In the early Sixties’ a revolution occurred in
Detroit. The major automakers discovered that young men loved to drive
their cars fast. Although sports cars, most notably the Chevrolet
Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird, had been around for some time they
were unaffordable to the majority of the young car buyer. Then Lee
Iacocca at the Ford Motor Company pushed through the Ford Mustang. The
Mustang opened the flood gates and changed everything. Chevrolet rushed
through the Camaro. Pontiac, which pioneered the midsize performance
with the GTO, brought the Firebird to market. Dodge beefed up the
Charger and the Barracuda and every other automaker joined the party.
Every manufacturer developed high performance cars and offered
performance packages for most of their vehicles. The muscle car reigned
supreme.
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It took an oil crisis and rising insurance
rates to slow the popularity of these automobiles. The final blow came
when the emission standards were raised significantly. The Seventies’
was the dark ages for performance machines. The new emissions standards
zapped the power from once powerful engines. The market just dried up. |
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Not until the
Eighties’ did the performance cars begin to reemerge from their slumber.
Redesigned Mustangs, Camaros and a Corvette revived the performance car
market. This time performance was measured in handling as well as
straight line performance. The muscle car was becoming refined. Today’s
muscle car outperforms the original muscle cars in almost every category
from speed to handling to comfort and finally safety. But the early
muscle cars had a simplicity and raw power that will never be matched
again. This site is dedicated to providing basic information and a quick
reference for all the great muscle cars of the past and the present. |
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Recent Additions and Updates |
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1968 Chevrolet Camaro |
1968 saw the deletion of the side vent windows and the introduction
of Astro Ventilation, a fresh-air-inlet system. |
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1965 Pontiac GTO
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The GTO for 1965 received restyled with stacked headlights. |
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1976 Chevrolet Camaro |
Another year without a Z28. The Camaro fan had to settle for minor
upgrades to the interior and exterior. |
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1968 AMC Javelin AMX
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The AMC AMX was
introduced on Feb. 24, 1968, as a mid 1968 model. It joined the Ford
Thunderbird and the Chevrolet Corvette as the only American two seat
sports cars. |
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