When the original muscle car craze swept the American car industry in the 1960s and early 1970s, practically every brand had at least one performance contender in their lineup. This brought a wealth of fast and exciting models and created the best enthusiast-oriented car class ever made. Unfortunately, many brands that created muscle car history are discontinued for various reasons. But this doesn’t mean that those cars are forgotten, and here are the 10 coolest muscle cars from brands that don’t exist anymore.
1. AMC Rebel Machine
Based on the SC/Rambler model of 1969, AMC presented the Machine in 1970 with the same mechanics but more power (345 HP) and more performance-oriented options. It had a cool name, a patriotic color scheme, a Ram Air induction hood, and a 0-60 time of fewer than 6 seconds.
This made it a reasonable choice for any street racer back in the day, which is why it was more popular with buyers. However, it was still produced in limited numbers, and AMC made over 2326 interesting machines.
2. Plymouth Roadrunner
When it first appeared in 1968, the Plymouth Roadrunner proved to be a very influential and essential muscle car. Not only did it introduce the new trend of inexpensive and fun vehicles, but it was also a strong seller, which affected the whole segment. The entire idea behind the Roadrunner was simple. Present a low-priced but powerful model and attract people with a limited budget but a strong need for performance.
The Roadrunner had a bench seat, no luxury options, and manual steering, but it came with the powerful 383 V8 as the base engine. Buyers could also opt for the 440 or the mythical Hemi 426. In 1969, the Roadrunner got a convertible option for those buyers who wanted an open-air driving feel, but most Roadrunners produced were two-door hard tops.
3. Oldsmobile Rally 350
In an attempt to combat tightening regulations that were destroying the muscle car class, Oldsmobile introduced a bright yellow Rally 350 model. It was a clever way to avoid high insurance premiums with smaller but still powerful 350 V8 engines with 310 bhp. This model was basically a 442 muscle car but with a smaller engine and lower price.
The most interesting feature was bright yellow paint and yellow bumpers, spoilers, and wheel inserts. It looked like somebody dropped the Oldsmobile Cutlass in a tank of bright yellow paint. However, despite the clever engineering, Rally 350 wasn’t a big success on the market, and only 3547 examples were built in 1970.
4. Plymouth Superbird
As one of the craziest muscle cars ever produced, Plymouth has one of the most recognizable graphics packages ever presented to the general public. The Superbird attempted to win the famous Aero Wars in the late ’60s to early ’70s NASCAR championship. Plymouth built just under 2000 road-going Superbirds to homologate the car for racing and sold them all over America.
The car was based on the Roadrunner, and it came with a 440 V8 as standard and a 426 Hemi as the only engine option. However, Plymouth installed a nose cone, hideaway headlights, and an enormous spoiler on the back to make it as aerodynamically efficient as possible.
5. Mercury Cougar Eliminator
Despite being a twin brother to the Mustang, the Mercury Cougar gained a cult following and managed to create its name in the late ’60s. But for 1970, the muscle car wars, Mercury had something special—a Coug—the Eliminator. The Cougar Eliminator was top-of-the-line with several interesting engine choices.
You could get a Boss 302 engine, a high-revving 5.0-liter V8, a 351 Cleveland, or a 428 Cobra Jet. If you compare this model to the Mustang range, you could say that the Eliminator was a cross between a Boss 302 and a Mach I Mustang. However, the Cougar was slightly longer than the Mustang and had slightly better handling and comfort.
6. Plymouth AAR Cuda
The 1970 model year was undeniably the pinnacle year for classic muscle cars. Never before or since have there been so many muscle cars and memorable and sought-after machines on offer. One of the most interesting 1970 Barracudas was the rare AAR ‘Cuda. The AAR Cuda was a limited production model to commemorate Dan Gurney’s All-American Racing team, which used ‘Cudas in the Trans Am championship.
It came with a 340 V8 small block, a unique plastic hood in matte black paint with a hood scoop, a rear spoiler, and exciting side graphics, which included a big AAR logo. This version was more expensive than the regular 340 ‘Cuda, so only 2724 were made.
7. Pontiac GTO
Pontiac had much success on drag strips all across America and little by little; the performance aspect became a powerful marketing tool since a new generation of buyers wanted powerful and fast cars. Pontiac wanted to capitalize on its success, but the company was reluctant to invest in a sports car built from scratch, and all its production models were big and heavy vehicles.
The result was the Tempest GTO, which was called an option on the Tempest intermediate model. For just $295, buyers would get a high-performance 396 V8 with 325 HP in standard or 348 HP in the famous Tri Power form. The package also included a manual transmission, unique trim, GTO decals, and dual exhausts. Since the car was light, the Tempest GTO had a pretty convincing performance, and in 1964, it was one of the quickest American cars on the market.
8. Plymouth Barracuda Hemi
Two of the biggest Chrysler legends from the classic days of muscle car culture are the Barracuda and the 426 Hemi engine. Throughout the ’60s, those industry icons didn’t mix, at least not in street-legal cars. In 1970, Plymouth offered this legendary engine in the Barracuda body style, immediately creating one of the fastest and most desirable muscle cars ever made.
The mighty Hemi engine was an expensive top-of-the-line option for 1970 and 1971, available in coupe or convertible form. It cost around $900 more than the standard Barracuda, and it was installed in just about 600 coupes and only 17 convertibles during a two-year production period. The power was rated at 425 hp, but everybody knew the orange monster delivered more than 500 hp straight from the box.
9. Pontiac Trans Am 455
1971 was the last true muscle car model year in which buyers could get high-powered and legendary engines. Just a year later, in 1972, the horsepower ratings decreased. But the biggest news for the Firebird/Trans Am lineup was the introduction of the mighty 455 V8, the biggest engine ever to appear in this model.
The 455 V8 had 335 HP, but muscle car enthusiasts argue that the number was underrated and conservative since even with higher compression in the Trans Am H.O. version, that 455 V8 had the exact horsepower figure. The actual output was closer to 400 HP, with corresponding performance and top speed.
10. AMC AMX
AMC was an economy car manufacturer from the beginning to the end. To survive in the market, it was very active in producing new models and exploring new concepts in the American market. One of those interesting and innovative models was the AMC AMX. In 1968, AMC decided to enter the muscle market and introduced two new performance models: Javelin and AMX.
Despite being similar in technology and design, AMX was a two-seater model, the only two-seater on the US market other than the Corvette. With a shorter wheelbase, a 390 V8 engine with 360 hp, many go-fast options, and a reasonable price, the AMC AMX was an exciting and capable muscle car.