5 Interesting Facts About Muscle Cars

Though youíre probably already an encyclopedia of auto info, weíve found a few interesting facts about muscle cars that could add to your knowhow.

muscle car facts

  1. There is no 1983 Corvette (well, sort of). † † † † † †

    Thereís a reason the í83 Corvette is so rare ñ it never actually went into production. As Popular Mechanicsexplains, Chevy wanted to launch a fourth-generation Corvette in 1983 but had some trouble making it match stricter emissions regulations that year. Because Chevy needed more time to develop the model, it didnít debut until 1984.

    There is only one prototype for the 1983 Corvette still in existence, and it lives at the National Corvette Museum in Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky ñ which endured a terrible tragedy recently when eight Corvettes unexpectedly fell into a sinkhole. (Click here to read the story.) Emergency personnel let the museum staff move the 1983 Corvette out of harm’s way after the accident, to keep it safe.

  2. Australia was big into muscle cars, too.

    When we think of all the muscle cars that roamed the streets in the ë60s and ë70s, we typically think of the US ñ but these classics had quite the following in Australia back in the day, too. CarsDirect points out that Australian muscle cars gained popularity around the same time as American muscle cars (the top manufacturers being Ford Australia, Chrysler Australia, and Holden).

    The Australian government actually cracked down on muscle cars, worried that prototypes that could reach 170 MPH were unsafe for the roads, with regulations in the ë70s. Click here to read an interesting article about Fordís attempt to make a supercar around that time.

  3. The 1970 Chevelle has one powerful engine.

    Ranked the fourth greatest muscle car of all time by MSN Autos readers, the 1970 Chevelle obviously made quite an impact with car lovers. What really sets it apart, however, is the power behind its engine. According to MSN Autos, the 1970 Chevelle is still the highest-output production car.

  4. No one can agree on the first American muscle car.

    Okay maybe not no one ñ but everyone definitely canít agree. Though the 1964 Pontiac GTO definitely comes up a lot, not everyone agrees that this vehicle ñ which originated as an option package for the Pontiac Tempest ñ started it all. According to CarsDirect, the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 also gets a lot of attention from experts as the first muscle car.†

  5. The Chargerís flip headlights were nixed for a family-friendly look.

    The Dodge Chargerís option for hidden headlamps ended in 1972, and FunTrivia.com says thatís because Dodge wanted it to be more of a family car. Even today, the Charger is still marketed toward families as the only muscle car with four doors.

Weíve only picked a handful of facts, but you can check out Steve Magnanteís 1001 Muscle Car Facts by clicking here to really amp up your knowledge. Thereís always something new to learn about these fascinating cars, which is definitely part of the fun.

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