Muscle Car Culture

Paper Summary:

This paper studies muscle cars and their accompanying culture. It details the emergence of muscle cars in the 1960's and how the industry met the public needs, and their fall in the 1970's. It concludes that the enforcement of government emissions standards, combined with the switch to lower octane gasoline eventually lead to the death of the muscle car.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Industry
Individuality
Muscle Cars Emerge
The End of an Era
Conclusion
Interview

From the Paper:

"Car culture has been around as long as the automobile. For over 100 years the automobile has been an icon in American history and in people's lives. People have a long history of defining themselves by the car they drive, and judging others in this same way. What you drive can mean different things to different people, but it always means something. It reflects financial and social status, as well as personal expression. For people who wanted to be thought of as sexy, bold, and fast the muscle car was the answer. After the end of World War II, Americans became obsessed with the automobile. Suddenly, cars become more than just tools, more for just transportation they became identity to some people. People were what they drove. "It was only natural that such a state of devotion to an inanimate/animate object should lead to a prominent sub-culture of super-fanatics." (Anselmi, 1984) That love of the automobile became the catalyst for securing its place into pop culture and ultimately what has been the driving force behind the auto industry ever since. The muscle car was conceived by this driving force."

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