TOP 10 | classic muscle cars

An American automotive classic. Huge engines, huge power and torque - hidden in a fairly functional body. This is the definition of a muscle car - a car that was the hottest item on the American market at the turn of the XNUMXs and XNUMXs.

The term “muscle car” did not appear until the late 60s and was intended to refer to powerful cars built on the basis of popular models, cheaper than typical sports cars, and more practical due to the back seat.  

Today we take a look at the top 1973 most interesting muscle cars, pushing 8 to the limit, when oil prices skyrocketed, meaning the golden era of big VXNUMXs was over.

1. Oldsmobile Rocket 88 | 1949

Compared to other cars in this ranking, the 5-liter Oldsmobile is not very powerful and slow, but by the standards of the late XNUMXs, the General Motors product turned out to be modern and fast. And it is he who is considered the first car to be called a muscle car (although this term did not exist at that time). 

Along with this model, Oldsmobile introduced an engine from a new family called the Rocket. The 303-inch (5-liter) unit produced 137 hp. (101 kW), which by the standards of that time was an excellent result. 

The capabilities of the car were proven in the first racing season of NASCAR (1949), when racers on cars of this brand won 5 races out of 8. In subsequent seasons, the brand also came to the fore.

2. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 | 1969

The Chevrolet Camaro is one of the most recognizable muscle cars in history. Without a doubt, the 1 ZL1969 is the hottest model of all. In a small body that puts the Camaro on the verge between a pony and a muscle car, at the end of the production of the first generation, it was possible to fit a real "monster" - a 7-liter V8 with a capacity of 436 hp. and 610 Nm. torque. 

The powerful engine was only available for this model year and was the absolute leader in the lineup. The cost of producing the engine alone was greater than the cost of a standard Camaro. The drive was assembled by hand within 16 hours at the Buffalo facility. The car was intended for use in sports, in particular, in drag racing. And by the standards of the late 60s, it was extremely fast - acceleration to 96 km / h took 5,3 seconds.

We managed to produce 69 copies (the total production of the model this year was 93 copies), which were valued at $7200, which means the car was extremely expensive. The Chevrolet Camaro SS 396 cost $3200 and also had a powerful -liter hp engine.

 

3. Plymouth Hemi Where | 1970

At the beginning of a new decade, Plymouth released an updated Barracuda, which replaced the slightly smacking mouse model of the late 60s. The car received a modern body with a characteristic grille and new power units. Models with 7-liter engines were called Hemi 'Cuda and generated 431 hp, which was much more impressive almost 50 years ago than it is today. The car accelerated to 96 km / h in 5,6 seconds.

The Hemi 'Cuda raced successfully (1/4 mile drag - 14 seconds) and the Chrysler unit's potential was beyond its power rating.

Today, the 1970 Hemi 'Cuda is one of the most sought-after muscle cars, with prices ranging from $100 to $400 for a car in excellent condition. dollars. 

 

4. Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 | 1967

Mustangs modified by Carol Shelby first appeared in 1967 and were equipped with a 7-liter Ford engine, which was used in various power options in the concern's cars. The power unit officially gave out 360 hp, but on many copies it was closer to 400 hp. Thanks to this powerful motor, the Shelby GT500 was incredibly fast - it accelerated to 96 km / h in 6,2 seconds.

The standard Mustang lineup began with the 120 hp inline 3.3 engine. and ended with a 324-horsepower 8 V6.4. The Shelby GT500 was priced adequately—the standard model was under $2500 and the GT500 model was nearly $4200. 

One Mustang GT500 called the Super Snake was produced and produced over 500 hp. from a 7-liter naturally aspirated engine. The car participated in the recording of a commercial for Good Year tires. On the Carroll test track, Shelby topped out at 273 km/h.

The car in this version was supposed to be built in small quantities, but it turned out to be too expensive. The estimated price of one copy was about $ 8000. The Super Snake remained the rarest Mustang ever made. The copy survived the years and was sold in 2013 for $1,3 million.

5. Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 | 1970

The Chevelle was an American mid-range car that was attractively priced and quite popular in its base versions, while the mid-8s SS variant meant cars equipped with big V engines that gave great performance. 

The best time for this model was 1970, when the 454-inch (7,4 L) engine, designated the LS6, known from the third generation Corvette, entered the lineup. The Chevrolet Big Block was characterized by excellent parameters - officially it produced 462 hp, but without intervention in the unit, immediately after leaving the factory, it even had about 500 hp.

The LS6-powered Chevrolet Chevelle SS went from zero to 96 mph in 6,1 seconds, making it a worthy competitor to the Hemi 'Cuda. Today, lovers of classic motoring have to pay 150 zlotys for cars with this configuration. dollars. 

