(AH) Ep. 6 The Origins of the Muscle Car

A classic car connaisseur is going to tell you the story of the high performance street machines of the 1960's!

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[tacticalmattfoley]

John DeLorean, Lee Iacocca and Carol Shelby were the three main icons who brought us muscle cars. I would bet DeLorean had a hand in the word “muscle car”.

[profjohn]

1. A thing can exist before you have a special name for it.
2. I would argue that the first factory "muscle car" (compact body with the engine from its larger sibling) was the 1936 Buick Century, which had the smaller body of the Special, but was stuffed with the larger engine of the Roadmaster & Limited. The Century had a reputation of being one of the fastest cars of its day.

[ironcladranchandforge]

What Ford did to the Mustang in the mid 1970's should have been a

[davebeckley]

I grew up in the muscle car era purchasing my first car, a 1957 Bel Aire with a 265 ci v8 that had been rebuilt three times before I got it. After several other Chevys, I finally bought a 1965 Impala with a 396 ci L78 producing 425 hp. This car had no badging other than the raised flags on the front fenders. It was a true sleeper. I can't say that I ever heard anyone use the term 'supercar' during that period. 'Hotrod', a throwback to the 1950s was still in vogue with nearly everyone I knew and that was a pretty large group that raced both on drag strips and, unwisely, on the streets. Did muscle cars become a thing in 1964? I assume you refer to the period when the manufacturers deliberately built cars aimed at putting high horsepower engines in lightweight bodies. In 1959 Chrysler had a 375 hp created in a 413 ci v8 while Chevy produced a 283 ci v8 that delivered 283 hp with fuel injection in 1957. This was the first engine to achieve the goal of one horsepower per cubic inch displacement. I like your videos except for the fact that they remind me of how old I am to have first-hand knowledge of some of the historical accounts you present.

[aussieausdeutschland]

The Muscle Car Scene wasn't just exclusive to the USA, Australia also had their own version of the Muscle car.... Holden Monaro GTS, and SS, Torana GTR XU1 and SLR5000 n SS as well the Commodore SS, Leyland(YES LEYLAND) P76 Targa Flioro, Chrysler Valiant Pacer & Charger RT.
Then there's the Ford Falcon GT, XR6 Turbo and XR8 and F6 Turbo.

[davidwright]

I have mention this before, but I must restate: as a 61 year old student of the auto industry, having restored more cars than I will admit (to my wife), you are amazingly accurate. You appear too young to have accumulated this amount of knowledge, but apparently you have. Great work, I truly enjoy your posts. PS: your humor is spot-on.

[zachmcfarland]

What about the Hudson hornet it dominated racing in the early fifties

[bernardschmitt]

I’d like a video covering Australian muscle cars.

[gilreeve]

Great video but it was somehow missed that the 426 Hemi was put into mid size Dodge and Plymouth models way back in 1964. Based on drag racing and NASCAR wins alone these were muscle cars!

[AtomicReverend]

You forgot the 1957 Rambler Rebel... Which was the ambassador v8 tuned with solid lifters floor shift and what ever AMC called its limited slip rearend, this was wedged into the mid size economy Rambler, it was the fastest 4 seater in 1957 and even had a pretty wicked paint job for the 1950s.

Edit: the 1957 Plymouth sports fury was also stupid fast for its day with an engine that was pretty much the same idea as the Rambler Rebel. It is the car in Christine
Well depending on what scene you are watching sometimes it was a 57 sometimes it was a 58 and sometimes it was a belvedere but thats Hollywood.

[hotwire]

In fairness to Chrysler, you could option the B Body cars from 1966 with the 426ci Hemi, and while this option wasn't not widely marketed (or purchased) at the time the cars fitted with these engines are true muscle cars. Chrysler then just pulled their socks up later in the decade to market these cars more effectively, creating new models (such as the GTX, Roadrunner), and proper 'muscle' trim levels like R/T to compete with models like the SS of rival brands.

[corymcgrath]

My first job was being a gas Jockey. Early 1990'S . The station I worked at was one of the rare and last ones that still sold "regular"
fuel. Long story short, Canada allowed for "conversion" time. The result was I filled up some really nice classic cars, and a few welding guys with their portable welding machine trucks. They were "regular" customers. Mid 90'S regular leaded was finally faded
out coast to coast.

[rodclark]

In 1961 plymouth offered the 413 cubic inch engine with 375 horses, and so did Dodge. Ford offered the Fairlane with 390 c.i. and 401 hp, chevy offered in 1961 an impala with a 409 c.i. engine with 360 hp, pontiac with a 405 hp 421 c.i. engine 1n 1962. I don't give Mr. DeLorean and the GTO credit as the first musclecar but it was a sales winner.

[toby]

I love this channel, can you do an episode on 90s-00s Japanese sports cars?

[marksantoro]

Just to let you know, the Buick Century of the 30's is considered the first Muscle car.

[drboze]

The Hamster was hamstrung by a hamster-sized budget.

[dandrane]

"SS" didn't always indicate a muscle Chevelle. In '64 and '65 they were available with six-cylinders and small-block V-8s.

[lask]

First muscle car - simple, cheap chassis with big engine but no comfort features - was 1912 Stutz Bearcat.

[Gramps]

I always thought the OLDS J2, the first factory car outlawed from NASCAR (sound familiar), was the tipping point for the muscle car era.

[mylanmiller]

I would have to say the 1966 Fairlane 427 had enough power to be a Muscle car!