Muscle car engines are different than others because they are much larger and more powerful. The distinguishing feature of the muscle car is that an oversized engine is packed into a smaller, lighter vehicle, thus yielding a high performance result. These extremely powerful cars were an important segment of the American auto market during the 1960s and 1970s. Many of those models are now collectible classic cars, and the engines are restored by owners to pristine condition as a hobby. Muscle car engines are usually able to generate a lot of horsepower, which translates into high speeds, along with elevated torque that results in rapid acceleration.
In a typical production car, the body and engine are carefully matched so that there is enough power to pull the weight as efficiently as possible. In a muscle car, the principle is to load as much power as possible into the vehicle. Muscle car engines are thus oversized and extra powerful in relation to the vehicle they're placed in. Such a car will usually be a small-to- medium-sized vehicle, but will be matched to an engine that could easily power a much larger one. This results in a high-performance vehicle capable of fast speeds and rapid acceleration.
High performance muscle cars were an extremely popular segment of the American car market in the 1960s and 70s for a variety of reasons. They were often larger and less expensive than sports cars while offering similar performance. In particular, they were prized for street and drag racing by younger buyers with limited budgets. Each American car manufacturer had at least one model available during this time frame, and the vehicle's popularity spread to many manufacturers in other countries around the world. Muscle cars declined in popularity in the 1980s and 90s as concerns about safety grew, but retained a small share of the car market.
Many older muscle cars have attained collectible status and are restored to their original condition, driven, and loved by hobbyists. Engine work is usually included in the restoration process. Some owners restore the engines to original specifications, while others improve them to try to get even higher levels of performance.
Muscle car engines increase performance with cylinders that are larger than usual. Larger cylinders allow the engines to generate more horsepower which means the cars can move at higher speeds. Muscle car engines are also tuned to generate extra torque, which is force or power to the wheels that causes them to rotate. This rapid rotation allows the car to accelerate quickly to the desired speed. The combination of horsepower and torque allows the car to accelerate rapidly to extremely high speeds if the situation allows it.