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10 of the Best Classic Muscle Car Concepts Ever

Vukasin Herbez March 1, 2025

The muscle cars swept the American car public by storm in 1964 and made an everlasting mark on the global car landscape. Never before or since there was a class of vehicles so great, powerful, fast and obtainable. So, it is only natural that manufacturers developed and introduced numerous concept cars to show where the segment is headed. Some of the concept cars were pure design exercises and some did affect the production models. That is why we will present to you the most interesting classic muscle car concepts and prototypes.

1. Pontiac Banshee 1964

The Banshee I was the first in a long line of Pontiac concept cars that influenced production models. The first one to emerge in 1964 was extremely advanced with compact dimensions, a lightweight body, and a powerful engine. Pontiac conceived it as a “Mustang killer,” but GM was afraid that a sports coupe from Pontiac could affect Corvette sales and they canceled the project.

Most car fans think that’s too bad since the Banshee I had the potential to be a fantastic car. GM even incorporated several design clues into the next-generation Corvette. Today, both prototypes have survived, one silver coupe and one white convertible. We cannot help but ask what would happen if GM allowed Pontiac to build the Banshee and change the sports car history?

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2. AMC AMX/3

Everybody knows about the heroic Javelin and two-seater AMX muscle cars introduced in 1968. Encouraged by the success of Javelin and AMX, AMC management wanted to go further and attack the sports car market. They had the funds to do so but they didn`t have a starting point and very soon AMC hired renewed sports car creator and ex Ferrari engineer Giotto Bizzarrini and asked him to build them a modern sports car with a rear-engine, transaxle, and sleek body.

Bizzarrini did what he was asked to and even more and the AMX/3 prototype was capable of 170 mph, had world-class handling and sexy Italian styling. The power was provided by AMC`s 390 V8 engine with 340 HP. Despite the promising start, AMC realized that the finished product would cost somewhere around $12,000, significantly more than a similarly designed De Tomaso Pantera and almost double the price of the Corvette. Unfortunately but understandably, they decided to kill the fantastic AMX/3 after just 6 preproduction cars were built in 1.

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3. Dodge Charger III Concept

The success of the Charger inspired Chrysler`s designers to develop the idea of a Dodge performance model. The original Charger had power, performance, and countless racing wins but it was still a big, heavy and not very aerodynamic muscle machine. The 1968 Charger III concept was something very different.

The Charger III was no longer a muscle car, but a pure two-seater sports machine. It had compact dimensions, low profile, lightweight and several very unusual features. There were no conventional doors, but the whole top of the car opened and allowed access to the interior. The steering column tilted along with the steering wheel to make entry more comfortable. On the back of the car, there were massive airbrakes similar to the ones on the airplanes which deployed under heavy braking. The whole car was extremely futuristic and that doomed it from any real production.

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4. Ford Mustang Station Wagon Concept

When the Mustang was released in 1964, it became a worldwide hit and sold in a million examples in just a year and a half after the introduction. As with all popular cars, customizers started presenting their vision of Ford`s popular pony car and one of the notable custom creations was the Mustang station wagon.

Ford noticed the trend and in 1966 presented a prototype of a three-door, shooting brake-style station wagon loosely based on 1969 design. Ford`s managers saw the potential in a more roomy version of the Mustangs since the long roof didn`t affect the sleek profile and sporty appeal of the original design and also offered much more in terms of practicality and comfort.

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6. Shelby EXP 500 “Green Hornet”

During the Mustang`s heyday, Ford and Shelby worked hard to explore the possibilities and limits of the Mustang`s platform and engineering and produced several interesting prototypes. One of the most popular is the “Green Hornet” from 1968.

Although it wasn`t the only car, the Green Hornet featured the most innovative features like 390 V8 equipped with fuel injection, unique disc brakes on all four wheels, and independent rear suspension. With this layout, the Green Hornet was a very capable car that handled and stopped better than any other sports car on the market. Unfortunately, the cost of producing those features was too big and Ford and Shelby decided to go with more conventional technology.

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6. Ford Mustang Mach I Concept

This car was introduced during the 1966 Detroit car show and immediately became one of the most interesting models even though it was still just a prototype. The Mach I was the first sporty and muscle Mustang released and it showcased not only the 1967 redesign and sexy Fastback lines but also a new name which will be used in 1969.

With a chopped roof, square headlights, Plexiglas side windows with racing-style cut-outs, cool wheels and beautiful burgundy color, the Mach I was a muscle car Mustang at its finest and captured the imagination of car enthusiasts all around the globe. Even today, it is one great looking car.

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7. Ford Cougar II Concept

In the early `60s, Ford desperately wanted something to compete with Chevrolet`s Corvette and it looked it found just the car for that task in 1963. With the help of the Italian Vignale design studio, Ford`s engineers produced a very interesting and elegant prototype called Cougar II. This car was built on Shelby Cobra chassis with 260 V8 engine but featured a closed body, more luxury, better aerodynamics, and higher top speed.

Unfortunately, Ford decided to kill the project and concentrate on Mustang and Shelby products. The downside of Cougar II was the fact that its production was more costly and it looked too much like 1963 Corvette which Ford`s top brass wanted to avoid at all costs.

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8. Chevrolet Monza GT and Monza SS Concepts

Back in the early `60s, the Corvair was a hot car due to its unique mechanical layout, turbocharged boxer engine, and cool looks. Despite the fact it didn’t have the performance which could threaten some sports cars, the Corvair still had potential. So Chevrolet decided to introduce a Monza GT and Monza SS to further explore the Corvair concept.

Those cars were fully functional prototypes of a new sports car based on the Corvair platform. The GT was a closed model with an innovative opening roof and SS was the roadster. Both models had two seats, lightweight bodies, fantastic design, and great driving dynamics. However, Chevrolet decided that it doesn’t need another sports car in its lineup and decided to kill the project.

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9. Dodge Diamante Challenger Concept

Dodge maybe did come late to the pony car segment with the 1970 Challenger but immediately showed that they are there to stay since the Challenger was a great muscle car with iconic styling and a lineup of powerful engines. However, Dodge wanted more and wanted to see if the Challenger could be transformed into a sports car that could rival the Corvette.

That is why the Diamante concept car was born. This example started its life as a highly optioned Hemi convertible which was turned to Yellow Jacket show car but then Dodge took it back to the styling department and re-imagined it as Diamante. The car received a new front and rear end, two-seater interior, different turbine-style wheels, and an interesting Targa top. With 426 Hemi under the hood, the Diamante was fast and with the custom side, pipes exhaust it sounded awesome, too.

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10. Mercury El Gato Concept

Named after the Spanish word “el Gato” which means “a cat”, this concept vehicle from Mercury was based on Cougar and introduced in 1970. Mercury wanted to show the public that Cougar can be transformed into a special muscle car and added several unique touches like a chopped roof, special glass treatment and different rear end with unique wheels.

The El Gato was one of the favorite concept cars from the period mainly for its unique appearance and because it looked like something Mercury can produce. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and we believe that the car was destroyed like all other show cars from the period.

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