subject: The End of the Muscle Car Era [print this page] Getting a muscle car is the perfect answer if you want to have a unique vehicle that is not only rare, but will turn heads as well. Muscle cars were well known to be high performance vehicles and although they seemed to be just like an ordinary car, they possessed powerful and large engines, usually packed into a mid sized body. These cars are still available today in either restored or unrestored condition, and each of them highlights various unique features.
Aside from its power, muscle cars were also built to be faster than other cars. Muscle cars have the attitude of a hot rodder that has the 73 kW weaklings or 98 hp and they are usually built for straight-line speed. The muscle car era really came to the forefront in the 1960s as these sporty vehicles were mainly used for street racing and their appeal to the younger generation steadily grew.
The Oldsmobile Rocket 88 was the first ever muscle car, which was built in 1949. This innovation was the beginning of the production of the early muscle cars. However, it was between the years 1965 and 1973 when the golden age of the muscle car, before several problems forced the manufacturers to cut back on production and the size of the engines.
The production of muscle cars severely fell due to certain factors. First, there was a controversy regarding whether it was responsible and sensible to produce such powerful vehicles for the general public mainly for the purpose of road racing. Since muscle cars were usually used irresponsibly, the legal responsibility relating to them was high and this factor obliged insurance companies to increase the rates for the insurance of muscle cars. Pollution is also one the major factors that cause automakers to stop producing muscle cars.
These factors eventually changed the industry for good.. And since a lot of would-be' buyers could no longer afford the high rates of insurance for these high-power vehicles, the demand for muscle cars decreased.
Because of this fact, muscle cars were manufactured for a limited number of years and now, they have become valuable items especially for automobile collectors. In addition, muscle cars are still greatly desired by people who want a powerful, quick and mid-sized car as well as those who enjoy car racing.
