Pony Car Comeback

In 1964, Ford rocked the automotive industry with the introduction of the Mustang. The impact was so large a new class of car was created, and Pony Cars were born. Rival auto manufacturers started building their own versions to compete. Plymouth had debuted its pony car, the Barracuda, two weeks before the Mustang made an appearance, but the Mustang was exceedingly more popular and thus gets the recognition of being the original pony car.
1967 saw the birth of the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and Mercury Cougar. The Dodge Challenger followed in 1970.
Sadly, not all of these cars had what it took to survive. The Barracuda met its final model year in 1974, and the Challenger was discontinued the same year only to be revived in 78, before going AWOL in ’83.
The Camaro and Cougar continued production until 2002.
The Mustang has been in production for 44 years now and is still one of Ford’s best selling models.
In 2005 Mustangs underwent a redesign drawing from the look of the past and inspiration from the future. The new look was probably one of the best retro-chic makeovers to hit the market, putting the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Chevy HHR to shame. The Mustang gave new life to the pony car class, and like in ’64, other manufacturers are jumping back on the bandwagon.
The 2008 Dodge Challenger is simply hot. And when you think about the 6.1 liter hemi it’s packing under the hood, there is no doubt about it — this car was reborn to rock. Unfortunately, only about 10,000 of the 2008 model will be produced and they won’t be on the streets until later this year.
The Chevy Camaro will also be making a comeback. Since the Camaro left the market in 2002, the Mustang has been ruling the pony car class unopposed, but its reign may be ending.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Camaros, but when I saw the 2009 concept model, my jaw dropped. It’s probably one of the hottest things to come off the Chevy line (except the Corvette, of course).
Like the Mustang and the Challenger, the redesigned Camaro pulls its design lines from its earlier years, specifically 1969. But don’t expect GM to move to fast to get back into the competition. It’s rumored that the 2009 Camaro won't make an appearance until the 2010 model year.
Ford fans, don’t worry just yet. The Mustang has no plans of handing over its crown without a fight. A special edition Mustang, the Bullitt, is also available in 2008. Yes, this is a remake of Steve McQueen’s car in the iconic movie, “Bullitt.” A version was also available in 2001, but it is not really comparable. The 2008 version resembles the 1968 fastback, and all the Mustang emblems have been stripped, leaving only a badge that says “Bullitt” on the back.
With each new model year, after-market companies find new ways to add a little more zest to the country’s favorite.
Something to look for this year: the 40th anniversary Shelby GT500KR. That's "King of the Road," to you.
It took some time, but Americans can once again be proud of the cars produced here. And in international automotive arm wrestling, we finally have some muscle behind us.