Who wouldn’t want a ‘68 Camaro or 64-1/2 Mustang in their garage – much less as their daily driver? I have lusted after a ‘68 Camaro ever since I skipped school one day of my sophomore year in high school with my older brother’s friend. He had a bright orange 1968 Camaro – rusted out and torn up, but with a pumped up V8 engine and manual transmission. We practiced burn-outs for a few hours in an abandoned parking lot and then when all the kids were out front waiting for the buses, he performed an amazing display of power by leaving 30 feet of skid marks and plenty of smoke. Those were the days!
But that was then. Now I’m a middle-aged engineering professional and parent, working 50-60 hours per week with responsibilities at home too. Who has the time and money for the classic muscle car obsession? And for those that do, can you daily drive it? Would you daily drive it?
It’s no secret that I love the modern retro cars that U.S. manufacturers have been churning out the last few years. But retro is only cool to a point. There are actually good reasons why certain design elements have been discarded over the years. I was fortunate enough to drive a couple examples of modern retro back-to-back. The classic rival pair – a 2010 Chevy Camaro and a 2010 Mustang – both very impressive cars, yet in very different ways. I have always been an import sports car driver and I have never driven a Mustang or Camaro – new or old. So comparing the two were a revelation to me. I’d always just arbitrarily chosen to prefer Camaros over Mustangs. Now I’m questioning that decision.
