Muscle Cars for Sale during the 1960’s and 1970’s
Muscle Cars are fast performance cars manufactured for the most part in Detroit, Michigan from 1964 through 1975. Muscle car manufacturers placed substantial V8 engines in mid-sized vehicles, giving them lofty levels of performance and setting off a strong rivalry between the manufacturers to produce the most powerful and quickest muscle cars on sale throughout those times.
Although auto makers had occasionally experimented with placing the performance based V-8 engines in a lighter mid-size platforms, and full-size cars such as the Ford Galaxie and Chevrolet Impala had high-performance models, Pontiac received most of the credit for starting the muscle car era with its Pontiac GTO. Started by Pontiac a, the GTO was far more trendy than anticipated, and inspired many imitations and an advance towards performance, both in the true muscle car class of intermediate vehicles as well as smaller muscle cars like the Ford Mustang, Plymouth Barracuda and AMC AMX, and more luxurious and pricey cars such as the Buick Riviera.
However, a large part of the demand behind muscle cars was that they were mostly reasonably priced models that young drivers could manage to pay for and use them for drag racing. For example, Chevy placed an exceptionally large 396 cubic inch engine in its small Nova body. This would be equivalent to taking Chevrolet Cobalt and putting a Corvette Z06 engine in it. Mopar also had several low-cost models, such as the Super Bee and Roadrunner.
Between 1964 and 1971, the Detroit corporations were in a competition for the bragging rights to the highest horsepower engine and offer the fastest muscle cars for sale. Horsepower numbers generally hit their peak in 1970, with the Chevelle SS 454 from that year is usually considered to have had the highest output, producing 450 horsepower. By 1971, most muscle cars began to fall out of support with Pontiac's Trans-AM model being the only lingering one by 1975.
While they were fast cars in a straight line, most had poor performing brakes, suspensions and tires which were inadequate to handle the acceleration and speeds the engines made possible. These factors have mostly been addressed by after-market suppliers.
 Dodge Charger SE 1976 DODGE CHARGER SE MUSCLE CAR US $800.00 |
 Oldsmobile Cutlass 1971 Olds Cutlass Muscle Car  US $1,000.00
|
Tags: 60, 70, drag racing, muscle cars
December 27th, 2008 at 9:13 am
I was there back then. There is one thing you did not mention. The real advantage of Muscle Cars back in the day was you went to the dealship, signed the finance sheet and drove home with a hot rod with a 50,000 mile waranty. No problems and no worries. The alternative had always been to build your own. You had to have skills, time and cash to build your own. It didn’t kill hot rodding it just let more kids into the game.
January 5th, 2009 at 12:14 am
“Chevy placed an exceptionally large 396 cubic inch engine in its small Nova body. This would be equivalent to taking Chevrolet Cobalt and putting a Corvette Z06 engine in it.”
Well not exactly.The Nova was as big as the current Chevy Impala.The Nova 396 was rated at 350-375 Hp about the same as an Impala you can buy today. While the Zo6 is rated at 505 hp.Try putting that in your Cobalt and smoking it……
December 10th, 2009 at 9:06 am
We’re all on the same wavelength and we truly enjoy looking at and chatting about muscle cars. Dealing with muscle Cars is an incredible social outlet. Some of us collect some restore, show, or race our muscle cars, it doesn’t matter.
muscle cars have been here for a long time now and i think all people should get the chance to experience the adrenalin rush you get once you are in the driving seat
December 10th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Clifford, I agree with you. I was there back in the day and went down and purchased my share of the new muscle cars. However, there were a couple that got a way. One was a maroon 1968 Corvette 427 with side pipes. I still dream about that one. It sat on the dealer’s showroom and I can picture it like it was today. My wife said no. That wife is now gone! The other one was a 1969 AMX that I couldn’t purchase due to Uncle Sam and the Draft breathing down my neck. However, I just found a barn find nearly identical to the order I wrote up but never submitted. Read about it at http://www.legendarycollectorcars.com/2009/12/09/new-amx-project-car-added-to-garage/