Muscle Cars - As American as Apple Pie

Has there ever been an automobile as essentially American as the muscle car? The name itself evokes masculinity and power, the two central qualities that have made muscle cars so desired to this day.

These special machines are defined as those classic cars that have a powerful engine in a light weight body. American automotive companies mixed together these two ingredients and created legendary cars that still command premium prices today.

Though exact definitions vary, the large (some say enormous) high performance engine inside the light body of the automobile is the key as it allows the car to go from zero to maximum speed as quickly as possible. Other design elements are not considered important such as sophisticated, elegant design, comfortable interiors or fuel efficiency. In fact, these cars are notorious for their gas-guzzling engines.

The first muscle car is possibly the 1949 Rocket 88 which featured a 303 cubic inch overhead-valve V8 by Oldsmobile. By today’s standards, the car’s 135 horsepower is laughable, at the time that was at the top of the performance grade for cars. Today that classic muscle car would be almost priceless to automobile enthusiasts.

In the 1950s, performance and power continued to improve as automotive technologies and designs became better and better. At the time, muscle cars could go from zero to sixty mph in 9.8 seconds.

It was the 1960s and 1970s, however, which are considered the golden age of muscle cars. Drag racing became a popular sport in America and cars were specifically made that featured power and top speeds while having absolutely no frills. The lack of all comfort features is actually one of the things that differentiate muscle cars from other types of high performance cars.

Drag racing is a popular form of automotive recreation that started after World War II among the youth of America. It is a race to cross the finish line on a straight racing track. It’s origins as an automotive sport can be traced as far back as the 1930s when hot rodders would congregate in dry lake beds to race their cars.

In essence, it is a straight race between two cars to see which of them can accelerate faster from an idle (standstill) position. The dragstrips are short, normally only one fourth of a mile in length and cars begin the race from a standing start. Also, there are many different classes of cars (called dragsters) used for drag racing.

To fuel the need for these automobiles, car makers would offer stripped down versions of their car models. The early classic muscle cars could now go from zero to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. Good looks, good performance and affordable prices became more common car features during these decades.

Pony cars were also produced during the 1960s in Detroit. These are high performance smaller cars with big engines mounted up front. Since they are smaller in size, they are considered to be almost absurdly powerful for their light frame.

The decline of these gas-guzzling models came with rising fuel prices and the consumer’s desire for more fuel efficient cars instead of tire burning performance. Though their heyday may be over and they are no longer sold in as many numbers as before, muscle cars continue to be produced today for those who desire power and speed over comfort.

The old classic cars from the 60s and 70s continue to be in demand among car aficionados and a whole new industry of restoration car parts has sprung up to meet their needs. There is impressive aftermarket support available for classic cars, which is good news for those who own or wish to own a classic car.

Even if these cars went out of production before the people today were born, automobile and engine parts are still available. Some even claim that aftermarket parts are superior to the original parts manufactured in the 60s and 70s. The original part’s weak points have since been known due to years of use and aftermarket engine parts are manufactured without these weaknesses.

Thus a resurgence of interest in these old cars has been party fueled by the fact that the old cars can now be driven like new ones.

Another piece of good news for car lovers is that classic cars can be a good investment. Due to their rising popularity among fans, prices have skyrocketed in recent years, with serious collectors spending millions of dollars on classic cars.

The appeal of muscle cars continues to drawn in car fans both young and old and because of this, the quintessential American car will never die.