Muscle Cars 1961 - 1984
The Greenbrier Concours definition of this category includes the "supercars" of the era starting in the early 1960's culminating in the late 1980's. We also include "pony cars" in this group for our classification.
At The Greenbrier Concours d'Elegance we define "Muscle Cars" as cars that generally refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles.The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports cars with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." A large V8 engine is fitted in a 2-door, rear wheel drive, family-style compact, mid-size or full-size car designed for four or more passengers. Sold at an affordable price, muscle cars where intended for street use and occasional drag racing. They are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing. Typically an 8 -10lb per Horsepower ratio.
A "muscle car" is "exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder's philosophy of taking a small car and putting a large-displacement engine in it. The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling. The muscle car was designed for straight-line speed, and did not have the "sophisticated chassis", "engineering integrity", or "lithe appearance" of European high-performance cars.
In the United States, lightweight cars featuring high-performance engines were termed "supercar" before the classification of muscle car became popular. From the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, what we now think of as muscle cars were more commonly called 'Supercars,' often (though not always) spelled with a capital S." This term described the "dragstrip bred" affordable mid-size cars of the 1960s and early 1970s that were equipped with large, powerful V8 engines and rear-wheel-drive.
"In 1966, the supercar became an official industry trend" as the four domestic automakers "needed to cash in on the supercar market" with eye-catching, heart-stopping cars. Examples of the use of the supercar description for the early muscle models include the May 1965 Car Life road test of the Pontiac GTO along with how "Hurst puts American Motors into the Supercar club with the 390 Rogue"(the SC/Rambler) to fight in "the Supercar street racer gang" market segment. Moreover, the "SC" in the model name stood for "SuperCar"
Today, "Supercars" imply a different definition.
At The Greenbrier Concours d'Elegance we define "Muscle Cars" as cars that generally refer to a variety of high-performance automobiles.The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports cars with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving." A large V8 engine is fitted in a 2-door, rear wheel drive, family-style compact, mid-size or full-size car designed for four or more passengers. Sold at an affordable price, muscle cars where intended for street use and occasional drag racing. They are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing. Typically an 8 -10lb per Horsepower ratio.
A "muscle car" is "exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder's philosophy of taking a small car and putting a large-displacement engine in it. The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling. The muscle car was designed for straight-line speed, and did not have the "sophisticated chassis", "engineering integrity", or "lithe appearance" of European high-performance cars.
In the United States, lightweight cars featuring high-performance engines were termed "supercar" before the classification of muscle car became popular. From the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies, what we now think of as muscle cars were more commonly called 'Supercars,' often (though not always) spelled with a capital S." This term described the "dragstrip bred" affordable mid-size cars of the 1960s and early 1970s that were equipped with large, powerful V8 engines and rear-wheel-drive.
"In 1966, the supercar became an official industry trend" as the four domestic automakers "needed to cash in on the supercar market" with eye-catching, heart-stopping cars. Examples of the use of the supercar description for the early muscle models include the May 1965 Car Life road test of the Pontiac GTO along with how "Hurst puts American Motors into the Supercar club with the 390 Rogue"(the SC/Rambler) to fight in "the Supercar street racer gang" market segment. Moreover, the "SC" in the model name stood for "SuperCar"
Today, "Supercars" imply a different definition.
If you have any questions about this class, please feel free to contact our Chief Judge Paul Ianuario via email pai01@aol.com. If you would like to submit your car for consideration please click the button below.