Muscle cars are steeped in automotive history. From the beginnings in the 60’s up to today, the sound and power they resonate rings loudly in the ears of car enthusiasts. Well, we put together a list of the best muscle cars that each decade put out.
1964 Pontiac GTO – Birth Of Muscle Cars
The GTO is revered as one of the greatest muscle cars to ever be produced. Well, not only is it one of the greatest, but it has the mark of being the first muscle car. In 1964, Pontiac is responsible for creating the iconic V8 coup design. Its big block 369 V8 could push over 300 horses. It was so powerful that it was the start of “affordable power”. These cars were a huge hit with the public and often gave the renowned Corvette a run for its money.
1971 Plymouth Barracuda
The Plymouth Barracuda is one of the most iconic and rarest of the muscle car lineup. Unfortunately, the 70s marked the decline for the muscle car. The 71 Cuda had a whopping 425 horsepower thanks to its Hemi engine. To this day it remains as one of the most sought after muscle cars in existence.
1987 Buick GNX
The Buick GNX was something of an oddity in the late 80s. While muscle culture declined in the 70s due to the oil embargo, many consumers went for more cost-efficient and gas-friendly vehicles. Buick wanted to give something back to the car buyers looking for power. In 1987, they released just over 500 production models of the GNX. It moved away from the big-block V8’s that dominated the scene and replaced it with a twin-turbo V6. Still even with a smaller engine, it was still able to outrun Porsche and Ferraris of the time.
1994 Chevy Corvette ZR1
The Corvette was king of 90s sports cars. The vehicle has always been the front line for American sport, but the 90s saw the king revolutionize the industry. With an LT4 V8 with 405 hp under the hood, there was no stopping the thing from taking flight.
2009 Dodge Challenger SRT-8 – Muscle Cars Rebirth
The tail-end of the early 2000s saw a revolution for the muscle car industry. With the redesign of the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro being hot to the scene thanks to the film “Transformers” Dodge had to roll out their own line of suped-up powerhouse vehicles. The Challenger was brought back from the dead after a long wait. With a 425hp V8, Dodge wanted to have more muscle than Venice Beach.
2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
The 2017 Camaro had way more going for it than expected. The concept took a standard, bare-bones powerhouse to an ultimate sports car. With everything revamped including the handling and suspension, the Camaro quickly became a rival for many European sports cars.
Muscle Cars Continue To Perform
The sky is the limit for fast, powerful engines. With technology advancing faster by the minute, it will be impressive to see what is in store or the future of America heavy hitters.
