DETROIT — Back when gas was cheap, Americans bought cars with V-8 engines like the Big Block, Cobra Jet, and Ramcharger. Acceleration was all that mattered, even in family cars that never made it to full throttle.

The 427-cubic-inch Chevrolet Tri-Power was the siren song of the gearhead, sending Corvettes roaring down the highway at up to 140 miles per hour.