Muscle cars are a long-standing American tradition. Over the years, every major auto maker sought to grab a piece of this market. Here are some interesting facts about some great muscle cars.
1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
The Shelby Mustangs are the most sought after classic muscle car in America. The 1967 and 1968 models are the most coveted and command the highest values. The 1965 and 1966 were excellent muscle cars as well, but the latter two years were the favorite for drag racing which made the muscle car famous.
1984 Chevy Corvette
The venerable 84 'vette was Chevy's first modern version muscle car. The car was so well planned that Chevy skipped the 1983 model year. The buildup was met with the 1984 Corvette. Everything in the mid-eighties was made in response to the modern era.
1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
The racing version of this car was so fast that it was eventually banned by NASCAR. It's telltale two foot tall wing was made so that the trunk could open. The aerodynamics could have been achieved with a much lower wing.
1970 Oldsmobile 442
This Oldsmobile venture into the muscle car market has a four barrel carburetor with a four-speed manual transmission and dual exhaust, hence the name 442. The 1970 model featured a 455 cubic inch Chevy V8 big block.
1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Fueled by the Smokey and the Bandit craze, the 1978 Trans Am upped the ante with twenty more horsepower. This gave the Trans Am a complete 220 horsepower. This was a lot of juice for the time period. The Pontiac version of the T-tops were introduced midway through the 1978 season.
1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
At auction, these Mustangs can fetch a quarter million dollars. Because it took regular sales of 500 cars to qualify for NASCAR, Ford brought forth the Boss to qualify in 1969. However, the cars had many problems both in manufacturing and in street performance.
1970 Chevy Chevelle LS6
The LS6 was a veritable monster. This car cranked a mindboggling 450 horsepower. However, it is said that the car actually cranked the full 500. In 1970, this car could reach 60 miles per hour in five and a half seconds.
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
These are the rarest of the Pontiac GTOs. An even rarer version of the Judge is the 1969 convertible. In 1969, only five were manufactured. They were called the Judge Ram Air IV.
1969 COPO Camaro
This version is rare because as a fleet car, they were slated for mass production, but some versions of their motors were aluminum. Of these, only 69 were ever made. At auction, these rare aluminum block versions can command a little less than half a million dollars.
1987 Buick GNX
The GNX is not a Grand National, but it is heavily based on the Grand National in that it features a turbocharged V-6. Like the Grand National, it is based on a Regal Coupe. This car could reach 60mph in four and a half seconds.
1963 Impala Z11 427
The Z11 was the performance package for the 1963 Impala. The added horsepower came from a stroked crank and among other add-ons, a two piece aluminum intake manifold with dual quads.
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner
The greatest thing about Roadrunners is that they were priced at a level that the average Joe could afford. This is the ride that gave muscle cars their street credibility.
