When you hear “muscle car, “ your mind may go to classic American muscle cars like the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, or Chevrolet Corvette. Everyone knows and loves these models. But American automotive history is filled with many beautiful muscle car models that have been forgotten.
Here are 12 classic American muscle cars that deserve to be remembered.
AMC Javelin
In 1968, the AMC Javelin was launched by American Motors to introduce a quick car that would increase sales and change the public image of AMC. The Jaelin accomplished both, and the car was produced through 1974.
There were three options: the Javelin, Javelin SST, and Javelin AMX. They were all four-seaters with high-back vinyl bucket seats. The 1971 was given a new look by Chuck Mashigan, who added front fenders and bold raised blisters over the wheels, making it feel like an “expensive European exotic.”
Pontiac GTO “The Judge”
The GTO is a well-known car, but the variant on the 1969 model called “The Judge” is a car to be remembered. The model was known for being the best muscle car in its price range and came with a Ram Air III V8 engine, 366 hp horsepower, and a 4-speed manual transmission.
Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II is a living legend. Ford stylists attempted to add an extended nose to their Cyclone package, and the Spoiler II was born. The car was supposed to be released in 1970 to comply with NASCAR certifications, but the program was canceled, and few of the cars were ever sold.
According to supercars.net, a lot of people doubted that this car ever existed until an original model showed up at Ford’s 100th anniversary celebration. There is supposedly only one model in existence, and it holds a 429 engine, reaches a top speed of 100 MPH, and has a 4-speed manual transmission.
Oldsmobile 442 W-30
This car’s “W-Machine” package was considered one of the fastest muscle cars of its time. The name tells you what’s on the inside. The 4-4-2 explains that the car has a four-barrel carburetor, it’s a four-speed manual transmission, and it has a dual-exhaust system. The stock engine was a 455-cid V8 with a rating of 370 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque.
Buick Skylark GSX
You may think of Buick as being a luxury brand, but they also had some pretty sweet muscle in their lineups. The Skylark GSX came along with 350-420 horsepower and would have cost you $4,198 brand new in 1970. This car was Buick’s answer to the muscle car frenzy in the 70s, and it’s a model that is displayed in showrooms across the nation.
Dodge Dart Swinger 340
The Dark Swinger 340 is the lesser-known little brother of the Challenger, but its 340 V8 engine made it a real contender in the muscle car era. Hemmings said that the Dart Swinger 340 was “a base model two-door hardtop Dart. The Swinger 340 included dual exhaust, Rallye suspension, a heavy-duty limited-slip differential with 3.23:1 gears (3.55 or 3.91 were optional), and the buyer’s choice of heavy-duty TorqueFlite automatic or manual four-speed.
Plymouth Road Runner Superbird
The Superbird is known for its distinctive nose cone that fanatics can spot it from miles away. You may recognize this car if you’re a NASCAR fan or if you’ve watched Disney’s Cars. The Superbird was designed for one simple purpose: to win NASCAR races. And that it did a little too well because after winning 33 of 48 races in 1970, NASCAR banned the model for good.
AMC Rebel Machine
The 1970s were full of beautiful muscle cars, and the AMC Rebel Machine was another one in the lineup. This gem was known for its bold color options, and Old Cars Weekly said it had “340-horse 390 V-8 along with a four-speed, close-ratio tranny, a Hurst shifter, lighted 8000-rpm hood tach, Ram Air, 3.54:1 or 3.91:1 rear axles, heavy-duty shocks and springs, a low-back-pressure dual exhaust system, front and rear sway bars, 15-inch raised white-letter tires, styled wheels, high-back bucket seats and power disc brakes.”
Ford Torino Cobra
If you had an extra $155 to spend in 1970, it would have been well spent on For’s Drag Pack option for its all-new 1970 Torino Cobra. Its base price was $3,270, and it came stock with “360-horse Thunder Jet four-barrel V-8 (code N) and Hurst-shifted Toploader four-speed, competition suspension with 14 x 7-inch wheels wearing white-letter tires, blacked-out hood and grille, hood pins, plus specific moldings and logos on a dramatic all-new body..”
Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6
In 1969, you could snag a Chevelle SS with all the add-ons for a grand total of around $5,000, which sounds cheap for these days, but back then, that was equivalent to the cost of a Corvette, which was expensive for your average car fanatic. In 1969, MotorTrend tested the Chevelle against a Plymouth Road Runner 440 Six Pack, and a Ford Torino Cobra 429, and the Chevy whipped them both with a 0-60 mph in 6.0 seconds, which was legendary for that time.
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
The Firebird Trans Am is the overshadowed cousin of the Camaro that earned its reputation in muscle car culture from films like “Smokey and the Bandit.” The 1970 Firebird came stock with the 345-horsepower Ram Air 400-cid V-8. There were options to upgrade the engine, but only 88 of the 3,196 original buyers added to the stock engine, showing that fans were happy with the power that the Ram Air 400-cid V-8 furnished.
Mercury Cougar Eliminator
This car was considered to be the “absolute zenith of the original muscle car era.” The 1969 and 1970 models showed the pique of their power, and after that, horsepower and compression ratios began to sink, and the car lost its luster. This car was then rebirthed into the known and loved 5.0 Mustang GT of 1982, which is more known and widely loved today.
Research journalist, Freelance writer, Managing Editor
Expertise: automotive content, trending topics.
Education: LeTourneau University, Bachelors of Science in Business Administration.
Over 400 articles and short news pieces published across the web.
Experience: Madison Cates is a journalist located in the great state of Texas. She began writing over eight years ago. Her first major research piece was published by the Journal of Business and Economics in 2018. After growing up in a household of eight brothers and a dad who was always restoring old Camaros, she naturally pivoted her freelance career into the automotive industry. There, she found her passion.
Her experience paved the way for her to work with multiple large corporations in automotive news and trending topics. Now, she now finds her home at Wealth of Geeks where she proudly serves as Managing Editor of Autos. Madison is always down to geek out over the latest beautiful cars on the market, and she enjoys providing her readers with tips to make car ownership easier and more enjoyable.