Guys like to look back and reminisce about the hot fast cars of their past years, wishing they had kept them or could somehow get them back. I’ve heard over and over, “I sure wish I hadn’t sold that car.” If they could only turn back the pages of time.
I clearly remember the 60s when Muscle Cars were what every teenager or young man longed to have. For many, a Muscle Car has to be American. The most important part was it had to have a hot, big V8 engine under it’s hood. According to the Auto Express, the top Muscle Cars of the 60s were the 1964 and 1965 Pontiac GTOs. There was even a popular song at that time, “Little GTO” by Donny & The Daytonas. Some of the lyrics of that song go”C’mon and turn it out, wind it up, blow it out, GTO.
Another name given to the Muscle Cars was “Road Warriors.” They were sleek looking with their chrome trim and grills. Best of all, they sounded good when revved up at the stop lights. There was no better feeling than cruising down the roadways with the radio tuned to the rock and roll music on the favorite radio station of that time, KOMA out of Oklahoma City.
Another hot Muscle Car of 1965 was the Shelby Mustang GT 350. Others during the 1960s were the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z 28, the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L 88, and the 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt. In the earliest 1970s there were the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner “Superbird,” the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454, and the 1971 Plymouth Hemi “Cuda.”
The mid 70s ushered in the American Clean Act and the American muscle car slipped into the shadows until years later. In more recent years, the 2015 Dodge Challenger “Hellcat” came out and was classified as the modern day Muscle Car. It is thought the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 was the earliest Muscle Car.
In the past 30 to 40 years, men and women went out on the hunt and found the Muscle Cars of their early dreams and worked to bring them back to life. Many of these Muscle Cars can be found again cruising the roadways, competing in car shows, or even entered into parades.
Those Muscle Cars are again flexing their muscles, shined up, and enjoyed by their proud and happy owners.
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