The Gentlemen’s Agreement among Japanese automakers may have restricted horsepower, but it was the catalyst that turned great Japanese performance cars into bona-fide legends. And 60s American muscle wasn't actually that different . . . . .
You’ve probably heard of the famous ‘Gentlemen’s
Agreement’ among Japanese automakers that spanned the 1990s and a few
years into the 21st century. Yes, that’s the same era which gave birth
to some of the most legendary Japanese performance cars ever - all
conveniently touted to have 276bhp in the name of motoring safety
courtesy of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, or JAMA for
you acronym nuts.
But what does that have to do with the classic American muscle car era of the late 1960s and early 1970s? Well it was the era which gave birth to some of the most legendary American performance cars of all time.
As it turns out, two rather significant points in automotive history have all kinds of common ground, despite their polar-opposite origins, and we have the notorious Gentlemen’s Agreement among Japanese auto manufacturers to thank for it in the Far East, and a healthy competitive spirit to thank on the ‘Murican side. Let me explain.
Flash forward 20 years and several thousand miles east. Japan already
had nimble, tossable, fun driving machines that were just an infusion of
horsepower away from becoming epic. And that was just about to happen
until the Gentlemen’s Agreement was established in 1989, restricting
engine output to 276bhp. But what does that have to do with the classic American muscle car era of the late 1960s and early 1970s? Well it was the era which gave birth to some of the most legendary American performance cars of all time.
As it turns out, two rather significant points in automotive history have all kinds of common ground, despite their polar-opposite origins, and we have the notorious Gentlemen’s Agreement among Japanese auto manufacturers to thank for it in the Far East, and a healthy competitive spirit to thank on the ‘Murican side. Let me explain.
Why didn’t manufacturers just come out with the legit
horsepower ratings? For one, insurance rates were higher the more
horsepower you had, but it was also like a gigantic game of poker where
the players were terrible. The idea was that if the 1967 Corvette with
the 427 V8 only advertised 435bhp, then Dodge would shoot for a similar
number with the 426 Hemi in a Challenger, as would Ford with their big
bad Boss 429 Mustang. Of course, nobody fell for each other’s
bluff, so instead they just built each car with around 500bhp. You know,
just to be sure they beat the other guys.
This begs a very important question. There are many awesome classic American muscle cars, but would these three be the legends they are today if manufacturers hadn’t lied about the power they made?
This begs a very important question. There are many awesome classic American muscle cars, but would these three be the legends they are today if manufacturers hadn’t lied about the power they made?
Both periods are already considered golden ages for their respective performance genres, with both eras forcing engineers to make cars attractive for more than just advertised power. Yeah, I like vintage 60s American muscle, but you know what? I would be one smiling dude spending my days rolling in classic 90s Japanese tech. As far as I’m concerned, both segments are brothers from another mother. Ain’t nothing wrong with that.
(CarThrottle.com)
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