My curiosity peaked last weekend at the 56th Annual Rod and Custom Spectacular in St. Paul, MN. I saw this plaque in the back window of an old 1956 Pontiac, as I also live in Columbia Heights. I saw that the owner does not live in Heights, but I could not find him anywhere around the car to ask more questions. Was this an old car club in the area, or is it still an ongoing car club?

Similar to the muscle car, the pony car had a big impact on a generation. The exact definition of a Pony Car is a small bodied vehicle with a large engine. Some examples are the Ford Mustang, Plymouth Barracuda, Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Mercury Cougar, AMC Javelin, and Dodge Challenger.

Although the muscle car era was short-lived, it still defined a generation in America, and has given us possibly some of the most collectible cars in all of automotive history today. With the sharp lines, wide profiles, muscular looks, and chrome, these cars looked mean. Team the mid-sized bodied frame with a monster V8 engine, and these cars WERE mean. Mean fast! Some models that fit into the muscle car category are the Buick GS, Pontiac GTO, and the Dodge Charger.

Over the last few years my fascination with muscle cars has grown, along with my interest in newer cars and technology, especially hybrids and alternative fuels. When this odd pairing first entered my mind, I just passively thought that I'm just interested in all areas of cars, which is true, but after dwelling on it more I figured out there is more to this. I have always been a big history buff, and classic cars are a piece of history.