America's Iconic Pony Cars
In A Class Of Its Own
The first Ford Mustang was driven off the lot in 1964, marking the start of the pony car era. Its key features were: two doors, stylish lines, a long front end, short deck, and a price tag that didn’t break the bank. From this basic template, a new style was born: the pony car. While other vehicle styles have come and gone, the pony car has confidently held its place as an American automotive icon.
Uniquely American
The idea of the pony car was to combine the look and image of European sports cars with the convenience and affordability of existing compact cars. This successful fusion of concepts created a distinctly American class of car that was well-established by the end of the 60s. Along the way, the pony car would diversify and evolve into the muscle car.
Pony Car Vs Muscle Car
What’s the difference between a pony car and a muscle car? While experts are not unanimous on this matter, the short answer is: power. With its relatively long front-end design and rear-wheel drive, the pony car was adaptable to both six- and eight-cylinder engines with the potential to install big-block V-8s for even more horsepower. But to tell the story properly we must return to the early 60s.
Early 60s: An Idea Whose Time Had Come
The automotive landscape of the US in the early 60s was still made up of large family sedans, wagons, compact coupes, and sports cars. The larger cars were convenient and affordable, but had a conservative, static look.
On the other hand, smaller sports cars like Corvettes and the various imports were fast and stylish, but expensive and of little practical use. However, there were some exceptions on the road that heralded a new style of car.
Early 60s: Pioneering Predecessors
Most of the US car manufacturers had become aware of the growing number of young people in the country. With this in mind, cars such as the Chevrolet Corvair, Chevelle Malibu, AMC Rambler Tarpon, and Ford Falcon were offered as sportier versions of established compacts. Powered by a six-cylinder or small-block V8, and priced in the mid-$2,000 range, they were a foreshadowing of the pony car. But though they sold well, these cars hadn’t quite captured the public’s imagination.
