25 Top Classic American Muscle Cars

A true rare gem, this unique car is believed to be one of only two 1967 Coronet R/T Hemi four-speed cars known to have been built in light turquoise metallic.

The large and heavier design of 1973 that replaced the previous year’s sleek model has gone down in history as one of the classiest American muscle cars of the seventies.

There was a time when every guy who wanted to be cool and respected had to drive a 1970 Chevy El Camino SS 454. It was probably the first time in engine history that a truck was not viewed as just a truck, and a muscle car was much more than a muscle car. The 1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS 454 changed the way people saw trucks up to that point and basically pioneered the combo truck/muscle car and set the standard for its competitors to follow or depart from.

Designed to compete with Chevy’s Z28 Camaro both on and off the track, the Boss 302 revived Ford’s small-block performance image after nearly a year-and-a-half lapse since the 289 High Performance went away after 1967.

One of the prettiest cars from the late sixties, the 1969 Mercury Cyclone remains one of the most beautiful muscle cars of all time to this day.

This was one of Elvis’s favorite models, as well as Fidel Castro’s. The United States may not have been well liked in Cuba back in the sixties for political reasons, but the 1959 Ford Galaxie was widely admired in the Caribbean country.

The all-aluminum ZL-1 engine block was only put into three Corvettes. The car was first ordered by one of the factory workers in Chevrolet’s St. Louis, Missouri plant, and after that only two more orders were placed. That makes this model one of the rarest ever.

The short-lived Plymouth Superbird was a highly modified version of the Road Runner with well-known graphics and horn. The 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird, arguably the most impressive car of the package, is still remembered for its futuristic (for its time) design.

This truck, which many people saw as the equivalent to Chevy’s El Camino Royal Knight package, is one of the finest trucks you will ever see. Maybe that was the reason GMC picked the word caballero for it, which in Spanish means “gentleman” even though its technical definition would be “horseman” or “knight.” In other words, the 1978 GMC Caballero Diablo was all about dynamic elegance and class.

This classic car was the prototype and the only Talladega built with a ram-air 428 CID R-code engine. It included numerous options that were not included on the 750 Talladegas that went into production. It is also the only one in bright red with side stripes reminiscent of the 24 Hours of Le Mans–winning Ford Mk IV in 1967.

One of the most beloved cars by dedicated AMC fans, the Hornet SC/360 was a cheaper choice and the spiritual successor to the SC/Rambler and Rebel Machine. When it was released, AMC stated the following about the SC/360, “Introducing a sensible alternative to the money-squeezing, insurance-strangling muscle cars of America.”

A true pioneer of its kind, the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 was a beast of a muscle car, boasting a 450 horsepower engine. This Chevelle helped to herald the muscle car’s ascent and golden age in the early seventies.

The 1969 Charger R/T-SE was a muscle-luxury combo and the type of car not only every young male at the time was dreaming of, but also the kind of car every girl wished her boyfriend had. It remains a classic to this day.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the model that inspired Stephen King to write one of his classic horror novels of the 1980s, Christine. Soon after, the legendary cult director John Carpenter made a film adaptation of the book, in which “Christine” was a red 1958 Plymouth Fury. Ironically, the 1958 Fury is technically not a muscle car but has always been seen as such for some unexplained reason.

The Chevrolet Chevelle is a midsized muscle car produced in three generations from 1964 through 1977. Probably the most commercially successful of the series, the 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS is one of the most classy and iconic muscle cars of all time.

A game changer in its time, the Pontiac Firebird 400 Convertible’s design and style were a true mechanical miracle when the car was first released in 1967. Among the ways Pontiac attempted to differentiate its new Firebird from the other muscle cars of its era, it offered the Firebird in five different styles rather than one basic model which most car companies offered in the sixties with their strict à la carte options.

The 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 came at a time that was not only the peak for muscle cars but the even shorter-lived Trans Am series as well. The very few models that remain on the streets are considered true diamonds.

Often referred to by experts as the “rarest muscle car that you’ve never heard of,” the ’71 AMC Matador Machine is truly rare to find these days. It was a one-year only package, and as soon as it arrived, it disappeared. Reports show that just around sixty or so were made, and it could well be that just a handful still exist.

One of the few Buick muscle cars on this list, the 1970 Buick GSX has been called “the greatest muscle car of all time” because it had the most powerful engine produced during the classic era at 510 lbs/ft of torque. The experts know best, I guess.

As big as the “muscle car” trend was becoming by the late sixties and early seventies, the “big four” divisions of GM that were producing high-performance intermediates also began to offer affordable alternatives. Pontiac had its GT-37, Buick created the GS 340, and Chevy offered the Malibu 400; Oldsmobile couldn’t say no to the heavy competition and came up with the marvelous 1970 Oldsmobile F-85/Cutlass W-31.

It wasn’t one of the fastest muscle cars of the 60’s, but with single-season styling and a unique combination of brake, engine, exhaust, and induction options; the 1969 Chevy Camaro Z28 was arguably the most desirable Z28 of all.

In 1964, General Motors sent the automotive marketplace into a frenzy with the release of the iconic Pontiac Tempest Le Mans GTO, which is widely regarded as America’s first muscle car.

In 2002, a 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda convertible ended up in the headlines for becoming the first muscle car to sell for over $1 million. However, even before this model became mainstream news material, it was already considered one of the greatest creations of the muscle car era by fans and experts in the field.

By the late sixties, the Ford Mustang was one of the most loved and popular cars in America. Affordable, available in three different styles, and with a number of inline-six and V-8 engines, this Ford Fmuscle car enjoyed immense success. The arrival of the Shelby Mustang and its many versions only made things better, but Ford and automotive designer Carroll Shelby felt it could be even stronger. Their dream came true in April 1968 when a brand-new version of the 428 Police Interceptor engine was fitted with improved breathing heads and larger exhaust manifolds, giving birth to the 428 Cobra Jet engine, which quickly found its way into the Shelby GT500, leading to a name change: the GT500KR or “King of the Road.”

At the start of the seventies, it appeared that big block muscle cars might soon lose their luster. But coming on the scene at just the right time, arguably the most unique among the “small” muscle cars, the 1970 Oldsmobile Rallye 350 made history. Available only in Sebring Yellow, its striking appearance was highlighted by color-matched bumpers and wheels that gave it a look unlike any other muscle car on the street.