“For this writer, the Pontiac GTO not only defines the genre (it was a mid-size or intermediate body), but also the beginning and end of the Muscle Car Era; 1964-1974. Some might argue that the 1974 GTO was a Nova, er Ventura (a compact car) and thus, not the same as GTOs from 1964-1973. Regardless, Pontiac built a Super Duty 455 Firebird Trans Am in 1974, thus ushering out the end of ‘big block,’ high-horsepower V8 engines. The gas embargo and rising insurance costs contributed, too, but they are less date-specific. Further, 1975 began the use of catalytic converters and a mandatory use of unleaded fuel; in-effect, marking the beginning of still another era. But, wait a minute, the Firebird is a pony car, so technically, it is not a muscle car. Right?”
— Bill Rothermel, SAH Journal (2022)
RE:SOURCES
- Rothermel, Bill; 2022. “The Definition of a Muscle Car.” SAH Journal (membership required). No. 314, Jan./Feb.: p. 8.
ADVERTISEMENTS & BROCHURES:
- oldcaradvertising.com: Pontiac GTO (1969)
Also see ‘Remembering the dark side of 1960-70s American ‘muscle cars’’
First, I would say that the “muscle car” was the Chrysler 300 letter cars, followed by the 1962 MoPar Dodge / Plymouth twins with the biggest engines allowed through the dealers. Yes, there were 409-cu.-in. Chevrolets, Super-Duty 421-cu.-in. Pontiacs and 406-cu.-in. Ford, but they were heavier full-size cars. The 1964 G.T.O. and the 4-4-2 put G.M. in the Muscle Car race, to be joined by the 396-cu.-in. Chevelle. But I agree that 1968 was the beginning of the end. I think Chrysler started the genre, but G.M. ended it when the times, the insurance companies and Arab oil embargo shut things down. The first new-breed “muscle car” outside of B.M.W.s ?: The Volkswagen G.T.I.!
James, where would you place the 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk and the 1957 Rambler Rebel? They were arguably the mid-sized cars of their time with unusually big engines.
Mid-size two-door with powerful V-8. That was our thinking then, and in a car that put Performance over comfort and options. Not a pony car or powerful full-sized car. Now? Anything fast.
The Hawks were more personal luxury cars. A case could be made for the Rebel, but it reminds me more of earlier premium price cars. These cars would come with a short wheelbase model with a small engine, and a LWB model with a larger engine. They usually also had a SWB model with the large engine, regarded as a hot car for the time.
In my opinion the term muscle car belongs to the period between 1962 to roughly 1973. The Big Three built and marketed higher powered versions of their intermediates and the initials GT, GTO, SS, GTX, had a special meaning. The compact Pony car also came along during this period, and many shared the exact same performance engine options. The point is that these high powered models were only variants of the more prosaic versions. A Chevelle two door could either be granny spec 250 straight six, or tire melting 454 V8 powered. Mustangs started with a 170 straight six but at the end could be optioned with a 429 Cobra Jet! Your choice. A Corvette by comparison, was always a high performance vehicle, even in it’s standard form.
By the early 1960’s, prior to the muscle intermediates, most full size cars also had the option of bigger motors, some were quite potent. Are these, and the big engined pony cars also muscle cars? Call them whatever you like, personally I reserve the term “muscle car” for those 1960’s intermediates, but if you want to refer to your supercharged Stude as a muscle car, you won’t get an argument from me.