The term “muscle car” may have been coined in the late 1960s, but its meaning still resonates with automobile aficionados who remember a time when American-made cars were cultural icons.

Designed for straight-line speed, American muscle cars were at the height of their popularity in the late 1960s and 1970s. Often little more than a two-door chassis strapped to a massive, eight-cylinder engine, models like the 1964 Pontiac GTO, 1971 Plymouth Barracuda and the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT defined an automotive era.

“You can’t tell a Toyota from a Ford anymore,” Kim Eldred said. “When I was growing up, in the first week of September I think it was, every year the new cars came out, and people made it a point to go to the showroom and see the new bodies, the new look that was coming out that year.”

Eldred owns KC Classic Auto, which specializes in American muscle cars. Though a “baby boomer kind of trend,” muscle cars represent a slice of American history and culture that touches all generations, he said.

Rising gas costs in recent years have caused a shift in the way the public perceives automobiles. Hybrid vehicles have become popular as more drivers keep spending to a minimum at the pump.

It may seem that mentality could damage a business like Eldred’s. But things haven’t changed much since the business started in 1986, he said, and for a couple of reasons.

Most of his customers don’t purchase the cars for use as a primary vehicle, opting to keep them as collector’s pieces and for weekend excursions. Because of the limited mileage, the cost to insure such a car is lower. Additionally, restored muscle cars have proven to be a sound investment.

“These things are much better than any stock you can manage,” Eldred said. “As long as demand is there, they still can’t make any more. There’s only so many.”