They rumbled and roared and drew excitement wherever they went. Muscle cars remain the choice of some automotive enthusiasts, but their real rise was in the years leading up to the 1970s, when gas prices were cheap and loud, flashy cars were all the rage. Let`s take a trip back in time and explore some of the best muscle cars of all time.
Pontiac GTO
The quintessential muscle car, the Pontiac GTO essentially wrote the rule book for muscle cars as small frames and big engines with two doors and a whole lot of power. While some consider the 1949 Rocket 88 from Oldsmobile to be the first true muscle car, it was something of a prototype of what was to come.
Though initially breaking General Motors rules for putting engines larger than 330 cubic inches into a small car, massive response to the car got GM to change its policies and lead to a massive trend of small cars with massive engines, the likes of which was unprecedented.
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Plymouth Road Runner Hemi
A straightforward muscle machine, the Road Runner Hemi was conceived of by Plymouth engineers who wanted to make the smallest and fastest car they could with as few bells and whistles as possible. They succeeded magnificently; with a 426 cubic inch V-8 Hemi engine that could call up 425 horsepower, making it an instant hit the public. Loud and fast, the Road Runner Hemi also featured a horn sound option that sounded like the famous cartoon character, the Road Runner’s easily recognizable `beep beep`, for those who wanted to add some whimsy to their power.
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Chevrolet Chevelle
Coming in towards the middle of the muscle car trend at the dawn of the seventies, the Chevelle took advances in automotive technology to a frantic extreme with a 450 horsepower engine as subtle as dynamite, capable of beating every car on the road of the time inside of a quarter mile. Initially intended for racing as the 427 model in Can-Am racing (a style of car racing notorious for almost anything being allowed in the competition), a commercial version was produced, the 454 that won the hearts of American drivers and allowed Chevrolet to stay inside the muscle car game until its very end.
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Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake
Initially intended as a race car, like many other of the greatest muscle cars ever built, the Cobra Super Snake was also intended to look like one as well. An earlier entry in the history of muscle cars, the Cobra still made an impact on the scene with a V-8 427 cubic inch engine that could generate a top horsepower of 800 under ideal conditions. However, the car was modified for street use, which dulled the Cobra’s fangs but did not stop it from becoming an iconic vehicle.
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Dodge Charger
An iconic piece of machinery, the Charger blasted on to the muscle car scene early in existence and remained popular for generations, a beautifully evolved model that persisted simply because it worked. Built entirely with V-8 engines, the exact size of those engines varied with each model year but nearly every year saw an increase in engine size, from 1966’s 318 cubic inches to 1970’s 440 cubic inches, shrinking only towards the end of the product line to a “mere” 400 cubic inches of power, with the full might of the Charger line only dying out when new vehicle emissions standards changed the rules.
About the Author: Carter McCollum is the publisher of Hid Headlight Conversion Kits -- saving lives and helping to keep drivers of all cars safer on our roadways.
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