The Muscle Car Sound

In 1917 my great-grandfather purchased a Buick franchise. He later purchased Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and GMC. When the muscle car era started, I became a big fan of the looks and sound. I spent a lot of time with my dad, the service manager of the franchises.

The muscle car started during prohibition from 1920 to 1933; during this time, moonshiners and bootleggers needed the fastest cars possible to outrun the police. They modified their vehicles to go faster, with improved cargo capacity and handling. After prohibition, they still got an adrenaline rush from driving fast cars. These modified cars began to blow away the competition at street-racing circuits, which caused the manufacturers to take notice.

The signature rumble has several factors. The most important one is the exhaust system, which produces a deep, throaty sound identical to power and aggression. The exhaust pipes are larger than a regular car and have performance-enhancing mufflers. The engine is another crucial part of the muscle car sound, and these V8 engines produce a lot of power and torque.

The first muscle car debuted in 1949; Oldsmobile built the first actual muscle car in 1948. They called it the Rocket 88 with a light body and a high-compression overhead valve V8. The name Muscle Car came around in the 1960s. The muscle car wars started in the 1960s and lasted until the early 1970, s. Pontiac was the first company to use the name muscle car to describe their 1964 GTO. Other muscle cars were Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac GTO. Shelby Cobra, Oldsmobile 442, and Buick Gran Sport.

GTO meant (Gran Turismo Omologato), an unauthorized Ferrari name. John DeLorean was the project's chief engineer, and They took a 389 ci 6.5-liter engine from full-size cars like the Catalina and Bonneville. Its fans eventually named the "Goat" by its fans. The 1966 model became the highest-selling muscle car of that year.

1969 was the most famous version of GTO. This version was the Pontiac GTO "Judge." They had different paint colors, and my favorite was orange with a rear spoiler and "Judge" decals all over the car. I remember when the commercial by Paul Revere and the Raiders first appeared on television. My dad told me to watch for it, so I had the TV on and was ready to see the ad. I loved the ad and still remember the "Wide Tracking Pontiac" tagline.

I remember when Pontiac and Brainerd International Raceway had a race centered around the GTO. Pontiac delivered about 60 Orange GTOs to their lot. They all had to go thru a maintenance check, and the dealers drove one home after the race. I was lucky enough to go and see them all parked there, all nice shiny, and of course, orange. These were some memorable times for me, as I loved that sound.

Although the GTO "Judge" was on my favorites list, my all-time favorite is the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am., which came out in 1967-2002. it was a less fancy car, called the "pony car" and a "muscle car." They designed it after the Camaro, one of GM's brands. The Firebird had a total of 4 versions, which involved engine improvements and design changes. The engine is the R6 unit with an OHC timing system and a single carburetor.

In 1969 my favorite muscle car, the Pontiac Trans Am. That car is one of the most iconic cinema cars. The movie starts when Big Enos wants Coors. In 1977 it was illegal to sell Coors east of the Mississippi River without a permit. Bo "Bandit" Darville agrees to pick up 400 cases in Texas and drive them to Georgia within 28 hours. Bandit teams up with his truck-driving brother Cledus "Snowman," along with his Basset hound Fred to haul the beer back.

Bo runs interference for Cledus in a hot Pontiac Trans-AM, and everything goes as planned until Bo picks up a hitchhiker Carrie, who had just run out on her marriage to Sheriff Buford T Justice's son. Bandit drives the Trans AM to distract law enforcement from the Snowman... He gets noticed by Sheriff Buford, and the chase is on!

Some of the most memorable scenes were when Bo jumped a river because the bridge was out, then they jumped the fence, landed on a football field, and then into the dugout. They also did a turnaround in the median to avoid the police. The best scene was when a police car lost control and landed on top of a semi.

The movie ended with Bo, Cletus, Frog, and of course, Fred in a Cadillac waving goodbye to the sheriff as they started their next challenge. I have enjoyed watching this movie many times.

The Trans AM is back! After many years, we can now enjoy the sound and looks of this great car! They have redesigned it, and I have looked at their cars and still want the great look. They have made the back end smaller and rounder. I also checked out the rumble, and it still sounds as great as ever!

Back in my day, things were a lot less complicated. We were able to enjoy things like the muscle car sound. We spent hours driving up and down the drag in our small town. When the temperature was 40, we donned our heavy coats and drove my sister's convertible around the city for hours. I hope these cars can stay around; with the current climate change problem, we can't count on them. I wish today's children could listen to all the sounds and smell all the flowers.

I wish to be out and about again, see those great cars, and hear that great muscle car sound! I am waiting to go outside of the house now when things settle down, and I am missing the muscle car sound.

I am going to watch the Smokey and the Bandit movie this evening! I will cozy up with popcorn and my dog Hazel and enjoy the most fantastic film ever!