Most American pony cars and muscle cars of the 1960's owe their Coke bottle styling to an industrial designer named Raymond Loewy. Mr. Loewy originated the Coke bottle shape with his design of the 1962 Studebaker Avanti. The silhouette is characterized as having a narrow midsection where the doors are located and curvaceous bulges atop the front fender located where the front wheel is and the rear wheel atop the quarter panels.

When you're speaking to an expert in any particular field, it's always interesting to find out how they spend their time when they're off the clock. For example, the albums your favorite musician listens to at home will certainly influence their future recordings, and the meals a world-renowned chef cooks for their family will provide insight into their best recipes. In the classic car world, Mike Musto from Hemmings is one such expert, and his personal 1968 Dodge Charger sheds light on his standard for a tasteful, functional muscle car. He recently published a video that shows some of its key features.

The world of custom car restoration and fabrication has long been a realm where passion meets artistry. Few exemplify this as well as Joe and Amanda Martin, alongside their talented team at Iron Resurrection. Known for their expertise in breathing new life into rusted-out relics and forgotten classics, the Martins and their crew continue to set the gold standard in automotive restoration.

"I guarantee you one thing: when I'm gone, he'll drive it. Drive the wheels off of it! That's what it's all about," said Basil Ford as he smiled at his grandson Sawyer. Basil is the owner of this stunning 1970 Dodge Charger 500 SE, which was recently reviewed by Mike Musto as part of Hemmings' TESTED video series. In this episode, Musto takes a closer look at the details of this almost completely stock muscle car and considers how it holds up more than 50 years after it rolled off a Dodge assembly line.

The history of American muscle cars is closely intertwined with the history of another American car culture staple: NASCAR. Back in the late 1960s, cars like the Ford Torino, Mercury Cyclone, Plymouth Road Runner, and of course the Dodge Charger roared around the track in intense competitions. And as indicated by the old dealer axiom, "win on Sunday, sell on Monday," the cars that performed well also sold well to customers who were seeking high-performance street cars. This heritage inspired hot rod builder Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design to create this 1968 Charger with a 472ci Hemi V8 and some unique NASCAR-inspired elements.

JR Carrillo's 1969 Dodge Charger has undergone a remarkable transformation under the skilled hands of its owner. Originally equipped with a 318-cubic inch V8 engine, it now boasts a powerful 440 engine crafted with as much aluminum as possible, enhancing both performance and efficiency.

Sometimes in life, when an item is lost, it's gone forever. But on a few rare occasions, we're given another chance to recover what we lost, and that only makes it feel more valuable. Dominick Tomaino picked up his first '68 Charger R/T from a Dodge dealership in Glendale, California on January 30th, 1968. After many years of enjoyment behind the wheel, he sold the car, but quickly regretted it. By 1972, he was actively searching for the car to buy it back. Then, he stumbled upon this one-owner '68 Charger that, in an almost poetic twist of fate, was built on January 30th, 1968. Although it wasn't the exact same car, he had found his second chance to own a '68 Charger R/T.

The sort of vehicles that we get exposed to in our upbringing can influence the kind of cars and trucks that we wish to own later in life. If the vehicle is old enough (and the car's would-be caretaker has sufficient spending cash), it could be the sort of car/truck that an auto enthusiast wishes to purchase as a project vehicle to maintain (if it's running), renovate, or resto-mod. The various forms of media — radio, TV, movies, the internet, video games, etc. — all can contribute in a big way to this sort of automotive exposure and influence. Today, we'll discuss a few of our favorite American classic cars from movies and TV shows.

The late sixties were a groundbreaking time in America, from the Summer of Love to the ongoing space race. Automotive technology was moving quickly as well, with General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler all vying for top position in the peak of the muscle car era. No matter your preference, there was one pair of Mopar cars that captured every car enthusiast's attention: the Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird. Some liked their sleek sheet metal and instantly-recognizable rear wings, while others thought they were too ostentatious, but everyone was transfixed by these race-ready Mopar "wing cars."