Mustang, Challenger, Camaro… Love, Hate or perhaps Envy!

The door opens and the driver enters…. sitting squarely in the seat, the key is placed into the ignition and the motor comes to life. The smell of spent fuel mixed with the morning air makes you smile. The clutch is depressed, the gas is applied and you put the shifter in first. You know that as soon as the clutch is released… it will be the start of a great day.

Is it a Mustang?? Camaro… or perhaps a Challenger? Does it really matter? It feels like the 1970’s once again…. proving that history does in fact repeat itself.

Looking back at the 3 American Muscle Car offerings from the 60’s and 70’s (Pony Cars if you will) you can clearly relate them to the Ford Mustang, the Dodge Challenger and the Chevrolet Camaro that the plants are building today. It is very easy to see the lines and the heritage. Sculpted Quarters… A dash with a purpose, hoods that contain power and in most every area you look and compare… you see it… a reminder of yesteryear and the feelings of what it was to pay 59 cents for gas and have your best girl hold on tight while you changed lanes, shifted gears and drove out to your favorite place.. to be alone for just a few hours.

Numbers and magic… 289, 302, 351, 390, 427 and 428. Or perhaps you like 427, 454’s? Hey, is there a Hemi in there? All of the engines that some how made it to the engine bay of the early American Muscle cars were engines that made magic…. and those legends will live forever. Cubic inches… not liters. Horsepower… not fuel economy. You met at the light and you settled the score when your best girl dropped her scarf and you gave it all she had. You were young, ready to take on the world and nobody could tell you otherwise.

Well today the pony wars continue and the battle may be reaching its peak. The only veteran who has stayed the entire time is the Mustang. The Camaro name faded from history when the glory was gone and Challenger receded when the power dried up. Only the Mustang continued to battle all the contenders (and a few pretenders) when it came to offering the American public a car that they could call their own, and while some years the battle was hard to win, the name “Mustang” never left the roads of America.

Be it 1964, 1970 or 2012… These Modern Muscle cars are a new generation of street smart cars that everyone knows. From the 10 year old and up… it is part of our Heritage and our culture. Steve McQueen showed movie goers that bad guys can’t escape from the Mustang, but the Challenger held our attention in Vanishing Point while the New Camaro “transformed” from old to new as well.

Everyone loved the General Lee, a bright orange showy kind of hero who flew through the air… a hard Charger if you will. Or how about a dark beauty driven by Burt Reynolds… a Trans Am he drove while he told the proudly told the world he was the “Bandit!” Do you remember the Corvette from Corvette Summer… or the “Vette” Suzanne Summers drove in American Grafitti while the “boys” drove a 55 Chevy and the Old Yellow Ford all over town and the “Wolfman” shifted records around… (records are a whole other story.)

Nothing plugged in to an outlet. The sky did not re-charge the battery. It was the internal combustion engine… a pump if you will, where air came in… exploded and was sent out the tailpipe. The question was… how can we do that faster with a “bigger” explosion… creating more speed!

Jack Rousch, Richard Petty, Steve Saleen and others have taken these cars to the next level and brought heat the road and track. While we see the competition heating up, the Mustang seems to stay ahead of some very stiff competion… but this Pony will bow it’s head as it will surely miss the input of the late Caroll Shelby, who took what he claimed was a “secretary’s car” and created a winning legend.
                                                            
As you drive… look around. Mustangs, Challengers and Camaros (old and new) are everywhere and there is no end in sight! Collectible American Muscle cars are still reasonable and great investments that can be driven and enjoyed. And while the new Mustangs, Challengers and Camaro’s are affordable and plentiful… perhaps they will be tomorrows collectibles that you too can say….”I used to have”… or perhaps still will!

So… Drop the clutch, hit the gas and shift those gears! Get out and enjoy the feel of the road and the wind in your hair. Take your best girl (and the kids) out for a drive and remember to wave and smile back at those who watch you. They feel good seeing how much fun you’re having and regardless of whether you are driving a time “machine” from the early years… or you just left the dealers lot… smile, nod and wave, because you may be making a memory for someone else that will last for years to come and keep the desire to drive just for the fun of it…. Alive!

Take your “time machine” old or new out to the Cort-Lanes Bowling Center on Tompkins Street for the Tuesday Nite Cruise in (see website for a schedule of events)… or Join us for Movie nite! All years, All Brands and of course all Models are welcome to attend… it’s free & fun for the entire family!

For more information about joining the CNY Mustang – All Ford Club or perhaps to view our activities and schedule of events…go to: www.cnymustang-allford.com 

This article was written and contributed by guest writer, Bill OGorman, Cortland NY.