3 American Performance Cars

Bear with me as I step back in time to formulaterecords and has been a hot seller ever since. Indeed,
what I believe are three terrific American builtwith the introduction of the "retro" look Mustang in
performance cars: the Ford Mustang, the Dodge2005, the car once again has spawned interest in the
Challenger, and the Chevrolet Camaro. Currently, onlymuscle car segment as both DaimlerChrysler and
the Mustang is in production with the ChallengerGeneral Motors craft competing models of their own.
coming back by 2009. GM hasn't committed toDodge Challenger -- After the success of earlier
building the Camaro just yet, but the company ismuscle cars including the Dodge Charger and
likely to make a decision in favor of the car and itsPlymouth 'Cuda, the Dodge Challenger was launched
sibling, the Pontiac Firebird, by this summer. So, whatas a 1970 model. The car borrowed heavily from the
is it about American performance cars that set them'Cuda although the sheet metal was somewhat
apart from the rest? In one word: muscle. Read ondifferent and the wheelbase was stretched by a
as I compare and contrast these three vehicles andcouple of inches. Because the muscle car era was in
share with you my feeble attempts to explain thedecline at the time of its introduction, the Challenger
culture behind the cars.lasted only five model years before it was cancelled.
So, you think I forgot the Chevy Corvette andThe concept Challenger currently on display at many
Dodge Viper when talking about performance cars?auto shows is based on the 1970 design and is the
No, I did not. Both models are performance cars astalk of message boards and blogs across the nation.
well as race cars. On the other hand the Mustang,Look for Hemi powered engines as being favored by
Challenger, and Camaro are mass producedmany owners; the car is likely to share some
performance cars with muscle. There is a differencetechnology with the current Magnum wagon and
in the way a typical race car handles, rides, andCharger sedan.
performs vs. a muscle car.Chevrolet Camaro -- GM was asleep at the wheel
Typically, a muscle car was a coupe version of somewhen the Mustang came out. It took nearly three
of the larger cars that were pervasive on U.S.years before the company could respond and when
highways in the 1960s and 1970s. The Mustang andit did the Camaro and Pontiac Firebird were the result.
Camaro, however, were designed separatelyAlthough both cars sold well over the years, neither
[although they both heavily borrowed parts fromone could match the Mustang's sales levels and by
other models] and these "pony" cars were athe time the last cars were sold in 2002, production
category all to themselves. For comparison's sake,dropped to a trickle. Still, the end of the Camaro
they join the Dodge Challenger, a performanceafter 35 years has stirred renewed interest in the
version of Mopar cars of its time. All three werename and thanks to the retro Mustang, the entire
compared by critics of that time and all three willmuscle car category is growing once again. Look for
once again be compared in a few years whena 2010 Camaro to be the first Camaro since 2002; a
production has been ramped up.ragtop version is also being considered.
Ford Mustang -- Step back in time with me to AprilSo, just who can be expected to purchase a muscle
1964 to an era when America was heavily involved incar these days? People just like me: middle aged men
the space race, Lyndon Johnson was president, andwho grew up with the original models. In addition, a
General Motors ruled autodom. Ford, for its part, hadwhole new generation of younger drivers tired of the
been nipping at GM's heels for years, but the failed"me too" look of so many of the compact cars out
Edsels of the late 1950s had cost the companythere. Muscle cars of today are so much different
dearly. Still, it was the time of the New York World'sfrom earlier era cars as they incorporate the look of
Fair and Ford used the fair and television technologythe originals while harnessing today's technology.
to promote its newest offering, the Mustang. A 2+2Thus, fuel savings will be decent without sacrificing
coupe borrowing parts from the Fairlane and Falcon,performance: a true win-win situation.
the 1964 ½ model was the first one sold andNo, I cannot wait to see a Mustang, Challenger, and
is widely credited with being the best introduction ofCamaro lined up at a traffic light waiting for the light
a new vehicle ever. With a V6 engine standard andto turn green. A new muscle car era is upon us and
V8 optional, the all new Mustang quickly broke salesfor that I am very excited.