Let me count the ways I love these machines…
In commemoration of this special day, I wanted to publicly declare my love for muscle cars. If you’ve been reading Motorious for more than five minutes this declaration shouldn’t be shocking. However, I guarantee this will trigger someone for some reason I don’t really care about. There’s an element in society which perceive muscle cars as toxic and threatening, like pit bulls, concealed carry permits, or fried squid. In reality muscle cars are awesome.
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American muscle cars are the everyday man performance vehicles. At least in the past, you didn’t have to be rich to afford one, so the average working stiff could pick up a Road Runner or Mustang without financial ruination. Sadly, this is becoming less true as automakers push prices ever higher, something I’m not a fan of in the least.
Anyone can look at a Ferrari, McLaren, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Koenigsegg, etc. with admiration. You don’t even need to be a gearhead to appreciate there’s something special about those cars. But most of them cost more than an average house. Admire them all you want, the average Joe will never own such an exotic beast and he knows it.
But with muscle cars, you get sexy styling and serious power at a budget-friendly price. It’s not like the “pocket rocket” turbo four-cylinder import crowd where the cars are cheap but they’re all making ridiculously lower power and have a displacement less than a bottle of soda. No, American muscle cars throw down with the kind of power you’d expect from supercars. That’s exciting.
Are muscle cars as refined as supercars, one might ask? What a stupid question to ask. Is a steak more refined than Boeuf Bourguignon? Who cares? If the steak is cooked right (medium rare is right, if not rare) and the side dishes complement it perfectly, you savor every bite. Behind the wheel of a proper muscle car, you don’t question if it’s as good as something more expensive, you just revel in the experience.
Plus, maintaining and repairing a muscle car doesn’t require taking out a a second or third mortgage. Hell, you don’t even have to sell your first-born. You should see how oil changes are done on the Bugatti Veyron and how much that would set you back. Meanwhile, on a Hellcat it’s a straightforward, fairly affordable process you could do yourself in no time.
Yes, Brits and other foreigners I’ve known often like to rip on American muscle cars. They don’t really understand them and in truth I pity those people. It’s just like how some people don’t appreciate a good steak – you feel sorry for them as they loudly declare their Caesar salad is so much better.
So, on this special day I declare my love for the muscle car. May it continue in popularity for decades to come, bringing more horsepower and excitement to the masses.
Photos via GM, Ford, Stellantis
