About Muscle Cars

The term "muscle car" refers to a type of car that was produced by American automobile companies during the 1960s and 70s, a time often referred to by the automobile enthusiast as "The Muscle Car Era." Characterized by their large V-8 engine, their drag strip's ready speed, and their relatively light weight, muscle cars were made to provide tremendous straight-line speed at an affordable price.

Facts

Muscle cars, produced primarily in the 1960s and early 1970s, were fairly small and light, but were outfitted with large, powerful engines. Known for their high-displacement V-8 engines and intimidating looks, muscle cars provided drivers with a drag-race ready automobile at an affordable price. Most muscle cars were discontinued by 1975, but in recent years, automobile companies have been trying to resurrect the genre with new versions of classics such as the GTO and Challenger.

Time Frame

Though American automobile companies had been competing for performance supremacy since their inception, the true muscle car era did not begin until the release of the 1964 Pontiac GTO, which put a definite start to the era of the muscle car. The next few years were filled with the development and production of many classic muscle cars from GM, Ford and Chrysler. This era in automobile history ended in the mid-1970s as safety concerns and rising fuel prices put an end to muscle car production.

Types

Many different cars of the time were classified as muscle cars; however, there is some debate as to which cars make the cut. There is no debate that powerful straight line speed machines, such as the Pontiac GTO and the Dodge Charger, belong in the category. However, there are some who do not consider some of the smaller, less powerful classics of the era, such as the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, to be pure muscle cars, though they are undeniably a result of the era.

Function

Muscle cars were designed for one thing and one thing alone: straight-line speed. European automobile companies were busy creating expensive sports cars that could accelerate well, but also quickly blast through turns. But American companies distinguished themselves during the 1960s by ignoring all other aspects of automobile engineering besides straight-line speed. As a result, muscle cars became the kings of the drag strip, sacrificing comfort and control for faster quarter-mile track times.

Significance

The impact of the muscle car era on automobiles begins first with the dominance of American car companies. The emergence of muscle cars gave the Big 3 another decade of complete automotive dominance over their international competition. It also pushed forward engine technology due to the intense competition to create the most powerful roadsters. Lastly, the backlash from organizations concerned with the unsafe nature of muscle cars created new automotive safety regulations, including mandatory seat-belts on factory vehicles.