Power and Style: Grand Junction the History of Muscle Cars

​It’s almost impossible to imagine what American car culture would look like without the muscle car. More than half a century after the first one rolled out of the showroom, the popularity of these high-powered head-turners is gaining momentum again.

Since the introduction of the first muscle car in 1949, drivers have been fascinated with the ability to cram greater power and speed into their cars. The Oldsmobile Rocket 88 changed the world when it put a V8 inside a body designed for a six-cylinder engine.

“If you look at what was happening with our country at that time, it makes sense,” says Tim Marinos, an auto restorer and owner of Vintage Autocraft in Lebanon, Tenn. “This all grew out of the [World War II] era. There was better technology, and we were learning more about what cars could do. We had access to more power.”

Today, the muscle car has become so much a part of the car industry that it defines an era and an attitude. Essentially, a muscle car is one with a light body and a big engine. After Oldsmobile found a following with the Rocket, other auto manufacturers followed their lead.

Two major introductions to the engine lineup drove that popularity – Chrysler Corporation’s Hemi and Chevrolet’s small-block V8. The first Hemi – which is a series of V8 engines that uses a hemispherical combustion chamber to improve airflow and boost engine output – rolled out in the 1955 Chrysler C-300, and was dubbed “America’s Most Powerful Car.” Other automakers, determined not to be left out of this race, immediately started seeking ways to improve engine performance and add power for a speed-hungry market.

Power play
While the 1950s ushered in the development of muscle cars, the 1960s was truly its golden era. Manufacturers including Dodge and Plymouth shunned the bigger cars they were known for and started focusing on smaller, faster, lighter cars.

“Part of that was because now you had interstates being built, but not a lot of regulations,” Marinos says. “There was a freedom to explore and hit the open road, and that also fueled the desire to race.”
Cars like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Dart enjoyed tremendous popularity, thanks in part to advertising campaigns that emphasized the blending of torque and coolness.

“That really led to a boom for the auto industry,” Marinos says. “It’s an era that will never be replicated.”
But the industry hit a roadblock as the 1970s began. Marinos points to a combination of factors, including changes in insurance regulations – with more states requiring drivers to carry liability insurance – and the oil crisis, which sent gas prices skyrocketing. Suddenly, those power-hungry muscle cars seemed less attractive.

“By 1971, some of the muscle cars were starting to put weight on, and you also had the emerging luxury car market and compacts,” he says. “The industry made some mistakes and misjudgments, and the whole era was over.”

Muscle memory

Recent years have seen increased interest in the muscle car. Marinos attributes part of that popularity to the fact that adults tend to gravitate to the cars that were cool when they were in high school, so those late 1960s vehicles bring a nostalgic twinge to today’s Baby Boomers.

“They’re at a point where they can buy the cars they couldn’t afford when they were younger, the cars that were poster cars when they were growing up,” Marinos says.
Marinos, who owns a 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, knows first-hand the joy of having a fully restored muscle car. He says the ones that have been well preserved still fetch a premium price, and others that haven’t been as well cared for will often be renovated to bring that teenage dream back to life.

“Cars that are going to hold their value are the higher-end ones,” Marinos says.  “Ferraris have skyrocketed in recent years, so you know they’re going to hold their resale value, too. But the Z-28s, the Chevelles, cars like that – they’re going to continue to be popular for people who grew up in the time period. That’s what’s going up in value now.”

​If you own (or are considering buying) a muscle car or other vintage model, having the right insurance is key. Does your vehicle qualify for classic or collector insurance?