Muscle Car Definition

Perhaps the most debated definition in the car community is what exactly is a muscle car. The term wasn’t even used until the late 1970s. In the 1960s they were often called “Super Cars” if called anything at all. Therefore, the actual definition of a muscle car, or which models were muscle cars, is a topic that is often disputed. Here is the general interpretation of what is a muscle car and what cars qualify, and which don’t.

Muscle Car Definition: By Model

Vehicle	Muscle Car?	Classification	Notes
AMC AMX	Yes	Pony Car	Even though it only has two seats, because it is based on the Javalin, it is a muscle car
AMC Javelin	No	Pony Car	Only the AMX variation or big block V8s are considered muscle cars
Buick GS	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	Based on Buick Skylark
Buick Riviera	No	Personal Luxury Car	Too expensive and big
Buick Skylark (non-GS)	No	Intermediate Car	Only GS versions are considered muscle cars
Buick Wildcat	No	Fullsize Car	Too large
Chevrolet Camaro	Yes	Pony car	Only SS and Z28 models are considered muscle cars
Chevrolet Chevelle SS	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	Only SS versions are considered muscle cars
Chevrolet Chevelle (non-SS)	No	Intermediate	Only SS versions are considered muscle cars
Chevrolet Corvette	No	Sports Car	The two seats, fiberglass body, and high price make it a sports car.
Chevrolet Impala SS	Yes	Fullsize Muscle Car	Only SS versions are considered muscle cars
Chevrolet Monte Carlo	No	Personal Luxury	Too expensive
Chevrolet Nova	Yes	Compact Car	Only SS versions are considered muscle cars
Chrysler 300 Letter Cars	No	Personal Luxury	Way too expensive and luxurious
Dodge Challenger	Yes	Pony Car	Only R/T versions are considered muscle cars
Dodge Charger	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	Only R/T versions are considered muscle cars
Dodge Coronet	Yes	Fullsize Muscle Car	Only R/T versions are considered muscle cars
Dodge Dart	Yes	Compact	Only Darts with 383 or 440 engines are considered muscle cars
Dodge Daytona	Yes	Specialty Muscle Cars	–
Dodge Super Bee	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	–
Ford Fairlane / Torino GT/Cobra	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	Only GT and Cobra models are considered muscle cars
Ford Galaxie	Yes	Fullsize muscle	Only Galaxies with 390 engines or larger are considered muscle cars
Ford Mustang	Yes	Pony Car	GTs, Mach 1’s and Boss Mustangs are considered muscle cars
Mercury Comet / Cyclone	Yes	Intermediate	Only GTs and Cyclones are considered muscle cars
Mercury Cougar	Yes	Pony Car	Only GTs, Eliminators, and Boss engine models are considered muscle cars
Oldsmobile 442	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	–
Oldsmobile Cutlass	No	Intermediate	Only 442 models are considered muscle cars
Plymouth Barracuda	No	Pony car	Only ‘Cuda models are considered muscle cars
Plymouth ‘Cuda	Yes	Pony car	‘Cudas with 340s are generally not considered muscle cars
Plymouth Duster	Yes	Compact Muscle Car	Only Dusters with 340s are considered muscle cars
Plymouth GTX	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	–
Plymouth Road Runner	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	–
Plymouth SuperBird	Yes	Specialty Muscle Car	–
Pontiac Catalina 2+2	Yes	Fullsize Muscle Car	Only Catalinas with 400+ cid engines are considered muscle cars
Pontiac Firebird	Yes	Pony Car	Only Firebirds with 400 cid engines are considered muscle cars
Pontiac Grand Prix	No	Personal Luxury	Too expensive
Pontiac GTO	Yes	Intermediate Muscle Car	The first true muscle car

Strict Definition of a Muscle Car:

An American muscle car, by the strictest definition, is an intermediate-sized, high-performance oriented model, powered by a large V8 engine, at an affordable price. Most of these models were based on “regular” production vehicles. These vehicles are generally not considered muscle cars, even when equipped with large V8s. If there was a high-performance version available, it gets the credit, and not the vehicle that it was based on.

Examples: Buick GS, Chevrolete Chevelle SS, Dodge Charger R/T, Ford Torino/Cobra, Plymouth GTX, Plymouth Road Runner, Oldsmobile 442, Pontiac GTO

Fullsize Muscle Car:

The strict definition only includes intermediate-size vehicles. In reality, performance-oriented intermediate-size vehicles didn’t appear until 1964. Before then, manufacturers took existing full-size vehicles and added extra performance to them. Because of this, early full-size performance vehicles are generally considered muscle cars.

Examples: Chevrolet Impala (SS only), Ford Galaxie (with 390 + cid engines only), Dodge Coronet (R/Ts only), etc.

Pony Cars and Compact Cars:

In addition to full-size and intermediate muscle cars, a number of smaller vehicles started appearing on the automotive performance scene. These new “pony cars” and compact cars are generally considered muscle cars only if they have the top of the line performance engines and options.

Examples: Chevrolet Camaro (SS and Z28 models only), Ford Mustang (GTs and Boss only), Plymouth ‘Cudas (no Barracudas), AMC Javelin, etc.

Personal Luxury Cars and Luxury Cars:

Although there were several personal luxury vehicles with performance engines and options, their heavy weight and high sticker prices went against the low-cost performance definition of American muscle cars. Therefore, they are not considered muscle cars.

Examples: Buick Riviera, Chrysler 300 Letter Cars, Pontiac Grand Prix, etc.

Two-Seat Sports Cars:

Two-seat sports cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird are not considered muscle cars due to their high price and specialty nature. The only exception is the AMC AMX as it was relatively cheap, and was based on the AMC Javelin pony car.

Examples: AMC AMX, etc.