Generally produced between 1965 and 1973, the American muscle car is mid-size with a V8 engine. Many muscle cars were current models being produced and they added special trim, better handling and suspension, braking and the larger engine.
One example is the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle. Originally it was designed as a family car and had a 4 cylinder engine but there was an option to get it with the muscle engine of it’s time, being the 454. Although this ear was short lived, it gave us the most collectible cars in history today. Chrome, muscular looks and wide profiles, these cars actually looked mean. A few names in this category are the Pontiac GTO, Dodge Charger and the Buick GS.
The ever popular Mustang was introduced in 1965 and sold almost 1.5 million units with the first two years. The Mustang is considered a pony car which means it is a small car with a big engine. Over the years the muscle cars got heavier and bigger because of the added options and this lead to stripped down muscle cars known as the Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Super Bee.

The muscle care craze hit three speed bumps and never recovered. Tougher environmental laws, insurance premiums and the 1973 OPEC oil embargo all took their toll. Safety groups began having concerns over large engines in such small cars that were marketed to the younger population. They pointed out tire performance, braking and inadequate handling as safety issues. Insurance companies began adding large surcharges to these cars and so many young buyers now could not afford them.
Congress had their emission controls and automakers had to go from more horsepower into creating cleaner emissions. Banned in 1973 was the leaded gasoline so manufacturers had to start turning down engines by 1971. Unleaded gasoline caused the drop in horsepower along with compression ratios being lowered in engines.
Another 1971 fact was the manufacturers had to post not only the engine ratings but the power ratings of their models. The oil embargo was the final nail in the coffin for these cars. Between 1973 to mid 1974, oil imports to the U.S. dropped 25% to 30%. Gasoline was scarce and we all remember those long lines at the gas stations.

Passenger cars are after now then they have ever been, although the crash worthiness of individual models varies. Crash test reflects how the vehicle would handle in a collision with another of the same model, not versus a larger or smaller vehicle. IN some tests, neither the angle nor the obstacle corresponds with the majority of actual, real collisions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crashes cars head-on into a solid immovable barrier. It’s important to evaluate crash-test reports and not just to see if the car offers side airbags. Side bags have meant, in some cars, the difference between getting a high or a low score. Side-impact tests use properly positioned, belted test dummies, which doesn’t tell us what would happen if an occupant were out of position.
Because weight fluctuates between different versions of the same model, it’s conceivable that two-wheel- and four-wheel-drive versions of the same model could earn different scores. The extra weight of hybrid hardware has earned the hybrid version of Ford’s Escape a Poor roof-strength rating. Results for new or recently re engineered models are likely to appear months after the car goes on sale to the public because both agencies purchase their test subjects from dealerships.