Europe boasts its sports cars, which are able to devote even the smallest effort hundreds of miles of sinuous trails. And rightly so, because it's enough to think a little about Porsche, Ferrari and Aston Martin to figure out how important the Old Continent is to the evolution of the world's automotive industry. But there is a place in this world that refuses to conform to the world order imposed by European sports cars.
Forget about stability on curves, cutting-edge technology and luxurious interiors and think of one thing: power and just power. And where you find this wonderful ingredient is called the United States of America. Here, V8's people's love has deep roots that can be traced back to the 1930s when alcohol-based alcohol makers changed their cars to make it easier for the police to escape.
After the end of the Second World War, many of the American soldiers returned home and began to repair and improve the cars that were left out of the world in the years when the eyes of the entire planet were on the news of the war. And, in an attempt to forget about the incredible things they saw and did, the soldiers began to go on the old racing trails to test their creations in the garage of the house.
Oldsmobile Rocket 88, considered by many to be the first muscle car in history
It did not take long before American carmakers smelled this lust for power, so in 1949, Oldsmobile made the bold move to mount a newer V8, more performance than it had ever existed in a bodywork already in production. Named the Rocket 88, the Oldsmobile coupe started a new race between the three major names in the North American car industry: General Motors, Chrysler and Ford.
This is how the following years have been a blessing for car lovers. Chevrolet created a new, four-cylinder, four-cylinder carburettor V8 that produced 180 horsepower, while Pontiac went on a V8 with three carburettors, each with two chambers. Then came the Chrysler line, which launched the C300, a 300 hp V8 Hemi and a luxurious interior. Shortly after, the exclusive coupe was named "America's Most Powerful Car", but it failed to attract young people because of the prohibitive price - in the first year of production, only 1,725 cars were sold.
The Chrysler C300 could reach a maximum speed of over 200 km / h
Although, as you have read so far, Americans have begun to taste the sweet fruit of power since the early decades of the 20th century, most passionate people believe that the first true muscle appeared in 1964. Then, Pontiac launched the GTO, a machine that used the same main ingredient - a serious V8 with up to 360 hp - but modified the recipe by replacing the full-size sedan body with the slender body of an intermediate coupe. Of course, in the American universe, the intermediate meant in fact a car over five meters long. The entire package was priced at just 2,700 US dollars, so the success was instantaneous.
If he did not have wheels, you could say he's a buggun
But the birth of the GTO was somewhat accidental, because there was no long-term plan, no extensive market studies or long-term research and development programs. Moreover, a year before launch, in 1963, General Motors banned all divisions from participating in racing and producing very sporty cars. Also, Pontiacs were forced to use engines smaller than 300 cc. (4.92 liters) in mid-size cars - a powerful hit for a brand known for its sporty sports valency.
Fortunately, a handful of important people, with gasoline instead of blood in the veins, were in the right place at the right time. The glory period of muscle cars had begun.
Just like a decade ago, the other manufacturers did not think too much and put on sale smaller cars animated by the well-known V8s of the past. That's how the awesome Mustang came from Ford, as well as Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger and Pontiac Firebird.
Shelby GT500. Who does not recognize these forms?
The values of powers were rapidly approaching magic number 500, and that attracted the attention of film directors. One of the most popular films that puts a muscle in the foreground is Bullit, where a young man Steve McQueen heads a Ford Mustang and tries to catch the bad guys running the streets of San Francisco in a Dodge Charger R / T . As a matter of fact, the scene of Bullitt's pursuit was later described as one that revolutionized Hollywood cinema industry standards. And even if, eventually, McQueen's character came out winning the movie, one of the drivers involved in filming confessed many years later that he had to be very gentle with the Charger accelerator pedal because otherwise he would have easily crossed the Mustang led by McQueen.
McQueen and the legendary Mustang in Bullitt
Although the muscle muscles impulse seemed unstoppable, the early 1970s brought stringent rules on emissions, as well as astronomical fuel prices. Thus, hungry coups after gasoline have begun to disappear from the North American car landscape, and in their place have appeared debutable engines and much smaller engines. But things have not been so.
The 1980s brought fuel prices again, but the three major producers did not return to their old habits but evolved with the wishes of the public. Learning to work with the little they have had during the oil crisis, Americans have been able to offer powerful cars again, helped by the electronic revolution of the late twentieth century. Moreover, new production techniques have allowed the construction of niche models without losing, so the brands have begun to experiment, to the delight of the passionate. Also, on the Australian continent, Holden's HSV specialty division began in 1988 to substantially modify the General Motors brand models.
That's what Australians mean by modern muscle muscle
We go forward and reach 2014, where we discover a great deal of modern muscle cars inspired by the bustle of the 1960s but refined with modern technology. Machines like the new Ford Mustang, the new Chevrolet Camaro and the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which are powered by huge V8s that produce over 400 hp. In the Australian realm, things are even better, with HSV offering a 6.2-liter V8 that develops not less than 576 hp.
Once threatened with extinction, these wonderful cars called muscle cars now have a brilliant future ahead. On the one hand, the new generations carry history, and on the other hand, the older generations are passionately and lovingly cared for by people who know what it means to be different.
