| They're tough. They're masculine. They're | | | | eventually developed "budget muscle" models that |
| high-performance. Those words often come to mind | | | | compromised some of the performance and design |
| when one speaks of the classic muscle car. These | | | | aspects in favor of reducing costs. In time, both the |
| vehicles are considered some of the finest examples | | | | classic muscle car and budget muscle car designs |
| of the time when American automobile production | | | | were accepted into the market and began to drive |
| had reached its zenith. The classic muscle car, with its | | | | their way into the American driver's psyche.Sadly, |
| trim design and unusual suitability for drag racing, has | | | | politicians caught on to the trend and effectively killed |
| attained a fame that has earned it a place as one of | | | | the classic muscle car by pointing out the inherent |
| the signature vehicle design movements of modern | | | | dangers of such powerful engines in vehicles being |
| automobile history.The classic muscle car design is | | | | targeted to the youth. Some opponents pointed out |
| one that does not emphasize power over | | | | the fact that the muscle cars did not have the same |
| appearance. Instead, the design embraces both the | | | | braking and turning capacity as other cars and stated |
| power of the machine and the aesthetics of the | | | | that it was a major safety risk. Insurance companies |
| design. These cars have larger engines than | | | | also increased their rates and charges on all |
| conventional automobiles, are bigger than the | | | | high-powered models of automobiles, effectively |
| average sports car, and have a toughness of frame | | | | making any prospective buyers turn away because |
| that other types of cars don't have. The typical | | | | the muscle cars were out of their budget. For the |
| definition of what a muscle car is tends to exclude | | | | most part, the makes and models were retired, |
| any cars made outside Australia and the US, and | | | | though some were reinvented as luxury cars instead. |
| even then, only cars made in the years between | | | | Environmental concerns also began to wear away at |
| 1964 to 1973. Among some of the more popular | | | | the power of the muscle car era as control over |
| models are the Dodge Charger, the Chevrolet El | | | | engine emissions was placed ahead of power and |
| Camino, and the Plymouth Road Runner.These | | | | performance as the priority for engine |
| machines enjoyed the peak of their popularity in the | | | | design.However, there have been some attempts at |
| car market almost immediately after being introduced. | | | | reviving the original classic muscle car. The Mercury |
| They cashed in on the growth of the racing trend | | | | Marauder, the Ford Crown Victoria, and even the |
| among the youth market, which was only an | | | | Pontiac GTO are considered models intended to |
| emerging market in terms of spending power at the | | | | recapture the magic of the classic muscle car years. |
| time. Taking advantage of that trend, the | | | | While they have not yet come back with the same |
| manufacturing companies began to design tougher | | | | force they once had when they originally appeared, |
| cars that appealed to the sense of aesthetics that | | | | reports show that there is still a market for them. |
| the youth market had and combined it with technical | | | | Despite sharing the same attacks over environmental |
| and performance statistics that made them suited | | | | concerns that the modern SUVs are getting, |
| for street racing. While, initially, the implementation of | | | | manufacturers are still producing limited quantities of |
| the new designs and technical upgrades nearly | | | | the modern muscle cars. |
| doubled the costs of the car, many companies | | | | |