What Defines a Muscle Car?

If you asked the average person what defines a muscle car, they might reply that a muscle car is one of those cars with dual exhausts giving off that cool sounding rumble from a powerful V8 engine. The car probably also has wide rear tires that the driver often smokes as they race off. So what about car buffs that really know their transmissions from carburetors?

Well, there is no hard and fast rule about what defines a muscle car. However, the general consensus is that it is a car built in the 1960s or 1970s. Popular muscle cars include models such as Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, Dodge Barracudas and Road Runners, and Pontiac GTOs and Firebirds. These were the gas guzzling muscle cars that power enthusiasts would spend hours arguing about the fine points of rear end ratio, carburetor cut-in, cubic inch versus torque, and on and on.

Of course, any car can be modified to be a ‘hot rod’ screaming demon. However, that is a bit outside the limits of muscle cars, which are considered to be in a class that comes from the dealer stock with the 4 on the floor, 4 barrel carb, dual exhaust and high performance rear axle. These are considered the classic muscle cars, built for and bought by the adventurous group that likes to be noticed when pulling up to a street light with the engine rumbling, eager to take on all contenders.

Modern muscle look alikes have been introduced in later years. Even though these cars have plenty of power and good looks, they are really an imitation of the good old muscle cars of the wild and crazy days of the 1960s and 1970s.