This article serves as a buyer's guide for anyone searching for a classic muscle car. It will cover the top models of muscle cars, as well as tips on what to look for before making a muscle project car purchase.
The Top 10 Classic Muscle Cars of All Time
There are many classic muscle cars—limiting it to the 10 best is a tough task. All of the cars below were from the 1960s and early 1970s. They debuted at cheap prices, but finding one now with original specifications and equipment can make the car sell for nearly one hundred times more than the original price. Here are the top 10 classic muscle cars of all time, in no particular order.
- Buick GSX Stage 1. This car only came in two colors, white and yellow. The car was known for its power and was supposed to get 360 horsepower, although some claimed it got up past 400. It was so fast that it could go a quarter of a mile in less than 15 seconds.
- Plymouth Hemi-Cuda. This was a Barracuda with a hemi engine, which had 425 horsepower. This car was quite the behemoth on the road with its hemi engine. It could go from 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds, which some modern cars can't even match.
- Z28 Camaro. This car was one of the best of its time with handling and power steering. It could go a quarter of a mile in 15 seconds, but it wasn't known for its power. It is known as one of the most stylish muscle cars out there.
- Ford Mustang Boss 429. The Mustang has to appear on a list of this magnitude. It was the most expensive Ford out there, with the exception of the Shelby. It had a hemi engine, perfect for racing
- Pontiac GTO. This was one of the first muscle cars out there, and even may have started the trend. It wasn't the most powerful, the fastest, but it did lay the foundation for muscle cars to come. It also had racing qualities that made it an attractive option.
- L88 Corvette. Another staple on a muscle car list, the Corvette had a top speed of 170 miles per hour. It had a 550 horsepower motor, something never seen before. GM was scared of the car that it didn't even want to put it on the road. Because of this, they took away some features like air conditioning so that it was not as good an option for everyday people. The car should only have been used to race, but of course, some got onto the open road.
- ZL1 Camaro. This may be one of the rarest muscle cars ever built. It also featured a 500+ horsepower V8 engine. It was so fast in its acceleration that it was great for drag racing.
- 427 COPO Chevelle. There were less than 400 of these bad boys made. It had a 450 horsepower V8 engine.
- 454 Chevelle S. This was one of the most powerful stock cars out there. It had 450+ horsepower with a sports package. The car was designed excellently and fitted with racing stripes.
- Shelby Cobra. The Cobra is the most recognizable and expensive car from the muscle car era. These cars today can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It was a convertible with 480 horsepower. It had European looks and American power all in one car.