The Golden Age of American Performance
From the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, American automakers engaged in an unprecedented horsepower war. Big-block V8 engines, quarter-mile bragging rights, and bold styling defined an era that would never be repeated. These are the machines that roared down Woodward Avenue.
Pontiac GTO launches the muscle car era by putting a big engine in a midsize car.
Camaro, Firebird, and the big-block Corvette arrive. The horsepower war reaches its peak.
The 1970 model year produces the most powerful muscle cars ever: 454 SS, Hemi 'Cuda, Boss 429.
Insurance costs, emissions regulations, and the oil crisis kill the muscle car. Net horsepower ratings plummet.