They're tough. They're masculine. They're high-performance. Those words regularly spring to mind when one speaks of the classic muscle car. These cars are thought to be some of the best examples of the time when Yank automobile production had reached its zenith. The classic muscle automobile, with its trim design,
convertible top down and surprising suitability for drag racing, has reached a fame that has earned it a place as one of the signature car design movements of modern automobile history.
The classic muscle vehicle design is one that doesn't emphasize power over appearance. Instead, the design welcomes both the power of the machine and the aesthetics of the design. These vehicles have larger engines than traditional vehicles, are larger than the average sports automobile, and have a toughness of frame that other types of cars don't have. The typical definition of what a muscle car is tends to exclude any autos made outside Australia and the US, and even then, only vehicles made in the years between 1964 to 1973. Among some of the more popular models are the Dodge Charger, the Chevrolet El Camino, and the Plymouth Road Runner.
These machines enjoyed the top of their popularity in the car market virtually straight after being introduced. They cashed in on the expansion of the racing trend among the youth market, which was only a developing market in terms of spending power at the time. Taking advantage of that trend, the manufacturing companies started to design tougher vehicles that appealed to the sense of aesthetics the youth market had and mixed it with technical and performance statistical data that made them suited for street racing. While, at first, the execution of the new designs and technical upgrades almost doubled the costs of the automobile, many corporations ultimately developed "budget muscle" models that compromised some of the performance and design aspects in favor of reducing costs. In time, both the classic muscle car and budget muscle car designs were accepted into the market and began to drive their way into the Yankee driver's psyche.
Sadly , statesmen caught on to the trend and effectively killed the classic muscle car by indicating the inherent dangers of such robust engines in vehicles being focused to the youth. Some opponents indicated the incontrovertible fact that the muscle cars didn't have the same braking and turning capacity as other automobiles and stated that it definitely was a major safety risk. Insurance corporations also increased their rates and charges on all high-powered models of vehicles, effectively making any prospective buyers turn away because the muscle cars were out of their budget. For the main part, the makes were retired, though some were reinvented as luxury cars instead. Environmental concerns also commenced to wear away at the power of the muscle auto age as control over engine emissions was placed ahead of power and performance as the priority for engine design.
Classic Cars
However, there have been some attempts at reviving the original classic muscle car. The Mercury Marauder, the Ford Crown Victoria, and even the Pontiac GTO are thought to be models intended to recapture the magic of the classic muscle automobile years. While they haven't yet come back with the same force they once had when they originally appeared, reports show that there is still a market for them. Despite sharing the same attacks over environmental concerns the modern SUVs are getting, manufacturers are still manufacturing limited quantities of the modern muscle cars.
