The rise and fall of the American muscle car

Muscle Car Culture Outline

Car culture has been around as long as the automobile -- over 100 years now.

The Industry

Early model automobiles were perfect candidates for hot rodders. And soon enough, they became perfect models for the muscle cars. The industry met the public need.

Individuality

In the 60s, cars were beginning to look-alike and people were in the market for something different. This need emerged as the muscle car.

Muscle Cars Emerge

"By the mid 60s almost every American car maker had a muscle car."

The End of an Era

The muscle car was made to be short-lived. "By the 1970's, the novelty and status of car ownership was gone. Drivers were becoming frustrated and bored, increasingly viewing cars as purely utilitarian."

Conclusion

The enforcement of government emissions standards, combined with the switch to lower octane gasoline eventually lead to the death of the muscle car.

Interview

"Cars will continue to be the objects of our collective affection for generations to come. And like the trends in the fashion industry, enthusiasts will continue to improve upon ordinary vehicles to make living with the automobile a more personal experience."

Muscle Car Culture

Introduction

Car culture has been around as long as the automobile. For over 100 years the automobile has been an icon in American history and in people's lives. People have a long history of defining themselves by the car they drive, and judging others in this same way. What you drive can mean different things to different people, but it always means something. It reflects financial and social status, as well as personal expression. For people who wanted to be thought of as sexy, bold, and fast -- the muscle car was the answer.

After the end of World War II, Americans became obsessed with the automobile. Suddenly, cars become more than just tools, more for just transportation -- they became identity to some people. People were what they drove. "It was only natural that such a state of devotion to an inanimate/animate object should lead to a prominent sub-culture of super-fanatics." (Anselmi, 1984) That love of the automobile became the catalyst for securing its place into pop culture and ultimately what has been the driving force behind the auto industry ever since. The muscle car was conceived by this driving force.

The Industry

Early model automobiles were perfect candidates for hot rodders. They were not only made simply but were lightweight. Later models, those automobiles produced in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, were larger and became some of the most well-known and recognizable. The "personal luxury" car arrived in 1958, with the restyling of Ford's Thunderbird. By 1964, two other types were developed, the muscle car, and the pony car. These were both targeted at young Americans, the baby boomers. "These two car types were the offspring of the Hot Rod subculture of the 40s and 50s, but by the 60s, hot rodding came to embody not just the working class, but also the entire youth car culture." (Anselmi, 1984) the 60s brought American Muscle Cars, which remain some of the favorite hot-rods for several generations of enthusiasts.

Individuality

In the 60s, cars were beginning to look-alike and people were in the market for something different. "This need for "choice" was indeed at the heart of new social ideals that emerged in this era." (Gartman, 1994)the 60s brought not only more choices in automobiles but a whole new world of rock and roll and the emergence of true muscle car subculture. This subculture extended beyond just the working class and made its roots in the youth of that time. Car manufacturers were anxious to tap in to this new market of car enthusiasts, and the youth that was looking to express their "youthful defiance through a combination of sheet metal, twin-barrel carburators and V-8 engines." (Holls, 1996)

Although car manufacturers wanted to tap into this market, they had an obstacle to bypass. The young car buyers of that time were looking to reject the very values of consumerism that their parents held dear. Because of it, "General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler would promote their new niche cars as tough, mean, and powerful; the "masculine ideals" of rebellion." (Holls, 1996) Car names became to sound like beasts and monsters with dangerous edges, representing America's need for power and speed.

Movies have always played a large role in culture, but have been especially pivotal for car enthusiasts during that time. In Grease, people were introduced to Greased Lightning, which started as a junky rust-bucket that was turned into a hot-rod for street racing. "Other movies, like American Graffiti, showed a 50s era car culture that included the early model automobiles turned into hot rods." (Gartman, 1994) These movies depicted people and their cars and Americans wanted to jump on the bandwagon and take broken down cars that were barely operational and fix them up making them faster, sexier, louder, or meaner.

