Nostalgia fun...the original Muscle car?

[pwd72s]

A case could be made that it was the Chrysler 300 series...

What I really enjoyed here was the quotes from Tom McCahill. I used to read him religiously back in the day. Fun videos too...


On the 1966 Dodge Coronet Hemi:
"With no exception, the blockbuster Hemi 426 is the hairiest full size stock production car ever tested for these pages..... This family sized rig has all the belt of a 2 mile swim in a whiskey vat...... When you put your foot through the firewall make sure your teeth are well anchored.......It is as furry as a mink farm and as snarly as a bengal tiger in a butcher shop."

WPC Vancouver Island Region - Quotes from Tom McCahill

[asphaltgambler]

For those who don't know the Hemi's of that year were really just slightly detuned race engines available in very limited quantites at a premium price They did have limited warranties though & the cost to Chrysler was huge as they failed constantly in daily driver abuse. The cost proved too high VS the benefit for street cred. They were discontinued shorty after.

[jcommin]

I watched both part I and II. I enjoyed his similes and comparisons,

[kevin930t]

Does any body know anything about the 392 A motors?

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[Steve Carlton]

Do you mean the one sold currently?

[BeyGon]

the original muscle car, 1964 389 GTO

[pwd72s]

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines muscle cars as "any of a group of American-made 2-door sports cars with powerful engines designed for high-performance driving."[2] A large V8 engine is fitted in a 2-door, rear wheel drive, family-style mid-size or full-size car designed for four or more passengers. Sold at an affordable price, muscle cars are intended for street use and occasional drag racing.[3][4][5][6] They are distinct from two-seat sports cars and expensive 2+2 GTs intended for high-speed touring and road racing.

[Tobra]

Chrysler 300 letter cars in the mid 1950's were the first muscle cars.

[Evans, Marv]

[speeder]

Hard to argue that Chrysler 300s were not muscle cars. They were all HP and torque and were king of the hill for a while.

An argument could be made that the 1949 Olds Rocket 88 was the very first muscle car, though. It was the first post-war car sold that was a factory hot rod, at least by the standards of the time. My dad said that car was the absolute holy grail when he was a poor teenager and one of his rich friends had one.

[kevin930t]

Thiught it was the 55 buick century..

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[onewhippedpuppy]

You gotta respect anything that came from the factory with an intake that looked like this, and two 4-barrels.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Chrysler 300 letter cars in the mid 1950's were the first muscle cars.

You nailed it. The 1957 Chrysler 300C letter cars

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by kevin930t

Thiught it was the 55 buick century..

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Century

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by speeder

Hard to argue that Chrysler 300s were not muscle cars. They were all HP and torque and were king of the hill for a while.

An argument could be made that the 1949 Olds Rocket 88 was the very first muscle car, though. It was the first post-war car sold that was a factory hot rod, at least by the standards of the time. My dad said that car was the absolute holy grail when he was a poor teenager and one of his rich friends had one.

Was The 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 America's First Muscle Car? | Pomona Swap Meet

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

Was The 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 America's First Muscle Car? | Pomona Swap Meet

Bingo - this is first modern day hot rod. It had the first modern OHV V8.

I love the look of the 57 Chrysler 300 - it is considered " a bankers hotrod". It wasn't affordable to most. That and the 57 Plymouth were the best lookin cars from 1957. GM knocked off the greenhouse design of the Plymouth onto the bubble top GM cars.
The "C" pillar is exactly the same.
But I agree with Dean - the GTO was the first because it was designed to be a muscle car - it set off the muscle car wars


The 392 Hemi of the 50's is a larger version of the original red ram hemi. This was the engine of choice for dragsters in the 50s/60s. Costly to build it was dropped only to be reincarnated as the 426 hemi of the mid 60's. Strictly designed to be a NASCAR engine.


Today modern dragsters have custom made engines large built off the 426 hemi design.

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

7 foot fins! This is a great looking car.

[pavulon]

not the first of the 300s but pretty unusual...
Found In A Field: Supercharged 1965 Chrysler 300! - Hot Rod Network

[nota]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Hornet

they had a better track record in early nastycar racing
and a factory backed racing performance parts

Overall, Hudson won 27 of the 34 NASCAR Grand National races in 1952, followed by 22 wins of 37 in 1953, and capturing 17 of the 37 races in 1954 — "an incredible accomplishment, especially from a car that had some legitimate luxury credentials

[wdfifteen]

1949 Rocket 88
303ci high compression V8

I want one