Early 1960s: Drag racing influences[edit]

1964 Ford Thunderbolt

The popularity and performance of muscle cars grew in the early 1960s, as Mopar
(Dodge, Plymouth, and Chrysler) and Ford battled for supremacy in drag racing. The
1961 Chevrolet Impala offered an SS package for $53.80, which consisted of a
409 cu in (6.7 L) V8 engine producing 425 hp (317 kW)[citation needed] and upgraded brakes,
tires and suspension. The 1962 Dodge Dart 413 (nicknamed Max Wedge) had a
413 cu in (6.8 L) V8 which produced 420 hp (313 kW) and could cover the quarter mile
in under 13 seconds.[36][37][38] In 1963, two hundred Ford Galaxie "R-code" cars were
factory built specifically for drag racing, resulting in a full-size car which could cover the
quarter mile in a little over 12 seconds.[39] Upgrades included fiberglass panels,
aluminum bumpers, traction bars and a 427 cu in (7.0 L) racing engine conservatively
rated at 425 hp (317 kW). The road legal version of the Galaxie 427 used the "Q-code"
engine which produced 410 hp (306 kW).[40][41] The following year, Ford installed 427
engine in the smaller and lighter Fairlane body, creating the Ford Thunderbolt. The
Thunderbolt included several weight-saving measures (including acrylic windows and
fibreglass/aluminium body panels and bumpers)[42] and a stock Thunderbolt could cover
the quarter-mile in 11.76 seconds.[43] The Thunderbolt was technically road legal,
however it was considered unsuitable for "for driving to and from the (drag)strip, let
alone on the street in everyday use".[43] A total of 111 Thunderbolts were built.[44]
The General Motors competitor to the Thunderbolt was the Z-11 option package for the
full-size Chevrolet Impala coupe, of which 57 examples were produced in 1963 only.
[45]
 The Z-11 Impala was powered by a 427 cu in (7.0 L) version of the W-series big-block
engine, which was officially rated at 430 bhp (321 kW). With a compression ratio of
13.5:1, the engine required high-octane fuel. The RPOZ-11 package also included
weight reduction measures such as an aluminum hood and fenders, the removal of
sound-deadening material and the deletion of the heater and radio.
In 1964, a drag racing version of the Dodge 330 was created, called the "330
Lightweight".[46][47][48] It was powered by a 426 cu in (7.0 L) version of the Hemi racing
engine which was official rated at 425 hp (317 kW) but rumoured to have an actual
power output higher than this.[49] Weight reduction measures included an aluminium
hood, lightweight front bumpers, fenders and doors, Lexan side windows and no sound
deadening. Like other lightweights of the era, it came with a factory disclaimer:
"Designed for supervised acceleration trials. Not recommended for general everyday
driving because of the compromises in the all-round characteristics which must be
made for this type of vehicle."[42]
Also using the 426 Hemi racing engine was the limited production 1965 Plymouth
Satellite 426 Hemi. In 1966, the racing version of the 426 Hemi was replaced by a
detuned "Street Hemi" version, also with a size of 426 cu in and an official power rating
of 425 bhp (317 kW)). The 1966 Plymouth Satellite 426 Hemi could run a 13.8-second
quarter mile at 104 mph (167 km/h) and had a base price of $3,850.[50]
1964–1970: Peak muscle car era[edit]

1966 & 1968 Pontiac GTO

1970 Plymouth GTX 440

1970 AMC Rebel "The Machine"

The Pontiac GTO, a car often considered to have strongly influenced the muscle car
era, was introduced in 1964 as an optional package for the intermediate-size Pontiac
Tempest. The GTO was developed by Pontiac division president John DeLorean and
was initially powered by a 389 cu in (6.4 L) V8 engine producing 325 hp (242 kW). The
success of the GTO led other GM divisions to develop muscle cars based on
intermediate-sized platforms: the 1964 Oldsmobile 442, 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle
SS and 1965 Buick Gran Sport.
The AMC V8 engine was enlarged to 390 cu in (6.4 L) in 1968,[51] which produced 315 hp
(235 kW) and was first used in the 1968 AMC Rebel SST,[52] AMC Javelin Go-package
and AMC AMX.[53][54]
A key appeal of muscle cars was that they offered the American car culture relatively
affordable and powerful street performance in models.[citation needed] But as size, optional
equipment and luxury appointments increased, engines had to be more powerful to
maintain performance levels, and the cars became more expensive. As a response to
this rising cost and weight, some "budget" muscle cars began to appear, such as the
1967 Plymouth GTX[55], the 1968 Plymouth Road Runner[56] and the 1968 Dodge Super
Bee.
The Plymouth Barracuda was one of the first muscle cars to be based on the
smaller compact car body size. The Barracuda was based on the Plymouth Valiant and
from 1968 was available with a 383 cu in (6.3 L) V8 engine producing 300 hp (224 kW).
It could run a quarter mile in 13.33 seconds at 106.50 mph (171.40 km/h)on the drag
strip. The base price was $2,796.00; the price as tested by Hot Rod was $3,652.[57] The
related 1970 Plymouth Duster was powered by a 340 cu in (5.6 L) V8 engine producing
290 hp (216 kW). Performance figures were 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.0 seconds and
the quarter mile time of in 14.7 seconds at 94.3 mph (151.8 km/h).[58]
Although muscle cars sold in relatively small volumes, manufacturers valued the halo
effect of the publicity created by these models. Competition between manufacturers led
to a horsepower war that peaked in 1970, with some models advertising as much as
450 hp (336 kW).
The 427 cu in (7.0 L) Chevrolet L72 big-block engine became available in the mid-
sized Chevrolet Chevelle in 1969 as the COPO 427 option. The 427 Chevelle could run
a 13.3 sec. quarter-mile at108 mph (174 km/h). Chevrolet rated the engine at 425 hp
(317 kW), but the NHRA claimed power output to be 450 hp (340 kW).[59] The following
year, the "Chevelle SS 454" model was introduced, which used the 454 cu in
(7.4 L) Chevrolet LS6 big-block engine rated at 450 hp (336 kW), the highest factory
rating at that time.[60]
In 1969, the Plymouth Road Runner was awarded Motor Trend magazine's Car of the
Year.[61] With optional performance parts such as intake and exhaust manifolds,
upgraded carburetor, and drag-racing tires, the Road Runner had a quarter mile time of
14.7 quarter at 100.6 mph (161.9 km/h). In this customized form, the cost of the Road
Runner was US$3,893.[56]
The fastest muscle car produced by American Motors was the mid-sized 1970 AMC
Rebel "The Machine", which was powered by a 390 cu in (6.4 L) engine producing
340 hp (254 kW).[62] The Rebel had a 0–60 mph (97 km/h) time of 6.8 seconds and a
quarter mile in 14.4 seconds at 99 mph (159 km/h).[63]