There is nothing more nostalgic than a vintage machine that has gone through 10+ generations and has withstood the test of time. With all the recent hybrids and concept cars, it doesn´t hurt to go back to the basics with some of these breathtaking classics. For over 25 years, these models have been a fixture in American culture and sell well to this day.
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevy Camaro came to life in 1967 to parry the growing popularity if its rival, the Ford Mustang. Its advertising blitz was memorable, targeting exclusively young men dancing to Elvis. Originally considered a compact car, it made the switch to pony car/muscle car . Today, the Camaro trails behind the Corvette in overall prestige, with critics questioning its over emphasized robotic-like styling, build quality, a lack of cargo room, and a claustrophobic cabin. However, its handling, power (300 horsepower), price (up to $27,000), and acceleration (0 to 60 in 6 seconds) with 17 mpg city/28 mpg highway looks like enough to compensate.
Ford Mustang
In 1964, the Ford Mustang exploded off the assembly lines and hit America like a locomotive, selling more than one million units within the 1st year and a half on the market. Starting as a compact, it transitioned into a midsize in the early 1970´s with 225 horsepower. The inspiration behind the term ¨pony car¨, a slew of imitators have popped up ever since. Today, the Ford Mustang is a by-product of constant re-design and holds some impressive credentials, with 305-horsepower, impressive fuel economy (29 mpg highway), and better all-around performance than its counterpart, the Chevy Camaro. It´s title as America´s # muscle car doesn´t appear to be threatened in the least.
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird was Ford´s answer to the Corvette and has been a fixture in American culture for more than 40 years, with countless references in media (think John F. Kenney, Thelma and Louisa, the Highlanders) From 1997 to 2001, no Thunderbirds were produced until its eleventh generation car returned in 2002. After poor sales, Thunderbird production was discontinued in 2005. Still, you could find plenty of Thunderbirds in car lots across America. Good luck finding one with less than 100,000 miles.
Chevrolet Impala
The Impala debuted in 1956 and grew to the top of Chevy´s offerings several years later as an upgrade over the Bel Air convertibles. It was differentiated by its unique design (think fins); a design which gradually became less of a selling point over time. Today, the Impala is a mediocre car, dogged by reports of sluggish handling, poor resale value, low fuel economy, and subpar interior materials. Alongside the higher regarded Toyota Avalon and Ford Taurus, it is no match. Still, it has achieved a history so very few cars have.
Chevrolet Corvette
Starting production in 1953, the Chevy Corvette was introduced as the first two seat sports car, built out of genius engineering ideas with the introduction of fiberglass as a build material. It wasn´t until 1955 that Russian influence changed it from a V6 to a V8 with manual transmission. From 1966 to 1982, the Chevy Corvette was the answer to power and affordability. Today, the Corvette is consistently ranked as one of American´s best luxury sports cars, priced reasonably starting at $47,000 and lauded for its very comfortable seats, lots of cargo space, and solid fuel economy at 16 mpg city/26 mpg highway. That is EXCELLENT for a car with 430 horsepower.
