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Welcome Forum The Drag Strip Muscle Car Definition

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    Topic
  • #4688
    GTO Man
    Moderator

    Vehicle — Muscle Car? — Classification

    AMC AMX — Yes — Pony Car

    AMC Javelin — No — Pony Car

    Buick GS — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Buick Riviera — No — Personal Luxury Car

    Buick Skylarknon-GS)— No — Intermediate Car

    Buick Wildcat — No — Fullsize Car

    Chevrolet Camaro — Yes — Pony car

    Chevelle SS — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Chevelle (non-SS) — No — Intermediate

    Corvette — No — Sports Car

    Impala SS — Yes — Fullsize Muscle Car

    Monte Carlo — No — Personal Luxury

    Nova (SS Version) — Yes — Compact Car

    Chrysler 300 — No — Personal Luxury

    Dodge Challenger — Yes — Pony Car

    Dodge Charger — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Dodge Coronet R/T — Yes — Fullsize Muscle Car

    Dodge Dart 383 or 440 — Yes — Compact

    Dodge Daytona — Yes — Specialty Muscle Cars

    Dodge Super Bee — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Fairlane GT — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Torino GT/Cobra — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Ford Galaxie >=390 — Yes — Fullsize muscle

    Mustang Mach I — Yes — Pony Car

    Mustang Boss — Yes — Pony Car

    Mercury Comet GT — Yes — Intermediate

    Mercury Cyclone — Yes — Intermediate

    Cougar(GT, Eliminator, Boss) — Yes — Pony Car

    Oldsmobile 442 — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Oldsmobile Cutlass — No — Intermediate

    Plymouth Barracuda — No — Pony car

    Plymouth ‘Cuda(non 340) — Yes — Pony car

    Plymouth Duster(340) — Yes — Compact Muscle Car

    Plymouth GTX — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Plymouth Road Runner — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Plymouth Superbird — Yes — Specialty Muscle Car

    Pontiac Catalina 2+2(400+ cid) — Yes — Fullsize Muscle Car

    Pontiac Firebird(400+ cid) — Yes — Pony Car

    Pontiac Grand Prix — No — Personal Luxury

    Pontiac GTO — Yes — Intermediate Muscle Car

    Definition – Intermediate sized, performance oriented, powered by a large V8 engine, at an affordable price. Buick GS, Chevrolete Chevelle SS, Dodge Charger R/T, Ford Torino/Cobra, Plymouth GTX, Plymouth Road Runner, Oldsmobile 442, Pontiac GTO

    Full size – Chevrolet Impala (SS only), Ford Galaxie (with 390 + cid engines only), Dodge Coronet (R/Ts only)

    Pony Cars and Compact Cars – Chevrolet Camaro (SS and Z28 models only), Ford Mustang (GTs and Boss only), Plymouth ‘Cudas (no Barracudas), AMC Javelin, etc.

    Personal Luxery Cars – are not muscle cars. Buick Riviera, Chrysler 300 Letter Cars, Pontiac Grand Prix, etc.

    Two seat Sports Cars – are not muscle cars. Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird are not considered muscle cars due to their high price and specialty nature, exception is the AMC AMX.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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  • #36219
    GTO Man
    Moderator

    Not much opinion on this, must be completely accurate.

    #36220
    lordairgtar
    Participant

    So a AMC Javelin with a 401 or 390 would not be a muscle car? I think it might be one.

    #36221
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high performance automobiles.[1][2] At its most widely accepted the term refers to American 2-door rear wheel drive mid-size cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s equipped with large, powerful V8s and sold at an affordable price for street use and drag racing, formally and informally.[3][4][5][6]

    As such, they are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing.

    Building on the American phenomenon and developing simultaneously in their own markets, muscle cars also emerged in their own fashions in Australia, South Africa, the UK and elsewhere.

    thanks this is my definition of Muscle Car

    #36310
    GTO Man
    Moderator

    lordairgtar wrote:

    Quote:
    So a AMC Javelin with a 401 or 390 would not be a muscle car? I think it might be one.

    I would consider it a muscle car. I wonder how many had that engine option.

    #36331
    Amigo2k
    Moderator

    290V8 343 V8 360V8 390V8 TOTAL

    4spd AT 4spd AT 4spd AT 4spd AT
    1968 525 484 415 902 0 0 2112 2287 6725
    1969 619 299 843 729 0 0 3620 2183 8293
    1970 0 0 0 0 836 747 1632 901 4116
    TOTAL 1144 783 1258 1631 836 747 7364 5371 19134

    AMX & Javelin 71-74 production

    1971 7179-5 (base) Javelin
    232=2283; 258=922; 304V8=3338; 360V8=465; 401V8=97
    1971 7179-7 (SST) Javelin
    232=433; 258=461; 304V8=10907; 360V8=5324; 401V8=582
    1971 7179-8 (AMX)
    232=0; 258=0; 304=0; 360V8=1309; 401V8=745

    1972 AMX & Javelin
    7279-7 (Javelin)
    232=1477; 258=1137; 304V8=14079; 360V8=5801; 401V8=470
    7279-8 (AMX)
    232=0; 258=0; 304V8=565; 360V8=1830; 401V8=825

    1973 AMX & Javelin
    7379-7 (Javelin)
    232=1174; 258=1065; 304V8=15219; 360V8=7351; 401V8=386
    7379-8 (AMX)
    232=0; 258=0; 304V8=1134; 360V8=3153; 401V8=1420

    1974 AMX & Javelin
    7479-7 (Javelin)
    232=2076; 258=2960; 304V8=13826; 360V8=3477; 401V8=217
    7479-8 (AMX)
    232=0; 258=0; 304V8=1884; 360V8=2320; 401V8=776

    #36222
    Xman
    Participant

    According to Wikipedia!

    Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high performance automobiles.[1][2] At its most widely accepted the term refers to American 2-door rear wheel drive mid-size cars of the late 1960s and early 1970s equipped with large, powerful V8s and sold at an affordable price for street use and drag racing, formally and informally. :woohoo:

    According to the June 1967 issue of Road Test magazine, a “muscle car” is “Exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder’s philosophy of taking a small car and putting a BIG engine in it […] The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 hp (73 kW) weakling.”[7] Author of the book Muscle Cars the quote is drawn from, Peter Henshaw, furthers that the muscle car was designed for straight-line speed, and did not have the “sophisticated chassis”, “engineering integrity” or “lithe appearance” of European high-performance cars[7]
    However, opinions vary as to whether high-performance full-size cars, compacts, and pony cars qualify as muscle cars.[8]

    And there you have it.. B)

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
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