When a person sees a modern muscle car, like the 2012 Camaro for example, does he ever wonder about how that design came about? What about when and why? Has he ever thought about how those cars have changed our world today? Or what about what makes a muscle car a muscle car as opposed to a sports car or some other car? Historical events and societal changes have influenced the production of muscle cars, and in turn they have changed the car industry by researching and developing speed technology, making it more economic for everyone and making racing more interesting.
There were many muscle cars made in the classic muscle car era. The car that is most often considered the first muscle car of the Classic Muscle Car Era is the Pontiac GTO. The GTO was originally an option package for the Pontiac Tempest. The GTO option package included a bigger motor, different carburetor, dual exhaust, and offered up more horsepower and torque than the Tempest (Wikipedia Pontiac GTO). Although most people consider the 1964 Pontiac GTO the start of the muscle car era, some people consider earlier cars “muscle cars,” although they were not a part of the Classic Muscle Car Era (Leffingwell and Holmstrom).
One reason the muscle car was originally produced was due to the young Vietnam War veterans who had a need for speed. The young veterans who had been in Vietnam for at least a few years had a need for the feeling of freedom and the best way they could find it was racing down the highway in a car at high speeds. Thus, to help appeal to the younger generation, auto manufacturers packed more power in their cars. As more technological advances came about, the power steadily increased (Leffingwell and Holmstrom).
Generally the earliest car considered ...
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...speed and handling, is purely designed for the drag strip (Wikipedia, Ford Motor Company). While Shelby American focused on both types of muscle cars, Chevy’s muscle cars mainly focused on race tracks (Wikipedia, Chevrolet). Dodge and other Mopar’s were focused on the drag strip (Wikipedia, Dodge).
This is how the modern muscle cars, such as the Chevy Camaro, came into existence. Without muscle cars much of the speed and safety technology we know today would either be nonexistent or very expensive. Those are the differences between all the different types of cars, from a convertible to a muscle car. Additionally this is a brief account of historical events and societal changes that have influenced the production of muscle cars. These are the ways that muscle car production has helped create and yet change the racing industry by making it safer and more interesting.
Muscle Car," two distinctive cars come to mind, the Camaro and the Mustang. Throughout the era of the early 1950's and 1960's, there was a revolutionary movement that took place and paved the ground work for today's "Muscle Cars" known as the "Ponycar Era." Ask any avid Camaro or Mustang fan about the ponycar era, and watch their pain. They will describe cars that would light the tires on fire, floor it, and hang onto the wheel excitement. Back in the 1960's a new idea was soon to hit the American market, the Ford Mustang. When the Mustang was introduced, General Motors soon to had to follow with their own type of sports car. The car they generated was know as the Chevrolet Camaro. The cars themselves were introduced within the matter of a few years of one another. From the day that General Motors and Ford realized that these cars were very similar in horsepower, torque, standards, and etc... they soon started to pit them against each other in an all out battle that has still last to present day. However, the Chevrolet Camaro has always had the slight advantage over the Ford's Mustang.
...ot of factors to look at. One of these factors is the scarcity of the car. If they have made a lot of the car you want, it will be less expensive. Another factor is if the car has been changed from its original state or condition. If it has been broken or damaged it won't be as valuable. A third factor is the year it was made. If a car is 35 years old it is considered a classic. Classic muscle cars are more valuable than newer ones, but if a car is not yet a classic, than a new one will be worth more. Another factor in buying muscle cars is the market value. If you are looking to buy a car and there is another car that is just like it, chances are they are around the same price. You also need to look at the prices of gas. You don't want to buy a car that needs a lot of gas. You should also make a budget. You don't want to be paying for a car that you can't afford.
Some say that automotive racing began when the second car was built. For over a hundred years, competition has driven innovation in the car industry, thus the industry maxim “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” NASCAR and drag racing contributed greatly to muscle cars’ success. Muscle cars were born from these competitions as factory made race cars. Because of this, the muscle car quickly moved from a low quantity specialty item to the image of the American automotive scene. Each brand had to have one and each one needed better performance and personality than the next. The Golden Age began in the 1960s with the introduction of more performance models such as the Chevy SS Impala and the Ford Galaxy Starliner (Auto Editors).
In the twentieth century, the introduction of the motor vehicle in the United States became not only noteworthy, but also vital in the development of modern American civilization. This technologically complex machine led citizens to vast future dependence on the invention. While mobility was suddenly not limited to alternative, more convoluted options such as railroad stations or bicycles, yet copiously amplified to aid convenience and expanded leisure opportunities. From auto-racing to redesigning infrastructure, motor vehicles allowed progression, digression, and essentially uttermost change to the lifestyles of the American people. This radical idea of the automobile permeated throughout America with most, if not all, credit renowned to Henry Ford.
