The classic muscle car era, as we all know and love it, lasted from roughly 1964 through 1970. The introduction of the Pontiac GTO in 1964 is considered by many to be the first true muscle car. After that, nearly every single domestic brand set about trying to build the most powerful muscle car they could. The recipe for the classic American muscle car is simple: drop a huge, powerful V8 engine into a mid-sized vehicle and, preferably, give it a four-speed.
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