What is Muscle car?
An American mid-size or compact car with a large displacement V8 engine. The category began with the 1964 Pontiac GTO and peaked in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Muscle car describes an American category of mid-size or compact cars fitted with disproportionately large displacement V8 engines. The formula emerged in the early 1960s, peaked in the late 1960s and early 1970s, declined under the 1973 oil crisis and emissions regulations, and was revived in the modern era.
The 1964 Pontiac GTO is widely credited as the first true muscle car. Pontiac took a mid-size LeMans and offered the 389 V8 from the larger Bonneville as an option, creating a relatively compact body with disproportionate power. Every American maker followed within two years. The 1968-1972 period is the muscle car peak, with the Plymouth Hemi Cuda, Dodge Challenger R/T, Pontiac Trans Am, Chevelle SS, Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Ford Mustang Boss 429, and many others competing for performance dominance.
Modern muscle cars include the Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcat (and Demon variants), Ford Mustang GT and GT500, Chevrolet Camaro SS and ZL1, and the various Pontiac G8 GXP and Cadillac CTS-V cars from the 2000s and 2010s. The category has evolved to include modern handling and braking but maintains the V8 power and aggressive styling that defined the original era.
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