One of the most popular recent fashions in the world of automobiles is for manufacturers to mine the depths of their past designs and brands and reinterpret them with a modern twist.  This philosophy has been gathering steam for close to 15 years, and during that time there have been some interesting success stories as well as a few vehicles which never really seemed to find their place in the market.

CHRYSLER IS FIRST TO THE MARKET

In terms of domestic automakers, one of the first companies to seriously explore the possibilities of retro-influenced styling was Chrysler in the late 1990’s.  The Plymouth Prowler and the PT Cruiser were both amalgamated designs which did not mimic any specific past vehicles but rather strove to reflect a certain historical era – prominent fenders and a high roofline for the PT Cruiser, and in the case of the Prowler roadster, almost no front fenders at all.  While the Prowler only saw limited production, the PT Cruiser became a serious sales success for the company throughout the next decade.

GIVES IT A GO

Ford took notice of the impression that the PT Cruiser had made and decided to do something equally ambitious with their replacement for the Ford Thunderbird coupe.  The Thunderbird had once been the proud symbol of Ford’s progressive design philosophies, a personal luxury coupe that captured the hearts of millions of buyers.  However, in recent years the glow had faded from the public consciousness.  In 2002, Ford released a version of the Thunderbird which borrowed heavily from the original 1955 – 1957 two-seater’s appearance, with a unique oval grille and large round headlights Frenched into the front fenders. 

THAT THING GOT A HEMI?

Chrysler and Dodge had been trading on the name of one of their muscle-era engines, the Hemi, for a number of years, and after the Mustang proved that a market existed for a two door performance coupe it was only natural that one of the original Hemi platforms be revived and put back on the scene.  The choice of the Challenger was an inspired one, as the square, creased bodywork of the original complimented modern styling trends and allowed for an interpretation that stayed true to the original concept but added an extra flair of muscle and smoothness, especially in the rear haunches.  The front and back of the new Challenger were quite authentic looking, and Dodge’s decision to debut with the exclusive, 425 horsepower SRT8 version of the car let enthusiasts know that they were serious about taking on all comers.  The Challenger SRT8 was released as a 2008 model, with the 370 horsepower Challenger R/T following in its footsteps as a 2009 model.

WHAT’S NEXT?

It remains to be seen just how lasting this current trend of muscle car madness truly is.  On the one hand, with the current wave of Baby Boomers locked out of the collectible antique market due to the soaring prices of 60’s and 70’s high performance vehicles, the introduction of so many different retro-inspired, affordable options is clearly enticing.  Not only that, but these new versions of older classics outperform their predecessors in almost every possible category.  They are on the whole faster, considerably more comfortable to drive, and much safer thanks to modern technologies such as airbags and anti-lock brakes – a far cry from the 4-wheel drum brakes of generations past.  They also benefit from full warranties and great reliability, two items always missing from a collectible muscle car.

On the other hand, there are some dark clouds looming on the horizon for these V8 powered hot rods.  One of the most obvious of these is the price of gasoline.  While modern muscle cars see fuel economy that is beyond the wildest imaginations of 1960’s car designers, the fact of the matter is that when compared to some of their smaller displacement stable mates, the Mustangs and Challengers of the world are fairly thirsty vehicles.  For now, it would seem that buyers are content to pay a premium for the privilege of driving such spectacular, beautiful machines, but as with all things there will be a price point reached where the benefits will be outweigh by the costs – similar in some ways to the current market situation regarding sport-utility vehicles and full-size pickup trucks.

The preservation through imitation of American heavy metal has been one of the most exciting stories for domestic automakers since the year 2000.  What was once was old is now definitely new again – although it is also at the same time just as old, and that is the point.  A great number of the people who are purchasing these vehicles are doing so to relive a part of their youth that they may not have been able to afford the first time around.  With these dreams now in reach, they can finally step into the driver’s seat and have 400 ponies respond to the whims of their right foot.  However, by bringing these classic designs to the forefront, car companies are allowing a whole new generation of drivers to connect with the excitement and history of American automobiles, and for an industry which has been weathering some fairly grim times, this provides a spark of hope for the future.  Through showing the youth of today that it can once again be cool to drive a Ford, Dodge or Chevrolet, modern muscle car re-interpretations are providing a valuable link between the past and what is to come for domestic automakers.

