1967 Camaro L78 bad wreck

[copo69]

Kim, I've been in the insurance business 30 years and yes the insurance companies had a lot to do with getting rid of muscle cars. Nationwide Insurance was the first to institute a hi-performance surcharge which amounted to doubling the cost of insurance on these cars. Nationwide's president testified before congress in 1969 citing the evils of these cars and I remember seeing a letter to the editor in Super Stock & Drag Ill. from a Nationwide VP calling for the end of these cars. Other companies soon joined in raising rates and tightening underwriting for these cars. The target market for these cars couldn't afford the premiums so the cars vanished. Just last week I saw where Nationwide considered this a historical accomplishment.

[69hurstSC]

Oh yeah, AND KIDS WERE DYING IN THESE CARS!!!! Who gives a S**T about analysis of insurance and all that crap!

It saddens me that people view these pics and only can discuss stripes and busted emblems.

[Kim_Howie]

Greg, Saying these cars were evil & should have been banned is like calling a drug dealer a unlicensed pharmacist. The cars didn't kill anybody as stated above it was bad judgement on the driver part.

[442w30]

Agreed!

[JRSully]

Cars had all the power you wallet could buy, but couldn't stop or turn no matter how much money you had (not that you cared back then anyway). Who would have thought that you could insure an LS6 Chevelle today for what was probably a couple of cars payments on it back when it was new...

[copo69]

Kim, I agree with you but the insurance companies didn't. Also, I remember alcohol being involved in a lot of the accidents. Remember the old saying..."Ban low performance drivers, not high performance cars."

[442w30]

In the case that my previous response may have appeared harsh, it was not meant as such. In person, I would have shaken you and said, "Yo, you're not thinking straight - of course insurance had something to do with it!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

I didn't feel that insurance companies accomplished this, it was the smog rules that did it! The insurance companies simply raised the rates, to accomodate the risk - then danced in front of Congress to save face, what else is new! The real muscle car killer was the environmentalists, not a bad thing - but eliminating smog and maintaining performance were technologically impossible in that time period.