era was short-lived, it still defined a generation in American history, and has given us some of the most collectible cars in
all of automotive history. With the sharp lines, wide profiles, muscular looks, these cars looked like a body builder on steroids. Combine the mid-sized
body with a monster V8 engine, and these cars were mean. Some models that fit into the muscle car category are the Buick GS, Pontiac GTO, and the Dodge
Charger.
Strictly speaking, the
muscle car
was an intermediate-sized, 2-door body with a larger, more powerful engine normally used in the heavier, full sized
cars. Obviously, this produced a greater power-to-weight ratio, and resulting better
performance
than was typical in American cars at the time. More
examples from General Motors include the Cutlass, Skylark and Chevelle. Chrysler produced the Road Runner and Charger. Ford offered the Montego and
Torino, and AMC manufactured the Rebel Machine.
The
muscle car
was a product of American automotive design and marketing forces originating in the early 1960's and lasting
through the early 1970's.
The contention appears when 'pony cars' are considered. These were 2-door compact cars which had intermediate car engines. Ultimately, some full-size
car engines found their way into pony cars. Such high- performance pony cars produced muscle-car performance in a slightly smaller package. Also,
like muscle cars, pony cars had a rear seat and a trunk or luggage space. For more information on our products please contact us at: 1-800-RACERAD or (864) 845-5000
The Mustang debuted in 1965, and within it's 2 first years sold nearly 1.5 million models. In specific technical terms, the Mustang is considered a
pony car. It's hard to argue that a Boss 409 couldn't compete with a muscle car, so they are generally lumped together in the same category.
Examples of pony cars include General Motor's Camaro and Firebird, Chrysler's Barracuda and Challenger, Ford's Mustang and AMC's Javelin.
