Muscle cars are still affordable
As long as I can remember, I had an attraction to muscle cars. Before I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, I dreamed of owning one. Taking auto shop in school allowed me to get very close to the grunt work of fixing cars up, something I really enjoyed. This was the time when there was room under the hood to get your hands dirty. Times have changed, but my attraction to muscle cars has not.
When Ford first introduced the very first Mustang, it was at the World’s Fair in New York in 1964. When it debuted midway through 1964, it had a sporty look to it that appealed to many. The cost to buy such a hot car at a reasonable cost also appealed to many of the working class. That hasn’t changed much throughout the years as the Mustang is still in production, which is why we still see so many Mustangs on the road. As much as I like the Mustang, I wasn’t too thrilled with the versions from the mid-seventies. However, a Mustang is still a Mustang I guess.
Another muscle car still on the roads is the Chevy Camaro. Still a hot vehicle in my books. When Chevy 
first built the Camaro, it was sort of a rush job as they were competing with the new Ford Mustang. The Camaro debuted in 1966, almost 2 full years after the first Mustang and it’s still going strong in production. GM added the Pontiac version of the Firebird, which is still pretty hot in many people’s books, but no longer in production.
I did own a muscle car in my youth – well, sort of. It was a 1968 AMC Javelin; the first year it was made. It was the calmer version of the AMX, which was hot muscle car of it’s time. When I said “almost” it was because my car had 232 straight 6 engine. Not as fast as the V8, but fast enough for me at 18 years old. I did almost get a new Mustang in my early 20’s, but I was convinced by my dad it wasn’t practical for my busy social life of driving my friends around. Maybe next time.
Other muscle cars worth a mention are the Plymouth Barracuda and the Mercury Cougar. Neither of those are still in production, but in the mid to late 1960’s they are just as hot as the Mustang, Camaro and Firebird. And they were just as affordable to the working class as the others. My friend’s brother-in-law had a Barracuda – “Cuda” – which was very awesome, and very fast.
Just the sound of the V8 engines roaring gives me the tingles and flashbacks of when I was younger. Much younger. Looking at the online ads recently, there are drivable Mustangs and Camaros available for sale. Many are still at a reasonable price. A price the working class can still afford. However, if you want one of those early year models, you’ll have to save for those. I already have.
**Have a quick listen to this short episode of the “Speed Bumps” podcast as it discussed my close call with buying a new Ford Mustang!