Muscle Car Sales On The Decline - Is the Party Over For The Enthusiast?

I have never owned an American muscle car but I am strongly considering a Mustang GT 350 as my next car. I love the way it looks and the price is outstanding (without the dealer mark ups)for the performance you get. Same can be said for the new Camaro SS.
I think this might be just a temporary soft patch in sales.

Not all dealers are marking them up. Some are screening potential buyers and rewarding loyalty. We immediately eliminated people who had never purchased from us before. We also alerted several regional Mustang clubs looking for loyalists. There's plenty profit in it at list, but the handful of them you'll get in your allotment, they are better used as a PR device than a profit grab. Shop around.

Same here. Never owned one but will try to before I turn 50. And my plan is to drive it on weekends only.

Funny because my wife just said that about a week ago. I took her to one of the local Ford dealers to look at the car and she said that I could get it for my 50th birthday. 4 more years to go! LoL!

I have owned both Manufacturers produces American muscle cars -as well as having owned a few self produced versions as well. The problem is - these cars have gotten expensive - far beyond the reach of the most avid enthusiasts - - and in that class of people - they can buy some foreign cars that compete with the Americans as well. Add to that - the lack of change in the designs of the cars exterior - and at least in some cases - the punishing ride of some American muscle cars - and the people who are old enough to have the money to by them - can't stand being inside one. I have driven some of these things that feel like they have no suspension springs - more like a go cart - they ride so rough. WHile that may not be a problem for a 20ish - a 50ish wants more refinement for the money.

Its two things - (a) the economy is tough for the target market of musclecars (the customers are aging and losing/diminishing their jobs, leading them to curtail discretionary spending) and (b) young people, for the most part, are not buying into the "muscle car" vision.

The existing customers increasingly don't have the money to buy a muscle car and younger, future customers who can afford them, just don't care to buy them.

I think the muscle car has to evolve to be relevant. The days of the 6+ liter motors are numbered… I would like to see smaller and lighter… if they could only make the Camaro even close to the size and weight of the 69 model with a turbo V6 in the Z/28 putting out maybe… 470hp (or whatever it is in the ATS-V + a dozen or so more since it is a Z/28….

Meanwhile, there is a new article about Mustang getting a 700+ H.P. engine. I find these diametrically opposed article a riot of insanity. It is like listening to the lying liberals talk about conservatives.