RE: [BaadAssGremlins] Re: what is a musclecar

["John W Rosa" <JohnRosa@xxxx>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Eddie Stakes [mailto:eddiestakes@xxxx]

Either way, I think this whole 'what is a real 
musclecar' debate should be left to those 
editors to define in the major magazines.

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Oh, Hell no I won't. They are going to coddle to 
whatever direction will sell more issues, not
work to maintain historical accuracy. That work
must be left to those of us that haven't a penny 
to gain from the process.

I can honestly and unashamedly state I have never 
owned a true 'Muscle Car', and I've now owned over
20 Javelins- Pony Cars all.

Can a Pony Car outrun a Muscle Car in a straight 
line? Sure, some can.
Can a Muscle Car outrun a Pony in a slalom? A few 
could, I suppose.
Is one title better than the other? Not in my book.
Is it insulting to be left out of the Muscle Car 
category? Maybe for some, but it's just a 
classification based on wheelbase, really. Just
a way to measure the car's size and intended use.

The 'aura' of the title has become so big that 
folks like Bilwin lump all the fast US cars of the 
era together, calling them all 'Muscle Cars', but
as I've said, it's an incorrect application of the 
title, just as a cheesecake isn't a cake- it's a pie.
Just as American Motors didn't install motors- they 
installed engines. There's the way we use a term, 
and then there's the proper use of the term. Just
because something is popular, that doesn't make it
correct (Germany, 1934, for an extreme example).
In the 1700s, you were nuts to believe in micro-
scopic beings that invade our bodies are what cause 
illnesses. Today, it's crazy to not believe that.
Yet, in both times, the WRONG side was the same one.
'Muscle Car' is a victim of the reverse. It was
coined for use to describe a particular class of car.
Over time, it's been abused by people wanting their 
own car to fit under it. Hell, I've heard Tuners 
described as Muscle Cars, and even Bilwin will 
agree that's crazy (OK, maybe he wouldn't).

The terms are exclusive for reasons. You can blur 
the distinctions by building a car that almost fits,
but in the end, when you apply the criteria of each 
class, the vehicle ends up in one or another. Not
in two or more at the same time. You can't be a Pony 
and a Sports car...tho AMX is the closest anyone came.
You can't be Pony and Muscle...your wheelbase and 
seating will put you in one of them, never both.

'Muscle Cars' isn't an umbrella for everything with a 
hood scoop. That's what 'Performance Cars' is for.

Gremlin = Sub-Compact Car
Gremlin 5.0 - Performance Sub-Compact
Hornet = Sub-Compact Car
Hornet SC/360 4v = Performance Compact Car
[Above size cars often called 'pocket rockets' until 
quick Asian cars took the term]
Javelin = Pony Car
Javelin 4v = Performance Pony Car
68-70 AMX = Performance Sports Car
Rebel / Matador = Intermediate Car
Rebel 4v / Matador 4v = Muscle Car
Ambassador = Full-Size Car
Ambassador 4v = Performance Full-Size Car

In this discussion, wheelbase is paramount.

John