| A new breed of Pony | | | | when gas prices fell and manufacturers finally had |
| When Ford introduced the 1965 Mustang, they | | | | a handle on making a clean engine that could |
| not only created a new car, but started a craze. | | | | perform respectably. Interest really never waned, |
| Before the introduction of the iconic Ford | | | | but what was there to buy that was as good or |
| Mustang, the Big Three's stylists' idea of a | | | | as cool to look at as those 1970's muscle cars? |
| powerful factory car, was a vehicle that in many | | | | Chrysler has to be credited with dusting off some |
| ways, resembled a large metal boat with fins and | | | | of those dreams of yesteryear, with its Prowler |
| then stuffed in, the biggest motor they made. | | | | and other show car turned production machines. |
| The Mustang changed all this. Lee Iacocca, at the | | | | But the factory Muscle car war really started |
| time, Vice President of Ford had a vision of the | | | | back in earnest with a beautiful retro-styled coupe |
| future for a new sports car that seated 4 people, | | | | with 300 horsepower, that Ford called the new |
| had bucket seats, a floor mounted shifter, and | | | | 2005 Mustang. And new dreams were being |
| weighed less than 2,500 lbs. | | | | made. |
| Nicely styled, light and quick and priced at only | | | | Since then, we've seen the new Dodge |
| $2,368 f.o.b. Detroit, the car was an instant hit. In | | | | Challenger, the new Camaro and of course the |
| fact, 22,000 of these little pony cars flew out of | | | | new Hemi. Even with a poor economy, the Ford |
| showroom doors the very first day. Not only did | | | | Mustang has brought the factory muscle car to a |
| the buying public sit up and take notice, so did the | | | | feeding frenzy, and horsepower wars have |
| competition and it didn't take long for a swarm of | | | | started all over again. But although these new |
| other cars to compete against these soon to be | | | | muscle cars, have a family resemblance that at |
| called "pony cars". | | | | once makes them familiar, they are in no way |
| It also didn't take long for the marketing people to | | | | just automotive portraits of a different era. |
| try to outsell the other guys products, by | | | | The first Mustang V8 made a very respectable |
| boosting performance. And that was the start of | | | | 210 horsepower and in a 2,500 pound car, that |
| the factory Muscle cars and the Muscle car wars. | | | | meant a lot of get up and go! Today, however, a |
| The 60's and early 70's were heady days for | | | | 300 horsepower car is a V6 powered car while |
| muscle cars, with cheap gas and money burning a | | | | today's V8 muscle car may now boast 400 to |
| hole in people's pockets. Then came the Arab oil | | | | 500 horsepower. |
| embargo and gas rationing. All of a sudden gas | | | | And the biggest turn of events? Factory Muscle |
| prices increased outrageously. That was, if you | | | | cars turn just as well as they perform in a |
| could find any gas at all. | | | | straight line. Not only that, they are fuel efficient, |
| Hard to find, and expensive gas as well as new | | | | much easier on the environment and safer. And |
| pollution and emissions controls, made quick work | | | | with that, I have only one more thing to say, |
| of the factory muscle car until the late 1980's, | | | | "Make mine a six speed! |