ALT-2 Best Muscle Cars
Muscle cars were in a class all their own; the cars that dreams were made of. They came rumbling out of Detroit with character and style in the mid 1960's and would become a passion for generations to come. Back in the day when you could easily tell a GM body style from a Ford from 100 yards, they stood out in the crowd. The American muscle cars joined racing design together with production cars and turned them into some of the most sought after cars ever made.
These beauties were factory designed to be built for pure power. The complete opposite end of the spectrum from the cars that were to follow, beginning in the mid 70's, the last great hoorah of American automobile engineering. The exact definition of a muscle car is disputed by some, but there are two things nearly everyone agrees on; to qualify as a muscle car it's a two door and it came from the factory with a V-8. Some of the hottest of these old muscle cars today are the ones with the shortest original production run.
The title of the first muscle car goes to the Pontiac GTO, fondly nicknamed the Goat. The GTO was a Tempest option package in 1964. All attitude, the Goat sported Hood scoops (Although non-functional), a dual exhaust and a 389 c.i. engine, with other additional options. A three barreled carburetor aptly called the Tri-power and a four speed manual transmission were among the other options. The GTO had a special edition called The Judge from 1969 to 1971. Production was halted on the Judge in January 1971. A few of the Judges got the optional 455 c.i engine but most were 400 c.i. The GTO was once again an option package in 1972, this time for the LeMans. The GTO option was halted altogether after the 1974 production year.
General Motors had their share of the muscle cars beside the GTO, which have become classic cars today; most notably the Chevelle SS, Impala SS, the Pontiac Firebird, and the Olds 442. The Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird (same GM basic body design), with their short and squat backs were reminiscent of a big cat gathering its haunches for a burst of speed.
Anyone familiar with American muscle is familiar with the name Carroll Shelby. Shelby Mustangs were as sought after then as they are today. The fastest production car ever built in 1962 was a Cobra Roadster designed by Shelby. It clocked 0 60 in 3.9 seconds. Shelby designs were found in street and track stangs from 1965 until 1970, when his relationship ended with Ford. The Cobra 427 Roadsters were only mass produced from 1965 to 1967.
The Chrysler Hemi was a beast of an engine. The Hemi (short for hemispherical) was an innovation based on racing engine. The increased air flow design allowed for massive horsepower. The Hemi design was first used in 1951 but was only available in production cars for a short period of time in that era. The Hemi went on to be a hugely successful racing engine. The Hemi set a record speed of 197.88 mph at Bonneville in 1952. A Hemi engine was the power behind the 1965 Bonneville land speed record for a wheeled vehicle at 409.277 mph.
After more than a decade of use only in racing engines and street rods, the "Street Hemi" with twin 4 barreled carbs became available in 1966. The 1968 Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracudas were lightning fast, powered by Hemi engines. The 1968 Plymouth Road Runner came with a factory 383 c.i. for under $3,000, with an option to upgrade to a 426 c.i. for a little over $700 more.
The Road Runner was the Motor Trend Car of the Year. King Richard [Petty] earned the title of king in 1971 with Hemi power. Bobby Isaac set 28 stock car speed records in his Hemi powered Dodge Charger in 1971, many of those records still stand today. The year of 1971 was also the year that production of the 426 Hemi was halted for street use. Between the years of 1966 and 1971 it's estimated that 11,000 cars powered by Hemi engines were produced. The legend lives on thanks to the many fans of these muscle cars.
Decades later these muscle cars are still what dreams are made of for many of us baby boomers. How could anyone pick the best of one of these old muscle cars? I'm sure most of us have a personal favorite, mine was the 68 GTO. I would gladly take anyone of these classic cars today. In 2004 manufacturers tried to get their hands back in the muscle car market by bringing out several "retro-designed new muscle cars". They apparently don't get it, do they?
Fortunately, you can still find these used muscle cars out there. Some are restored to original condition and others have been modified. Others still are in restorable condition. The best dealers will have an easy to understand rating system for quality and condition. Whether you're buying or selling do some research on what's available for that particular make, model and year. Many of the same web sites have both muscle cars for sale and classified sections for you to advertise your car with plenty of exposure. Many dealers have their own financing options. Some classic car specialists have restoration services, parts cars and other specialty services. Who said dreams can't come true?
For more information on old muscle cars and other classics;
http://www.americanclassicautos.com/
http://www.greatvehicles.com/classics/
To get VIN information on a GTO or other Pontiacs visit Pontiac Historic Services online at
http://www.phs-online.com/services.html
For more information on Carroll Shelby;
http://www.carrollshelby.com/performancedriven.html
For more information on the Chrysler Hemi;
Additional source;
http://www.edmunds.com/pontiac/gto/history.html
