How Muscle Cars Work and 2010 Muscle Car War
"Muscle car" describes an American automobile with lots of power,
modest weight, and blazing acceleration. The term was coined in 1964
for midsize Pontiacs equipped with a new performance option featuring a
potent 389-cubic-inch V-8. The option turned a tame Tempest into a
snarling GTO. Right off the showroom floor, a properly equipped "Goat"
could run 0-60 mph in under 7.0 seconds -- awesome performance in 1964.
America had produced fast, powerful cars since well before
World War II. So had various European automakers. But most of these
were expensive rarities, purchased by monied upper-crust types with a
need for speed. The muscle car was a mass-market child of 1960s
America, when youth was king and Detroit ruled the automotive world.
That world was changing radically by 1970, and muscle cars
nearly vanished. But they came back in the early '80s to begin an
exciting new high-performance era that's still going strong, thanks to
huge technical progress since the 1964-70 "golden age." Indeed, many
modern muscle cars outgun their revered 1960s ancestors yet are
thriftier with fuel, pollute much less, and are far superior for
handling and safety.
This article tells the muscle car story, from the inception of
the breed to its near disappearance to its revival in the form of
today's road rockets. The article also places the muscle car in the
context of American culture and examines how Baby Boomer nostalgia for
these factory hot rods is driving the price of some restored versions
into six figures, and sometimes above.
Here's a sneak peek at the various sections:
* The Birth of Muscle Cars Learn how the speedy 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 fired the public
imagination and ignited a Detroit horsepower race that produced a slew
of "factory hot rods." In the 1950s, Chrysler unveiled its Hemi engine,
and Chevrolet its small-block V-8. It was all a preview of muscle cars
to come.
* The Death of Muscle Cars In many ways and for many reasons, America lost its innocence in
the 1960s. Learn why no-holds-barred performance cars were just one
casualty of wrenching social changes. Muscle cars began fading away in
the 1970s, and most were gone by mid-decade, victims of a changing
market and increasingly strict government regulations. The Rebirth of Muscle Cars
Modern Muscle Cars Taking The Roads Back
* Third: 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T * Second: 2010 Chevy Camaro SS * Modern Muscle Car Battle
Antelope Valley Auto.com has a knack for research on cars and anything
and everything about them. And a love for American muscle cars. We work hard to find Automotive information
that our readers want and enjoy.
