American Muscle Cars: The Classics

 

Any discussion of classic American muscle cars must include the Corvette, Mustang, and Camaro. Every car enthusiast has their opinion on which one’s best – we happen to love all three. Let’s forget about opinions for a moment. Here are some cold hard facts about three of the most legendary muscle cars ever produced.

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Initial production year

Camaro: 1966 (1967 model year)

Mustang: 1964 (1965 model year)

Corvette: 1953

 

Popularity

Not all muscle cars have muscular sales figures, but the Vette, Mustang and Camaro have long been showroom favorites. Peak production figures for each classic muscle car:

1979 Camaro: 282,571

1966 Mustang: 607,568

1979 Corvette: 53,807

’79 was the era of disco, bell bottoms and big hear. And it was also the pinnacle of muscle car production. The Camaro and Corvette both had record production runs, and the Mustang also had an impressive tally, with 369,936 rolling off Ford factory lines.

 

Under the Hood: HP with Muscle to Spare

Standard engine performance separates typical muscle cars from all the rest. And the engines on these three vehicles are anything but typical. Here are the most recent performance characteristics:

6^th generation Camaro: 2.0 L turbo, 275 HP

6^th generation Mustang: 2.3 L EcoBoost, 310 HP

7^th generation Corvette: LT1 6.2 L V8, 455 HP

 

How Much Money for the Muscle?

Here are the most recent sticker prices. For a (ridiculously low) reference point, the 1969 Z28 Camaro Coupe had a base price of $2,881!

Camaro: $25,905

Mustang: $25,185

Corvette: $55,450

 

Through the Years: From Classic to Cutting-Edge Generations

How much horsepower has each classic muscle car added through the years? One thing’s for sure…with each succeeding generation, all of these classic cars kept piling on the muscle!

Camaro

• 1^st generation (1953): 140 HP
• 6^th generation (2016): 275 HP
• 96% increase in horsepower

Mustang

• 1^st generation (1965): 260 HP
• 6^th generation (2015): 435 HP
• 67% increase in horsepower

Corvette

• 1^st generation (1953): 140 HP
• 7^th generation (2014): 650 HP
• A whopping 364% increase in horsepower