The first known muscle car was General Motors’ Rocket V-8 engine, which was released in 1949. The term, and style, really made waves around the mid-60s. Here are 30 of the best examples of the All-American Muscle Car.
30. 1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440
The 1969 Dodge Dart GTS 440 was a car like no other. It had some issues with slowing down from high speeds, with the possibility of your car tipping to one side. However, it sure was cool to look at!
29. 1968 Mercury Cyclone GT
The 1968 Mercury Cyclone GT was packed with a 302 V8. For those most daring, you could drop in a 427 V8, which generated quite the horsepower. The horsepower it generated? 390!
28. 1966 Chevy Biscayne
The 1966 Chevy Biscayne was a lighter model due to its cheaper carpeting and seats. It had a great deal of speed and would leave other cars behind. This truly was a magnificent car.
27. 1964 Dodge Polara 500
The 1964 Dodge Polara 500 came out during the space craze of the ’60s. It was supposed to bring forward feelings of the future. This bad boy could go really fast, too, making it the perfect car.
26. 1967 Mercury Cougar GT
The 1967 Mercury Cougar GT only had 150,000 of these cars built. Twelve thousand of those were GT models. The car also had a 390 cubic-inch Marauder GT V-8, which was packing 320 horsepower.
25. 2017 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty
The 2017 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty is a car like no other. It is technically a Chevy Camaro SS that Trans Am Worldwide used to make an overhaul. The powertrain is good for a staggering 1,000 horsepower. This car is unique but also a bit pricey. It’s at least $150,000, and that isn’t even including the price of the Chevy.
24. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
The 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 had a limited production run. There aren’t tons of these cars out there, so they are quite expensive due to them being rare. The engine was a high-performance V8, and it had a high-end suspension and braking system.
23. 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 Convertible
The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 Convertible was a masterclass in style. It was a four-speed manual and a 455 cubic-inch V-8 that gave you 370 horsepower. Only 264 convertible versions of the 442 were made, making this a rare car.
22. 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD-455
The 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Super Duty (SD)-455 was a speedy little car. The engine could give you 400 horsepower, meaning it could go really fast. Speed was everything with this car.
21. 1987 Buick GNX
The 1987 Buick GNX was a Grand National that was experimental (hence the X). It was only produced for one year. This fast car had a 3.8-liter V-6 that could get up to 276 horsepower. Talk about fast!
20. 1971 Plymouth GTX
The GTX in the 1971 Plymouth GTX stands for Grand Touring Extra. Only 3,000 of these cars were built, and even fewer featured the Hemi engine. The total with the Hemi? 30.
19. 1970 Ford Torino King Cobra
The 1970 Ford Torino King Cobra was extremely rare due to some of the issues it had. The car was a bit difficult to drive, and the back would lift during high-speed turns. It was not something you want in a car, but it was cool looking, so that made up for some of its downfalls.
18. 1970 Buick GSX
The 1970 Buick GSX was quite a looker in its Saturn Yellow. You definitely would stand out in this car! It had a 455 cubic-inch V-8 that had 350 horsepower. It was quite a fast car!
17. 1966 Ford Galaxie 500
The 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 was not only big for regular motorists but also big on the racing strip. It had a 7.0-liter Thunderbird V-8 that was pretty fast. No wonder it was used for racing!
16. 1963 Pontiac Catalina
You could get the 1963 Pontiac Catalina in a two-door or four-door sedan. The two-door was used for racing because it had a lot of horsepower, coming in at 370.
15. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 only had 69 built, making it very pricey when one is for sale (one went for a million bucks!). This car was underrated in its time, which is a shame because it was seriously fast!
14. 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona was a fast car that was rare. Only 505 units were made, making it a hot commodity on the market. The 7.0-liter 426 had a total of 425 horsepower! This definitely was a racing car.
13. 1969 Pontiac Firebird Convertible
The 1969 Pontiac Firebird Convertible was the cousin to the Chevy Camaro SS. The Firebird was quite popular, and there is a good reason for that. It was classy looking and was fast.
