the " First " muscle car

[Stuart F.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

Of course I could always say my 50 Chevy Coupe was the first if not one of the first. In 1956, I put a big Chevy 265 cu in V8 in it backed by a hefty truck transmission. Every thing I did with that car took a lot of muscle including driving it. When asked by the poor Ford and Plymouth drivers who I blew away; what kind of engine was i running. Sometimes I told them a Ford flathead V8 and others I told it was an Olds V8 - depending on how badly I beat them. I followed that up with a 56 Corvette 225 hp engine with 3 x 2's, then finally in 1958 I put in a 58 Corvette Fuelie 290 hp. Then no one would race me anymore as I "whistled" around town with my 57 open element air filter.

Stu Fox

[Duke W.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

...anyone know who invented the term "muscle car"? Is there a generally accepted person or do many claim credit?

Duke

P.S. I always considered the term to refer a full size car engine in a midsize car - ala the GTO. Up until then you couldn't get anything bigger than 326 CID (327 in a Chevelle) even though the 326 was the same basic engine as the 389. "Pony Car" refers to small two seat coupes, like Mustang, Camaro, et al. The original was Mustang, so someone came up with the name "pony car". Anyone know who it was?

Corvette was always considered a "sports car" regardless of engine size.

The Nova was a "compact" - smaller than a midsize car, so is a Nova with a L-79 a muscle car or something else?... maybe a "compact muscle car."

[Stephen B.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

Wasn't the term "muscle car" created long after the 60's? Many of the abovementioned cars were originally called "super cars" regardless of size, seating, etc when new.

[Loren L.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

Does anyone REALLY care?

[Kenneth B.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

Does anyone REALLY care?

Probably more so than what is the correct lug nut or valve stem cap on a 56 Corvette.

[John C.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

I don't see how that could be when the 62 409 had already been smoking the streets for 2 years, and lets not forget the 63 Ford Galaxie.
JC
PS: And lets no forget some of the small blocks. I know it wasn't as early as 62 or 63, but the 66 375 Hp 327 Nova smoked a many Big block. That's a lot of muscle in my book.

[William F.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

Nope. Was created in the 60's for sure.

[Roger W.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

Another difference between a 62 Impala with a 409, which was a fairly expensive car, and the 64 GTO was the cost. When the GTO came out, a fast car could be purchased with not too many options for a price that a young person who did not make that much money could afford.

[John C.]

Re: the " First " muscle car

LOL. Exactly !!!!!! A valve stem cap is a valve stem cap, end of story. Which car was the "real" first muscle car is waaay more exciting a subject. And, no, it really doesn't matter. But it is an interesting subject. And I'm sticking with; there were multiple cars on the streets way before the 64 GTO that had plenty of muscle, so the first WAS NOT the 64 GTO.
JC