Living Outside the Lines: Emergence of the American Muscle Car
By, Becky J Miller
Let’s take journey to another era. An era where gas was .25 a gallon, seatbelts were optional and a fierce rivalry in the car industry brought about the American Muscle Car Revolution. American Muscle Cars transcend barriers of race, religion, culture, sex and age. The muscle cars of the 1960’s changed the automobile industry forever.
My love affair with the 1965 style Mustang started when I was 13 years old. Looking back now, the fascination seems to have begun at a rather young age. If I’m being honest though, my interest in the Mustang can also be traced back to the driver of one baby blue ’65 Mustang named Danny Dotter. I’m not sure which peeked my interest more, Danny or his daddy’s car. Obviously Danny was a few years older than me, and thus completely uninterested in my girlish crush.
The 2005 – 2016 versions of the Mustang are modeled after the 1965 Classic. In my lifetime, I have owned three muscle cars; a 1990 Chevy Camaro Rally Sport, a 1999 Limited Edition 35th Anniversary Mustang, and the 2012 black Mustang with pink racing stripes that I currently drive. While ownership of those cars certainly does not make me an expert on the subject of American muscle cars, it surely gives me some street cred.
The 1960’s, a decade still known today as the age of the “pony cars” prompted the “pony car wars”, producing three American classic icons; each car designed to capture the attention of the American public and out maneuver the competition.
Ford officially launched the “pony car wars” in April 1964 with the Mustang. Lee
Iacocca, then vice president at Ford, is credited with creating the 2-door prototype in 1962. The Dodge Charger officially became a muscle car in 1966 when it was equipped with a V-8, 325 horsepower engine. In 1967 Chevy presented its answer to the Mustang with not one, but three Camaros; a 6-cylinder hardtop, a V-8 hardtop & 6-cylinder convertible. Insert appreciative growl here.
The philosophy behind the Mustang was to build, “high performance cars for both racing and for consumers to drive on roads,” and the other two pony cars were no exception. The Mustang, Camaro and Charger were all designed for high performance on the racetrack.
Carroll Shelby, a retired auto racer from Texas entered the Mustang scene in 1961, and thank God he did. The Shelby Cobra is my ultimate dream car, but with a price tag that runs in excess of $50,000, I will have to be content with drooling at the sight of one. Shelby’s first prototype ran in England in 1962 at the Silverstone Racing Circuit, the ’69 Charger was modified to make it legal for racing under NASCAR rules, and Camaro was used as the Indy Pace car in 1967, 1969, 1982 & 1993. Zoom, zoom!
Not only were these muscle cars capable of doing 0 – 60 in under 8 seconds, they each had their own unique traits, advertising angles and iconic status. In order to capture the hearts of the American public each company sought approaches to make their vehicle stand out from the rest of the muscle car pack. Heavy media advertising and a U.S. tour of college campuses ensured the Mustang’s early success. The ‘68 Charger driven by Steve McQueen in the movie “Bullitt” launched that model’s popularity, and the ‘69 Camaro became that year’s hottest, most collectible car.
The 1960’s, with the countercultural revolution, Kennedy assassination and civil rights movement, were a time of change for the United States, and the automobile industry was not about to be left out. The Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro and Dodge Charger captured the attention of a generation and that grasp remains strong in 2016.
Of the three muscle cars only Mustang has been in production since its inception. However, both the Charger and Camaro have made a comeback. The Charger was replaced in 1977, but in 2006, almost thirty years later, it was reintroduced. Chevy ceased production of the Camaro in 2002 but it would reemerge in 2008.
Fifty-two years have passed since Lee Iacocca introduced his Mustang prototype and spawned the pony car race. Since 1962 the Vietnam War ended, ten different men were elected to the U.S. presidency, abortion was legalized, American troops deployed to fight in the Middle East and America suffered a terrorist attack. Through it all the American spirit of ingenuity continues and the American Muscle Car rides on.
Special thanks goes out to Danny Dotter and his 1965 Ford Mustang. Without that perfect combination, I might never have fallen in love with an American muscle car, and then who knows what the subject of today’s column would be???
Until Next Time,
Becky J. Miller
“Warrior Princess”
Leffingwell, R. (1995). Mustang Wisconsin: MBI Publishing.
Gunnell, J. (2002). Standard Guide to American Muscle Cars 1960 – 2000 Wisconsin: Krause Publishing
Kowalke, R. ((1998) Standard Catalog of Chevrolet 1912 – 1998 Wisconsin: Krause Publishing
