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| What, exactly, ''IS'' a '''Muscle Car''', anyway?
| | #REDIRECT [[Muscle Car]] |
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| 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:
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| Is a 1967 Pontiac GTO a muscle car? Yes
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| Is a 1968 Dodge Coronet Super Bee a muscle car? Sure
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| Is a 1970 Ford Torino Cobra a muscle car? Absolutely
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| '''BUT'''...
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| Is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 a muscle car? Hmmmmm.... could be.
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| How about a 1964 Ford Galaxie XL 390? Well it does have a big block...
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| Could a 1967 Buick Wildcat 430 be considered a muscle car? I suppose it could be ''considered'' one in some circles...
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| 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).
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| 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.
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| To be continued...
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Latest revision as of 00:58, 27 February 2007