>>Even the Shelby 427 Cobra needed twin superchargers to get near 200 mph.<<
OK, memory moves faster than reality. But I claim 160+ empirically.
GM speedometers were wildly optimistic back then - and the survivors can be proven so now by radar and lidar. Had one guy take his restored Chevelle (non-SS) out to the track, said the speedo read 150 at the end of the run but the radar and trap speed said 95.
I remember driving a friends ‘63 vette and we would constantly “peg” the needle and it felt like we still went a little faster.(spedo marked to 160 and peg was placed around the 170 area of the dial)
Heck, we ran out of gas coming into town and coasted 2.5 miles to a station... maybe the wind was behind us.
Glad there wasn’t a skunk, turtle, armadillo, deer, or a squirrel in the road - never did like grease spots.