It may be muscle, but true gear heads will understand.

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1957 through 1972 saw the combination of three incendiary ingredients; developing V-8 engine technology, a culture consumed by the ‘need for speed’, and 75 million baby boomers entering the automotive market: created what is known today as, Muscle Cars.[Leffingwell and Holmstrom 24] These vehicles where brutal machines unlike any the world had seen before or will ever see again. They helped define the sex-drugs and rock-and-roll generation. This generation of people had excessive appetites for immoral pleasure, and the cars they drove provided such pleasure in excess.
Post World War II saw the greatest population boom ever. These new additions to our society were known as the baby boomers. 75 million of them grew up and starting in the late1950’s they became an advertising group. The car manufacturers were unpleasantly surprised when none of their models where widely accepted by the new and extremely large market group. What they did notice, laid the groundwork for the performance machines to come.[ Leffingwell and Holmstrom 24]
Chevrolet introduced a technological first in 1955, the w-block V-8. Soon after, Ford offered a similar motor with their side valve V-8. These relatively small cubic inch engines produced one Horse Power (hp) per cubic inch; this was a first. Problem was, these engines were in sedans that weighed almost two tons, and needed every one of those horses. The answer for the youths of the time, came in a four step process: first buy a cheap older coupe [aka a 37’ ford…etc.], then switch out the current weak engine for a new powerful V-8, remove all the excess weight by cutting off fenders, and chopping the roof, and finally make it ‘cool’ with extreme paint, and performance motor parts. The resulting car would be later known as the hotrod.[ Leffingwell and Holmstrom 24,26,27,28]
The car manufacturers of the time where horrified, and were left out in the cold with their current model line-up’s. It was obvious that this new breed of driver wanted fast and over the top styling. Along with these new sporty cars came a new dangerous sport, drag racing. Car manufacturers saw these races as an advertising prospect; at the same time they realized they needed new models for this new market. Soon enough the big manufacturers where competing in the drags, not just for the title, but for the market. In 1957 the Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet Corvette where cleaning up the drag strips. Still one problem remained, price. Only the richest could afford the sporty coupes, and car manufacturers needed a solution. [Leffingwell and Holmstrom 40, 41, 43]
The boy’s in Detroit also had overlooked the fact that Americans loved power, but did not want 2 seaters. The same baby boom that created the ‘need for speed’ needed back seats with room for those kids. Since 1955 automobile makers had been making their base models more exciting. Such as the 1958 Chrysler 300 which displayed a 331 cubic inch Hemi, that made 300hp. But it was Chevy who stole the market in the late 50’s. From 1956-1959 Chevrolet offered their base line coupes and convertibles with a 265 cubic inch engine that produced 165hp. By today’s standards it’s nothing to brag about, but Chevy had an ace in the hole. For $484.25 consumers could buy the fuel injected performance upgrade that Chevy called the Super Turbo Fire. This engine upgrade gave the 265 an almost hundred hp boost, putting the engine [with some tuning] to around 250hp. For the first time cars like the Bel-Air could use every niche on their 120mph speedometers. With their new found racing success Chevrolet covered their cars with a new symbol, the checkered flag. They discontinued the engine after 1959, and what was to come for the new decade no one could have predicted. [Leffingwell and Holmstrom 37,39, 45-50]
With the advent of racing as an avenue for advertising and showing off manufacturers newest models, the big boys of automobiles needed to do but one thing, win. If you won on the race track, you sold more cars. Chrysler and Buick had what are now known as small block Hemi’s, but lacked the low price and backing from the consumers. Chevrolet had their new 348cubic inch engine that produced 350 hp without tuning or aftermarket parts. One manufacturer stood in their way; Pontiac, and they were cleaning up the drag strips. An innocent part of the Pontiacs design allowed them better traction. A long rear end that stood out and extra 3 feet behind the rear tires allowed for better grip on the drag strip. The two rivals where posed to fight for king of the hill. In 1961 Chevy shrunk their sedans and offered the biggest engine yet, the 409 cubic inch engine that produced 335hp and massive torque. Pontiac’s rebuttal was to bore out their current 389cubic inch, to an unheard of 421 cubic inches. Both car makers now offered only a four speed with these “Super Duty” models. [Leffingwell and Holmstrom 62,64-66,
More and more car makers where entering the drag strip, hoping for their piece of the pie. Chevy’s base engine was still a 348 w-block, and other manufacturers where stepping up. By the end of 1962 Ford, Chrysler, Plymouth, Buick, and Mercury all offered 350+ cubic inch base engines, and performance packages with engines topping the 400 cubic inch mark. Chevy bit back, offering an engine with 427 cubic inches of displacement. The newest racing sport was NASCAR, and with a engine limit of 427.5 cubic inches Chevy was fit to seize the prize in 1963. Chrysler had other ideas, building a 426.5 cubic inch monster called the Max Wedge. The new Hemi engine stole both the NHRA drag title, and NASCAR championship from Chevy. But two years before Pontiac had been the company to beat. Now they sat at the bottom of the pile, with old styling and an engine that had remained unchanged since 1958, other than its displacement. For the 1964 model year they hired John DeLorean, and asked him to make a winner.[ Leffingwell and Holmstrom 72,74,90,91,104]
