Game Changer: The muscle car

Our love affair with fast and powerful cars began long before the first ‘muscle’ machines arrived on the market

When it comes to muscle cars most Aussies think HSV, FPV, Holden Commodore SS or Falcon XR8, all of which have now been discontinued for six years, or US metal like the Dodge Charger/Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang.

While the Mustang was first to be launched, in 1964, and lives on as the only remaining global muscle car, it was quickly followed by the Charger (1966), Challenger (1969) and Camaro (1966), sparking a fierce rivalry that continues today.

All that ends, at least as we know it, with final versions of the V8-powered Dodges and the Camaro being released in the US this year, and with all three famous nameplates expected to live on as EVs.

But Australia’s and North America’s muscle car mania began well before the 1960s.

The attraction began during the era of Hollywood superstardom, when movie icons would be photographed beside their expensive and immensely powerful Duesenbergs, Packards, Cords and Cadillacs.

At the same time and on other side of the social divide were the ‘moonshiners.’ During the 1920s and beyond, these ‘good ole boys’ would modify Fords, Buicks and other brands to outrun government agents while carting loads of illegal whiskey to slake the thirst of a nation beset by alcohol prohibition.

Cadillac emerged from 1930s Depression and World War II with a radical new design: fins on the tail and a powerful overhead-valve V8 engine under the hood. General Motors stablemate Oldsmobile was up there as well, releasing for 1949 its Rocket 88 and heading the pack in the booming new sport of NASCAR racing.

Independent manufacturer Hudson built some quick and competitive cars too, its highly developed six-cylinder engines making 220kW and the ‘step-down’ design setting new standards in cornering speed.

Following Hudson’s lead was Studebaker, which in 1955 fitted a big Packard V8 into its lightweight Hawk body.

From 1956 the power challenge was on in earnest, with Ford offering overhead-valve V8s across the range and Chevrolet ready to launch supercharged versions of its new V8 engine. Then Chrysler ended the argument with an amazing HEMI V8, which when fitted to the 300 Series Hardtop could top 200km/h.

‘Game over’ thought the market, and for several years the advancement of US performance engines was halted by nervous car companies and tough economic times. Then came the GTO.

In 1963, newly-appointed Pontiac brand manager John DeLorean – yes Back To The Future fans, THAT DeLorean – was looking for ways to build market interest in his company’s struggling Tempest.

The Tempest had arrived in 1961, with a four-cylinder engine standard and aluminium V8 – later offloaded to Rover in the UK – optional.

However, a company-wide decree prevented ‘big block’ GM engines, including Pontiac’s 389 cubic-inch V8, being used in cars like the Tempest.

Consulting with Divisional engineers, De Lorean was happy to discover that the bigger engine could feasibly be installed. Then, by offering it and other features as an optional GTO ‘pack’, he also avoided the need to seek approval from conservative senior management.

In conjunction with Pontiac’s advertising agency rep, who rejoiced in the name Jim Wangers, DeLorean pitched his Tempest GTO into an otherwise subdued 1963 US market and saw it achieve sales stardom.

Advertising for the breakthrough model needed to be subdued, as did the GTO’s presentation. A discreet grille badge and vented bonnet were the only cues needed by clued-up US enthusiasts when recognising the car that would come to be known as The Goat.

DeLorean set a target of 5000 GTO sales during its introductory year, but 32,000 were sold. By 1966 when the GTO had shaken off its Tempest tag and became a stand-alone model, annual sales were exceeding 96,000.

Other brands, within GM and among its competitors, seized the opportunity to respond and by 1968 only the upper luxury brands (Cadillac and Lincoln) had escaped having their model ranges infiltrated by low-cost performance cars.