The Thrush brand kicked off a celebratory 50th anniversary year with the launch of a new Thrush Rattler muffler and new Thrush website.

“The Thrush sound, the red Glasspack muffler and Turbo, the famous bird in the logo, all bring back a feeling of nostalgia, classic sound and performance among early muscle car enthusiasts,” said Chris Gauss, director, performance brands, Tenneco. “It’s going to be a great celebration throughout 2016.”

Known for “Making Hot Rods Hotter Since 1966,” the Thrush brand will launch a completely new muffler series – dubbed the Thrush Rattler ­– that delivers an aggressive sound through its single-chambered design and exemplifies the “This Bird is Loud and Proud” tagline. Finished in a high-temp black finish, the Thrush Rattler muffler is a 100-percent welded aluminized steel constructed design available in 18-inch overall length, with a choice of 2.25-inch, 2.5-inch, 3-inch or 4-inch inlets and outlets.

In the late 60s, the Thrush brand became popular among the first generation of muscle car owners and drag racers as the Thrush Glasspack muffler was found on thousands of Mustangs, GTOs, Chevelles, Corvairs and other performance cars and trucks. Easily the most recognizable Thrush product, Thrush Glasspack mufflers include a smooth-flowing, straight-through perforated tube for minimal turbulence, continuous roving fiberglass for that classic Thrush sound and a durable heavy-gauge aluminized steel shell.

Utilizing a tri-flow design that is fully reversible, Thrush Turbo mufflers provide the classic Thrush sound and each is finished with an embossed Thrush bird and logo.

Thrush Welded mufflers are fully welded, two-chamber mufflers that produce a unique, aggressive tone. A variety of complete Thrush header-back exhaust systems also are available for popular hot rods and muscle cars, including 1960s-era Camaros, Mustangs, Firebirds, GTOs, Novas and trucks.