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20 Classic Mopar Muscle Cars Still Worth Buying (And 5 To Avoid)

Cameron Eittreim March 18, 2022

Mopar is the performance division of the Chrysler Corporation and has been instrumental in creating some of the most impressive muscle cars in history. Without Mopar, we might not have cars like the Dodge Challenger, Plymouth Superbird, or even the Dodge Daytona. Even though the Chrysler Corporation has fallen on hard times throughout automotive history, the Mopar brand name has been synonymous with Chrysler as a whole.

Mopar is a familiar face when you think of Chrysler vehicles, and to enthusiasts of the brand, there is no better option for performance. Mopar has also been an instrumental part of the Chrysler corporation, being the brand name of everything from Chrysler parts and services to special models. We looked at 20 classic Mopar muscle cars that have stood the test of time and five that you should avoid at all costs.

1967 Plymouth GTX
Photo Credit: Hot Rod

25: Plymouth GTX

Ever heard of a Plymouth GTX? Probably not as a common muscle car model, but as one of the most iconic nameplates of all time. The Grand Turismo Exterminator or GTX never got the attention that other muscle cars, such as the Coronet or the Roadrunner, received. However, it could hold its own on the track well (via Hagerty).

1967 Plymouth GTX
Photo Credit: Hot Rod

With 375 HP at the wheels standard, the GTX was far more than your average muscle car. The styling was better looking than a lot of cars from this period, and the performance was above average. Nowadays, the GTX has become a coveted collector’s item in a world of overpriced muscle cars.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

24: Plymouth Cricket

Ever heard of the Cricket? Probably not, as it wasn’t the most popular model at the time of its release. Gas prices continued skyrocketing around the time this car was released, and Chrysler needed to compete with a new onslaught of competitors. The compact car had some respectable performance and a noteworthy design (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

You’ll seldom ever see a cricket on the road nowadays, and there are good reasons for that. The car didn’t sell very well, and it wasn’t the most reliable thing on the road. But with the right add-ons and some Mopar magic, you can have a pretty unique little sports car. The Cricket might be one of the most underrated car models on the road.

Photo Credit: Magnum GT

23: Dodge Magnum

The Magnum was a wagon model that flopped in the mid-2000s, but there was a muscle car model that dates back to the 1970s. Produced from 1978 to 1979, the Magnum was a respectable muscle car. The original Magnum was marketed as a personal luxury coupe, and it was spread out on a 114.9-inch wheelbase (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Mopar Madness

The B-Platform, which the Magnum was based on, was not a great seller for Chrysler. The car was marketed as a personal luxury coupe, and it competed against the likes of the Monte Carlo. While the Magnum wasn’t a great seller the first time around, it provided a decent platform for the current generation of muscle car enthusiasts to embrace.

Photo Credit: Jay Leno’s Garage

22: Imperial

The big and bold Chrysler Imperial was not the first luxurious Chrysler to be marketed to the masses, but it was one of the most well-known. The platform was built on a separate design from the other large coupes coming out at the time. The interior was luxurious, but the styling of the Imperial was not well-received (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Jay Leno’s Garage

Chrysler was on a downward spiral around this time, and the Imperial was a last-ditch effort by the company to reinvigorate sales. Nowadays, the Imperial has become highly sought after in the muscle car world. The platform is easy to build on, and there is a large after-market community that offers support and parts.

Plymouth Volare
Photo Credit: Car Gurus

21: Plymouth Volare Roadrunner

Although it’s not even a thing anymore, there was a time when the Plymouth brand was a focal point of the Chrysler Corporation. But due to bad product planning and a changing automotive landscape, the Plymouth brand all but vanished by 2001. Still, some of the most impressive Mopar muscle has come from the Plymouth brand (via Hagerty).

Plymouth Volare
Photo Credit: Car and Driver

The Plymouth Volare Roadrunner was a specialty model released in the 1970s. The styling was in-line with the rest of the Plymouth line at the time. The power plant was a V8 engine, and it had reasonable horsepower for the price. The Volare Roadrunner didn’t sell well at its inception but has since become a unique collector’s item.

