Ask any gearhead to name the first true American muscle car, and you’ll likely hear “GTO” — but the real answer predates Pontiac’s legend by 15 years. Long before the phrase “muscle car” entered the automotive lexicon, Oldsmobile was already doing the math: big engine, lighter body, instant performance. The result was a car that didn’t just define a segment — it started an arms race that would consume Detroit for decades. Oldsmobile sensed the US automotive market shifting well before the 1960s, and so it got to work.
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