4. Dodge Lil Express Truck
The secret of the Lil` Express Truck and its importance lies in strict rules of the late ’70s which robbed the V8 engines of its power and vehicles of its performance. But Dodge found an interesting loophole in regulations which declared that pickup trucks didn`t need catalytic converters. This meant that Dodge could install a more powerful engine and have it breathe easier and deliver more punch than previous models or competitors. And this is how the Lil` Express Truck came to be.
Dodge took the standard D Series short bed truck, added a 360 V8 engine and put big truck-like stacked exhaust pipes right behind the doors. They also installed durable automatic transmission, a red color scheme with signature decals and details and lots of chrome trim. This wild-looking special model had 225 hp which was considered much in those days and thanks to the revised drive train it was the fastest accelerating domestic vehicle in 1978!