Is this car a muscle?

Is a pontiac Trans Am a muscle car? because i heard somewhere on the net that it was and a V8 5.7L sounds like it's a muscle to me. Could some one please post whether it's a muscle or not and the "definition" of a muscle car.
Thanks:)

http://musclecarclub.com/musclecars/general/musclecars-definition.shtml

^ That'll tell ya. And just in case ya didnt knoe, a Trans am isa faster version of tha Firebird.

Well, the "younger set" may consider pony cars "muscle cars", but the originals were all intermediate bodies with "big car" engines. '64 GTO is aknowledged as the "first muscle car". And we used the term in the early '70s... The term "super car" was used to describe the early Chrysler 300s, the Pontiac SD Catalinas and Tempests, Chevy 409 Impala, the BIG Dodges with the 413s and Hemis, 7-liter Ford Galaxies, etc. All "full size" cars.

While many pony cars exhibit plenty of "muscle", they are not muscle cars. T/A is a road car, better in the twisties than in a straight line. Only the first 5 years had REAL muscle. By '75, they were more a decal and suspension package. The '73 and '74 SD models were the last of the Detroit monsters of any marque. With the later (gen 3 and 4) 'birds, the "Formula" is the better performance package, as it has all the same performance "goodies" as T/A, without many of the "luxury" options. That makes it a couple hundred pounds lighter. Same is true between Z/28 and SS Camaro, the SS being lighter.

No true muscle car had a small block engine.

The debate about what is or is not a muscle car can go on forever. It really doesn't matter. Buy the car you want.

Jim

k thanks guys :grinno:

The term muscle car wasn't even used until the muscle car era was over.

Just me but a muscle car in my head is:
2 doors
seats 4
V8
RWD
B/A

I don't care about the minor distinctions of pony car or personal luxury vehicle, but the more important question is: will you not but an excellent car like a trans am b/c you might get crap when you say it's muscle?

I certainly hope not.

P/S I love the T/A, the name is a legend but it's true, the Formula is cheaper, lighter and looks much more like a V6 firebird (sleeper). But if you like it's options list, or the stigma that comes with T/A...

the point is, do what ever the hell you want

Livewire,

It depends on WHERE you were in '72, whether or not the term "muscle car" was used. We used the term in SoCal in the late '60s.

Jim

touche, (I live in the NE rust belt and was very much not alive in 72, so I will most certainly take your word for SoCal)
My long-winded point was that I don't want someone to have their choice of something so important as a car be influenced as to whether or not other people consider it muscle.