Vintage Muscle

Cars are in men’s genes. Embedded in our DNA and no amount of genetic engineering can ever remove it. The excitement of a fast car runs through our veins at speeds beyond the legal speed limit. This has been witnessed throughout history culminating in the tremendously long list of cars, mods, accessories, customization, sports and recreation in existence right now.

Some of the most desired cars today, generally characterized by their large powerful bodies and bold looks are vintage muscle cars. These babies never get old! They may have existed even before the birth of Star Wars but they still have a very strong appeal in today’s youth’s high-tech taste buds.

Muscle cars are a variety of high-performance automobiles. They are basically 2-door beauties with rear wheels drive. Their kind is categorically put under mid-sized cars—not too small and cute but not too big and bulky. They are perfectly sized speeding chunks of metal that demand every single pedestrian to their heads turn when passing.

During the ‘60s, the term "muscle cars" did not exist. If there was any name for this kind of cars, it was "Super Cars". Muscle car models were based on regular production vehicles. Their forerunners were not considered as muscle cars, even when fully suited with a V8. Only their high-performance progenies got the credit of being called a muscle car. Some of the pioneering models to reach this milestone are Buick GS, Chevrolete Chevelle SS, Dodge Charger R/T, Plymouth GTX, Plymouth Road Runner, Oldsmobile 442 and Pontiac GTO. And of course, you can’t talk about muscle cars without mentioning America’s favorite Ford Mustang.

Standard models of muscle cars are equipped with V8’s to compliment with their high level of performance. This engine gives them their characteristic speed that makes them ideal for drag racing and high-speed driving. V8 engines are basically two straight-4’s sharing a single crankshaft. That makes it a total of eight cylinders. The letter “V” in the name V8 is owed to its resulting V-shaped angle mostly 60-degree and 90-degree wide.

V8’s are generally standard not only on these said cars but also on other powerful cars like pony cars, sports cars, luxury cars, pickup trucks and SUVs.

Like bacon and egg, the V8 made a perfect pair for these metal beauties. Their chemistry, physics, mechanics and everything you can think of were so attuned to each other making them the hottest couple to hit the road, especially during the 60s and the 70s.

But with numerous kinds of sedans out there, how does one distinguish a muscle car with others? For some types, you can already tell by just the looks them but a handful few need careful scrutiny to classify them as to what they really are.

Pony cars are basically muscle cars that are distinguished by their size. These are small and compact cars with ridiculously powerful engines and high-performance specifications. They basically have the same bold looks as their larger cousins. They possess the same special trims that enable them to have maximum torque or rotary force, only lighter and smaller. The first of its kind was made by Ford Motor Company during the late ‘50s following the downfall of the original, two-seat Thunderbird.

Sports cars, on the other hand, are discerned by three elements: high-performance, style and price. The predecessors of this kind of cars were very flashy and futuristic during their times. Porshe, Lotus and Ferrari are examples of famous makers of stylish sports cars. They are generally low-built with slick body modifications and hitting the speed limit within seconds is a requisite for these speeding fortunes. These cars are also smaller in size and generally have two seats more than muscle cars.

Luxury cars can easily be identified from muscle cars. These are the ones that glimmer too much, almost like emphasizing the many thousands of dollars spent on them. These things possess lavish features beyond strict necessity. If it’s expensive and can fit in the car, then they put it. Because of the eye-popping costs of these cars, only a select few can afford them making them a good determination of the socio-economic status of their owners.

A muscle car is a true Americana, no question about it. They have been in existence for decades with their fame never waning a bit. These cars, like the Harley Davidson, will remain in America’s concrete roads still with decades to come. They have become more than just automobiles but a culture and tradition, something that defines Americans and their love for speed and style.