American | Muscle Car Fan

Corvette—The Beginning, 1951 to 1962

The Corvette almost didn’t survive its own first decade. Built from fiberglass because postwar steel was scarce, sold in a color palette limited to white, and slower to stop than it was to go, the original 1953 Corvette came close to cancellation before Ford’s Thunderbird forced Chevrolet’s hand. What followed was a rapid string of changes — a real V8, a fuel-injected small-block, a bored-out 327 — that turned an awkward experiment into the car GM couldn’t afford to kill. Read on to find out how it got there.

Two classic red vintage convertibles showcased in studio lighting.

1955 Corvette vs. 1955 Thunderbird! What’s your pick?

by Kiril

In 1955 Chevrolet and Ford both launched a two-seat American convertible, and only one of them was seriously trying to build a sports car. The Thunderbird outsold the Corvette by better than twenty to one in the first year alone, which should have ended the argument permanently. Instead it saved the Corvette. Here is how the softer car won the showroom, why GM refused to read that as a defeat, and what happened to both nameplates afterward.

Black vintage race car number 627 in a museum setting.

1962 Chevrolet Z11 at Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals

by Kiril

In the early 1960s, when factory racing was not technically supposed to exist under General Motors’ own corporate policy, a handful of very specific cars still rolled off assembly lines built almost entirely for the drag strip. This 1962 Chevrolet is one of them, and if you did not know to look for it, you would swear it was just another Impala. The debate over exactly what engine it is hiding still is not fully settled. Watch to see why even longtime owners disagree.

Close-up of a mechanic inspecting an old engine block in a workshop.

Chevy Small-Block V8 Engine Rebuild Time Lapse | Redline Rebuild #1

by Wes

Hagerty’s Redline Rebuild series opens with the engine that arguably needs no introduction: the Chevrolet small-block V8, in continuous production for sixty years and installed in everything from base Chevys to Corvettes, trucks, and boats. Filmed at Thirlby Automotive in Traverse City, Michigan, and compressed into a silent, sped-up teardown and rebuild, the episode has pulled in over ten million views without a single line of narration. Sponsored by RockAuto.com, it set the template for an entire series built on watching skilled hands do familiar work at an impossible pace. Watch to see sixty years of engineering come apart bolt by bolt.

2017 muscle cars Dodge Charger, Hellcat, Camaro in action.

Muscle Car Comparison! | Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Camaro ZL1, Mustang GT350R & More

by Wes

Marspeed lines up the Dodge Charger Hellcat, Dodge Challenger Hellcat, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R against each other and a handful of other rivals, comparing four completely different takes on the same basic idea: how to build the ultimate modern muscle car. From the Hellcats’ brute supercharged torque to the GT350R’s naturally aspirated, road-course-tuned approach, each car represents a different bet on what buyers actually want. It’s a snapshot of 2017’s horsepower arms race at its peak. Watch to see which philosophy comes out on top.

Buying a Collector Muscle Car

by Ross Mills

How a buyer phrases a single question to a seller can be the difference between an honest answer and a defensive “nothing’s wrong.” This entry breaks down the top mistakes collectors make when buying a muscle car, from rushed test drives to skipping legal history checks that are now fast and easy to verify. Read on to find out which habits separate confident buyers from ones who overpay.

Testimony of a Muscle Car Fan