| The time of the muscle car was short but, the | | | | born but it was affordable the mid-sized body and |
| impact muscle cars had on a generation have | | | | mass production techniques ensured that he price |
| ensured that the concepts and design ideas are | | | | was within many consumers budgets. |
| still with us today. Muscle cars are amongst the | | | | Ford quickly followed in 1965 with the Mustang, |
| most sought after cars by collectors around the | | | | and within two years more than 1 million cars |
| world today. The muscle car is typified by sharp | | | | were sold. The car got its name because Ford |
| and aggressive styling, a wide and low profile and | | | | considered it to be a pony car, their term for a |
| is built to look powerful and mean. They also | | | | small car equipped with a powerful engine but |
| enjoy a high power to weight ration thanks to | | | | Pony was considered inappropriate for marketing |
| packing in a meaty V8 power unit onto a | | | | but they still wanted a horse-based name ergo, |
| mid-sized chassis which means that they not only | | | | Mustang. |
| talk the talk but can race as well. | | | | Later years saw the introduction of heavier cars |
| A good working definition of a muscle car is this | | | | such as the Plymouth Dodge Runner and the |
| built between 1965 and 1973, has a large V8 | | | | Dodge Super Bee, but their days were numbered. |
| engine and a mid-sized chassis. You need to know | | | | Muscle cars with high performance engines and |
| this because so many companies have tried to | | | | young drivers means accidents and insurance |
| emulate them since the end of the era the | | | | premiums started to climb which ensured that |
| muscle car is still a huge marketing attraction for | | | | young drivers could not afford to insure the car |
| car makers to hook into. There was also a higher | | | | and older owners were put off by the cost. In |
| standard of trim and car detail added too, with | | | | addition, these cars were gas hogs and they |
| leather interiors and chrome grill and metalwork. A | | | | were not too fussy about the level of pollution |
| high performance engine also needed better | | | | that they caused. When the fuel crisis hit in 1973 |
| braking and steering systems and muscle cars | | | | and brought rocketing gas prices, the muscle car |
| were the platform for putting design concepts | | | | was doomed. |
| into practice. | | | | Car makers had to respond to the economic |
| How did muscle cars come to be so popular, so | | | | realities of the situation and with Congress set to |
| iconic even? | | | | impose radical new anti-environmental protection |
| We need to go back in time a little to the end of | | | | legislation, the order of the day became cheap, |
| the Second World War and the hordes of | | | | small cars which delivered high fuel economy and |
| returning soldiers from Europe. Soon after the | | | | that meant sacrificing performance and smaller |
| Baby Boomer generation was born, but at this | | | | engines. |
| time car design was pretty conservative, much | | | | Though the muscle car era came to an end, the |
| like everything else. Cars were typically cheap but | | | | cars themselves have continued and are highly |
| lacked power and speed they were a practical | | | | prized and admired. When you next visit a car |
| tool not a recreational item. | | | | show it will not be the old jalopies or the huge |
| Pontiac changed everything in 1964 they launched | | | | sedans and luxury limousines which attract the |
| the Tempest with an added GTO package which | | | | attention and imagination it will be the muscle cars |
| included the V8 engine to deliver superior | | | | sleek, lean and powerful with an engine growl |
| performance and with the mid-sized body, | | | | which sends shivers up and down your spine. |
| untouchable speed. Not only was the muscle car | | | | |