Fred,
I'm not going to get too deeply involved in this discussion, but the B and
C body designations started in the 1940's. The '49 and '50 88's were A
bodies, as was the '51 88A. Olds did not get a true C body until 1959.
The earlier 98's were based on a lengthened B body. From '59-'84 the 98
was a C car and the 88 was a B car.
Okay, I didn't know that. I was wrong. I never could tell any major
difference between our and mine '59 98, '59 Super 88, and '59 Dynamic 88.
They worked and looked the same to me.
The similarities and differences of earlier A, B, and C GM bodied cars are
moot for the application of the title of "intermediate" for GM '64-'72
A-bodies, which is what started this argument. Possibly GM announced the '64
intermediates as the "new" A-bodies. I don't know. But for '64-'72 GM model
production, the only GM intermediates were the '64-'72 A-bodies.
As for what started the "muscle car" phenomenon, I'll place all of my money
on the '62-'63 421 Pontiac Tempests, the '62-'63 413/426 Dodge Darts, and
the '63 427 Ford Fairlanes. Then, the major auto makers needed to make
street versions of these cars for the public to buy!
Milton Schick
1964 442 Cutlass
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