The muscle car era has probably given us some of the most desirable and collectable cars in history. Even today, muscle cars can be seen and are still in high demand. They have a distinctive look with their wide profiles, sharp lines and plenty of chrome. Their looks are muscular and the V8 engines fast. Some of the cars that fit into this category include the Dodge Charger and the Pontiac GTO.
built on June 30th, 1953 at the Flint, Michigan plant and continues to be produced today. In 1953 it featured an all fiberglass body with a chromed grill. The car had no side windows and no outside door handles. Each 1953 Corvette was virtually hand built and all 1953 models were white and had red interiors. This may have not been the most technologically advanced car but it would pave the way for the true performance and sports car.
The Mustang GT only only offered the 289- cubic inch or an 390- cubic inch V8 in 1967. The Camaro rolled out with 302, 327, 350, and 396 cubic inch V8’s (Camaro 14) The Camaro’s style was much smoother as well. The introduction of the Camaro threw pony car development into a frenzy. Before the Camaro, the Mustang and Barracuda were not quite considered full muscle cars. Most serious performance enthusiasts still opted for intermediate sized GTO’s or the Chevelle Super Sports (SS). The Camaro changed the image of those sport coupes. (Camaros, Eric Ethan)
The world of technology is ever changing and advancing. With the automotive industry in play technology is constantly surpassing what is available today with what can be done for tomorrow. Technology and the automotive industry go hand in hand with constant improvement to components of cars. Due to technology advancement there is competition within the car industry, especially between American car companies and European car companies. European car companies provide their buyers with innovative variety and revolutionary luxuries. European car technology is superior to American car technology due to their safety, entertainment, and luxury features.
One of the major differences between the two is the type of engines they have. Most muscle cars have a V-8 or even a V-10 with a large displacement. These engines produce a large amount of horse power and create a lot of torque at the higher RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) range, but to fit these large engines, they need large cars to put them in. On the other hand, imports have a much smaller, inline 4 engine, and because it has a smaller engine, it can fit into a smaller car.
I think that the target audience for these cars is the same. these cars are family cars. Both of the cars are designed to be comfortable and safe, they are not advertised to be fast sports cars. or stylish city cars; they are advertised as normal cars. In both of the adverts there is no real reference towards the performance of the car apart from in the Chrysler where there is a reference to the fuel.
Henry Ford did build a successful universal car, to sell at a low price, but his Model T with its 2.9-litre engine was by no means a small car, nor was the Model A that followed it. When it was in production in the late 1920s, small 'proper'; cars in Germany ranged from the 700-cc DKW to the 1-litre Opel, with small Adlers, the BMW Dixi (a license-built Austin Seven) and the NSU-Fiats to come. These stimulated desire rather than a year's wage for an average worker. This prompted motorcycle manufacturer Zundapp to commission a low-cost car design from Dr. Ferdinand Porsche's new design studio. The project did not get far, but a Porsche-designed NSU that reached that prototype stage in 1933 accurately foreshadowed the Volkswagen.
“The twentieth century was the century of the automobile.” This statement could not be more true. After the start of the twentieth century the number of cars on the road dramatically increased. Before 1900 there were only 8,000 registered cars on the road in the United States of America. Production of the Model T began in 1908. Soon the number of registered cars in 1920 increased to 9 million. By the end of the twentieth century the number of cars registered just in the United States was 190 million. The automobile changed the face of the American landscape and helped build the middle class and suburbanization. Middle class Americans were ready to move out of the cities and the automobile made that possible. The automobile truly transformed the twentieth century.
common racing track is a paved oval with banked corners, from 200 m to 4000 m in
There are two configurations for hybrid cars. The first configuration uses gasoline engine to run a generator. The generator supplies electricity to the motor, which drives the wheels, which allows the gasoline engine to run constantly while achieving optimum fuel efficiency. This thereby minimizes emissions owing to incomplete combustion. A hybrid car with parallel configurations uses both an engine and a motor to drive the wheels depending on driving conditions. "A hybrid car is an automotive equipped with two or more sources of motive energy" (http://www.howstuffworks.com/hybrid-car1.htm).
Before the invention of the modern day engine, lifestyles were completely different. Letters were sent by horse drawn wagons, people traveled by horses and other such animals, often taking an entire day to go twenty miles. The first direct injection fuel engine was not invented until 1923.[1] It only took a year before this engine was put into automobiles, making the lives of the general public much easier. The invention of the engine not only made it possible to travel by road, but also by water and air. Mail was no longer delivered by horses and families were able to travel from one place to another in less than an entire day. However, the affects of the modern day engine can be seen all over the world. Take Los Angeles for example; the city is filled with smog which is from the overcrowding of all the freeways with automobiles. Technology has escalated to a level where engines are no longer made by the working man. Now, engines can be made simply machines and computer based tools. However, these thought of simple ways of creating engines are not as easy as the first seemed. There are many positive and negative aspects of using technology to design engines.