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What, exactly, ''IS'' a '''Muscle Car''', anyway?
==Definition==
The term of muscle car can be described as a car with large body size and oversized engine.One good example is the Chevrolet Chevelle SS,the body size is huge compared to average sportscars.Most known muscle cars are American cars.All muscle cars are rear wheel drive and most of them are coupes and convertibles,rather than four door.


Well, that it certainly one of the most subjective automotive categories, and sometimes the most debated.  Ask 10 different people what a muscle car is and you'll likely get 10 different answers.  A '''Muscle Car''', per se, is a 2-door intermediate coupe with a big-inch V8 engine and rear wheel drive - something I think all gearheads more or less agree on.  The line, however, is anything but clear.  Here are a few examples:
==History==


Is a 1967 Pontiac GTO a muscle car?  Yes
Some automotive historians trace the origins of the muscle car all the way back to when Oldsmobile stuffed a 303 cubic inch overhead-valve V8 into the 1949 Rocket 88. The car produced a whopping 135 horse power. Amazingly, that’s all it took to be king of the performance hill in 1949.


Is a 1968 Dodge Coronet Super Bee a muscle car?  Sure


Is a 1970 Ford Torino Cobra a muscle car?  Absolutely
==Examples of muscle cars==
*[[Bentley Continental R]]
*[[Buick GSX]]
*[[Buick Skylark]] Gran Sport
*[[Chevrolet Bel Air]]
*[[Chevrolet Camaro]]
*Classic [[Chevrolet Corvette]]
*[[Chevrolet Chevelle]]
*[[Chevrolet Impala]] Coupe
*[[Dodge Challenger]]
*[[Dodge Charger]]
*[[Ferrari 250]] GT
*[[Ford Galaxie]]
*[[Ford Mustang]]
*[[Ford Thunderbird]]
*[[Ford Torino]] Cobra
*[[Holden Monaro]]
*[[Jaguar E-type]]
*[[Lamborghini 350]] GT
*[[Mercedes-Benz E-Class]] Coupe
*[[Mercedes-Benz SL-Class]]
*[[Mercury Cougar]]
*[[Nissan Skyline]]
*[[Oldsmobile Rocket]] 88
*[[Plymouth Barracuda]]
*[[Pontiac Firebird]]
*[[Pontiac GTO]]
*[[Shelby GT500]]
*[[Vauxhall Viva]]


'''BUT'''...


Is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 a muscle car?  Hmmmmm.... could be.


How about a 1964 Ford Galaxie XL 390?  Well it does have a big block...


Could a 1967 Buick Wildcat 430 be considered a muscle car?  I suppose it could be ''considered'' one in some circles...


See what we mean?  This is where the "blurred" line comes in.  The ''popular'' belief when it comes to muscle cars is that while there are a few exceptions, they basically started coming of age in 1964.  The most subscribed-to notion is that GM led the way with the 1964 Pontiac GTO, along with the Chevrolet Chevelle SS, Buick Skylark GS and Oldsmobile 4-4-2 that also debuted that same year (and were all based on the same platform). 
==External links==
 
*[http://www.justcustomz.com/muscle_cars/ Muscle Car Pictures]
Ford and Mercury, on the other hand, didn't really have anything in 1964 by way of a "true" muscle car in the same vein of, for example, the GTO. The pedestrian Fairlane and Comet weren't much of a threat at that time (yes, they did have a very limited-edition Thunderbolt Fairlane, but that car was hardly mainstream). Chrysler didn't have much either until 1966, when it redesigned the Coronet and Belvedere/Satellite.  So one can conclude that while GM got the lead on introducing mainstream muscle cars to the general public, it wasn't until 1966-67 until Ford and Chrysler officially got in the game as well as true competition.
 
To be continued...

Latest revision as of 08:33, 31 October 2010

Definition

The term of muscle car can be described as a car with large body size and oversized engine.One good example is the Chevrolet Chevelle SS,the body size is huge compared to average sportscars.Most known muscle cars are American cars.All muscle cars are rear wheel drive and most of them are coupes and convertibles,rather than four door.

History

Some automotive historians trace the origins of the muscle car all the way back to when Oldsmobile stuffed a 303 cubic inch overhead-valve V8 into the 1949 Rocket 88. The car produced a whopping 135 horse power. Amazingly, that’s all it took to be king of the performance hill in 1949.


Examples of muscle cars



External links

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