There's no question performance declined after 1970. However, the rise of the "collector car mentality" of the last decade or so has really skewed the outlook on so-called muscle cars. For many in this hobby, the fender tag pedigree of a car now overshadows its actual performance -- which, as we all know, can be radically altered by an engine/suspension build up. Let's face it: a '73 Roadrunner with a low compression 440 can be modified to run very close with a bone stock, high-compression 440 from earlier years. Which one is the "true" muscle car?

I've always looked at the styling of the cars from the 60/70s as defining the "muscle car" era. The overall appearance of most cars really changed into the late 70s and early 80s. Others may a different idea.