Mike Savage of New Canaan, CT is a recognized leader in virtual accounting services and a muscle car enthusiast.

5. TOP FIVE CLASSIC MUSCLE CARS

6. TODAY THE TERM MUSCLE CAR REFERS FOR ALL SORTS OF CARS WITH LARGE
ENGINES AND GREAT PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, "BACK IN THE DAY" IT DESCRIBED
MID-SIZED AUTOMOBILES THAT HAD BIG ENGINES STUFFED BETWEEN THE FENDER
WELLS. CORVETTES, CAMAROS, AND MUSTANGS WERE NOT CONSIDERED MUSCLE
CARS BY THE PURISTS. EVEN TODAY MANY GEAR HEADS ONLY CONSIDER THE MID
SIZED CARS FROM THE 1960'S AS TRUE MUSCLE CARS. EVERYTHING ELSE IS A SPORTS
CAR, PONY CAR OR JUST A PLAIN OLD CAR.

7. SO WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE ORIGINAL MUSCLE CARS? WE
HAVE CHOSEN FIVE OF THE MOST POPULAR CARS FOR A RETRO COMPARISON TO
DETERMINE THE KING OF THE HILL. THE SELECTEES ARE THE 1961 CHEVY IMPALA SS,
THE 1964 PONTIAC GTO, THE 1964 FORD FAIRLANE, THE 1966 DODGE CHARGER
AND THE 1968 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER. LET THE SHOWDOWN BEGIN.

8. 1961 CHEVY IMPALA SS
MANY CONSIDER THIS THE FIRST TRUE MUSCLE CAR. A 409 CUBIC INCH MOTOR WAS
DROPPED INTO THE CHEVY IMPALA AND A LEGEND WAS MADE. WITH THE HELP OF
THE BEACH BOYS AND THEIR SONG ABOUT THE CAR ('SHE'S SO FINE, MY FOUR-OH-
NINE') IT BECAME AN ICON FOR THE BABY BOOMERS. CHEVY'S MARKETING FOR THE
CAR DESCRIBED IT AS DESIGNED "FOR YOUNG MEN ON THE MOVE...(WHO) WON'T
SETTLE FOR LESS THAN REAL DRIVING EXCITEMENT.“
PERFORMANCE WAS VERY GOOD FOR THE ERA WITH MOTOR TREND DRIVING ONE
FROM ZERO TO SIXTY ON SEVEN SECONDS AND COMPLETING THE QUARTER MILE IN
14 SECONDS AT 98 MPH. THE CAR BECAME A LEGEND.

9. 1964 PONTIAC GTO
THE GTO WAS ANOTHER MARKETING SUCCESS FOR GENERAL MOTORS. ALTHOUGH
THE CAR WAS NOT THE FASTEST CAR ON THE MARKET IT QUICKLY BECAME
SUCCESSFUL AS AN ALL A ROUND MUSCLE CAR. IT WAS RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE,
RELATIVELY FAST AND RELATIVELY HANDSOME. MANY CONSIDER IT THE FIRST
MODERN MUSCLE CAR. ALTHOUGH THAT IS DEBATABLE, IT IS DEFINITELY THE FIRST
SUCCESSFUL MUSCLE CAR IN TERMS OF SALES.
PERFORMANCE WAS VERY GOOD WITH CAR LIFE AND MOTOR TREND BOTH
MEASURING ZERO TO SIXTY TIMES OF LESS THAN SEVEN SECONDS AND QUARTER
MILE TIMES OF AROUND 14 SECONDS.

10. 1964 FORD FAIRLANE
IN 1964 THE FAIRLANE WAS REDESIGNED AND THE TAIL FINS WERE REMOVED. OTHER
IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED UPGRADES TO THE SUSPENSION IN ORDER TO IMPROVE
RIDE-QUALITY. INTERIOR ENHANCEMENTS INCLUDED FULL CARPETING FOR THE
FLOORS AND TURN SIGNALS THAT TURNED THEMSELVES OFF AFTER THE STEERING
WHEEL WAS TURNED. HOWEVER, THE BIG NEWS FOR 1964 WAS THE THUNDERBOLT.
THE THUNDERBOLT WAS ONE OF FASTEST DRAGSTERS EVER PRODUCED BY A
MANUFACTURER. FORD STUFFED A HEAVILY MODIFIED 427 CUBIC INCH ENGINE WITH
TWO FOUR-BARREL CARBURETORS MOUNTED ON A HIGH-RISER MANIFOLD INTO THE
RELATIVELY LIGHT WEIGHT FAIRLANE. THE CAR HAD A RAM-AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM
WITH AIR VENTS MOUNTED IN OPENINGS IN THE GRILL LEFT BY DELETING THE
INBOARD HEADLIGHTS.

