General Motors and Muscle Cars

General Motors came on the scene in 1908 and from that day forward it showed itself to be a company that loved power. General Motors has had its share of troubles along the road, but it has also produced some of the greatest muscle cars ever made.

In 1964, an up and coming magazine called "Car and Driver" talked Pontiac into running a head to head competition. The contenders would be the Pontiac Tempest GTO and the Ferrari GTO. Two very important events would emerge from this competition. The Pontiac Tempest was declared the victor and "Car and Driver" became the ultimate car guy magazine. The era of muscle cars had started and GM was out for blood.

GM knew what guys wanted in their cars: lots of horsepower and a great style. GM provided just that with the 1967 Camaro; this was followed by the 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. GM also released the Pontiac Firebird and GTO; both met with very good success. The Oldsmobile 442 made its debut in 1964 as an option package, but came into its own in 1968. The Camaro hit the streets for the 1967 season, became a very popular car almost overnight, and was produced until 2002. The longest running muscle car made by GM would have to be the Oldsmobile 88. This monster car ran from 1949 to 1999 and was the top seller for 24 years. One of The most popular muscle cars ever produced by GM would have to be the Corvette. This car had the looks and power to turn heads wherever it went; it even had a movie named after it. GM may be going through some rough times right now, but they really know how to make a car.