 Musclecars are American vehicles built from the mid -1950s to the early 1970s that were equipped with large, powerful engines that provid ing ed exceptional straight-line acceleration. Although such engines had powered luxury cars since the early 1950s, they had been a necessity brought about by the need to propel heavy vehicles with power-draining refinements such as air conditioning, air suspension compressors, power steering pumps and other options. Though potent, they did not offer the same kind of raw, visceral driving experience or race-winning potential that musclecars did. Nor did they distinguish their owners as youthful, progressive and rebellious. Musclecars were as much about image as they were about performance. |