12. 1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible R/T
The 1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible R/T was the first Dodge to have a 7.2-liter six-pack V8. However, there were only 99 versions of this car that had the six-pack V8, out of a total of 2,921.
11. 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10
The 1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 had an 8.0-liter V-10, which gave a total of 400 horsepower. The downside to this car is it doesn’t really have many safety features. It doesn’t even have airbags, which is a good thing for a car to have. This is more for show than driving around.
10. 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda
First introduced in 1970, the Hemi ‘Cuda featured a 426 cubic inch V8 delivering 425bhp and reached 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. It was distinctive for its wraparound rear glass. In 1971, Plymouth withdrew the model after selling only 115 vehicles. This also was because Plymouth refused to strangle its legendary Hemi V8 with the new emissions regulations.
9. 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat
With its retro looks, this modern muscle car pays homage to the past while being totally up-to-date. It delivers more power than many supercars, going 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. The V-8 in this big coop delivers nearly 500 HP and still manages a twenty-five MPG highway rating. It throttles through an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
8. 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88
Built from 1967-1969, many consider this the best Corvette ever. Its big block V8 featured solid lifters and Can-Am-spec cylinder heads. US enthusiasts didn’t consider this a muscle car, elsewhere it was viewed as a pure racecar. Limited to around 200 cars, it sold in both coupe and convertible variations. Stringent emission standards forced the cancellation of the L88 in 1969.
7. 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
Only 100 units were built, making the Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt one of the rarest and most desirable muscle cars. The first eleven cars were painted in Vintage Burgundy and the remaining eighty-nine cars were painted Wimbledon White. It was built for the singular purpose of dominating the dragstrip. It was street-legal, but not ideal for public roads.
6. 1965 Shelby Mustang GT-350
Handbuilt by Carole Shelby, it’s legendary and one of the best muscle cars ever. Only 562 of these vehicles were made. After the Shelby was made, the stock Mustang was upgraded to a 289 cubic inch V-8 with 271 HP. Nonetheless, a 1965 GT350 easily goes for $300,000, and a show-quality Shelby commands $600,000 or more.
5. 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88
Featuring the engine that started a muscle car craze, America’s first muscle car was 202 inches long and 75.2 inches wide. The 1949 Oldsmobile 88 new overhead valve Rocket V8 had a top speed of 97 mph. It took a full 13 seconds to go from 0-60 mph. Its 303ci V-8 had a maximum of 135 HP. Impressive for the time.
4. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Chevrolet’s answer to the Ford Mustang’s runaway success was the Camaro, launched in 1964. Many consider the legendary model to be the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. Among the meaty engine options was a 396 cubic inch V8 cranking out 375bhp. Chevrolet called the Z-28 “the closest thing to a ‘Vette, yet.”
Read More: The 10 Classic Cars Every Enthusiast Should Know
3. 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird
Undoubtedly, the 1970 Plymouth Superbird was one of the most radically designed muscle cars to enter the NASCAR racing scenario. There were three engine options including a 440ci V-8 making 375 HP to the 426ci “Hemi” delivering 425 HP. Its outlandish shape left many cars unsold at the time. Today, it’s highly desirable and many sell for six-figure sums.
Read More: The 10 Most Collectible Cars of the Last 50 Years
2. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454
This limited-production two-door offered one of the most powerful engines available. The LS6-powered 1970 Chevelle SS 454 had a 454ci V-8 engine with a single 4-barrel 800 Holley carburetor producing 450 HP. It hit 0-60 in just over 5 seconds, making it one of the fastest-accelerating vehicles in the world at the time. Around 4,475 LS6 Chevelles were produced.
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1. 1964 Pontiac GTO
To correct the Beach Boys, this GTO wasn’t “little.” Initially available as an option package for the mid-sized tempest, it featured a 389ci V-8 cranking out 325 HP with a single Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust pipes. A top-spec package included triple carburetors delivering 348 HP and reaching 0-60 in 5.7 seconds.
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