The only “muscle” I want to have, is a car.

Usually a V8 engine fitted in a 2-door, rear-wheel drive, American made, and designed for high-performance driving. Not made for touring and road-racing, but would fight well in occasional drags and handsome enough than a usual sedan. A muscle car, is what they call it, a normal-sized car with a large-displacement engine that parades itself without a sophisticated chassis and engineering integrity, but then again it is designed for straight-line speed.

The origins of the muscle car cannot really be credited to one manufacturer or individual, but the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 (by General Motors) is cited as the father of these brutally good-looking machines. It stopped production entirely in 1999, but by then, it has established itself as a legit pioneer muscle car, with its 5.0L V8 engine in its 2-door coupes and 4-door sedans.

So anyhow, these hot-rod-like things don’t come cheap. Like wine, the older they get, the more they value in cost. To own one demands time (to maintain) and requires your dispensable cash. But enthusiasts, they live for this. So if you happen to get your hands on some, perhaps you might want to consider choosing from this dashing group:

1. Ford Mustang – First introduced in 1964 and loosely based on the Ford Falcon, the Mustang is Ford’s third oldest name plate vehicle in production. Its entry into the market actually gave rise to competitors such as the Chevrolet Camaro (featured in a previous entry) and the Cuda series by Chrysler. Ford credits the name to have been given by its designer and stylist John Najjar after one of his personal interests, World War II P-51 Mustang Fighter Planes.

Being the only car with uninterrupted production for over five decades, Mustangs grew larger and heavier with every year model released, except for the 1974 model, when Ford decided to return the vehicle into its original size.

The 1st generation T5 prototype housed a V4 engine, same as the Ford Taunus. Chassis, suspension and drivetrain components are basically the same as the ones existing in other Ford model cars, such as the Falcon and the Fairlane, but Ford retailed this mid-mount engined mobile machine at $2368 at the time of its release. And yes, it sold. Available in a 2-door standard convertible and standard coupe, in seventeen colors. The designers only started drawing up larger, bulkier versions later on, and improved the components along with its yearly engine upgrade.

The 2nd Generation came out in 1974, the 3rd in 1979, the 4th in 1994, and the 5th generation came out in 2005.

At present 2012, the car is still in its 5th generation called the Mustang Boss 302, based on the 1969 model. It will only be reproduced 3750 times worldwide. 3000 of these are the “regular” Boss, while the remaining 750 are “Laguna Seca Edition” that are supposed to run a second faster than the regulars, 2-seaters, and the tires and oil and water temper gauges are Pirelli branded. How cool is that?

2. Plymouth Barracuda – First introduced in 1964 by Plymouth, a division of the Chrysler Corporation, the 2-door a-body coupe was distinguished by its wrap-around back glass and Coca-Cola-Bottle-shaped side contours. The Barracuda only has 3 generations. The final was released in 1974, its presence only lasted 10 years from the day it first came out.

Unlike the 1st Generation and 2nd Generations which were both heavily based on the Plymouth Valiant, and both fast-back bodied A-bodies, the 3rd generation Barracuda removed all previous components from both past models and was completely redesigned from being a fast-back into coupes and convertibles in E-body types. In 1971, three types of Barracudas were made available: the base, the Luxury Grand Coupe, and the Sports Model ‘Cuda.

The Barracuda series of muscle cars presented itself with variants of 8 engines throughout its production years. 2 types of 3.2L to 3.7L I6 engines, and 4 kinds of V8 engines in that come in 5.2L, 5.6L, 5.9L, 6.3L, 7.0L, and its strongest engine release, 7.2L.

There aren’t a lot of Barracudas existing today, clearly a result of very low buyer interest when the vehicles were new. Heavy competition or just bad timing, it was never investigated on or explained. Therefore, there are very few left units that still roam the streets or that are parked as restored collectibles today. However, these classics still fetch high appraisal values as a vintage muscle car. As a matter of fact, the high-performance versions — the V8s, the 7.0L-7.2L, and the convertibles command the highest prices, ranging from $19,000-$31,000 depending on the restoration or preservation work done.

3. Pontiac Firebird – Created by General Motor’s Pontiac division, the Pontiac Firebird was in production from 1967 to 2002. The Firebird was actually released the same year as one of its strongest rival — and cousin, the Chevrolet Camaro, and the coming of the 1967 edition of the Mercury Cougar and Ford Mustang. Bold and brave move by its manufacturers, yes. They were certain that the Firebird could compete, and maybe even beat.

Maybe it could. Maybe it did. For its maiden drive, the Firebird had 2-door coupes and convertibles available. Many years later on, a 3-door hatchback was created. It came out in variants of 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder, and V8 engines. It was only around 1982 when GM decided to use different engines for the fast, sexy, and powerful ride.

For the 1st generation, Pontiac shared components with Oldsmobile and Chevrolet. But they say that most buyers opted for the Pontiac V8 5.3L engine, though, as opposed to the other two.

The second generation released the most editions of the Firebird. There was the Gold Special Edition, the “Bandit”, “Macho Trans Am”, the Anniversary Edition, the Pace Car Indy 500, and the NASCAR Edition. There were choices of 6.6L to 7.5L engines. The commonality of these editions, though, was evident in the body. They were all based on the “shovel nose” front end and “slotted” taillights.

