[OverAnxious]

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Nobody goes to the auto show to see appliances. Never have, never will.
They go for the exotic and the exciting, and that almost always means muscle. Two years ago, when Ford Motor Co. fired up its Interceptor concept on the show floor in Detroit, people headed for the 400-horsepower sedan like moths to a flame.

Similarly, earlier this month in Chicago, it was the 425-horsepower Dodge Challenger that drew them in.

Pity the modified golf carts posing as actual cars that sat nearby, ignored.

Muscle wins, every time. And it always will.

"Muscle cars aren't dead by any means at all," says Randy Martin, president of the Eastern Michigan Camaro Club. "Not even close."

Certainly the market is changing, but the supposed demise of the muscle car has been happening for 30-plus years. It's the longest last hurrah in history.

Witness the death (2002) and rebirth (2009) of the Camaro; and the Challenger, which hit the skids in 1974 until 2008.

More...

 

[dshane]

Its an American thing. Always lusting for the biggest baddest mofo on the block, whatever it is TVs cars phones whatever. It will never go away as long as we are America.

 

[USA1Camaro]

American car buyers like big and power vehicles.

It's sad that some of the managers in the car industry act like they've been neutered with the new CAFE standards.

 

[camarodb]

but to play devils advocate here if we crave bigger badder cars in general then why are cars like the corolla and camery out selling the american cars. Why are the two biggest names in the car industry haveing hard time making money and keeping sales up. dont get me wrong i love muscle cars, i grew up on them and loving them.

 

[dshane]

Because the Corolla and Camry have the stigma of being the best, so Americans flock to them blindly, "its the best so I must have it". No one wants find out if its reallly the best.

 

[USA1Camaro]

but to play devils advocate here if we crave bigger badder cars in general then why are cars like the corolla and camery out selling the american cars. Why are the two biggest names in the car industry haveing hard time making money and keeping sales up. dont get me wrong i love muscle cars, i grew up on them and loving them.

Over the years the HP has raised in both models as well. Do you think they would be selling well if they only made 60 hp like the Corolla originally did? The Camry went from 74hp to 200. They also got bigger.

People buy on perception as well. Most people don't do enough research to realize the theory of import always offer superior quality is evaporating.

 

[Chris 96 WS6]

Because the Corolla and Camry have the stigma of being the best, so Americans flock to them blindly, "its the best so I must have it". No one wants find out if its reallly the best.

"Stigma" is usually meant to be a bad thing. How about "reputation" ?

 

[brandonppr]

but to play devils advocate here if we crave bigger badder cars in general then why are cars like the corolla and camery out selling the american cars. Why are the two biggest names in the car industry haveing hard time making money and keeping sales up. dont get me wrong i love muscle cars, i grew up on them and loving them.

IMO the US goverment is not helping things with the big three.

 

[Jinx]

but to play devils advocate here if we crave bigger badder cars in general then why are cars like the corolla and camery out selling the american cars. Why are the two biggest names in the car industry haveing hard time making money and keeping sales up. dont get me wrong i love muscle cars, i grew up on them and loving them.

Well the funny thing is the guys who drive those cars still dream about cars like the Camaro, Chally, and Stang. Its just they chose the economic means of transport. I have a Mustang GT, its far from the best but, its still the sacrifice (higher insurance, gas sucking, 2 doors, cramped space, and louder) to live a part of my culture that many find illogical