History of the Marques - Muscle Cars
MUSCLE CARS and CLASSIC CARS
appeared first on the “Classic” models and then trickled
down to those vehicles sold to the masses. It took Ford quite a while
to adopt hydraulic brakes as an example. This was when cost was no
option to the very rich who demanded the best.
After W.W.II most of the major automotive inventions had occurred
and with the growing mass of Americans finding themselves better educated
and becoming urbanized a new direction in marketing took place. Luxury
car manufacturers disappeared and in their place remained the big
three and a diminishing number of smaller companies such as American
Motors and Studebaker. They in turn manufactured a range of automobiles
from low cost autos to luxury cars. GM had its Cadillac and Ford its
Lincoln.
Because cars post war now shared most of the engineering advances
with each other what sold the more expensive cars to the well heeled
was luxury appointments, larger body and engine size and often a prestigious
name. The Chevrolet was considered the poor man’s Cadillac because
of similar styling cues. No longer was there a power advantage or
unique engineering accomplishment to mark a difference between models.
David Buick invented the overhead valve engine for his cars. It was
later put into the Cadillac V16 in 1931 and by the mid fifties all
GM cars had this technology in the engines which greatly increase
performance parameters. So as for performance, ride quality etc. there
was really not much of an advantage that luxury cars had over their
cheaper stable mates. The age of the Grand Touring Duesenbergs, Packards
and Cadillacs dominating the roads were long gone.
It now became increasingly important to be hip and youthful or to
appear so in the post war generation and this was not lost on many
in Detroit and especially the car lovers who dominated the design
and increasingly the marketing departments of the major car companies.
Now that engine development had reached a universal plateau, Classic
cars in their time were like the exotic cars of today only being challenged
later in the thirties by the capabilities of the Ford overhead valve
V8 and the rise of the hot rod culture. In the sixties the muscle
car stood out because of its high performance engine, graphics, paint
scheme, limited edition, and sporty appointments. It often was a lighter
car than the standard Chevy or ford. But on the flip side one could
order a full size Chevy or Ford with a police interceptor package,
and different rear end setups and suspensions. So there was really
not much difference in engine option for
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