r/musclecars

More specifically, i was wondering this about the 70s era of muscle cars. In 1975, Mustang II was significantly underpowered compared to the trans am. Honestly, the trans am looked cooler. Sure, the Mustang ii was fighting in a different class, but the discrepancy seemed too large. The II was able to sell 1.1 million units, but the trans am just seems to be better? What were the perceptions at this time and how did it make sense. Is it just a matter of pony car vs muscle car? The 79 foxbody also had way less power, only matching the trans am starting in the late 80s. I see this even into the 2000s, with the V8 mustang making about 220hp, similar to a V6 firebird and way less than the stated 280hp of the V8 trans am in the late 90s.