Muscle Car Evolution Paper Example

Introduction

In any form of industrial development and economic growth, technology plays a key role in its achievement. The muscle car industries is an industry that has seen a significant growth over the years since the 1900s. Although the sales of Ford cars officially began in 1946, managers of these companies managed to make over 15 million sales of a Model T car by 1926 (Abernathy & Kim 10). To clearly understand the growth and evolution of this automotive industry, it is important to understand the concept of muscle cars. As the name states, muscle cars were a group of auto-motives invented in early 1900 with a capability of holding large strong engines and having a high-speed limit (Zuehike 4). The invention was due to the demand for fast-moving cars similar horse carriage but with no capacity of getting tired or dying due to long mileage. This essay will elaborate on muscle car evolution, especially the Ford Mustang, impacts of women on the market, and its reason for demand in the Middle Eastern regions.

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Muscle Car History

Before the later invention of the muscle car industry, car inventors tried modifying the 1800s' horse carriages by eliminating the horses and installing new but large engines to test how fast the cars could move. However, they noted that the engines were inefficient and with a low speed of fewer than 32 kilometers in an hour due to their low horsepower strength of five. However, American culture at the time was interested in speed rather than the form of movement hence influenced car inventors to produce cars that had higher speed limits and more carriage. For instance, Henry Ford invented a model in early 1900s called the "999" that attained a speed of 95km/hr. Another popular muscle car was the "Century" invented in 1936 that comprised of a large eight-cylinder engine that gave it a horsepower strength of 120 (Zuehike 8). Later in the century, another car manufacturing company called the Oldsmobile introduced a new model, the Rocket 88 that complemented customers' demands for high-speed vehicles due to its V8 overhead compression installed in a metallic body of a lightweight (Benz n.p). Some of its prominent features were the 135 horsepower and an engine that measured 303 inches. Its strong horsepower capacity brought a new feel in the racing platform as the Rocket 88 overtook all other racing cars at the time. One of the most prominent impacts of these auto-motives was the introduction of a new racing platform called the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) (Benz n.p).

The 1950s saw a rise in a new model, Chrysler 300 series that gained market due to its high-speed qualities at the time. The car gained prominence due to its high strength horsepower of 300 and a Hemi V8 engine that measured 331 cubic inches. Before the introduction of models such as the Rocket 88, bootleggers and other illegal alcohol traders had invented cars in the early 1900s with an aim of evading police capture (Benz n.p). But as the business downgraded, demand for their models reduced and other manufacturers took over the market. The beginning of the 1960s saw the introduction of a new model, Chevrolet 409 that did not gain huge markets due to the reluctance of manufacturers to produce cars in large numbers (Zuehike 11). The reason for the low production was that the generation at the time did not focus on high-speed vehicles hence would not create a significantly large market.

However, these manufacturers suffered a huge blow in 1957 after the association for automotive manufacturers put an end on racing sponsored by these manufacturers to advertise their products. The change was due to the occurrence of an accident in 1955 involving a Mercedes-Benz car that hit another car causing an explosion that killed a total of 84 civilians while injured many more people (Benz n.p). This ban reduced the demand for these cars and hence significantly reduced sales until the association withdraws the ban in 1963. This change came together with the introduction of the Ford Mustang.

History of Ford Mustang

Ford Mustang officially came into the market in 1964 and possessed all the attractive qualities that interested the young American population at the time. During its first market entry, this model came with excellent sharp shapes, cheap, and gave buyers a lot of options to choose. However, like any other automotive, the Ford Mustang had its own shortcomings such as lower horsepower thus a deficiency in overall strength and speed. This impact created a business opportunity for the pony car regardless of many observers claiming that it did not fit in the muscle car category. The pony car made over 420000 units sales during the first year of production as users were attracted to its affordability and stylish looks (Horton et al. 8). But these sales did not stop manufacturers from upgrading their models into a more efficient vehicle. They upgraded their engine from a small block to a 390 CID block (Benz n.p). These changes help increase the strength of the vehicle while improving its horsepower and speed. One reason for the upgrade of Ford Mustang was the stiff competition from Pontiac model that possessed a strong V8 engine that had a horsepower of about 350 and an engine that measured 389 cubic inches (Benz n.p). The car was also surprisingly affordable considering its hardware, which attracted more young people than the Ford Mustang. Moreover, the Ford Company introduced a new model that had a 429 hemi-head that shook the automobile market at the time. Even as the world entered the 21st Century, the competition between Chrysler and Ford Mustang intensified before taking a negative turn for the competitors after Ford produced a new Mustang model called the Retro-Futurism that had higher horsepower strength that could not compare to any models produced by the competitors (Horton et al. 11).