6. Pontiac GTO | 1969

Those who don't recognize the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 as their first muscle car tend to argue that the Pontiac GTO was the car that could carry the name. The history of the model began in 1964. The GTO was an optional extra for the Tempest, which included a 330 hp engine. The GTO proved to be a success and evolved into a separate model over time. 

In 1969, the GTO was introduced with a distinctive grille and hidden headlights. In the palette of engines there were only powerful units. The base engine had 355 hp and the most powerful variant was the Ram IV 400 which also had 6,6 hp. The latter, however, had a modified head, camshaft and aluminum intake manifold, which made it possible to develop 375 hp. In this variant, the GTO was able to accelerate to 96 km/h in 6,2 seconds. 

In 1969, the GTO was offered with the Judge package, originally orange only. 

7. Dodge Challenger T/A | 1970

The Dodge Challenger entered the muscle car market very late, as early as 1970, and was closely related to the Plymouth Barracuda, except that the Dodge had a slightly longer wheelbase. One of the most interesting versions of this model is the Dodge Challenger T/A, prepared for motorsport. However, it was not the strongest Challenger of the time. It was the R / T model that had the largest V8 HEMI engines with over 400 hp. The Challenger T/A was created in conjunction with Dodge's launch in the Trans-Am racing series. The manufacturer had to get approval from the Sports Car Club of America to sell civilian versions. 

The Dodge Challenger T/A had the smallest V8 engine on offer. The 5,6-liter engine was equipped with a Six-Pack that raised the power to 293 hp, although the actual power of this unit was estimated at 320-350 hp depending on the sources. The installation was specially reinforced and had a modified warhead.

The Dodge Challenger T/A had Rallye suspension and sports tires in different sizes for each axle.

Even though it was less powerful than the Challenger R/T, the T/A was better in the sprint to 96 mph. 5,9 km/h hit the meter in 6,2 seconds, while the much more powerful variant took 13,7 seconds. for T / A 14,5 s.).

8. Plymouth Superbird | 1970

The Plymouth Superbird looks like it's been pulled off the race track, and there's no intentional styling in this case. In fact, this is a car that was created only because the rules of NASCAR racing called for a road version. 

The Plymouth Superbird is based on the Road Runner model. The rarest and most powerful variety was equipped with a 7 hp 431-liter unit, also known from the Hemi 'Cudy. It allowed to accelerate to 96 km / h in 4,8 seconds, and the quarter-mile race was completed in 13,5 seconds.

Most likely, only 135 copies of this model were produced. The rest were powered by larger 7,2-litre units from the Magnum range, producing 380 and 394 hp, and took them about a second longer to reach 60 mph. 

The Plymouth Superbird, with its aerodynamic nose and huge tailgate spoiler, looked aggressive and almost cartoonish. It quickly became clear that the car was not in high demand in car dealerships. Only about 2000 copies were produced, but some had to wait up to two years for their customers. Today it is a highly sought after classic, with a price tag of over $170. dollars. The HEMI version costs up to about thousands. dollars.

9. Dodge Charger R/T | 1968

The Dodge Charger has proven itself well in the muscle car market since its inception. At the time of its debut, it offered a powerful engine range, the smallest of which had a volume of 5,2 liters and a power of 233 hp, and the top option was the legendary 7-liter Hemi 426 with 431 hp.

This is yet another time that a car with this unit appears on our list, but it is a true legend, providing the best performance for American cars of those years. The engine is borrowed from the NASCAR series. It was first used in 1964 in the racing version of the Plymouth Belvedere. It went into stock cars only so that Chrysler could use it in the next racing season. The engine was an extremely expensive option: the Charger R/T had to pay almost 20% of the price. Compared to the base model, the car was 1/3 more expensive. 

The most classic year for the Charger seems to be 1968, when stylists opted for an aggressive style, thus abandoning the fastback body style known from 1967. Dodge Charger with the R/T (Road and Track) package and the Hemi 426 engine could accelerate to 96 km / h in 5,3 seconds and a quarter mile in 13,8 seconds. 

 

10. Chevrolet Impala SS 427 | 1968

Chevrolet Impala in the sixties was a real bestseller of the General Motors concern, available in a rich body version, and its sporty version was the SS, which was offered as an option in equipment since 1961. 

In 1968, the most amazing version of the engine was introduced to the lineup. The chamber was equipped with an L431 engine with a power of 72 hp. with a volume of 7 liters, which made it possible to finish the race for a quarter mile in about 13,7 seconds. It hit the salons almost 5,4 years ago! 

The Impala SS was produced until 1969 and found about 2000 buyers annually. For the 1970 model year, this model was discontinued with distinctive SS lettering on the grille.

 

This list is by no means exhaustive of the classic muscle cars that have flooded the US. This time we focused mainly on the great years - the late 60s and early 70s of the last century. Unfortunately, there was no place for the Ford Torino, known from the Starsky and Hutch series, the Dodge Super Bee or the Oldsmobile Cutlass. About them maybe another time ...