Fast Cars, yeah it's a craze that has existed since the time of the chariots in Rome! Although many believe that the Muscle Car Era started in the 1960's. Which is kind of correct. True, the term was first used in the sixties, but as early as the late 1940's, America's youth were converting their automobiles into souped up Muscle Cars.
When the war [WWII] was over, many young soldiers returned home and started putting loads of cash into their cars. In those times, and like the present, automobiles expressed the ultimate symbol of freedom and independence. Why it happened? Who knows, there are many opinions, Rock and Roll music was still a long way off. Anyway, it started out quite basic and increased into full-blown chop shops and performance shops very soon after. Though these cars were usually referred to as Hot Rods because they came from the manufacturers with quite low power and speed capabilities. It is believed they could still be considered the birth of Muscle Cars in America.
The fifties was a great time for the automobile, the manufactures broke the mould and cars like the T-bird, Corvette and Chevy Bel-Air were released. Studebakers, which were technologically advanced for their time, hit the market. However, the inventing of the term was still to come.
What is a muscle car and how did the phrase originate? The concept of owning an automobile for more than just getting about had been around from the start of the century. Since the production of the first, people were coming up with ways to obtain more power and speed. By the late 60's the major car manufacturers had fine tuned that art themselves. Starting with the 64 1/2 Mustang GT, the remainder of that time in history gave birth to many incredible and awesome cars. As manufacturers one upped the competition, the cars increased their power. Leading to the creation of the era of American Muscle Cars.
So, totally American in many ways, the 60's Muscle cars expressed more than just a time in automobile history. Which were so original, are still sought after to this day. The phrase Muscle Car stirs memories of big block cars like the 426 Hemi Cuda, the Boss 429 Mustang, the Shelby 427 Cobra, or the 440 Roadrunner. Which it should, however the phrase does include also those other performance cars of the time with smaller blocks like the 351 Mustang Mach 1, 302 Z28 Camaro, Corvettes, Boss 302 Mustang, 340 Duster, to mention a few.
What makes a car a Muscle Car? If you lived in those years, you probably already know. But if you were not around to see the American car manufacturers attempting to out do the competition with larger, more advanced, quicker versions, there are some of the typical features. First off the car would be a limited version of a street car, as like the Mach 1/GT's and the Boss 302 Mustang. Having some particular type of performance suspension created for going from 0 to 100 as fast as possible or to handle well on a track or often both, like the Barracuda AAR. Also having some type of high output motor or the largest motor that could be squeezed under the hood, as were demonstrated with the Z28 Camaro or the Boss 429 Mustang.
Why were they manufactured? Basically as like any car is that people will purchase it. Though this is not always completely true, as like the Boss 429, Ford lost money on every car produced. They sold them to create a better performance image for Ford and to obtain NASCAR requirements for a minimum number of the motors be produced in cars so it could qualify to be raced on the track. No better model to place the 429 engine in then than the Mustang. These Pony Cars of the mid to late 60's had a huge influence on creation of the Muscle Car era. Ford and Lee Iococca were correct when surveys told them the US market wanted more original cars, with more options and sportier cars. The young baby boomer public wanted to order a car to their specific taste. Soon after the first appearance of Ford's Mustang, Chevrolet brought out the Camaro and the Pontiac Firebird, Chrysler produced the Barracuda/Cuda and Plymouth released the Duster. Creating a time when every American Car manufacturer had a Muscle car or two offered to the public. Series II racing was introduced by the mid-60's with the new pony cars. The birth of Trans American Racing (Trans Am). American Motors even participated in Trans Am races with the Javelin AMX. Ford released a more stream-line Mustang in 1969 with an improved 302 motor to compete. Coining the phrase "Win races on Sunday, Sell cars on Monday," which went on until car insurance costs and an oil crisis killed off demand for these awesome cars.
However as long as men have testosterone, the market for high performance automobiles will never go away. At worse it was stifled by the high cost of fuel and insurance. After the oil crisis of the 70's settled down, special cars appeared again that could be named Muscle cars. As like the Mustang GT/Cobra, the Viper, the Camaros and Trans Am Firebirds. The new high performance cars are in many ways better and faster cars than those classics. The later suspensions are much better, and the motors more exotic. Even the tires are far superior to what was offered back then.
As far as car history goes though, the true Muscle cars came out of the 60's and early 70's.
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