While the vehicle was a big hit with automotive journalists, buyers were put off not so much by the vehicle’s styling but by the high price that didn’t seem to take into account the vehicle’s average performance.  The original Thunderbird had not been a fast car, but it had been fun to drive, a direct contrast to the more luxury and comfort oriented new edition.  The vehicle was quietly put out to pasture in 2005 after a limited run of just four model years when sales did not meet expectations.

While the vehicle itself had good performance numbers, especially with a 400 horsepower model, and attractive pricing, fans of the original 60’s icon were turned off by the bland styling.  Pontiac made a last ditch attempt to improve the car’s appearance by adding hood scoops and a more aggressive front fascia, but time had run out for the resurrected icon. In the end, the car still more closely resembled a European family sedan than a muscle machine, and production was cancelled.

ROUND TWO FOR FORD

One would think that with the lessons learned from the personal experience of the Thunderbird combined with the fresh example of the GTO, Ford would be doubly hesitant to risk messing with the DNA of another respected vehicle.  However, not only did they make a second attempt at re-visiting past glory, they did it with one of the most popular cars of all time – the Ford Mustang. 

The 2005 Ford Mustang was a bold, aggressive design that used elements from the mid to late 60’s edition of the original pony car while preserving a modern touch that added to the vehicle’s graceful proportions.  The car more than built upon the foundation already laid by the decision in 1994 to bring the car’s styling in line with some of the elements that had made the initial model so popular 30 years previous, such as returning a pony to the grille and avoiding the more futuristic lines that eventually found their way onto the Ford Probe. 

Perhaps most importantly, this time Ford had decided to include a fire-breathing 300 horsepower V8 that also generated 330 lb-ft of torque, making the Mustang not only a looker, but also the quickest standard production version of the car in decades.  Ford even decided to make a more explicit nod to the Mustang’s famous past by creating a new Bullit edition of the vehicle in tribute to the original fastback which was driven by Steve McQueen in one of cinema’s most famous car chases.

The Mustang was met with enthusiasm and excitement by both fans of the brand and new buyers, helped in part by the fact that even when equipped with the base V6 engine, the Mustang was still fun and quick.  It had taken a few tries to get things right, but by now both General Motors and Chrysler were given a virtual blueprint for the proper introduction of a retro-based platform:  revive a muscle car name, inject the original design with steroids (both visually and under the hood), and watch the money roll in.

NEXT UP: CHEVY

Chevrolet almost immediately announced that they were working on a new version of the Camaro, their performance car for the masses which had been abandoned near the turn of the millennium due to poor sales.  The original vehicle chosen to be mimicked was the 1969 model, which had grown to have huge cult appeal in the Chevrolet community over the intervening 35 year period. 

The prototypes rolled out by the car company at international auto shows appeared to have all of the right moves – belligerent lines and a macho appearance that built upon the powerful look of the target period’s sheet metal, combined with a range of serious engine options.  However, internal difficulties at General Motors stalled the Camaro program, and the vehicle was not slated for release until early 2009.  Not only did this give the Mustang essentially an unfettered 4 year head start, it also allowed Dodge to introduce its own reproduction muscle car – the Challenger – which was brought to market with much greater speed. 

By Benjamin Hunting

Benjamin is a professional, published writer living in Montreal, Canada. He has a deep background in three industries: medical, music and automotive. 

He is President of an independent record label for close to a decade, and also spent over eight years as a musical promoter and touring musician.

He has restored and raced automobiles for 15 years, and writes for a number of automotive publications on the web.