Veteran Car Designer Dissects the Style of 5 Iconic Muscle Cars

There’s no doubt that our attraction to muscle cars lies with horsepower, but the allure of muscle goes beyond performance. Style and design are a large part of what draws us to these cars. But how do some of our favorite cars stack up against acknowledged beacons of American design, like the 1940 Lincoln Continental and 1953 Studebaker “Loewy” coupe?

I reached out to Raffi Minasian, a 30-year veteran car designer who earned his automotive design degree from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Having previously owned the 1969 Dodge Supercharger show car and a 1970 ’Cuda 440-6, among others, Raffi is well versed on American muscle and has chosen several seminal vehicles to deconstruct and share his opinion objectively. – Rosenberg

I hate to pick favorites, but certain cars make it easy because they simply hit the target so perfectly. As a car designer, I’m drawn to the union of power and beauty, which is why the following muscle cars make my top 5. In a three-year period, the entire industry brought together this union like never before and, frankly, never since.

1968 Charger

The 1968 Charger featured sweeping front fenders (hiding subtle elliptical fender-top arches that often are sanded out in restorations), an enormous trunk (further elongated by the sail panel roof coming off the C-pillars), and wide stance. It was a total departure from the heavy, humpbacked 1966-1967 design that was adorned with fussy body sculpting and “Jet Pack” details recalling 1960s show car ideas. The 1968 Charger, in contrast, was unlike anything on the road: clean, mean, and void of frivolous adornments like hood emblems or side markings aside for a simple “Charger” script (and R/T badges) centered on the kammback tail and offset in the grille. The final touch was the offset fuel filler inspired by race cars, making it the epitome of power and presence.

1969 Mustang

Though less radically conceived and carrying more of the previous design DNA, the 1969 Mustang SportsRoof owed little to the previous generation. The dramatic roofline and vee’d hood, coupled with the tall rear haunches, completely eviscerated the former polite and upright first- and second-generation ponycars. The Mach 1 and Boss 302 in particular were designed with a forward-lurching stance, and the wide, angular mouth left no doubt that the Mustang was now a predatory contender that clearly looked the part, ready to take a giant bite out of the big dogs.

1968 AMX

Often a follower in the performance market, AMC actually arrived early to the party with the 1965 Marlin. But it was the 1968 AMX that would be AMC’s biggest risk of all, a welterweight of energy wound up and ready to fight despite being the smallest of the bunch. The stubby two-seater had a spunky visual signature like no other car of that era, thanks to a wide body on a shortened Javelin wheelbase. The fastback roofline, long hood, and tight cockpit gave the AMX a stance that defied larger cars, making them look almost heavier and full of excess.

1970 Barracuda

After having achieved sales success with the Road Runner and Charger, Chrysler gave its attention to the redesigned 1970 Barracuda. Especially in performance trim, the ’Cuda was worth the wait. Using the midsize B-Body cowl, the new E-Body was wide and clean and, best of all, had a high beltline, small side glass, and a low roof line. This gave the ’Cuda a hunkered-down look, more like a sports car than a muscle car. The clean and subtle body sides and squinting rear glass allowed the optional, thin “hockey stick” stripes and hood (dual scooped or Shaker) to do all the performance talking.

1970 1/2 Camaro

The Camaro SS and Z/28 made a mark in the muscle car world in 1967, finally catching up with the Mustang, but it was the 1970 1/2 Camaro that really brought innovation to the Chevrolet lineup. The new Camaro delivered a smooth, almost NASA-like integrity to the form with a curved windshield and wraparound rear glass, plus distinct European-inspired details like the grille. The narrow body section clearly showed that Bill Mitchell and his design team were looking closely at Ferrari and other Italian sports cars. The best version was the Z/28 with the Rally Sport package that featured a split front bumper (again, reminiscent of Ferrari) and twin racing stripes.

Ultimately, what made all these cars such great designs was the fast thinking, intuitively sculpted emotional forms from some of the industry’s youngest designers. These cars were delivered with unbridled sensuality, youthful vigor, and colorful intensity. Young designers released automotive manufacturers from the buttoned-up, refined modernism of the past and delivered a collective power, urgency, and colorful command for attention similar to the music, art, and politics of the era.

The ’Cuda, particularly with the A21 body-colored Elastomeric bumper, Shaker hood, and rear spoiler, resulted in one of the finest-looking muscle cars of the period.

SOURCE: MUSCLE CAR REVIEW

AUTHOR: Diego Rosenberg