GTO muscle car myth
(removed first-person tense, expanded with Rocket 88 details, added related articles and references, marked for confirmation) |
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| − | Recently | + | Recently, an article by an auto magazine writer mentioned the Chrysler 300 "letter series" of muscle cars ''(Specifically, what article? Needs to be cited, and linked to if available online.)'' He imparted many interesting things about those cars. He then said they weren't true "muscle cars" because they were loaded luxury cars; he determined that a true "muscle car" had to be more affordable to more people. |
| + | So do any of those similar thinkers or those, who, on the general "say so" of supposed auto afficionados, believe their claim that the "muscle car" never existed until Pontiac invented the GTO, have an answer for the 1955 and up Chrysler 300, Plymouth Fury, Dodge D-500 and Desoto Adventurer? These were all called "Super Sports" long before Chevrolet eventually (smartly and to good advantage) copyrighted that moniker for their own line of muscle cars ''(could use more detail on Chevrolet's intellectual property rights to the term "Super Sport".)'' | ||
| − | + | The SS's may have even predated the GTO's. ''(This is correct- the 1961 Impala SS began it for Chevrolet, IIRC. -- needs confirmation and references.)'' | |
| − | + | Many people do not know the name Super Sport was a body package not a power package that GM offered in the early 60's. You could buy a Chevy II Super Sport with an inline six in it (there are a few around that have been documented)! ''(link to documentation here)'' | |
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| + | ==The term "muscle car"== | ||
The beginning of the "Muscle Car" for GM was the breaking of the number of cubic inches per pounds rule GM had. The Tempest received the larger 389 CID engine and became the GTO. | The beginning of the "Muscle Car" for GM was the breaking of the number of cubic inches per pounds rule GM had. The Tempest received the larger 389 CID engine and became the GTO. | ||
| − | + | The rule is believed to be 1 cubic inch per ten pounds. The GTO did not weigh 3800 pounds with the 389 engine. Maybe this rule is a myth? ''(confirm and expand)'' | |
This was a GM management rule not a big 3 rule. | This was a GM management rule not a big 3 rule. | ||
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Where did that put the aluminum-nosed Dodge Polara, Valiants and other factory Mopar drag cars? Or even the Super Duty Pontiacs? they definitely met that requirement, and some were street legal and all were ordered through the dealerships. | Where did that put the aluminum-nosed Dodge Polara, Valiants and other factory Mopar drag cars? Or even the Super Duty Pontiacs? they definitely met that requirement, and some were street legal and all were ordered through the dealerships. | ||
| − | + | For most of these mentioned Mopar drag cars, less than 100 of each car model was built. ''(confirm and expand)'' | |
The 421 Super Duty cars were heavy and easily were over the 1 CID for each 10 pounds. Of the light weight Super Duty cars, some models had not even 50 built. How can that be called a muscle car that the average guy could buy? | The 421 Super Duty cars were heavy and easily were over the 1 CID for each 10 pounds. Of the light weight Super Duty cars, some models had not even 50 built. How can that be called a muscle car that the average guy could buy? | ||
| − | + | While the GTO was mass-produced on the assembly lines. these special drag/street cars (like the1968 Hemi Dart and Boss 429 Mustang) were sometimes assembled by outside contractors. ''(who were these contractors)'' | |
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| + | ==1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88== | ||
| + | The 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 is often considered a precursor to the muscle car era. Oldsmobile placed GM's first post-war OHV engine in its existing A-body platform, resulting in a light, powerful vehicle that became the car to beat in the late 40's and early 50's on the NASCAR circuit. | ||
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| + | ==Related articles== | ||
| + | *[[Homologation]] | ||
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| + | ==References== | ||
| + | *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_car | ||
| + | *http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldsmobile_88 | ||
[[Category:General hotrodding]] | [[Category:General hotrodding]] | ||
[[Category:Undeveloped articles]] | [[Category:Undeveloped articles]] | ||
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