Development of American Muscle Cars - Thesis Example

American Muscle Cars I.D. of the American Muscle Cars Introduction Muscle cars are an assortment of mainly US car manufacturer made two-door coupes. These cars generally have a sporty design. Powerful engines intended and manufactured for high-performance car driving are fitted to these cars. The American muscle cars use a big V8 engine and depend on rear wheel drive technique. Muscle cars are generally used by civilians in road traffic. But these cars can be used for drag racing too. The main purpose of this paper is to focus on the technological history of American muscle cars. Further more, the supercharged and turbocharged varieties of these technologies are to be compared with each other in the market context. Thesis With more emphasis on the marketing aspects of automotive industry, it can be stated that the supercharged cars are better than the turbocharged ones. Background of the Muscle Cars Evolution of American muscle cars began during the 1960s. According to Leffingwell and Holmstrom (2006), the development of V-8 engine technology played a substantial role in materializing the muscle car. The millions of baby boomers who entered the market during the middle of the 20th century were attracted toward V-8 engine. The American automobile customers behaved according as there curiosity and demand for the turbocharging and supercharging technologies of that time. They were not interested to create physical stereotypes for the car body. This is the reason behind the fact that diverse models of muscle cars were made available during the 1970s and 1980s. In this way, both the agile Camaro and powerful Roadrunner were accepted by the contemporary younger generations as muscle cars (Mueller, 2011). Contextually, an informative socio-technological analysis shows that muscle cars were no mere show items. Leffingwell and Holmstrom (2006) have explored the characteristics of social acceptance of the powerful turbocharged and supercharged engine techniques that culminated at the reinvention of automobile design and use with global implications. Although the different companies like Ford, General Motors, Chevrolet, etc. launched there own product categories and product line, the main objective of achieving more and more engine power remained in tact throughout the industry policy makers. And people were so obsessed with the different features of these cars that the companies continued to produce newer editions of the older models with certain new features. For example, some customers would love the sound of a turbocharged engine as it accelerated; while some other customers wished to have curves on the bonnet of the car they bought … and so on! (Gunnell, 2005; McClurg, 2005). However, when the petroleum industry became turbulent due to certain international geopolitical developments during the 1970s, the US Government decided to restrict the manufacture and use of muscle cars. Since these muscle cars were designed to generate more power, they consumed more fuel. Therefore, preponderance of muscle cars in the country would increase the consumption of automobile fuels. And this would be potentially dangerous for American economy (Mueller, 2011). So due to increased Federal restrictions and tendency to save fuel, muscle cars began to be phased out. By 1990s, most of the companies were producing performance cars instead of muscle cars. Consequently, Japanese and European style manufacturing gripped the American automobile industry. Nevertheless, the 21st century automobile industry of America is passing through a phase of rejuvenation. After the financial crisis of 2007-2008, car makers are now looking for radical changes in the looks of the cars they produce. This can be understood as an attempt to at least revive the physical features and design characteristics of the legendary muscle cars. Accordingly, designers are trying to give the cars an aggressive look. Welsh (2006) has explained the situation in the following paragraph: “Car makers have long talked about the "face" of a car -- headlights for eyes, grille for a mouth and the bumper as jaws -- and auto designers say the difference between a hit and a flop may come down to a vehicles visage. Car makers used to strive for an inviting face, but lately theyre pushing an edgier look: Car faces that look meaner, angrier and, at times, even downright evil.” Contextually, several automobile giants are trying to revive the muscle cars. For this purpose, both the turbocharging and supercharging technologies are being tested and refined. Particularly, the supercharged engine variant is being given prime consideration. In 2010, Chevrolet reintroduced Camaro in the form of a powerful, sporty car. Introduction of the supercharged Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 gives clear indications that the car manufacturers are not just reviving the design paradigm of muscle car