American Classic Car
Most of us are aware of the fact that United States has been the birthplace of some of the most legendary automobiles ever produced. Americans are known for the fact that they like high performance cars which are obviously packed with hundreds and hundreds of horsepower. Throughout the long and prolific history of the American automobile there have been many cars that have been phased out but still are a living memory in the heart of automotive fans. All of these cars are tagged as classics and for this reason they will remain a legacy in the automotive world.
If you are thinking about an American classic car, you first need to think about the Chevrolet Camaro. This so-called “pony car” was originally introduced back in 1967 by GM’s Chevrolet Motor Division. The car was discontinued with the 2002 model, but the most popular one was the model manufactured between 1967-1969, the latter being the most sought after Camaro model ever produced by Chevrolet. The car was designed and manufactured precisely with the purpose of competing with Ford’s highly acclaimed Mustang model and shared the platform with another eye-catcher, the Pontiac Firebird. Once the car was launched it was available as a convertible or a coupe and the engines available where the inline 6-cylinder unit and the more powerful V8 engine.
We mentioned the Ford Mustang, it is indeed one of the most iconic cars ever produced in North America and the first generation of it is the most highly acclaimed. Introduced back in 1964, the car was originally based on the Ford Falcon compact. It is one of the most popular cars made in the United States as Ford managed to sell more than 1 million units of the Mustang in only 18 months after the launch of the car which was done at the New York World’s Fair, a launch that was broadcasted on three American television networks.
Let’s not forget about the Chevrolet Impala, especially the first generation of the model. These ones were made between 1962 and 1964. Their popularity grew thanks to its on-off production. The first cars that rolled out of the Chevy factory had unique 6-lamp taillights which served as a trademark for the Impala. In 1965, Chevrolet managed to sell more than 1 million units of their Impala model, a groundbreaking record, although the most appreciated model is the one made a year earlier. That record still stands today, after almost 40 years.
Another Chevrolet is considered a trademark of the American automotive engineering, this time we are talking about the Chevelle model which was launched in 1964. The most appraised models are the ones made during 1967 and 1969. After almost 40 years, this car is considered to be one of the most successful vehicles manufactured by General Motors. The most popular ones are the powerful convertible and coupe models. It was also popular back then when people bought it in order to modify it for drag racing which was the hype during those days.
Another important example of a great American classic car is the superb Pontiac GTO also known as the very first muscle car. The GTO was manufactured between 1964 and 1974. The car was reintroduced 6 years ago, but due to the low number of sales it was discontinued only two years later. Back then, it was considered one of the most popular cars produced and the ones made between 1964 and 1967 are highly acclaimed by car enthusiasts.
In 1969 Dodge launched their epic Charger model which was commonly confused with the Camaro because both cars have just about the attributes. The rear-wheel drive hardtop coupe ’69 Charger is harder to find in comparison with the Camaro because back then there were fewer of these cars made.
Another great example of a legendary American classic car is the 1969 Pontiac Firebird, considered to be Camaro’s cousin. Despite the fact that both cars share just about the same components and were made by General Motors, experts say that the Firebird had a better interior quality, giving it a small but noticeable advantage over the Camaro.
Between 1967 and 1968, America was the place of birth of the Shelby GT-350 and especially the GT-500. These cars were in fact Ford Mustangs that were heavily modified by Carroll Hall Shelby, a former Formula One driver. These are considered to be some of the most expensive American classic cars ever produced.
The Chevrolet Bel Air was manufactured between 1953 and 1975 and it became popular for its very interesting design and for the fact that it was offered in convertible and coupe body styles, just like the Chevelle. From this list, these are considered the most affordable cars available at the moment.
One last example of great American engineering are the Cadillac Convertibles manufactured between 1959 and 1960. The automaker became famous for making luxury automobiles, but these models had something besides that, power. The car became popular thanks to the many possibilities of modifying it according to the various tastes of customers.
These are only a few examples of great cars made in United States and although the era of muscle cars has ended, we hope that in the future automakers like Ford and General Motors will start making iterations of these cars that made the two companies very reputable.
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