The History of Muscle Cars

Muscle cars first popped on the scene in the 1950s. They stuck around through the the 1960s and were a thing of the past by the 1970s. The ideal set up and assembly was to use the lightest possible chassis and the largest engine possible.

These cars started out as a hobby for car enthusiasts. At first, it was not a popular part of culture. As their popularity grew, they caught the eye of car manufacturers. The big manufacturers started creating their own hot rod style cars. There were two types of cars made. One was the pony car. They frequently had the same large engines but with a lighter, more stylish body. They also performed better than the original muscle car.

Muscle cars also became a mass produced phenomena. There are 8 manufacturers who produced their own versions of muscle cars and pony cars. Chevrolet had the Camaro pony car and the Chevelle muscle car. Dodge had the Charger muscle car and the Challenger pony car. Ford had the Mustang pony car and the Torino muscle car. The engine sizes of these power houses were typically between 400 and 454 cubic inches. These cars were geared to appeal to the younger new car buyers. There weren't many parents driving around in these cars.

In the 1970s, there was a gas crisis that had buyers looking away from the muscle and pony cars. Everyone was more interested in cars that were better on gas mileage. Come the end of the 1990s, muscle cars made a comeback generating a new interest in them. Vintage muscle cars were sought out by collectors and restorers wanting to relive the years so long ago.