Per Wikipedia, “Muscle car is a term for high-performance American coupes, usually but not limited to rear-wheel drive and fitted with a large displacement V8 engine. General Motors introduced the first proper muscle car in 1949. The term originated for 1960s and early 1970s special editions of mass-production cars which were designed for drag racing.”
Wiki continues with this list of typical muscle-car attributes:
- A large V8 engine in the most powerful configuration offered for a particular model
- Rear-wheel drive
- Being manufactured in the United States in the 1960s or early 1970s (the specific year range of 1964–1973 is sometimes used)
- A relatively lightweight two-door body (opinions vary as to whether high-performance full-size cars, compacts, and pony cars qualify as muscle cars, as it is sometimes claimed that only mid-size cars can be considered muscle cars)
- An affordable price
- Being designed for straight-line drag racing, while remaining street legal
This list will, no doubt, be disputed by some readers. Regardless, I think we can all agree that muscle cars occupy an outsized space in the pantheon of automotive history, especially considering the relatively short time span of the original muscle-car era.
For this ad collection, we hewed close to the muscle-car definition as outlined above. Expect to see more liberal interpretations of “muscle car” in future ad posts (think 1977 Pontiac Cam Am).
If you’ve ever spent time with one of these brutes, tell us about it. The place to leave comments is down below.
Muscle Car Ads
1971 AMC Hornet SC/360
Rides and Rock: 5 Car Commercials with Great Music
1970 Buick GSX Ad
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396
Garage Space: 25 Late-Model Collectible Cars
1968 Dodge Charger R/T
Photo Feature: 1970 Dodge Coronet Super Bee
1969 Dodge Dart Swinger 340
Model-Year Madness! 12 Sporty Car Ads from 1989
1970 Mercury Cyclone GT
Car Spotter: 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
1970 Oldsmobile 442
1970 Plymouth Road Runner
12 Memorable Machines from the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals
1969 Pontiac GTO
Review Flashback! 1974 Pontiac GTO
1971 Pontiac GTO
Listen to the Consumer Guide Car Stuff Podcast
Muscle Car Ads Gallery
Muscle Car Ads
