History of Ford Muscle Cars

The early muscle car market was dominated by companies like Oldsmobile, whose notorious Rocket 88 combined a lightweight body with a V-8 engine. The history of Ford muscle cars began with large and heavy, yet powerful, cars from the late 50s which transformed into mid-size, lightweight cars in the 60s with even more power.

The production of the Ford Galaxie in 1959 marked the origins of the history of Ford muscle cars. This large, heavy vehicle was surprisingly fast for its size, featuring a V-8 engine in most models. A variety of body styles and options were available for this car, culminating with one engine in 1961 which had three two-barrel carburetors and 401 horsepower. Despite the heavy weight and large design of the Galaxie preventing it from being classified as a true muscle car in the 1960s, the option of large, powerful engines for the vehicle were tribute to the influence of the muscle car market.

The first true muscle car in the history of Ford muscle cars was the Ford Thunderbolt. Released in 1964, the Thunderbolt was a design modification of the Ford Fairlane, a popular sedan at the time. The production of the Thunderbolt was limited, as numerous features of this impressive car were not very friendly for the average Joe wishing to drive to work. Many unnecessary features were omitted from the car, including sun visors, exterior mirrors, and armrests. However, the result was that the car was among the fastest in its weight class, pushing about 500 hp. The car was so powerful that it needed a "trunk-mounted 95-pound bus battery to maximize traction."

One of the most popular muscle cars in the history of Ford muscle cars was the Ford Mustang. While the base options for the Mustang were fairly conservative in terms of power, several performance versions were available for muscle car enthusiasts that combined the Mustang's relatively light weight with high powered V-8 engines. The Shelby Mustang, for instance, was produced starting in 1965 by Carol Shelby until 1968, when these renowned cars were built by Ford itself. In 1968, Ford produced the Mustang GT500KR, whose impressive 428 cubic-inch V-8 engine and 335 horsepower placed it among the elite in the world of muscle cars.

Ford muscle cars represent some of the most iconic vehicles from the 1960s. Their popularity is such that, in 2007, Ford reintroduced the Shelby GT500 to the masses, complete with an upgrade to a 5.4L 540 horsepower V-8 engine. Combined with the fifth generation design of the Mustang in 2005  that harkened back to the design of the car in the 60s, the reintroduction of the Shelby Mustang GT500 has been part of a growing trend in the increase of new muscle cars.