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The horsepower race started in the '40s; one could even date it to the 1949 introduction of General Motors' high-compression V-8s in the Cadillac and the Olds Rocket 88 that year. The horsepower race developed into the era of muscle cars in the 1960's, usually intermediate car bodies with big car V-8s stuffed into them. An example is this 1967 Dodge Charger, which was really an intermediate-size Dodge Coronet with a fastback and V-8 engine ranging from Chrysler's 318-cubic-inch powerplant to its awsome 426-inch hemi. This transitional muscle car has remained one of the most popular.
Mustangs went muscular in the late 1960's. These 1968 and 1969 Shelby Mustangs are an example. Available engines included a 390-cubic-inch V-8, a 427-cubic-inch high-output V-8 and the hottest Cobra Jet 428 V-8. The Shelbys are particular favorites with collectors.
The Chrysler 300 "Letter Cars" had always been hot performers, but in 1970, Chrysler teamed with Hurst Performance to create this very low-volume Chrysler 300 Hurst Sports Coupe, a modified 300-H powered by a Chrysler 440 TNT engine. Only 485 were built.
American Motors' activities in the muscle car era tends to be underestimated, but some years Ramblers were the hottest of the hot. One of the last of the hot AMCs was this 1977 Hornet AMX. AMX had denoted AMC's "muscle," but this car with its 304-cubic-inch V-8 was a good performer and it had the right look, but the era had faded from the days of the 1969 SC/Rambler Hurst, the so-called "Scrambler," and the 1970 Rebel Machine, with their 390-cubic-inch V-8s.
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