Muscle Car History

From 0 to 60 in 5.5 seconds, one of the most well known sayings associated with a dominant automobile. This saying can be traced back to the mid to late 1900’s when several vehicles began to reach these capabilities, these vehicles were referred to as muscle cars. Built for power, speed, and performance, American muscle cars have completely changed the environment of the auto industry and have revolutionized the American perspective of the automobile. These cars often tie into many American ideals and values of freedom and self attained success. Their influence stretches far beyond the fabled driver’s seat and loud engines, it has impacted many of the small details that are often taken for granted in everyday life. Of the many things that

In the 1970’s they began to provide more of an influence on the safety and emissions regulations on automobiles in general. “Auto manufacturers began to tame their muscle cars in the 1970s. In response to complaints by Ralph Nader and others who wanted auto manufacturers to focus more on safety (What is a Muscle Car?).” Most of the original muscle cars do not have all of the safety features incorporated into cars today. They didn’t have airbags or crumple zones in either the front or rear bumpers. They were also commonly modified with aftermarket parts in exchange for space that was used for the few safety precautions that these cars did take. Many of these safety precautions are taken into account today by requiring auto manufacturers to do test crashes and many other simulations that ensure the safety of a vehicle before it is placed on the market. In response to the use of aftermarket parts, many vehicles are tested annually or biannually and are required to meet certain standards whether it has aftermarket parts or not. Cars today are also required to receive a test to determine the pollution emissions of the particular vehicle. These tests are also as a result of the original muscle cars. “The earliest muscle cars were not particularly fuel-efficient or environmentally friendly (What is a Muscle Car?).” During the 1960’s a standard car received around 9-10 miles per gallon of fuel. The muscle cars had larger engines and more significantly more power than a standard automobile. Because of this, muscle cars were not even a little fuel efficient and were hazardous to the environment. When environmental issues and fuel economy became popular topics in America, many of these muscle cars died out and those that still existed became less and less popular. In the early 2000’s, some muscle cars began selling in newer models that do follow the fuel and