The golden age of muscle cars was between 1964 and 1970. In these six years, manufacturers such as Ford, GM, and Chevrolet were constantly changing the design and function of these 1970's cars. However, no one knew the road that the muscle car would take. The death of muscle occurred in the late 1970's. The problem involved a changing market; consumers were tired of the gas-guzzling V8 engines on their old muscle cars. Many consumers were looking for a more affordable car in the 70's than they had been in the 60's.
These were not all the reasons for the death of American muscle. In 1973, the United States of America had an oil crisis because of OPEC. Fuel shortages, record gas prices and long lines at the gas pumps were some of the countless discomforts that the American consumer had to deal with to keep their 1970's cars running. 1978 model cars were hit with a law passed by Congress forcing a higher minimum-mpg goal or be forced to pay heavy fines for not doing so. This was a pain for manufacturing vehicles because as we all know, these machines don't ever have the most efficient miles-per-gallon ratio.
The demand for muscle-cars deflated quickly because the high inflation on the sticker prices on all of the cars. Manufacturers did this because they knew that the muscle car was dying, and that 1970's cars would turn out to be small, fuel efficient, and economical compared to a decade ago.
The only muscle cars that appeared in the 1970's were pony cars. Ponies are basically a cheaper and smaller sports car that appealed to consumers who wanted the speed of a sports car without having to pay the price. The only pony cars that remained during the 1970's were the Chevy Camaro, the Pontiac Firebird, and the Ford Mustang (the second edition). These vehicles, specifically the Ford Mustang II, were sizably downgraded because of the energy crisis. This downgrading made muscle and pony enthusiasts grimace.
