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.

Ford Falcon: Australia’s Car
Chuck Smith

Maintaining the top spot among automobiles in Australia it the Ford Falcon. This vehicle has had its humble beginnings in 1960 and this has been manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in its many automobile factories in the U.S., Canada, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile, as well as other countries the world over. At present, Australia is the only place where the newest Ford Falcons are being built and assembled. If all numbers in sales were combined and added up around the world, it could be assumed that the Ford Falcon is one of the biggest names that have made it big in the automobile market.

Looking back at how the Ford Falcon started, history has it that this vehicle has been introduced with the Chrysler Valiant and the Chevrolet Corvair. These three vehicles, the Ford Falcon included, were introduced as compact cars. This was done so because during that time, the larger vehicles were not making much anymore and American wives and women were trying to locate smaller and cheaper cars for themselves for they found the large and bulky cars quite burdensome and awkward. Studies in the market also showed that the consumers were quite vying for a vehicle that was not so bulky and were far more inexpensive than the ones already out in the market. The Ford Falcon was the Ford Motor Company's answer to this automobile preference change.

The Ford Falcon when it was first introduced had its power taken from a 2.4 liter engine that was small and very lightweight. It also was made available in two trim levels which comprised of sedans with two or four doors, station wagons also with two or four doors, and a car-based pickup. The vehicle also had a unibody construction as well as a fairly standard suspension. The vehicle also included coil springs in the front and leaf springs in its rear. The Ford Falcon was quite capable of taking in a maximum of six passengers in its interior and cabin.

There were a couple of modifications and restructuring that the Ford Falcon has experienced in its lifetime. Some of these included a slightly upgraded interior as well as different fender trims and a small number of different emblems. Another batch of changes for the Ford Falcon found a couple of new models introduced under the Ford Falcon line up. That same year that new models were introduced, the vehicle also offered a new V8 engine. In 1964, the Ford Falcon line up welcomed a bucket-seat sedan model in its family. At present, the Ford Falcon is commonly used as police vehicles in the New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory.

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