History of the Muscle Car
The day of the muscle car may seem far behind us, but there are those who still love the power behind the wheel, despite the lack of fuel efficiency.
So what is a muscle car? It is typically defined as a vehicle that is of high performance. In America, it is considered a 2-door, rear wheel drive vehicle equipped with a V8 engine. The muscle car is different than the 'sports car' as they are affordable in price and were typically used for drag racing.
The peak of the muscle car in America was around 1964. Thereafter, other countries came out with their own version of muscle car. In 1967, Road Test magazine profiled the muscle car's popularity commenting on how Americans enjoyed taking a small car, and putting a big engine in it for racing purposes.
What was the most popular muscle car of its day? That would depend on whom you are talking to. Some say the original muscle car was the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. The Rocket 88, with its Rocket V-8, was said to have set the standard for every American V-8 engine that would follow for three decades. Others may claim that the Hudson Hornet was one of the top cars, as well as the Cadillac. In 1955, Chrysler built the 300. Two years later the Rambler Rebel was considered the fastest stock American car.
During the 1960s, muscle cars were all the rage. Mopar (Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler) competed with Ford for drag racing championships. Dodge had the Dart Max Wedge which could run a 13 second ¼ mile drag strip over 100 miles per hour. By 1964, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet and Pontiac joined the race. Ford had the Thunderbolt and Mopar unveiled the Hemi engine. Other vehicles that hit the market after 1965 included the Rambler Marlin, Ford Mustang and Plymouth Barracuda.
The evolution of the muscle car continued as the youth of the time latched on to owning such vehicles. The trend was to provide an affordable and yet powerful car for drag racing. Cars that followed the trend throughout the 60s included Chevy Chevelle, Plymouth Road Runner, Plymouth GTX, Dodge Super Bee, Plymouth Duster, and the Plymouth Valiant.
In 1970, models came out with front disc brakes and without hood scoops. These cars included the Rebel Machine by American Motors and the Plymouth Barracuda. In 1973, with the OPEC oil embargo and air pollution was at a high, companies had to focus on emission controls and vehicles with better gas mileage. This was to be the decline of the muscle car. To boot, the auto insurance industry levied surcharges on all high-powered vehicles. High performance engines started to become discontinued. Pontiac's Trans AM was considered the last of the fast ones and by 1975 even its performance was markedly reduced.
The few other lasting muscle cars were the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. In the 1980s, American performance cars made a small resurgence. Luxury coupes with performance packages included the Buick Regal T-Type, Ford Thunderbird Turbo Couple and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.
Jumping forward, in 2003 and 2004, Mercury revived its old Marauder as a modified 302hp Mercury Grand Marquis. In 2005 Ford revived its Mustang with a retro-inspired design. In 2007 Ford and Shelby re-released a new G.T. 500 with Super Snake and King of the Road editions. During this era Chrysler introduced a four-door version of the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet introduced a new Camaro.
As for the muscle cars of old, you may not see them on the road as often as you would at a car show. Many are very valuable, with the rarest versions auctioning off for nearly half a million dollars. While the day of the original muscle cars are behind us, whose to say they may not make a comeback.
Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and SUV’s. Since 1959, Chapman motors has supplied reliable used car Austin and the surrounding area. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.
So what is a muscle car? It is typically defined as a vehicle that is of high performance. In America, it is considered a 2-door, rear wheel drive vehicle equipped with a V8 engine. The muscle car is different than the 'sports car' as they are affordable in price and were typically used for drag racing.
The peak of the muscle car in America was around 1964. Thereafter, other countries came out with their own version of muscle car. In 1967, Road Test magazine profiled the muscle car's popularity commenting on how Americans enjoyed taking a small car, and putting a big engine in it for racing purposes.
What was the most popular muscle car of its day? That would depend on whom you are talking to. Some say the original muscle car was the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. The Rocket 88, with its Rocket V-8, was said to have set the standard for every American V-8 engine that would follow for three decades. Others may claim that the Hudson Hornet was one of the top cars, as well as the Cadillac. In 1955, Chrysler built the 300. Two years later the Rambler Rebel was considered the fastest stock American car.
During the 1960s, muscle cars were all the rage. Mopar (Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler) competed with Ford for drag racing championships. Dodge had the Dart Max Wedge which could run a 13 second ¼ mile drag strip over 100 miles per hour. By 1964, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet and Pontiac joined the race. Ford had the Thunderbolt and Mopar unveiled the Hemi engine. Other vehicles that hit the market after 1965 included the Rambler Marlin, Ford Mustang and Plymouth Barracuda.
The evolution of the muscle car continued as the youth of the time latched on to owning such vehicles. The trend was to provide an affordable and yet powerful car for drag racing. Cars that followed the trend throughout the 60s included Chevy Chevelle, Plymouth Road Runner, Plymouth GTX, Dodge Super Bee, Plymouth Duster, and the Plymouth Valiant.
In 1970, models came out with front disc brakes and without hood scoops. These cars included the Rebel Machine by American Motors and the Plymouth Barracuda. In 1973, with the OPEC oil embargo and air pollution was at a high, companies had to focus on emission controls and vehicles with better gas mileage. This was to be the decline of the muscle car. To boot, the auto insurance industry levied surcharges on all high-powered vehicles. High performance engines started to become discontinued. Pontiac's Trans AM was considered the last of the fast ones and by 1975 even its performance was markedly reduced.
The few other lasting muscle cars were the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. In the 1980s, American performance cars made a small resurgence. Luxury coupes with performance packages included the Buick Regal T-Type, Ford Thunderbird Turbo Couple and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.
Jumping forward, in 2003 and 2004, Mercury revived its old Marauder as a modified 302hp Mercury Grand Marquis. In 2005 Ford revived its Mustang with a retro-inspired design. In 2007 Ford and Shelby re-released a new G.T. 500 with Super Snake and King of the Road editions. During this era Chrysler introduced a four-door version of the Dodge Charger and Chevrolet introduced a new Camaro.
As for the muscle cars of old, you may not see them on the road as often as you would at a car show. Many are very valuable, with the rarest versions auctioning off for nearly half a million dollars. While the day of the original muscle cars are behind us, whose to say they may not make a comeback.
Greg Chapman of Greg Chapman Motors is a knowledgable and leading provider of used cars, trucks, and SUV’s. Since 1959, Chapman motors has supplied reliable used car Austin and the surrounding area. For more information please visit http://www.gregchapmanmotors.com.
Labels: muscle car, used autos, V8, vehicle engine
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