It seems that the greater difficulty in finding a definition (car wise)
for the term "Muscle Car" is that it did not come into use until the 1960's.
However, retrospectively when one looks at "like" configurations from
previous times there are cars that would fit the criteria.
I'm not sure that "mid-sized" would be a completely defining term for a
Muscle Car. For instance, Chargers, Road Runners etc. certainly aren't
"mid-sized" Darts and Valiants. Yet, you are more likely to find the larger
Mopars to be called Muscle Cars than their mid-sized siblings. Since the
Muscle Car term spawned out of the GM line up where you did have the
LeMans/Tempest and Chevelle being smaller than the Bonneville and Impala it
could be said that this is the origin of that definition, but as time when
on the term seems to have larger application.
Since 1950's performance cars have come up I would like to throw the 1957
Rambler Rebel out there. As I understand only 1,500 were made. The AMC 327
pushed this car to about a 7 second 0-60 mph which made this mid sized
"granny" like ride very "stealth" (for the time). Likely it was the
"Scrambler" of it's day.
Tom
|