Slow fade of American muscle cars poses challenge for automakers


By TERRY BOX , The Dallas Morning News
Date of Publication: July 26, 2006

TULSA, Okla. — Rushing through torrential rain on Interstate 44, the Shelby Mustang GT 500 splashes smoothly through road pools at speed.
This extreme 500-horsepower muscle car — the newest factory hot rod from Detroit — weathered that storm with ease and grace. But the GT 500 and other domestic muscle cars may face tougher tests ahead.
Although demand for the GT 500 is so high that it has pushed the car's $42,000 base price to $50,000 or more at many dealerships, some industry observers think it could be the last 500-horsepower muscle car to come out of Detroit.
With gas prices high and baby-boomer buyers nearing retirement, the sun may be setting on traditional American muscle cars.
The genre was born more than 40 years ago and revived in the early '90s with the Dodge Viper, whose V-10 engine now pumps out 520 horsepower.
Moreover, as General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. struggle financially, the money to develop these cars may be limited — particularly if the number of potential buyers is dwindling.
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evolution of a beast

1964: Pontiac's first GTO is credited with developing and promoting the muscle car formula: Take a midsize car, stuff a big engine and a four-speed in it, throw on some larger tires and start taking orders. Oldsmobile and Buick follow suit shortly with the 442 and Gran Sport.

1966: The Ford Mustang arrived in 1964 as little more than a Falcon economy car with a great body. By 1966, though, Texan Carroll Shelby takes the mild-mannered Mustang and converts it into the track-ready Mustang GT 350.

1967: Chevrolet fires back with the Camaro, a pony car that seeks to outmuscle the Mustang — and often does. Chevy is in full swing, also offering the big-block Chevelle Super Sport.

1968: Plymouth introduces the Road Runner, a stripped-down, big-engined muscle car. An option is the legendary 426 Hemi — which helps build on the Hemi legend.

1970: The Chevelle SS454, Buick GSX, Mustang Boss 302, and Hemi 'Cudas and Challengers make this a great year for muscle cars.

1985: Mustang and Camaro begin to get some horsepower again, firing up the muscle car sector for the longest run so far.

-- Dallas Morning News
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"I think there is a built-in demographic for these cars now," said Michael Jordan, chief of Automobile magazine's Los Angeles bureau, who wrote a story on muscle cars for the July issue.
"But it's totally correct to say this is not a big boom market. I just don't see more of the ... (500-horsepower cars) coming from Detroit."
Though no one is predicting the imminent demise of all muscle cars, their slow fade could pose a significant challenge for Detroit.
Although the cars primarily appeal to over-50 buyers, they are the Big Three's main "halo" vehicles — attention-grabbers for the entire brand.
Without high-profile cars like the GT 500 — which should arrive at dealerships within 60 days — and the Z06 Corvette, the Dodge Viper and Charger SRT-8, "the domestics are left with nothing in the way of halo vehicles," said Wes Brown, an analyst at industry consultant Iceology in Los Angeles.
"I don't know if we are at the peak or not," he said. "I guess it will be determined by how well these cars are executed."
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"I don't see the Europeans backing away from selling luxury cars with these massive V-8s and huge horsepower," Brown said. "