Muscle Cars: Rebellious Freedom for Everyone!

Are we entering a second muscle car era? Raw engine power and North America’s infatuation with all things fast, furious and free.
Muscle Cars: Rebellious Freedom for Everyone!
2013 Dodge Challenger R/T Classic. Does Dodge include matching Hemi Orange nailpolish with purchase?(Chrysler Canada)
By
2/25/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

If you are new to Canada you may think of Chrysler as the hard-working, pragmatic builder of the Dodge Caravan minivan. The Caravan is Canada’s fourth most popular vehicle. 

They are everywhere! This morning, I counted no less than six Caravans, politely cued in a row to drop off children before reliably carrying their owners to work. I was driving one of them myself.

But aside from building rock solid, practical people-movers, Chrysler has a proud history building feisty, noisy, and ridiculously fast muscle cars.

Europeans don’t make muscle cars. They are strictly a North American phenomenon, and as it turns out they reflect a uniquely North American attitude.

At this year’s Canadian International Auto show we caught up with Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler Canada and president, CEO, and head of sales for the Dodge brand in the United States.

He’s a big muscular guy, ready to weigh in on muscle cars and what they mean to North American consumers. Why do we still have the need for speed in a climate obsessed with climate change and fuel economy? It’s a one-word answer—freedom.

Next page, What is a muscle car?  And more photos of hot cars of course.......

What is a Muscle Car?

Strictly defined, a muscle car is born when a manufacturer puts a big honking V8 truck engine into a car designed for a 6-cyliner engine. 

The power-to-weight ration means the car can travel really, really fast. What does driving one feel like? Bigland explains it best.

“There’s nothing like that raw power that you get in a classic muscle car. When you put your foot down and you hear that throaty exhaust it’s quite the experience. It’s not the refined feel of some of the more exotic cars today, but it’s that raw, rebellious power, and it resonates with a lot of consumers throughout North America.”

The classic muscle car era in the 1960s and 1970s was a time of great personal freedom in North America. Owning a muscle car was a personal statement. 

During that time America had just completed massive infrastructure building. Numerous roadways crisscrossed the continent. The muscle car was the king of those seemingly endless transportation tributaries. 

Muscle Cars are the Stars

The television show “The Dukes of Hazzard” chronicled the adventures of brothers Bo and Luke Duke who drove around the dirty roads of Hazzard County in their 1969 Dodge Charger named General Lee. Bo, Luke, and Daisy were the main characters, but the real star was the General Lee.

The show ran for six years and was tremendously popular. The plot was always the same. Bo and Luke get in trouble with the police. The police chase Bo and Luke. The General Lee outruns the police car. The ‘69 Charger was just plain faster than the law!

Recently The Fast and Furious film franchise made the 1970 Dodge Charger a star again. “Fast Five” featured not only the classic Charger, but the 2010 Dodge Challenger and the 2011 Charger Police Interceptor. 

“When you think about the Charger or Challenger—the big block engines, the Hemi power—it really was back then about rebelling against the establishment, wanting to go fast and have vehicles that have that power,” explains Bigland. 

“Today, 30 years 40 years later it’s still very much the case.”

Next, the 1970 Dodge Challenger vs. the 2013 Dodge Challenger....

Populist Pedal to the Metal

The muscle car was never a snotty, overpriced sports car. These cars gave power to every man, and they were priced affordably. Not that rich people don’t obsessively collect them, drive them, and even race them today. Like fine wine, muscle cars have appreciated in value.

A 1970 Dodge Challenger in passable condition might cost you around $70,000. The 440 V8 engine will growl like 440 angry bears (or purr like 440 mountain lions, take your pick). 

You get 380 horsepower, go from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds, and you will have nothing but fun driving a car that is ridiculously overpowered for its size. The tires will screech, the torque will pin your shoulders to the seat, and you will definitely look so, so cool.

But when it’s time to fill the tank, you’re getting 33L/100 km (around 7 mpg) on a good day. Gasp!

Just like the original muscle cars, modern ones are reasonably priced power for the working man, or woman.

The starting price for a 2013 Dodge Challenger is $24,495 (CDN) for a 3.6L V6, but in true muscle car form, the Challenger is also available in a 5.7L V8 Hemi or 6.4L V8 Hemi SRT. The Challenger  SRT, which goes from 0-60 mph in a little over 4 seconds, is $47,245.

The 6.4L Hemi that powers the Challenger’s largest V8 configuration has 470 horsepower and 470 lb.ft. of torque. Yowzer. It gets 15L/100 km (19 mpg) city / 8.7 L/100 km (32 mpg) highway, and you can get crazy modern features a classic car won’t have: all-wheel drive, blue tooth, and other frilly stuff like... I don’t know... airbags.

People who buy classic muscle cars and those who opt for brand new ones seem to have something in common. We asked Bigland who he’s selling Chargers and Challengers to in the 2013 Toyota Prius era.

“There’s a segment in society in Canada and the U.S. that want to have a little more individuality, a little of their own personality in their vehicle, and not really be told what to do,” he says. 

“To a certain extent, driving the Charger and driving the Challenger is a symbol of ‘I’m my own person, I’m independent, and I don’t like people telling me what to do. If I want to drive a 470 horsepower vehicle then I feel I have a right to drive a 470 horsepower vehicle!’”

And there you have it. Big wide open spaces. Big powerful cars. Big freedom. So, when can I get mine with a hydrogen fuel cell? How ‘bout a hybrid? Anything, but never a four cylinder.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Related Topics