"By the mid 60s almost every American car maker had a muscle car." (Gartman, 1994) Even the AMC had a souped up, wide striped Hornet. As the 1960s wore on, cosmetics became an important part of the muscle-car look. Hood scoops (functional or not), stripes, rear spoilers, lettered wide tires, styled steel rims, rear sport slats, black-out hoods and hood lock pins were all part of the muscle car craze.

The End of an Era

The muscle car was made to be short-lived. Although the 60s was a stylistic revolution, the compulsion people had over cars was bound to end. "By the 1970's, the novelty and status of car ownership was gone. Drivers were becoming frustrated and bored, increasingly viewing cars as purely utilitarian." (Wernick, 1994) What had once held the appeal of speed and power, was now viewed as an economic and environmental concern. Through the 1970's, cars got bigger and heavier. General Motors' pony-cars were made too long, they were heavy, and wide, and lost sales due to a lack of 'individuality'. "Power and heavily laden sexual imagery had been replaced by a more subtle referential treatment." (Wernick, 1994)

According to Gartman (1994), "The muscle car was an automobile of working class roots that found it difficult to survive among the constraints of institutionalization. The logic of market appeal used modernism and masculine technology to create a short-lived boon; but, in doing so, checked its influence through the changing currents of consumerism." (Walker, 1999) the gas crisis caused that particular market sector to almost completely vanish, and the need for increased efficiency shifted power in the automotive industry away from designers and into the hands of engineers. Detroit tried one last time to introduce small cars to the American public, but this attempt was far less successful than all others before it. GM created the Chevrolet Vega, and Ford had the Pinto. Both cars were available with many accessories and trim options, but both suffered from severe design mistakes. "These cars were poorly made, did not perform well, and were the most dangerous automobiles on the road since Chevrolet introduced its Corvair ten years before." (Gartman, 1994) the failure of the Vega and Pinto secured the upcoming dominance of imports in the small car sector. Detroit's dominance ended, and so did the era of the muscle car.

Conclusion

The enforcement of government emissions standards, combined with the switch to lower octane gasoline eventually lead to the death of the muscle car. Ford had developed a canted-valve 429 big block, for its 71 Mustang, and then dropped the design in 72. Chevy hung on a little longer with its 454, as did Pontiac with its 455 for the 1973 and 74 Trans Am. By the end of the 70s, the big-block muscle car era was over.

These personalized cars are in our midst on the highways and back roads in our cities and towns. A seemingly endless amount of time, effort, and money go into the revitalization and customization that is performed by enthusiasts of muscle cars even today. "Cars will continue to be the objects of our collective affection for generations to come. And like the trends in the fashion industry, enthusiasts will continue to improve upon ordinary vehicles to make living with the automobile a more personal experience." (Wernick, 1994)

In conclusion, I want to add some comments from my neighbor whom I interviewed for this paper. I asked him for his thoughts on the muscle car and how things have changed for the automobile over the years. "Cars have changed. The big, overpowering, gas guzzling V-8s are dead, replaced by smaller, more efficient cars and slow, heavy SUVs. Twenty years ago, you could work on a brand-new car and learn about cars and engines, but now that isn't very true. One, cars are very good and you do not have to work on them very much, and two, without lots of specialized gear, there isn't very much you can do. The car culture that came about in the 1950s and '60s is disappearing. Many people can't even change tires, much less be able to rebuild a carburetor, yet 20 years ago, almost any teenager not only could work on their car, but WANTED to work on cars. Now I see people don't even change their own oil."

I guess some things will never be the same as they were. Muscle cars are something that will always hold a fond place in our memories, but an era we will probably never be able to duplicate. Today, we are more interested in cars that do everything for us and look good at the same time. No longer are we interested in putting that much work into it. But there are still some of those muscle car enthusiasts around today and with them, the era will never quite die.