Muscle Cars

What, exactly, IS a Muscle Car, anyway?

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:

Is a 1967 Pontiac GTO a muscle car? Yes

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

Is a 1970 Ford Torino Cobra a muscle car? Absolutely

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).

Ford and Mercury, on the other hand, didn't really have anything in 1964 ay of a "true" muscle car in the same vein of, for example, the GTO. The pedestrian Fairlane was a