What Are The Differences Between Muscle And Pony Cars?

The origins of the pony car can be traced back to 1964, with the launch of the Ford Mustang. It was the first car to feature the iconic stallion logo, which earned it the “pony car” name. The 64′ Mustang is a perfect example of what makes a Pony car. The criteria is as follows:

1. American Made

2. Two Door, four-passengers

3. Exterior styling such as a long hood, short deck, and open mouth.

4. Built with mass production parts

5. Affordable base price with a vast variety of available upgrades.

Muscle cars on the other hand, are a lot like pony cars as they are American made two door coupes but they have more of an emphasis on performance and power. Traditionally muscle cars were equipped with a V8 engine and a great example of what many consider the first true muscle car is the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket.

Although the differences between Pony Cars and Muscle cars have gotten a lot more complicated nowadays, many consider the Dodge Challenger the truest definition of a “Muscle Car” available right now.

Speaking of Challengers, check out this episode where the guys from Detroit Muscle do the ““Ultimate Challenger Payoff.”