One of the minor but contentious arguments among automotive enthusiasts and historians is the question of exactly what constitutes a muscle car. Since we'll be talking about several cars of this breed in the coming weeks, we thought we'd give you our take on this issue.

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It will not have escaped even the casual observer that the companies formerly known as the Big Three automakers -- GM, Ford, and Chrysler -- are in bad, bad shape. GM lost $37 billion in 2007. Ford's operating losses were $2.7 billion overall, but they lost $5 billion on their automotive operations. Chrysler, which is now owned by Cerberus Capital Management, is not obliged to share their annual results (not being publicly held), but they aren't doing a lot better. As of this writing, the three companies are asking for at least $34 billion in federally guaranteed loans, a new bailout.

In this last installment of our series, we weigh in on the state of Detroit.

Click to read more about the current auto industry bailout

In 1981, Chrysler had $1.2 billion in federally backed loans and an array of new products. Problem solved? Not exactly. In the third installment of our series on the Chrysler bailout, we examine the corporation's rocky road back to solvency -- and how it ended up on the ropes again less than a decade later.

Click to read more about the aftermath of the 1980 Chrysler bailout