The original muscle car, it's not what you think!

The 1957 Rambler Rebel was a pretty fast car, too

 

The 1st muscle car will be debated as long as people still drive cars, maybe longer. Everybody has there own definition as to what they are. Corvettes, 2 seat sports car or muscle car ??? 57 fuelie vette, 1st car to have the cubes match the horse power (283/283) Most concede it's the 64 GTO ??? who knows...does it really matter ??

 

Yup it was,the only car You could walk in to a dealer and buy that year that was faster was the fuel injected Corvette

 

cool car............awesome engine!

 

So did I, in the late '70s. It wasn't available until the spring of '64, though....probably in response to the popularity of the GTO.

 

Yeah! Chevrolet U.S.A-1

 

Screwball,
Should you fall into the hated by the 'beaner catagory (the list is long BTW) it will not be for your love of hot rods.

Muscle car, Pony car, both pretty much misunderstood terminology. I am with you 100 percent on my use of factory hotrod as a term, I couldn't come up with a better term to decribe muscle car.

Anyway you love of "real" hot rods has you leaning toward the not hated by the beaner catagory. But the day is still young.

 

I would say Chrysler 300 would probably be in that catagory but I am not sure of the production numbers for the 2x4 model.

 

300s are personal luxury and Impalas are full size.

I'd go with a 1936 Buick Century Series Sixty Sport Coupe.

 

300s ran on the beach @ daytona.

By definition I suppose "muscle cars" were not yet around.

The '50s corvette would actually have been a pony car if you go strictly by definitions. I think that the definitions are pretty much out when you consider that the thread originated with the 1917 V-8 Chevrolet.

Someone mentioned something along the lines of how come Cherolet didn't continue makeing them. There were probably a lot of reasons but one may have been that back then people thought that if you built an engine in a V confifuration that the bottom side (outside?) of the cylinder would wear out from gravity.

Some discussion or thoughts as to why Chevrolet quit building them? Conjecture welcome.

 

May not have been a muscle car, but oh my, it is awesome. I have seen a early Chevy mill on display in a collection or museum. It might have been at Speedway's fab display at his showplace. Sure cool valve covers, and a very interesting post for sure. Thanx dude! ~sololobo~

 

One car not ever mentioned in "muscle car" terms was the 1960 Plymouth...equipped with the Sonoramic Commando engine...383 inches and dual cross ram manifolds (yes, plural), each sporting a four barrel carb...and with a Torqueflight transmission behind it, it was hard to stay up with...

R-

 

It may not have been termed a muscle car, but the Buick Century (as previously mentioned) was built with the biggest engine in the smallest body with the intention of going fast, same recipe as the '60s muscle cars. Buick Century from the 30's get my vote, but that 1917 Chevy V8 is cool.
Bye the way, what a fun discussion, reminds me of cars I had forgotten or never heard of, thanks.

 

I was under the impression that the 49 Olds was considered the so called 1st muscle car I am some what biased though. that is if you consider a "muscle car" as a big engine in a small body. But in reality does it really matter who was first I'm just glad we have em!

 

Everything mentioned so far is fairly new ... check out the supercharged Chadwicks built around 1908.

 

Yep, Stanley Steamer gets my vote for early "muscle car"

 

Yeah, well it goes both ways. Just for fun, I bring up that the GTO was the first true "Muscle Car" to my Mopar buddies and they start grumbling like old men.
It never ceases to amaze me that when I bring it up, they know I'm kidding, but still get flustered.

 

The Mercer Raceabouts were among the first cars purposefully built to have a relatively strong engine coupled with an extremely light/minimal body.

Check out Leno's. In the video, he takes it out and puts it through its paces.

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/at-the-garage/vintage/1913-mercer-raceabout/

 

My Grandfather was a Chevrolet mechanic back then. He said you could hear those Chevy V-8s coming from a mile away, they sounded like a thrashing machine. He also said that they were a pain in the ass to work on.

 

I took Wayne McKinley, the owner of the '17 V8 as he calls it, and the car to the Newport, Indiana hill climb last month. We took the V8 up the hill but mechanical problems kept us so busy we didn't see what time it ran. It is interesting to note that a car with dual exhaust was docked about 7 seconds in time, unless the car was factory with dual exhaust, we thought that was interesting. Another note of interest, of the very early autos (pre 1920) in that timed event, the Stanley Steamer by far and away was the fastest car. It was as fast as most auto's up into the 1940's.

For anyone able to make it to the Newport Hillclimb, try to attend. I've been to a lot of car related events around the U.S. and it is among my favorites! By the way, the HAMBS own GMC bubba is there every year, stop and say Hi!

 

There is another Mercer ride video here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StGyviolpZ8 - mostly from on board.

 

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How about the Studebaker "Super Larks" and "Super Hawks" and Avantis? R-2 & R-3 motors. Go to the Studebaker Drivers Club website and click on "Racing Studebakers" or look at the results of the "Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags".

 

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Oooh, I like the 409's. It was a good package.