Best American muscle cars of all time

Purists not tracing the era of muscle cars to the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 typically mark its beginning with the 1964 GTO. Skirting a General Motors ban against putting big engines — any engine larger than 330 cubic inches — into small cars, Pontiac sneaked a 389-cubic-inch V-8 into its Tempest as an option called the GTO in 1964, according to MotorTrend.com. Response was so huge that the car won over GM execs, paving the way for a stable of Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick and Pontiac muscle cars.

Because of its historic value, the 1965 version could represent GTO on this list, but 1967 marked the first full model year of availability of ram air through a functional hood scoop on the GTO. It was a 400-cubic-inch V-8, delivering 360 horsepower.

Forget the niceties. Plymouth wanted a bare-knuckle, muscle-car fighter.

With all the subtlety of a jar of nitroglycerin, the Plymouth Road Runner Hemi was pure explosive brawn. It’s one of the all-time great performance-car names. With a 425-horsepower, 426-cubic-inch Hemi V-8 engine, the Road Runner struck fear into the hearts of the Saturday night country-road, drag-racing crowd.

Before unleashing the first Road Runner in 1968, Plymouth licensed the Road Runner name and likeness from Warner Brothers. It went a step further in capitalizing on the cartoon character’s speedy image by developing a horn sound imitating the cartoon bird’s “beep-beep,” according to HowStuffWorks.com.

7 best American muscle cars of all time
Russ Heaps
June 15, 2017 in Auto
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1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429

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1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 | Ford

Ford

The Mustang Boss 429 is what you get when a carmaker needs to meet NASCAR regulations. Fewer than 1,400 were built between 1969 and 1970, making the Boss 429 a rare bird indeed.

Enjoying a big-dog reputation, the Boss 429 wasn’t a giant killer right out of the box. Its 429-cubic-inch V-8 engine delivered 375-horsepower, not shabby but dwarfed by others on this list.

What makes it truly notable is that it was basically hand-built. Because the engine wouldn’t fit in a standard Mustang without extensive modifications, Ford farmed out its assembly to Michigan-based Kar Kraft. In appearance, very little distinguished the Boss 429 other than a hood scoop and trunk-mounted spoiler.

Today’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is named for the legendary 1969 Camaro ZL1, and for good reason. With fewer than 70 ever built, the ’69 ZL1 not only had the most powerful Chevrolet engine offered to the public for decades, it’s the rarest production car Chevrolet ever made, bumping the price to $7,200, according to HowStuffWorks.com.

Based on Chevrolet’s iconic 427 V-8 engine, the ZL power plant had an aluminum block in place of the regular 427’s iron one — the first such Chevy production engine. Although it was officially rated at the regular 427’s 430 horsepower, most independent testers pegged the output as being much higher.

When Buick entered the muscle-car market, it was among the most luxurious of the brands, and some of the most powerful.

The GSX appearance package, first available for the 1970 Gran Sport 455, abandoned Buick’s traditional, more dignified branding with a rear spoiler and body striping. Of the 687 GSXs built, 488 were ordered with the Stage 1 upgrade, according to HowStuffWorks.com.

First appearing as an option on the 1965 Skylark (as well as the Riviera and Wildcat lines), Gran Sport became a separate nameplate in 1967. By 1970, a 455-cubic-inch V-8 engine powered the Gran Sport. It produced a hefty 510 pounds-foot of torque. Those with Stage 1 tuning and engine tweaks delivered 360 horsepower to the rear wheels. There were quicker competitors, but the GSX truly was unique.

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