DeLorean was faced with a problem. While the current big block V-8’s had the power, automotive styling had been at a standstill for 3 years and he needed something fast, but cheap. DeLorean and his design team where at the GM proving grounds in the spring of 1963 looking over a new Tempest prototype. The prototype had a modest 326 cubic inch V-8, but one of the design team noticed the engine mounts would match up with Pontiacs 389 big block. One week later the same group showed up in the prototype with the 389 big block, and new suspension. The car preformed beautifully, with more speed than the older heavier cars could ever expect. The light mid-sized coupe, with big block power, soon underwent a few design changes and received a new name. The newly appointed GTO didn’t however sit well with the anti-racing control group at GM. So DeLorean and his team pre-sold 5,000 units before even announcing the car to GM. Under the sales pressure GM folded and allowed production. But the cars speed and styling wasn’t enough to make it a star. One stroke of marketing genius would however change all that. The car was kept cheap, with a host of non-standard performance and luxury options. Everything from Hurst shifters to interior chrome where offered. Then the break came. Car and Driver magazine did a piece on the new GTO. With a little cheating the test car for the magazine had a 421 instead of the stock 389, and the quarter mile times where imaginary. But the article did tell the truth in that this was a new breed of performance that had no equal. The cover picture with the Pontiac GTO next to the Ferrari GTO didn’t hurt either. Sales exploded, and the muscle car was born.[Leffingwell and Holmstrom 97,120,121,124,125,
This new type of car would come to symbolize freedom through the open road. Rock and roll with its screaming guitars would seem to match perfectly with the scream of a high powered V-8. In the mist of the sexual revolution, the new stylish sexy lines of these performance machines would capture hearts, and the back seats made use of. In a land of excess everything and teenage wonders, the adrenaline filled muscle car found a home.
Soon other manufacturers where attempting to follow the lead: by the 1965 model season Buick had built the Grand Sport , which had a 401 cubic inch engine with a luxury for the time, a Tachometer. Chevrolet followed with the Impala and Chevelle SS versions, both of which boosted new big block V-8’s. Plymouth already had a sporty coupe know as the ‘Cuda, which also sported a new big block. Dodge entered the performance market for the first time with the Charger. Ford had the Fairline GT. However, they were building yet a new form of performance car, one that would cause a stir once again in the American Market. [Leffingwell and Holmstrom 129,131,138]
Ford released the Mustang in late 1964, the coupe or convertible had a relatively small engine, but with a light weight body, and stiff suspension it was still a force in the muscle car world. This new breed of performance was deemed ‘Pony Cars’, and were marketed cheap. With more street wise performance they quickly became the car to have, and in 1966 with the advent of the Shelby 350 Mustang, it became a race car. The new performance model won multiple races world wide with its powerful V-8 engine, and excellent handling. Soon Chevy, Dodge, Plymouth, and AMC had pony cars of their own. [Leffingwell and Holmstrom 157,160]
Throughout the later 1960’s the manufacturers just kept trying to out perform, and out style their competitors. With the advent of such cars as the 1969 Pontiac GTO ‘Judge’ who ran the quarter mile at 14.45 seconds and 98mph stock.[Gunnell 244] Or the 1970 Corvette ‘Stingray’ which boasted an enormous 454 cubic inch engine in a 3,000 lb. car.[Gunnell 79] It was all short lived however, due to rising environmental problems and oil prices. The government now required all new cars to pass emissions testing. [Mueller 11] The performance war was over as the scramble to make cars legal destroyed their horsepower. So in 1973 the muscle car era officially ended, that was, until 1990. When what is being called the second muscle war broke out, and is seen today with one manufacturer trying to outperform another with a cheaper car. Now a six cylinder 250 cubic inch engine can obtain 400hp and run in a car lighter than any in the sixties.
People will always be obsessed with the need for speed, and as long as the market for such cars remains open, they will be made. Freedom is still a set of keys and a full tank of gas. The youth still race, the tires still scream, and the world will always turn their heads to look, and stare.


Wrote this for my english class, I was asked to do a historical essay. The teacher owned a '65 GTO, needless to say I got th only A+.

[91teggy]

mice article i like it i was a muscle man back when i had an 86 camaro but now im all imports there is so much u can do to them

[splink48]

Very well written, good job!

[Lawless28]

that was a great write up and very informative, I think you would have gotten an A on that paper from any teacher

[jembr325]

Great write-up! Americans made some great muscle cars and fantastic race cars. I wish I could get a Ford GT or a shelby, but Im a little underfunded so I'll take the s2k.

[caligirl2k]

Nice write up

[Malakius]

Nice article.