The idea of installing a powerful engine in a post WWII mid-size car was introduced in 1957. The American Motors (AMC) Rebel showcased AMC?s new 327 in³ V8 255 hp with a 4 barrel carburetor (fuel injection was to be optional), thus making it the first American factory hot-rod hardtop sedan. The Rambler Rebel came with a manual or automatic transmission, and dual exhaust. The Rebel was promoted as the fastest four-door car in America from 0-60 mph and ran the quarter mile in 17.0 seconds. It was one of the quickest production automobiles at that time.

The popularity of the muscle car grew in the 1960s. Among these was the Pontiac Tempest. For 1964 and 1965, the GTO was an option package that included Pontiac's 389 in³ (6.5 L) V8 engine, floor-shifted transmission with Hurst shift linkage, and special trim. In 1966, the Pontiac GTO was no longer an option, and became its own model. The project, spearheaded by Pontiac division president John De Lorean, was technically a violation of General Motors policy limiting its smaller cars to 330 in³ (5.4 L) displacement, but it proved far more popular than expected, and inspired a host of imitations, both at GM and its competitors.

This marked a general trend towards factory performance, which reflected the importance of the youth market. A key appeal of the muscle cars was that they offered the burgeoning American car culture an array of relatively affordable vehicles with strong street performance that could also be used for racing. The affordability aspect was quickly compromised by increases in size, optional equipment, and plushness, forcing the addition of more and more powerful engines just to keep pace with performance. A backlash against this cost and weight growth led in 1967 and 1968 to a secondary trend of "budget muscle" in the form of the Plymouth Road Runner, Dodge Super Bee, and other stripped, lower-cost variants.

Although the sales of true muscle cars were relatively modest by total Detroit standards, they had considerable value in publicity and bragging rights, serving to bring young buyers into showrooms. Automakers saw these as halo models and some, such as the AMC Rebel Machine, were factory upgraded to be turn-key drag racers. The 1970 Machine even came with flamboyant and patriotic red, white, and blue reflective body graphics for maximum street and racetrack visibility. The fierce competition led to an escalation in power that peaked in 1970, with some models offering as much as 450 hp (and others likely producing as much actual power, whatever their rating).

The Dodge Charger, known for its appearance as the villan's vehicle in the movie BullittAnother related type of car is the car-based pickup. Examples of these are the Ford Ranchero, GMC Sprint, GMC Caballero, and one of the most famous examples, the Chevrolet El Camino.

Dodge Stratus: Still the Fine American Car
Terry Brown
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Running under the brand name Dodge are a concoction of vehicles that vary from the large and power trucks to the very functional sedans and to the very sporty small cars. Even so, all of these vehicles that run under Dodge's umbrella are all created to be muscular and powerful, even the small ones.

The Dodge brand is handled by the DaimlerChrysler automobile corporation. They became a part of that corporation in 1928. However, the Dodge has already been making waves since its creation in 1901, and it was John Francis Dodge and Horace Elgin Dodge who started it with the Dodge Brothers Bicycle and Machine Factory. At present, running under the Dodge brand are a variety of models that include the Dodge Neon, the Dodge SRT4, the Dodge Stratus, the Dodge Viper, the Dodge Magnum, the Dodge Caravan, the Dodge Durango, the Dodge Ram Truck, and the Dodge Sprinter.

The Dodge Stratus has twins in its family – the Chrysler Cirrus, and the Plymouth Breeze. The Dodge Stratus though was first introduced to the automobile market in 1995 and had held four doors. This vehicle was based and built on the Chrysler JA platform.

As part of the Dodge family, the Dodge Stratus is a fine American car, just like its siblings. It delivers excellent performance, easy convenience, and a unique styling. This vehicle comes in two styles that comprise of the more compact Dodge Stratus Coupe and, the larger of the two, the Dodge Stratus Sedan. Both are offered in two trims which are the sporty R/T and the family-focused trim level. Coming standard for this vehicle are two powerful engines. There is the 2.4 liter 16V DOHC engine with four cylinders and the 2.7 liter V6 DOHC engine with 24 V. The former is standard on the sedan line up while the latter is standard for the coupe line. The Dodge Stratus has superb towing power as well as a 4 speed automatic transmission providing a peak performance. The Dodge Stratus guarantees users a comfortable ride which is all due to its confident suspension, quick steering, and easy handling. It has the capacity to grip the road securely thus preventing any mishaps while driving.

Standard features for the Dodge Stratus include dual front airbags, an emergency inside trunk release, air conditioning, a power steering, a cruise control, cloth upholstery, front bucket seats, a center console, a remote keyless entry, an AM/FM/CD player, a digital clock, a tachometer, variable-intermittent wipers, visor mirrors, a rear defogger, automatic-off headlights, floormats, sixteen inch alloy wheels, anti-lock four wheel disc brakes, map lights, and a theft-deterrent system.

Options for this vehicle include leather upholstery, an 8-way power driver seat with lumbar adjustment, a power sunroof, a unique interior trim, fog lights, chrome alloy wheels, a special instrument panel trim, a rear spoiler, traction control, antilock four wheel disc brakes, a universal garage-door opener, an automatic day/night rearview mirror, a central locking system, a trip computer, and rear assist handles.

Auto Parts Information is the right place for new or quality used Dodge parts. Customers can just visit Auto Parts Information's site and they could access the store's Dodge parts stock and collection.

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