shade of pink, although many of the winners had the colors of their car changed after receiving it to avoid attention. Here are our picks for the Playmates who got the coolest cars.
Top 10 Best Playmate of the Year Cars
10. 1987 Chevrolet Corvette C4
Winner: Donna Edmonson, Playmate of the Year 1987
The Corvette was radically redesigned in 1984, sporting a sleek and modern body to make it look awesome. The C4 came standard with a totally ’80s digital dash, which displayed RPM and speed in an Atari-like power-up meter. The C4 was revered for its handling characteristics, thanks to its fiberglass transverse leaf front suspension and “uniframe” construction. The Corvette was available with a strange Doug Nash “4+3” transmission, which was a four-speed manual coupled to an automatic overdrive on the top three gears. It was later replaced by a conventional six-speed. Base price was $27,999.
9. 1973 Volvo P1800ES
Winner: Marilyn Cole, Playmate of the Year 1973
This is a really interesting choice — the Volvo 1800ES is the wagon version of Sweden’s slightly and sporty two-seater, the P1800. Many have compared the styling (but not the performance) of the P1800 to an Aston Martin and other more expensive cars of the era. The Volvo might not match the performance of the Aston, but it totally surpasses it on the reliability front, as one of the highest mileage cars in the world is a P1800. Only the wagon was available in 1973 and it was $5,150.
8. 1966 Dodge Charger
Winner: Allison Parks, Playmate of the Year 1965
In 1966, Dodge unveiled the Charger, a nameplate that would go on to become as famous as the many movies it has starred in. This particular model was powered by a 383-cubic-inch V8 and had enough seating for the whole family. Rotating headlights were one of the coolest features on these cars, and when retracted, it gave it a menacing “no-face” look. Base price for a ’66 Charger was $3,100.
7. 1967 Plymouth Barracuda
Winner: Lisa Baker, Playmate of the Year 1966
After this car was awarded to Lisa Baker, Plymouth decided to have a small production run of pink Barracudas and called them Plymouth Playmate Barracudas. Many engines were offered in the Barracuda, from the 225 “Slant” 6 all the way up to the rarely ordered 383-cubic-inch big block. We’re hoping this example is sporting the 383, but it more likely that it has a lowly 273. You could have a Barracuda just like Lisa’s for $2,860 in 1967
6. 1964.5 Ford Mustang
Winner: Donna Michelle, Playmate of the Year 1963
The Mustang would have been brand new when Donna won it for Playmate of the Year and it set the trend for cars for years to come. Its gorgeous styling and relatively powerful 289 V8 meant that it was a hit with the hip crowd in the ’60s, making it the perfect fashion statement and very fitting for a Playmate. A Mustang convertible like Donna’s would have only set you back $2,814.
5. 1965 Sunbeam Tiger
Winner: Jo Collins, Playmate of the Year 1964
Only 633 Sunbeam Tigers were built and they’re now considered very rare and desirable, so to have one given to you when they were brand new is insanely cool. Carroll Shelby loved stuffing V8s into small British sports cars, and this car is another example of that madness. Sometimes referred to as the poor man’s (or woman’s) Cobra, the Sunbeam Tiger was powered by a Ford 260-ci V8 engine and cost only $3,425.
4. 1975 Porsche 911S
Winner: Marilyn Lange, Playmate of the Year 1975
In 1974, the Porsche 911S’s 2.7 flat-six made 173 hp and only weighed 2,381 pounds, which is a figure not many of today’s cars can match. Top speed was 146 miles per hour. This is the first Porsche ever given to a Playmate, but six more would be given over the years. Original price would have been $11,900.
3. 1968 AMC AMX
Winner: Angela Dorian, Playmate of the Year 1968
The AMX was a shortened version of AMC’s Javelin. With only two seats and a 290-ci engine (yes, I meant to write 290 and not 390) making 225 hp, this car blurs the line between sports car and muscle car. The AMX would have set you back $3,245 in 1968. Angela Dorian actually owned this car all the way up until 2010, when she was arrested for shooting her husband.
2. 1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback
Winner: Connie Kreski, Playmate of the Year 1969
This was almost No. 1 on our list because it is such a ridiculously cool car. Powered by a 428-ci V8 making 355 hp, it would get you to 60 mph in six seconds. The Shelby GT500 of 1969 was one of the last cars that Carroll Shelby (barely) worked on, as he ended his contract with Ford in the Summer of 1969. Only 1,536 of these cars were produced, making it extremely rare. This car would have cost $5,027 when new. We feel bad for 1970’s winner — she got downgraded to a 1970 Ford Capri!
1. 1972 Detomaso Pantera
Winner: Liv Lindeland, Playmate of the Year 1972
This is probably the only car on the list that could be described as a “supercar,” and it was powered by a tuned Ford 351-ci “Cleveland” V8 making 330 hp. It would do the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds and zero to 60 mph in 6.5. The Pantera would have cost $10,295 and 7,260 were produced from 1971-1992. Oh, did I mention it has a gated dogleg five-speed?
Honorable Mention: 1986 Jaguar XJ6
Winner: Kathleen Shower, Playmate of the Year 1986
While not a good car, when the Jaguar XJ6 came out, it was an extremely luxurious car driven by influential people and owning one was a status symbol. Also, this is the greatest picture ever, so we had to share its magnificence with the world.
Leave a Reply