20 Muscle Cars That Made History

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ocdart

ocdart

Inland Mopars Car Club
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Earlier today MSN.com showed an article titled "20 Muscle Cars That Made History". The cars on their list were described as, "20 iconic, influential American muscle cars that have inspired stoplight drag races, riveting movie chase scenes and hot rod culture across the country."
Mopar showed very well on their list as we would all expect. Not as good as GM, but waaaaaay better than Ford.
I know we won't agree, but here's what was on their list broken down by Corporation going from the earliest to latest vehicle by year:

General Motors:
1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88
1964 Pontiac GTO
1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Z16
1967 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV
1969 Hurst/Olds
1970 Buick GS455 Stage I
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454 LS6
1987 Buick GNX
1998 Pontiac TransAm WS6
2009 Cadillac CTS-V
2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Mother Mopar:
1956 Chrysler 300B
1968 Plymouth Road Runner
1968 Dodge Charger
1970 Challenger R/T
1970 Plymouth Superbird
2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Ford:
1968 Mustang Cobra Jet
2013 Mustang Shelby GT500

AMC:
1970 Rebel Machine


I know I would certainly argue for several different cars from what's on their list. So don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger repeating what the article said.
 
IMO the frikkin rustang is making history, especially that damn fox body. Those damn things get blown or turbo'd or a big shot and they run way too fast.

Oboma shoulda crushed them instead of Explorers.
 
Tough to put any list together

True Musclecar Era really {1964 thru 1971}, though you could drop it to 1961 or so.

Pre-Emission Days
 
They left off the early 409 cars, the max wedge cars, the first pony car, the 68 super stock cars, AAR, early camaro, etc...
 
"20 iconic, influential American muscle cars that have inspired stoplight drag races, riveting movie chase scenes and hot rod culture across the country."

I would argue that this is more 20 cars the author likes. 2009 CTS is a nice car but it does not meet any of the criteria the author listed in the quote above. Its more of a nice car that 50+ people like to have but rarely drive fast.
 
fanofpetty said:
an 09' caddy....really ? I wana puke now.
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No offense but those CTS-V's can kick some ***! They got supercharged corvette motors in em! My brother has been wantin one since the first one came out. IMO they're one of the best all around cars, you got the incredible luxuries of a caddy and the power of a supercharged V8!!

Actually I'm not positive that the first ones were sc'd but I know the new ones are!!
 
69 Cuda 440 said:
Tough to put any list together

True Musclecar Era really {1964 thru 1971}, though you could drop it to 1961 or so.

Pre-Emission Days
Click to expand...

For MOPAR you would have to extend that to '76. If the '76 is essentially the same car as the '71 how can you rule it out ?
 
Actually, after '70 they because clones of each other (Look at the 72 charger, satellite and roadrunner....same cookie cutter, different grill) and if memory serves, were not that great of cars at that time....my bud had a '71 and '73 charger and they where no competition to his '69.

Other than grill and some other bits, the '70 Demon/Duster is not really different than the '76 dart Sport / Duster. Some may not consider this to be a "muscle" car but with the optional 240/360, it played the part.


Grassy
 
75slant6 said:
No offense but those CTS-V's can kick some ***! They got supercharged corvette motors in em! My brother has been wantin one since the first one came out. IMO they're one of the best all around cars, you got the incredible luxuries of a caddy and the power of a supercharged V8!!

Actually I'm not positive that the first ones were sc'd but I know the new ones are!!
Click to expand...

But they haven't been around long enough, in my opinion, to be "iconic," just as the '12 Camaro, the SRT8 Challenger, and a brand new Mustang haven't been, either. Let's give them a decade or so and see how history remembers them.

Since the author seems to be sold on going back into the '40's, how about including the '49 & '50 Ford's and Merc's on the list. The body design on the '49 was revolutionary and iconic.

Hell, let's go further back and put the superchargered Deusenbergs and big engine Packards on the list. How 'bout some of the monster engine V12's and V16's from Caddy, Lincoln, and the aforementioned?

I gotta agree with the person who said the author of this list seems to have written down the cars he likes.

The Superbird? And no Daytona? Really?

How 'bout the aero cars coming from Ford?

No '53 Vette? No '63 Vette?
 
michformulaS said:
I would argue that this is more 20 cars the author likes.
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Yeah, definitely. That's the first thing I looked for, the '62 Max Wedge cars......I mean, think about it. Maybe there was supposed to be a certain number built. How 'bout the '66 Nova L-79's!? Also....a '57 AMC Rebel is a bad *** car! Check this article out if you've a little time....

http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2007/02/01/hmn_feature8.html

Motor Trend decided to round up all the hot production cars of 1957 for its April issue. Aside from the Corvette, the comparison test included just about every proto-muscle car we hold in such high esteem today: the Chrysler 300-C, Ford's supercharged Thunderbird (and a supercharged Fairlane sedan), Studebaker's Golden Hawk, Oldsmobile's J-2 Rocket, and a fuelie Chevrolet Bel Air. The Rebel looked decidedly out of place stacked against those cars; it had the lowest horsepower rating and the only naturally aspirated, single-four-barrel engine of the 13 cars. However else Motor Trend tested the cars, only the zero to 60 test now stands out, not for the winner's time (It was the fuelie 'Vette's 7-second dash), but for the time recorded by the car that came in second. The Rebel notched a half-second slower time to 60 mph than the Corvette, prompting many people--American Motors among them--to claim the Rebel the fastest sedan in America.
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68787-500-0.jpg
 
The twits at top Gear (USA edition) decided that the Ford GT40 is the iconic muscle car....huh ?
 
MoparDaddy said:
Roflmao! No camaros!
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That's what I was kinda raising a brow about? I thought the 69 SS would of been on the list. It pretty much was GM's affordable street muscle for the younger crowd, just like the mustang was for ford, and the A body was for MA Mopar. I mean ****, GM waited nearly 2 years after finishing the development of the 350 to release it in the 67 Camaro! I think this list is full of **** if you ask me! I could come up with a far better list.

Further more, it says "muscle cars!" I know the cadi is v8 supercharged but it is not classified as a muscle car.
 
Well...
I do have a local old guy (70+) driving around in a CTS-V pushing 800+ at the wheels...
Oh yeah, it IS totally bad ***!
don't f*ck with him!
(oh, and when I was a little kid he was piloting a dragmaster chassis, 6-71 blown SBC fueler, early '60s)
 
71beater said:
Well...
I do have a local old guy (70+) driving around in a CTS-V pushing 800+ at the wheels...
Oh yeah, it IS totally bad ***!
don't f*ck with him!
(oh, and when I was a little kid he was piloting a dragmaster chassis, 6-71 blown SBC fueler, early '60s)
Click to expand...

I agreed the 2009 CTS-V is a nice car but does it meet any of this? (BTW my wife has a CTS4 with the performance package)

"20 iconic, influential American muscle cars that have inspired stoplight drag races, riveting movie chase scenes and hot rod culture across the country."

or does it meet this "2009 CTS-V is a nice car but it does not meet any of the criteria the author listed in the quote above. Its more of a nice car that 50+ people like to have but rarely drive fast"
 
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