models, they wish to rework the engine technologies too (Mueller, 2011). The leading car manufacturers have unveiled powerful concept cars that can be called the 21st century muscle cars as well. Supercharged and Turbocharged Cars According to the experts like Paradise (2003), both supercharged and turbocharged cars have their respective qualities and drawbacks. But for sports car lovers, supercharged cars appear to be a better option. The works of Paradise (2003) are based on the reference model of a PT Cruiser, which he describes as a “true automotive phenomenon.” Based on his observations on the prospects and processes of reengineering, Paradise (2003) stressed on the importance of advanced mechanical procedures. So far as the general theory of creating a muscle car is concerned, it is important to understand the differences between supercharging and turbocharging. In a supercharged engine, the crankshaft would drive the supercharger by the means of a belt. This is a relatively more mechanistic engineering paradigm. On the other hand, the exhaust pressure that passes through the turbine drives the turbocharger. The engineering technique behind the turbocharged cars is thus based on fluid dynamics. In conjugation with the internal combustion technology, thermodynamics also becomes a crucial factor in the performance of a turbocharged car. From the marketing perspective, today’s automobile market cannot survive if the young and wealthy customers are not attracted toward the different automobile products. From this viewpoint, supercharged cars may appear to be a better option as compared with the turbocharged ones. Although the turbocharged engines are more fuel efficient (McClurg, 2005; Paradise, 2003), supercharged cars have better pick up and acceleration rates. Besides, the supercharged engines are more customizable and there are several varieties available for the engine construction task. According to McClurg, 2005, the main variants of supercharged engines are the root superchargers, centrifugal superchargers, and Eaton/Magnuson superchargers. Moreover, for an engineering enthusiast, the supercharged units’ complicated belt assemblies are both charming and challenging to understand, research, and reinvent (Paradise, 2003) From an industrial point of view, a car owner/driver, who uses turbocharged engine may suffer from boost lag and turbo spool. Sufficient fluid pressure is not obtained instantaneously, so the acceleration process slows down. But supercharged engines do not have these problems. Conclusion Turbulence in the petroleum industry contributed significantly in the decline of the American muscle cars. Supercharged engines remain popular or at least admired due to their customizability and the personalized experience they can provide (Bidsar, 2011). Young and wealthy people, particularly in the countries like India and China, are looking for cars that are not only visually pleasant but also powerful and sporty (Choudhary, S. and Bhardwaj, M., 2012). This market segment, which is becoming increasingly populous, must be specifically targeted to increase sales. And now in order to satisfy an informed customer, a personalized version of a standard muscle car model must be appreciated. Since superchargers are a futuristic technology, a supercharging engine framework can be used to build the modern day power cars and concept cars (Gunnell, 2005). Moreover, higher output of power, absence of turbo lag and steadfast acceleration rates put supercharging ahead of turbocharging for the individuals who love sports car (Bidsar, 2011). References Bidsar, K. (2012, January 1). Difference between turbocharged and supercharged engine? What are superchargers and turbochargers? CarBlogIndia - All About Cars And Bikes. Retrieved January 21, 2013, from http://www.carblogindia.com/what-is-a-turbocharger-what-is-a-supercharger-difference-between-turbocharger-and-supercharger/ Choudhary, S., & Bhardwaj, M. (2012, January 4). Ford sees China, India fuelling auto market growth. Reuters India. Retrieved January 21, 2013, from http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/01/04/ford-india-idINDEE80306320120104 Gunnell, J. (2005). Standard guide to American muscle cars: A supercar source, books 1952-2005. Standard guide to American muscle cars’ series. Iola: Krause Publications. Leffingwell, R., & Holmstrom, D. (2006). Muscle: Americas legendary performance cars. St. Paul, MN: MotorBooks International. McClurg, B. (2005). How to build supercharged & turbocharged small-block Fords. North Branch: CarTech. Mueller, M. (2011). Motor city muscle: The high-powered history of the American musclecar. St. Paul, MN: MotorBooks International. Paradise, A. (2003). PT Cruiser performance projects. St. Paul, MN: MotorBooks International. Welsh, J. (2006, March 10). Why cars got angry? WSJ.com.  Retrieved January 21, 2013, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1141951508 Read More