The Author of this opinion is James Tate who cut his teeth in the business as a race team crew member before moving to the editorial side as Senior Editor of Sport Compact Car, and his work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Automobile, Motor Trend and European Car.
#1. 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
6,272 votes, 17 percent of the vote
The GT500 was basically a factory-authorized tuner Mustang created by Carroll Shelby. Introduced in 1967, the GT500 joined the GT350 on showroom floors and offered a 428-cubic-inch Police Interceptor engine with a conservatively rated 355 horsepower. Despite the larger engine, it was actually designed to be a more usable road-going vehicle than the lighter, race-ready GT350. Because of this, and its negligible premium over the GT350, the GT500 was an instant hit, just as it remains to this day.
#2. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427
5,540 votes, 15 percent of the vote
Although not purely American, the 427 Cobra is one of the best-known muscle cars ever made. Based on a lightweight British AC Ace roadster, the Cobra was the brainchild of automotive legend Carroll Shelby, and it was essentially created by shoehorning a mammoth Ford 427 engine under the AC's hood. The end result was a frighteningly fast roadster that was also tremendously successful on the track. Today, top examples of these cars command incredible figures at auction houses worldwide.
#3. 1969 Z28 Chevy Camaro
5,471 votes, 14 percent of the vote
The first-generation Chevrolet Camaro is guaranteed to stir emotion in the hearts of enthusiasts. In Z28 guise, the '69 Camaro had a small-block 302-cubic-inch engine designed for Trans-Am racing; it was officially rated at 290 horsepower, though its true influence was known to be much more. It also featured F41 sport suspension, standard front disc brakes and a Muncie 4-speed gearbox. It wasn't the biggest, fastest monster on the street, but overall, it was a great package and left little to be desired.
#4. 1970 Chevelle 454 SS
5,146 votes, 13 percent of the vote
No matter how you cut it, 454 cubic inches — roughly 7.4 liters — is a whole lot of engine, and it made for outrageous power in the 1970 Chevelle 454 SS. While its base power was already impressive at 360 horses, the LS6 upgrade made for an easy leap to a totally bonkers 450 ponies. This car, and the engine it held, basically represented the limit of the muscle-car power wars, and it is still the highest-output production car to date.
#5. 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda
4,208 votes, 11 percent of the vote
Fully redesigned for 1970, the Plymouth Barracuda was offered with no less than five high-powered V8 engines, although the awe-inspiring 426 Hemi was undeniably top dog, pounding out a crushing 425 horsepower. While its nose-heavy weight distribution made for questionable handling, no one was laughing when it came time for the Hemi 'Cuda to rip down the quarter-mile in the low 13-second range.