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With the release of the newest Chevron Car, Moe Muscle, we would like to take a step back to a time when lightweight, powerful American cars roamed the streets.

During the 1960s and 1970s, American automobile makers sold muscle cars, known for their large, high-performance engines, light weight and incredible power. Automobile manufacturers, such as Chrysler, GM and Ford, put less of an emphasis on luxury accessories and handling ability, and instead focused on speed for these drag-race cars for the public.

While the starting point of the muscle car era is not clear, many car enthusiasts and historians trace the beginning of this time back to the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88. With a powerful V-8 engine and light-weight Oldsmobile body, this vehicle was created in response to great public interest in power and the need for speed. Although it may not be considered much now, this car’s 135 horsepower topped the crop.

As the muscle car trend picked up, American automobile makers concerned themselves with increasing performance so as to differentiate their vehicles. Chrysler’s introduction of the Hemi engine with the C-300 model resulted from (and dominated) this competition. This engine amazed car enthusiasts, particularly because it could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds, having a top speed of 130 mph.

The 1960s is considered the golden age of the muscle car. The 1964 Pontiac GTO was a huge success, with a huge engine packed into a smaller and lighter car. The GTO was fast, affordable, and an incredible performance vehicle. Did you know that Pontiac’s division president John DeLorean violated GM’s policy which limited its small cars to 330 cu in displacement (the GTO’s was 389 cu)? However, the GTO’s unexpected sales pushed GM and competitors to produce many more similar cars, which began a long competition between GM, Chrysler and Ford.

After the GTO came Ford’s star of a car – the Mustang. Following suit, GM created the Chevelle Super Sport, the Buick Gran Sport, and the Olds 442. More and more cars were released to trump the cars before them.

The muscle car era continued well into the late 1960s and early 1970s, but soon experienced a steep decline. Consumers were becoming more concerned with fuel economy than performance because these cars became very costly to drive. Furthermore, environmental concerns developed over the gas-consuming vehicles. Ralph Nader’s book, Unsafe at Any Speed, raised safety concerns, and soon enough, the muscle car era ended around 1975.

With various car enthusiast clubs, TV shows and magazines dedicated to these powerful vehicles of the past, the muscle car era certainly still holds its place in American culture. It’s been over 30 years since the heyday of Muscle Care era but you can still see many of these sleek and powerful cars on the road today. Check out our brand new addition to the Chevron Cars family that is a stylish and powerful example of a Muscle Car–meet Moe Muscle today!