The 3rd generation came out from 1982 – 1992. Buyers had a choice from the 3-speed, 4-speed, and 5-speed manual or automatic transmission. They could pick from the Pontiac I4, V6, and V8 engines that were made available. The many available variants in editions and engines received constructive criticism from analysts and reviewers. They say it was a little too much. However, Pontiac made it clear that the rationale was based on a business decision. All engines were powerful and the bottom line was, whichever people decided to buy, would bring in money for the car company. And the cash was worth the drive, anyway. In 1989, the fastest American car in the market was a Firebird.

Today, these classic hotties still sell. The First Generation models go around $23,500 – $32,000. But to restore one is more expensive.

4. Chevrolet Impala – Born in 1958, the Chevy Impala was General Motor’s most expensive passenger car model until 1965. It has ten generations. Yep. A lot.

Unlike most muscle cars, the Impala was a full-bodied vehicle. It was one of the best selling automobiles in the US, competing against the other big-bodies, such as the Plymouth Fury and Ford Galaxie 500.

The Impala’s signature color was metallic emerald green. The interior are white, and the sides are in silver. The first generation featured a choice between a 2-door convertible and a 2-door hardtop. Engines were I6, V8, and W-series Turbo Thrust V8. Heavy, and with 5.7L as their best, this machine wasn’t very fast compared to its rivals. But an Impala is an Impala, a prestige car within normal market reach.

In 1959, the second generation Impala came out, parading its slicker, slimmer body. This time, the 4-door was also another option. Engines were Blue Flame I6 3.9L, Turbo Fire V8 4.6L, and the W-series Turbo Thrust V8 5.7L remained a choice. The 4th generation came out adding a Station Wagon series, and a 3.8L Turbo Thrift I6 engine. Also, besides the 3-speed and 4-speed manual and transmission, the “PowerGlide” was also made available, which was a more reliable version than the TurboGlide Automatic one.

In 1965, the Impala underwent total redesigning. Because of this, the muscle car set an all-time industry annual sales record of more than 1 million units in the U.S., which has never been beaten by other models in its kind. By 1966, the Impala would be the 2nd highest selling convertible in America. The 1st would be the Ford Mustang.

The car underwent several more “facelifts” for its later models. Its engine choices were also made into a longer, but less complicated list. With only two choices between a TurboJet or a TurboFire V8 Engine, ranging from 4.1L to 7.4L. The Impala remained Chevrolet’s top-selling model with the 5th generation. For its 6th generation, Chevrolet released a downsized version of the car that was shorter in length, horizontally taller and narrower than before. This time, the 7.5L engine was discontinued, and the most powerful that was sold was at 5.7L.

The Impala continued to dominate the full-bodied passenger car vertical until its tenth generation. But earlier versions, they say, were the best. I would guess so, especially when they still sell today at $40,000 – $67,000 (1958-1961 model).

5. Corvette Stingray – The S2, as they call it, is a sports car. But at the same time, a muscle car. When the Stingray first came out in 1963, it was unlike any other. It is a mid-rear engined, lightweight, open-wheel single-seat racer.

You read it right. Single-seater. Oh, and the first-ever production Corvette coupe, a futuristic fast-back type, sported one of the most unique styling elements in automotive history—a divided rear window. Now it really looked like a legit Stingray. witty, huh? However, this Corvette was more than just a pretty face. It was lauded in the automotive press almost unanimously for its handling, road adhesion, and sheer explosive power. It came in small block and big block V8s, beginning at 5.4L – 7.0L engines. Nothing too shocking for a muscle car, not impossibly fast, some cars were faster. But considering the Stingray’s compact size, the 2-door had the advantage of air dynamics on the road.

All 1963 cars had 327cid engines, which made 250 hp (186 kW) standard, with optional variants that made 300 hp (224 kW), 340 hp (254 kW) and 360 hp (268 kW). The most powerful engine was the Rochester fuel injected 327cid V8, which made 360 hp (272 kW). Options available on the C2 included AM-FM radio (mid 1963), air conditioning and leather upholstery.

For 1964 Chevrolet made only evolutionary changes to the Corvette. Besides the coupe’s backbone window, the two simulated air intakes were eliminated from the hood, though their indentations remained. Also, the decorative air-exhaust vent on the coupe’s rear pillar was made functional, but only on the left side. The car’s rocker-panel trim lost some of its ribs and gained black paint between those ribs that remained; wheel covers were simplified; and the fuel filler/deck emblem gained concentric circles around its crossed-flags insignia. Inside, the original color-keyed steering wheel rim was now done in simulated walnut. Classy.

A few suspension refinements were made for 1964, too. The front coil springs were changed from constant-rate to progressive and were more tightly wound at the top, shock absorbers were reworked also. The 1964 Stingray arrived with a new standard shock containing within its fluid reservoir a small bag of Freon gas that absorbed heat, and Chevy also added more sound insulation and revised body and transmission mounts. It also fitted additional bushings to quiet the car. Not that it was noisy or anything. The result? A more livable car for everyday transportation.

So the Stingray was in production until 1967. Not that it was no good, because really, it was. Very very. Just that the market was not ready for an automobile as futuristic as this one. Today, however, it seems we have learned that small ones could be great, too. How? This little road monster’s 1963 vintage versions have an insane market value of $59,000. And that’s for a base (regular) version.

🙂

So there. The Automobile Icons of the past. The ones that made history, the ones that left a mark. Some have gone, while some remains, and some have left but have been reborn. Now to see more of their “reincarnated” versions, watch out for a post featuring them soon.