“More Than Just American Muscle” exhibit opens at the Audrain Automobile Museum.
The Audrain Automobile Museum (AAM) continues its mission of “preserving, celebrating, and sharing automotive history” by holding an exhibit highlighting the muscle car era.
Dubbed “More Than Just American Muscle,” the exhibit features 17 cars, plus a 2006 Harley Davidson VRXSC V-Rod Destroyer to represent motorcycle heritage.
As the name implies, AAM's latest exhibit features the muscle car era that started in the late 1940s with the introduction of vehicles such as the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, 1955 Chrysler 300, and 1958 Chevrolet Impala. The 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge is also among the muscle cars to be displayed at the gallery.
Of note, the name GTO was inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO while the Judge monicker was an options package derived from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In TV program.
A 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 joins the exhibit as well – a muscle car that doesn't need an introduction. The Mustang Shelby GT350 was regarded as the greatest Ford of all time through an online poll facilitated by the Blue Oval Brand.
Of course, what's a muscle car exhibit without the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon? The Hemi-powered coupe will also join the gallery, which can be regarded as a send-off for Dodge muscle cars as the electric Charger Daytona SRT peeks on the horizon.
The exhibit also features the 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT America, a muscle car designed by former Ferrari chief development engineer Giotto Bizzarrini and styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro when he worked for Bertone. The 5300 is based on the Iso Rivolta 300 chassis.
The only two-wheeler on the exhibit, the 2006 Harley Davidson VRXSC V-Rod Destroyer, is a motorcycle built for drag racing. It was designed by Harley's Custom Vehicles Operations (CVO) in collaboration with the Screaming Eagle performance parts division.
AAM will run from June 17 to September 10, 2023, in Newport, RI. The rest of the cars to be displayed are listed on the AAM website.
Keyword: 17 Iconic Muscle Cars That Shaped American Automotive History