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If you want to get an argument started, the next time you're at your local cruise-in or diecast collector meeting, bring up the topic of "muscle cars" and try to define what it means. It's one of the most notoriously difficult terms to nail down. For each person it may mean something a little different but the most "accepted" definition and I use that word loosely is "a mid-size car with a large, powerful engine (typically, although not universally, a V8 engine ) and special trim, intended for maximum acceleration on the street or in drag racing competition" (answers.com)
While this definition doesn't include the year or make, it is normally accepted that muscle cars are from the late 60's early 70's produced by American automobile manufacturers. This term wasn't used until the late 70's though and before that, these cars were typically referred to as Super Cars. Also, the definition gets blurred even further when you take the "mid-size" specification into account. There were several larger cars such as the Chevy Impala SS and smaller cars such as the Chevy Camaro SS and Z28, Ford Mustang GT, and Plymouth Cudas that also are considered muscle cars by some, however these smaller more compact cars are also referred to as Pony Cars though they were certainly not short on raw street power. (from muscle car club) And who could possibly forget the '67 Shelby Eleanor Mustang that blew movie-goers away in the classic 'Gone in 60 Seconds'?
From the original introduction of the term, "muscle car" has evolved over the years to include many new styles of cars from various manufacturers with different engine/performance options. Some four cylinder Japanese cars are now considered muscle cars as they have turbos or superchargers that produce high boost. Modern muscle cars may not fit your definition (or the classic definition) of muscle car but they all have one thing in common. They have high horsepower and great straight line acceleration compared to the base model. Some don't like to call new cars muscle cars but once you see the smoke rolling off the tires and hear the cams, blow-off valves, or whine of a supercharger, it's hard to argue against it.
Muscle Car Club has a great chart for referencing the classic muscle cars that allows you to compare side by side all of the great cars from the 60's and 70's. Check that out below for a more in depth look but we will list a few of the most well known muscle cars here with links to their diecast counterparts:
References: Answers.com , Muscle Car Club
