Muscle Cars
Muscle cars conjure up images of fast, high-performing cars that grab the eyes of other drivers and pedestrians no matter where they go. These are the cars drivers dream about and that people long to take for a ride on the open highway where they can push the engine to the limit and feel incredibly free and empowered.
Muscle cars aren’t just a dream for many people. These highly collectible automobiles have become an ideal choice for lots of drivers.
What are Muscle Cars?
Muscle car is a term that refers to a very specific type of automobile. Usually, these cars are 2-door vehicles that are mid-size and that have rear wheel drive. The most important part of muscle cars, however, is their V8 engine which is definitely not fuel efficient, but which is amazingly powerful.
In general, the term covers cars that have been built in three main countries: the United States, Australia, and South Africa. If you’re interested in what are known as “classic” muscle cars, then you’d be looking for cars which were built during the 1960’s and 1970’s.
One important distinction that should always be made is that muscle cars are not sports cars. While sports cars are designed for high speeds and are meant for only a couple of people at a time, muscle cars are built for power and can usually hold larger numbers of passengers. The other difference is price. Original muscle cars were some of the more affordable ones on the market. Sports cars have never been within the budget of the average driver. Therefore, muscle cars have always been a car that appeals to a larger demographic hence it’s long-lasting appeal.
Muscle cars have been part of our driving experiences for decades, even though the term itself didn’t enter the vernacular until long after these cars were considered new to the roadways. One of the earliest examples of muscle cars on the market was the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 from 1949, although not everyone agrees that this vehicle represents the start of the muscle car trend. The reason this one is considered a highlight of automobile design was its very powerful engine: an overhead valve V8. Also, the body of the car being much lighter than previous cars that were on the market allowed for enhanced performance.
If you need greater proof of the Oldsmobile Rocket 88’s role in the history of high-performing muscle cars, look no further than the 1950 NASCAR season in which the car dominated the competition. Eighty percent of the winners that year were driving this car.
Because of the Rocket 88’s huge success, it didn’t take long for more auto manufacturers to put their own muscle cars on the market. The Chrysler C-300 was released in 1955 and had 300 horsepower. This car had an amazing Hemi engine that earned it the title of the most powerful American car. The automobile could reach 130 mph in less than 10 seconds – an impressive accomplishment more than five decades ago.
When the 1960’s started, the popularity of muscle cars skyrocketed. Almost every manufacturer was putting versions on the market. More powerful Hemi engines were becoming available and cars were going further and further. Powerful vehicles were becoming some of the most popular choices all over the United States with choices such as the Ford Mustang, Plymouth Barracuda, Rambler Marlin, and more.
Drag racing furthered the trend even more and manufacturers in Detroit were doing everything they could to create the top cars for this dangerous activity to attract customers who valued speed and performance.
While it was the power that drivers wanted, it was the price that really attracted the young drivers. For example, the 1970 Plymouth GTX 440 could be purchased for less than $3,500 without any extras while the 1970 Plymouth Duster cost just over $2,500. Not only were these cars built to last in terms of their body but those powerful engines could easily last for more than 200,000 miles. That’s a lot of driving for not much money.
Muscle Cars and Collectors
Looking back on the history of muscle cars, it shouldn’t be hard to understand why they became so popular, particularly among young drivers who had tight budgets but wanted a show piece. Many of those cars, such as the Ford Mustang and the Pontiac GTO, are considered collector’s items. Today, if you find one of these incredible cars at an auction you can see them selling for more than $500,000 depending on what they were and what they included.
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