Top 10 Muscle Cars of All Time

American cars stand out for their power and style, they are cars designed to make you turn to look at them when they pass by. American sports cars have become authentic legends in the motoring world, with names that every automotive fanatic is capable of recognising. These are some of the best models out there.

American muscle cars are sports cars with enormous power. It is a purely North American car style, far from European and Asian designs and engines. These are true beasts of the road, designed for the wide and lonely American roads where the horizon seems to be infinite.

Finding a muscle car in Spain is somewhat complicated, since these cars are rarely sold outside the American market. However, from time to time it is possible to run into one of these wonders on our roads. These are imported cars, brought from the US by some automotive fanatic. 

However, on very few occasions it is possible to enjoy these vintage and classic American cars. For muscle car lovers, here are the ten best models of all time, based on our perspective.

1. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS454

For many, this is the best car in history. Immortalized in hundreds of movies and television series. It is the first muscle car of the legendary American car brand. What made this model popular and different was the V8, a gasoline engine with 7.5 liters and 456 hp, a real animal. How could it be otherwise, it was a very fast car, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 5 seconds.

2. 1965 Ford Shelby Mustang GT-350

Another iconic muscle car, the 1968 model is the car that Steve MacQueen drove in the movie “Bullitt”. A true beast of the road, the highest version of this car had a 4.7-liter V8 engine and 310 hp. In its first two years of life, Ford sold more than 2 million units of this icon.

3. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

Chevrolet’s Camaro Z/28 was the brand’s response to the tremendous success of Ford’s Shelby Mustang. This car had various design and engine alternatives. One of the best sellers was the top of the range, with a 6.5-liter V8 engine, with a total power of 380 hp.

4. 1964 Pontiac GTO

One of the first muscle cars in history. Although it looked like a tank on the outside, on the inside it was a rocket, with 8 V-cylinders inside a 6.4-liter engine, capable of defying police radar thanks to a maximum power of 353 hp, with which it could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5 with 7 seconds .

5. 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88

If the previous car was the father of muscle cars, the Oldsmobile could be its grandfather. It is one of the first models with a V-mounted 5.0-block 8-cylinder engine. Despite its imposing appearance and its engine, it only reached a maximum power of 140 hp.

6. 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

One of the least known muscle cars, partly due to the success of the Mustang. However, it is quite a beast. With a very American design, with a wide chassis and in-line headlights, it hid a 7-litre V8 engine, capable of going from 0 to 100 in less than 6 seconds, thanks to its 431 hp maximum power.

7. 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88

With a 7.0 liter V8 engine block and a maximum output of 436 hp, this car was a real beast. However, due to its low and narrow design, with aesthetics similar to those of Alfa Romeo or Jaguar , American fans considered that it was not a muscle car, since its appearance is that of a European sports car.

8. 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird

If this car sounds familiar to you, it is because Pixar artists were inspired by it to create Lightning McQueen, the protagonist of the movie “Cars” . The exterior design of the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird is inspired by the NASCAR cars of its time, which is why it sports a huge spoiler. Under the hood it has a 7.2-litre V8-cylinder engine with a total output of 380 hp. It was going from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 6 seconds.

9. 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat

A modern model that preserves the essence of classic muscle cars , but with the most modern technology, such as the car radio with USB. It reaches 100 km/h in less than 4 seconds, thanks to a maximum power of 717 CV, provided by a 6.2-liter V8 engine.

10. 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt

It was not originally a commercial car, but was developed as a racing prototype for Nascar. Like all muscle cars, it has an 8-cylinder V block, along with a 7-liter engine capable of generating up to 608 hp of maximum power.

Now that you know what the 10 best Muscle Cars in history are, don’t hesitate to take a picture with them if you ever come across them on the road.