Pony cars may share some DNA with their bigger muscle car cousins, but they carved out a distinct niche in American automotive history. Generally, a pony car is defined as a compact or mid-sized vehicle fitted with a relatively large engine, offering sporty styling at an affordable price. Iconic examples include the Ford Mustang, Plymouth Barracuda, Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Mercury Cougar, AMC Javelin, and Dodge Challenger.
The muscle car era was relatively short-lived, spanning roughly from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. Despite its brevity, it defined a generation of American car enthusiasts and produced some of the most collectible automobiles in history. With sharp lines, wide profiles, and monstrous V8 engines, these machines looked mean—and were even meaner on the street. Classic models like the Buick GS, Pontiac GTO, and Dodge Charger remain icons of the period.
For many enthusiasts, classic cars evoke nostalgia and the thrill of owning a piece of automotive history. But beyond the passion, can they also be solid investments?
Back in 2008, the auction giant Barrett-Jackson promoted their "Barrett-Jackson Mini-Index," showing that a select group of collector cars had outperformed major investment benchmarks over the previous five years. According to their data at the time, collector cars returned a 16.4% gain, compared to:
Like Jim Morrison himself, there are many legends and mysteries surrounding the history and whereabouts of his 1967 Mustang Shelby GT 500. Shelby fans have long sought after this car, with every few years reports surfacing of it being found, but the reports have never turned out to be true.
Cars and trucks are meant to be driven regularly, so when collector vehicles are stored away for the winter months, they are more susceptible to problems. Trapped moisture can lead to mold and mildew in the interior and rust out metal. The corrosive elements of the fluids sitting in your fuel, brake, engine, transmission, and cooling systems for months can also wreak havoc. Because your collector car is likely old, systems may be even more fragile than a conventional daily driven vehicle. This detailed article will guide you through the steps necessary to properly store your classic car through its winter hibernation.
I stumbled upon RK Motors Charlotte (My favorite classic car dealership) selling a 1965 Ford Mustang Station Wagon a few months back, and it really peaked my curiosity. I knew from the top of my head that Ford has never officially built a Mustang station wagon, but I wanted to know more about the historical aspect of this unique car. But first let's talk about this model I found for sale, which was built off a Mustang wagon model actually built in 1965, and ties to the early history of the Mustang.
Hood scoops became a necessity on muscle cars of the 1960's and 1970's as the monster V8 engines powering these vehicles needed cooler air. Pontiac found early on that making the hood scoops functional and funneling cooler air to the carburetor gave a dramatic boost in power. Things just kept getting bigger after that.
Cooling the engine is not the only function of a hood scoop. The engine bay area is about 50 degrees warmer than the ambient temperature, so funneling cooler air from outside to the carburetor increases power. The colder air is, the more density it has which means more oxygen per unit of volume. More oxygen available means you can oxidise more fuel per combustion cycle, creating more power.
