PINPOINTING THE FIRST MUSCLE CAR

Some say the ’49 Olds 88 was the first muscle car. Others give that honor to the ’55 Chrysler C-300 or the 1957 Rambler Rebel. Purists of the bucket-seat, four-speed and “fat tire sect” insist that a ’64 Pontiac GTO was the original muscle car. Still there are others who say the 1936 Buick Century was the granddaddy of them all. Those who know cars will see a pattern here.

All of these cars were American-made. They were production vehicles, and most were competitively raced. The ’49 Olds ran in the La Carrera Pan Americana, aka Mexican Road Race. The ’55 Chrysler C-300 tore up stock car racing circuits and also ran at Road America. After one cleaned up at Speed Week in Daytona Beach, Rambler Rebels became local stop light and drag strip bullies. The ’64 GTO also did most of its racing on the drag strip.

But what defines a muscle car? Most people argue that, at the least, a muscle car has a “big car” engine in a lighter mid-size