Muscle Cars

Muscle car is a term used to refer to a variety of high performance automobiles.[1][2] The term principally refers to American, Australian and to a lesser extent South African models. It generally describes a 2-door mid-size car with a large, powerful V8 engine, and at an affordable price. Although opinions vary, it is generally accepted that classic muscle cars were produced in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[3][4][5][6] Muscle cars were built for street use and in some cases racing. They are distinct from sports cars and also from GTs, which are two-seat or 2+2 cars intended for high-speed touring/road racing. These are not generally considered muscle cars owing to their small size, relatively high cost and specialty nature. (The two-seater AMC AMX may or may not be an exception: one source queries whether it qualifies as a true muscle car or pony car,[7] but also lists it among vehicles that fit the general interpretation of both categories.[8] AMC was "never shy" about describing the car as "a genuine sports car"[9] as it was relatively inexpensive).[3]
For a definition from the muscle car era, Peter Henshaw's 2004 book Muscle Cars refers the reader to an extract from Road Test magazine’s June 1967 issue: "Just what is a Muscle Car? Exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder's philosophy of taking a small car and putting a BIG engine in it [...] The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 hp (73 kW) weakling." Henshaw adds that the muscle car was designed for straight-line speed, and did not have the "sophisticated chassis", "engineering integrity" or "lithe appearance" of European high-performance cars[10]
Opinions vary as to whether high-performance full-size cars, compacts, and pony cars qualify as muscle cars.[11]
Classic muscle cars are also defined by age and country of origin. The term "muscle car" did not enter common usage until after production of the vehicles had essentially ended,[3] and American print media of the era commonly referred to them as "supercars