Very apple pie and baseball, infrequent matters are as inherently American as the muscle machine. The muscle van, so named for its horsepower capability, quickly became a status symbol associated with masculine manliness quiz, an appearance even enjoyed nowadays. The cars own their collectors and enthusiasts, who capture across the kingdom to Hold and admire the cars, many of which own been painstakingly restored to their first-hand glory. As with all matters auto-related and American, the muscle machine's roots are traced to Detroit.
AMC's aptly named 340-horsepower "Insurgent Apparatus" place the average for street racers, though, managing to animation aught to Sixty in a bantam over Six seconds and running a quarter mile in less than Fifteen seconds.
Muscle Trucks
The car companies found so much success with their muscle car models that they began to apply the design elements into their truck lines, creating such '70s hybrids as the Chevy El Camino, Ford Ranchero and GMC's Spirit and Caballero models. The muscle cars began to get some public backlash, as consumer safety advocates criticized the muscle cars' large size, poor handling, lack of safety features, and the fact the companies directly marketed toward youths, who were viewed as largely irresponsible with the cars.The muscle van craze exploded as the 1970s dawned, as younger vehivle fanatics took to the hot-rod potentiality and sleek looks of the cars. As a response to rising Industry costs, the manufacturers introduced augmented budget-friendly models that all the more had drag-race entreat and potentiality. Plymouth cornered the marketplace with the Duster, Roadrunner and the super universal GTX, much a favourite among muscle automobile collectors.
The Firsts
Pontiac introduced the iconic (and able) GTO in 1964, a gadget that boasted a solid V8 in a 6.4-liter engine. While Pontiac's top brass perceived the van to be a child's play "glowing in the pan," its affordability promoted its popularity, and many other big automobile manufacturers soon followed suit. Within the hard by uncommon oldness, Ford boasted the 7-liter Thunderbolt and Mustang, Dodge unveiled the HEMI engine, Plymouth had the Barracuda, and a bit subsequent AMC added the Javelin and the AMX to its lineup.Continuing Trend
On the Way Out
As insurance premiums increased on muscle car coverage, car sales lagged. The gas shortage of the mid-'70s caused sales to further slump, as consumers, even the younger market, opted for more fuel-conscious offerings. As a result, many auto companies halted production of the cars completely.
A Return of Sorts
The 1980s saw a slight increase in interest in more powerful cars, thus the rebirth of the Ford Mustang and Thunderbird, Pontiac's Firebird and the Chevy Monte Carlo. These models continued production well into modern times, and their sales reflected their popularity. Chevy's Impala boasted a beefed-up engine and size, but many of the newer cars found still competition from the burgeoning SUV market of the 1990s. There still remains a market for muscle cars, as evidenced by the strong sales of Ford's redesigned Mustang. Chevy has plans to revamp its Camaro line to compete with Ford.
