The muscle cars started with the mantra “the big V8 in a lightweight body,” but very soon, Detroit discovered that customers wanted a bit of luxury, prestige, and performance. Although this raised the price of the cars, there were still enough customers who wished to upgrade to cars with impressive firepower under the hood. And that is how the luxury muscle cars were created. Today, we’ll bring you the 10 most characteristic examples.
1. Chrysler 300 “Letter Series”
Even before muscle cars, Chrysler produced a series of high-performance coupes and convertibles that delivered unbelievable performance and unmistakable style. The model was called 300, followed by letters of the alphabet, with the C300 being the first model in 1955. Known as the Letter Series, those upscale cruisers were some of the fastest and most powerful models produced between 1955 and 1965 when the series was discontinued.
During its 10-year production run, Chrysler made very few of these cars, often fewer than 1000 examples per model year. This means 300 Letter Series cars are very expensive and sought after, and they are hard to restore since parts are scarce.
2. Plymouth GTX
The GTX (Grand Turismo Exterminator) isn’t exactly a forgotten model, but it hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves in muscle car history. This model was based on the same platform as the Coronet or the Roadrunner, but it was much more luxurious and had 375 hp as standard. Plymouth wanted the GTX to compete with the luxury cars of the period, so it installed almost all possible creature comforts along with some special trim on the outside to distinguish it from the rest of the model lineup.
The GTX was a gentleman’s hot rod with all the options, a nice interior, and exterior details. However, because it was significantly more expensive than the rest of the Mopar muscle car lineup, it was never that popular, and it is pretty rare today.
3. Buick Riviera GS
Performance-oriented buyers didn’t want big and heavy domestic coupes that had the power but didn’t provide the handling or feel of a sports car. So, in 1963, the Buick Riviera was presented, and it immediately became one of the most interesting cars on the American market at the time.
But Buick wanted more, and the company introduced the legendary Riviera Grand Sport, or GS, in 1965. The car featured a revised suspension, a bigger 425 engine, and a host of other performance upgrades. In this version, the Rivera was an actual world-class automobile with 360 hp and acceleration times of 7.9 seconds, better than most of the sports cars of the period.
4. Mercury Cougar
The Cougar was built on the Mustang platform but stretched a couple of inches to add comfort and improve ride quality. It was also available with V8 engines only. The body panels were all totally unique, as was the front fascia with hidden headlights. Mercury offered a wood-trimmed dash, leather seats, and all kinds of creature comforts in the interior.
Some could say that the Cougar was just a luxury Mustang, but in reality, it was an independent model and a pretty successful car in its own right. The ultimate version, perfectly combined muscle car power and luxury, was the mighty Cougar XR-7. This model had the 390 V8 engine with 320 hp, and buyers could also opt for the GT package, which included beefed-up suspension, stronger brakes, and steering.
5. Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Built on the modified Chevelle platform, the Monte Carlo was a handsome coupe-only car with V8 engines, a nice interior, and decent performance. Although most Monte Carlos came with smaller V8 engines, which were bought by people who concentrated on the luxury aspect of this model, there was one crazy muscle option in the form of the SS 454 package.
This version was a true luxury beast with a monstrous 7.4-liter V8 engine that pumped 360 hp and propelled the heavy Monte Carlo to an excellent 0 to 60 mph. Buyers could get this trim level for just $420 above the base price, transforming this coupe from a somewhat lazy cruiser to a quarter-mile beast.
6. Studebaker Avanti R2
Before this legendary brand left the market, it produced one interesting and sought-after luxury model with muscle car credentials—the Studebaker Avanti R2. The innovative design, construction, and technology were exciting, and the car received praise from the motoring press. The base version was not very powerful, but soon, Studebaker introduced a supercharged R2 option that delivered 289 hp.
The R2 version couldn’t be had with an automatic transmission; only a close-ratio manual gearbox and air conditioning were not available. Besides that, many performance upgrades were included, and the Avanti became a fast machine. The R2 model even broke 28 world speed records, achieving a top speed of 170 mph, a big deal in 1963.
7. Pontiac Grand Prix SJ
The Grand Prix was a personal luxury coupe introduced in 1962 in a coupe body style with powerful engines and a long list of options. However, with the restyling of the Grand Prix for the 1969 model year, there was a chance to introduce trim packages that would transform this comfy cruiser into a real muscle car, and Pontiac jumped at the opportunity.
First, there was a cool-looking new design with a long hood and short rear end and a very interesting and driver-oriented dashboard. The 1969 Grand Prix stood out from the competitors, and sales immediately jumped. Second, a very cool trim option called SJ featured a high-output 428 V8 engine that delivered 390 hp and several other performance options.
8. Ford 7-Litre
The story started in the mid-’60s when Ford introduced a new engine with 428 CID (7.0 liters), an evolution of their venerable FE block. At the same time, Chevrolet had a successful Impala SS model, which featured a 427 V8 engine, and Ford wanted to compete with it. But Ford had a different vision. If Chevrolet produced the Impala SS as a pretty mundane car, Ford would produce its model as an upscale coupe or convertible, emphasizing luxury and exclusivity.
Under the hood was the 428 V8 with a respectable 345 hp, which delivered a pretty convincing performance. However, the 7-Litre’s equipment is also very interesting since Ford put everything they had into this car. In 1966, little over 11,000 7-litre cars were produced, so good luck finding one.
9. Mercury Marauder X100
Imagined as a luxury coupe, the Marauder had a fresh design with interesting features like concealed headlights, a massive front end, and a sloping rear end with concave rear glass. It was a big, heavy car for cruising rather than street racing.
However, Mercury needed something to fight the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Riviera GS, and knew they needed to upgrade the Marauder to a higher spec if they wanted a piece of the action. So, the Marauder X100 was introduced. Behind the strange name was a regular 1969 Marauder with a 429 V8 engine with 360 hp, bucket seats, heavy-duty suspension, black-out rear trim, and fender skirts. Mercury made just over 8000.
10. Buick Wildcat
Introduced in 1962, the Buick Wildcat was one of the first personal luxury coupes with a performance-tuned engine and other go-fast options. Of course, since it was a Buick product, the luxury appointments and upscale options were guaranteed.
The Wildcat was a separate model available as a regular four-door hardtop, two-door coupe, or convertible. Under the hood was always a powerful V8 from the top of Buick’s engine lineup. Our favorite year is 1967, when the Wildcat was offered the mighty 430 V8 engine, which produced 360 hp. This kind of power in an unassuming sedan or coupe was unheard of at the time, and it provided excellent performance and exclusivity to the owners.