11. OTHER MODIFICATIONS INCLUDED: EQUAL-LENGTH HEADERS, A TRUNK-MOUNTED
BATTERY, FIBERGLASS HOOD, DOORS, FENDERS AND FRONT BUMPER, PLEXIGLASS
WINDOWS, AND OTHER LIGHTWEIGHT OPTIONS INCLUDED DELETING THE REAR
DOOR WINDOW WINDERS, CARPETING, RADIO, SEALANT, SUN VISORS, ARMRESTS,
JACK, LUG WRENCH, HEATER, SOUNDPROOFING, AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD
WIPER. PERFORMANCE WAS AMAZING. GAS RONDA DOMINATED NHRA'S 1964
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BY RUNNING HIS THUNDERBOLT THROUGH THE QUARTER
MILE IN 11.6 SECONDS AT 124 MPH. LATER, THE NHRA CHANGED THE RULES TO
REQUIRE 500 MODELS OF A CAR TO BE MANUFACTURED FOR SUPER STOCK
COMPETITION, AND FORD, WHICH HAD BEEN LOSING $1500 TO $2000 ON EACH
THUNDERBOLT SOLD AT THE STICKER PRICE OF $3900, GAVE UP. IN THE END, IT WAS
THE NHRA AND ITS ABILITY TO CHANGE THE RULES THAT STOPPED THE FORD FROM
DOMINATING THE DRAG STRIPS FOR MANY YEARS.
ALTHOUGH THE FAIRLANE FADED FORM FORD'S PERFORMANCE SPOTLIGHT AS THE
MUSTANG TOOK OFF. IT CAME BACK IN 1966 AND 67 AS A VERY NICE LOOKING
CAR. LARGE ENGINES 'ENCOURAGED' GREAT PERFORMANCE NUMBERS ALSO.

12. 1966 DODGE CHARGER
ALTHOUGH IT RESEMBLED A CORONET WITH A FASTBACK, THE PRODUCTION
CHARGER CARRIED DESIGN CUES FROM THE CHARGER II CONCEPT CAR. BOTH
MAINTAINED THE SWOOPY FASTBACK THAT WAS VERY POPULAR DURING THE MID-
SIXTIES. THE ELECTRIC SHAVER GRILL USED FULLY ROTATING HEADLIGHTS THAT WHEN
OPENED OR CLOSED MADE THE GRILL LOOK LIKE ONE-PIECE. INSIDE, THE CHARGER
USED FOUR INDIVIDUAL BUCKET SEATS WITH A FULL LENGTH CONSOLE FROM FRONT
TO REAR. THE REAR SEATS AND CONSOLE PAD ALSO FOLDED DOWN WHICH
ALLOWED FOR MORE CARGO ROOM INSIDE. IN THE REAR THE FULL LENGTH
TAILLIGHTS CARRIED THE CHARGER NAME.
THE CAR WAS RADICALLY DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING ELSE ON THE ROAD AND
WHEN FITTED WITH A STREET HEMI IT WAS ONE OF THE FASTEST CARS ON THE
ROAD. A HEMI EQUIPPED CAR COULD DO ZERO TO SIXTY IN LESS THAN SEVEN
SECONDS AND THE QUARTER MILE IN ABOUT 14 SECONDS. IT WAS A BIG AND
RADICALLY DESIGNED CAR. AND BEST OF AL, IT WAS FAST.

13. 1968 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUNNER
BY 1968, MUSCLE CARS HAD BECOME FAST, LUXURIOUS AND EXPENSIVE. THE
YOUNG PEOPLE THAT CONSISTED OF THE PRIMARY MARKET FOR THESE TYPES OF
TRANSPORTATION HAD BEEN PRICED OUT OF THE MARKET. PLYMOUTH RECOGNIZED
THIS AND EXPLOITED TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL. FIRST, THE STRIPPED DOWN A
BELVEDERE TO ITS MOST BASIC FORM AND THEN GAVE IT A LARGE MOTOR. THEN THE
MARKETING DEPARTMENT FOUND A SIMPLE WAY TO CHANGE THE IMAGE OF THE
CAR FROM THAT OF A BARE BONES RACER TO A UNIQUE AUTOMOBILE. A POPULAR
CARTOON CHARACTER AND A UNIQUE HORN WAS ALL THAT WAS NEED TO BRING
THIS CAR TO THE MASSES.
THE ROAD RUNNER WAS AN INSTANT SUCCESS. THE COMBINATION OF
AFFORDABILITY PLUS OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE HAD WON THE DAY AGAIN.
PERFORMANCE WAS REMARKABLE WITH 13 SECOND TIMES FOR THE HEMI AND 15
SECOND TIMES FOR THE BASE ENGINE IN THE QUARTER MILE.

14. THE WINNER
ALL FIVE OF THESE MUSCLE CARS WERE TREND SETTERS IN THEIR DAY. BUT THE ONE
THAT APPEALS TO THIS AUTHOR AS THE GREATEST OF THE EARLY MUSCLE CARS IS
THE 1966 DODGE CHARGER. IT WAS A RADICAL DEPARTURE FROM THE PAST WITH
ITS FAST BACK DESIGN AND THE FOUR PASSENGER BUCKET SEATS. IT JUST LOOKED
LIKE A MUSCLE CAR. PERFORMANCE WAS STRONG AND THE PRICE WAS
REASONABLE. THE 1961 CHEVY IMPALA SUPER SPORT IS A CLOSE SECOND AND IF
MORE HAD BEEN MADE IT MAY HAVE ACTUALLY WON THIS LITTLE COMPRESSION.