Muscle Car Evolution

Muscle cars have accomplished significant changes in their models that have led to new evolutions. After a long while of low muscle car production, these models re-entered the market with companies such as Detroit began production of cars that had several new upgrades such as fuel injection and spark timing. Ford Company upgraded its Mustang model to produce cars such as the Camaro with high capacity engines. A model named Taurus came into the market in 1985 and exhibited features such as jelly bean shape and front wheel design (Horton et al. 9). Production was boosted by the invention of an assembly line in 1986 to participate in the joining of different parts such as the chassis and the car body. As technology progressed over the years, the ford company produced a new model called Ford Explorer that formed a basis for the introduced of SUV into the market. This model had a V8 engine that was an upgrade from the previous V6 engine. Furthermore, they introduced a new muscle car model called Ford Contour that came to fill the gap left by the SUV. One significant evolution worth noting was the introduction of a Ranger Electric Vehicle with regenerative braking. Also, the car had lead-acid batteries together with a payload rating that was worth 700 pounds (Horton et al. 9). As the Ford Company stepped into the 21st Century, new technologies rose, which encourage better modification to the companies vehicles. For instance, in 2004, they introduced a Grand Touring model that possessed a horsepower of 550 together with a unique mid-engine feature (Horton et al. 10). They also produced more varieties of the GT such as cars of various unique colors as an upgrade from the previously black GT. The company introduced new models in 2005 that had a colossal engine that overtook its competitors. Notably, with the business partnership between Microsoft and Ford, new technological advancements took effect in their cars. There was a free voice-activated system controlled by a device and also entertainment features through the installation of voice-activated features. These upgrades allow drivers to concentrate more on the roads while still engaging with the new technology. One of the main drawbacks of these model was the excessive fuel consumption over short distances. Thus, the engineering developed new turbocharged Eco-boost that minimized fuel consumption. They upgraded their previous sedan by adding new features such as a six-speed unit and 175 horsepower upgrade in 2010 that shook the industry during this time. The 2018 Mustang model has had significant improvements such as the addition of revised calibrations to help in torque delivery (Abuelsamid n.p). Moreover, manufacturers have installed an aluminum block in the engine instead of the previously used iron. However, even though the evolution of the Ford cars took a positive turn over the years, the same did not occur for the Pontiac GTO. Even with its simplicity in driving, many Americans shunned the model stating that it appeared as an import rather than an original model hence its production came to a stop in 2006

Temporary Death of Muscle Cars

Although the production of muscle cars prevailed over the 20th Century, this industry suffered a blow in the early 70, which almost caused a halt in vehicle production. The first change that occurred was due to the new set regulations by the government which reduced the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere by the high lead fuel used. Such policies caused the manufacturers to adjust their engines to consume fewer fuels and also installed heavier metals that together reduced the performance of these vehicles hence reduced market opportunities. The second problem was the oil crisis in 1973 whereby Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) stopped the sale of oil into America causing a dramatic hike in fuel prices in the country. Since most of these muscle cars consumed significantly large amounts of fuel, their sales reduced and a new market arose that took part in selling compact cars that consumed less fuel. Most of these sales originated from Detroit and some companies in America that produced models such as the Firebird and Camaro. This persistence was because managers of these companies focused more on the production of cars with less competition and low fuel consumption.

How Women Effect the Industry

One aspect to take note in the muscle cars industry is the role of women in the development of this field. Women provide labour in this industry while also providing a market opportunity for muscle cars produced every year. For instance, a study done on the number of sales of SUV showed a turn in the sales per gender from 2010 to 2015 (Costa n.p). Men registered an increment of 22% whereas that of women rose by 34%, which shows a shift in the sales in this male-dominated field (Costa n.p). These women also showed their ability to make decisions regarding sales without the help of their male counterparts. Evidence showed that over 40% of women buying these had no relationship engagements at the time hence made most of the decisions by themselves (Costa n.p). According to a firm in the US, the number of female workers possessing license had risen over 50% showing a sense of responsibility among these women. Most of these industries perceive women as pillars in assisting the companies to grow across all regions. This change is exhibited by the fact that experienced women create awareness for other women on the best car choices and also ways to maintain their cars for long. Such education will motivate women to take control of their lives and become potential car owners with this muscle cars industry. Companies such as the Great Bear Auto Repair Shop in the US has developed programs that provide know-how education to women while providing free services every month as a motivation to women to gain ownership of vehicles (Costa n.p). In the automotive industry, women are taking part in a...