Photo Credit: Car Domain

20: Dodge Aspen R/T

The most recent Chrysler Corporation model to bear the Aspen nameplate was a rebadged Dodge Durango. But there was a time when the Aspen nameplate was marketed as a muscle car. The Aspen R/T looked like a muscle car, and it offered a unique style that wasn’t seen in the automotive industry at the time (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Car Domain

The 360 V8 engine with 170 HP was a great power plant, offering decent performance and fuel economy. The sales of the Aspen R/T weren’t the best at the time, but in recent years the muscle car bubble has driven the resale value through the roof. The Aspen R/T is a great example of Mopar muscle done right.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

19: 1963 Dodge 330 Ramcharger

The Ramcharger nameplates are something that was sold throughout the 1980s and early 1990s as an SUV model. But earlier than that, it was also one of the first muscle cars released under the Mopar performance idea. The 413 Max Wedge motor was a great starting point, and it gave the 330 Ramcharger the performance it needed (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

There was 425 HP as standard equipment and it was one of the most reliable Chrysler powerplants on the market. The 330 Ramcharger sold well, and the styling was better than other Chrysler models on the market. Nowadays, the 330 Ramcharger is a rarity, and if you find one, it is a pretty special catch.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

18: 1965 Dodge Coronet

The Dodge Coronet was sold as a police car for most of the 1970s and 1980s. That is only one side of the story, though, because the Coronet was also a capable muscle car model sold for a period. The Coronet was a lightweight car, and that meant the platform was perfect for budding hot rod builders and Mopar enthusiasts (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The lightweight rear-wheel-drive design of the car allowed it to perform exceptionally well on the track. Chrysler had a string of victories in the racing world thanks to the Coronet, and the consumer side of things went well too. In recent years, the Coronet has become a hidden gem in the Mopar world.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

17: Plymouth Belvedere

Also sharing its platform with the Dodge Coronet, the Plymouth Belvedere had a successful run on the racing circuit. The Plymouth brand and Mopar had already become well known in the racing world thanks to Richard Petty, but the Belvedere just helped things along. The lightweight design that the car shared with the Coronet made it an exceptional offering (via Hagerty).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The styling was an excellent feature and one of the pluses of the platform. The standard V8 engines are easy to modify and maintain, which is why police agencies loved these cars. The Plymouth Belvedere didn’t sell nearly as well as the Dodge Coronet, but that has helped the car maintain a bit of mystique in the automotive world.

Photo Credit: Car Domain

16: 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Hemi

If you notice there are many Plymouths here, it’s because the Mopar brand was an instrumental part of the muscle car industry. The 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Hemi is just one example of a great car that has been on an uptick in value. The 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Hemi had the legendary Mopar power plant under the hood and the styling to match (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Car Domain

The Barracuda name is synonymous with Plymouth, and if you got the car in the special-edition purple paint job, you were in for something special. The Barracuda has steadily increased in value over the last two decades. With excellent styling and a massive aftermarket community, you can’t go wrong with this Mopar car.

Photo Credit: Mecum

15: Chrysler New Yorker

The New Yorker name is synonyms with the Chrysler brand, but did you know that the car was also a muscle car? The New Yorker came with a powerful standard motor, and thanks to the unique styling, it stood out from the crowd. In the last two decades, the New Yorker has become a hot commodity thanks to the great styling and ease of modification (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Mecum

The original New Yorker model was also a big part of early endurance racing, and once raced for 24 hours at 118MPH. Not bad for a car released over sixty years ago. Updating the New Yorker is not difficult either, and there are many modern powerplants that you can install in the car.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

14: Chrysler C-300

The Chrysler 300 is one of the most popular nameplates in the world but it didn’t just start with the current model. The 300 model name has been around for decades in one form or another and comes from a long line of cars. The C-300 was a unique car that stayed in production for 10 years and introduced the world to the Chrysler lettering used in brand names (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

It was available with a 331 V8 Hemi engine and came in a variety of body styles including coupe and convertible. The model proved to be an excellent seller for the company, which is why we still see the model name to this day. When it comes to a great platform and you can hot rod, the Chrysler C-300 should not be understated.

1958 Plymouth Fury, Christine
Photo Credit: Motorious

13: Plymouth Fury

The Plymouth Fury rose to fame in the movie Christine, which was a movie about a possessed car. But outside of that horror flick, the Fury was also a powerful car that offered a great deal of value for the price. The 305 HP engine handled business well and did a great job motivating the rather large sedan and coupe models (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

Although this V8 wasn’t a Hemi, it did a great job of powering the car, offering ample performance for the price. There are very few models that have come after the Fury that could offer this type of style and price. In recent years, the Fury has experienced a resurgence and finding one isn’t an easy task.

Photo Credit: Mecum

12: Dodge Dart 413 Max Wedge

The Dodge Dart has always been a controversial nameplate. The most recent Dart model was a commercial flop that the company invested a billion dollars to design and build. The original Dodge Dart 413 Max Wedge, on the other hand, was an excellent performance car. The tried and true formula of a lightweight design coupled with a V8 engine has never failed (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The Dodge Dart 413 Max Wedge also had a successful run in the automotive racing circuit, which is why the car has managed to cultivate a following. The design and the standard engine were the perfect combination for performance. This is perhaps one of the rarest Dart models that you can find, but it is worth every penny.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

11: Dodge Charger

The original Charger was much different than the sedan we see nowadays. The car was based on the Chrysler B-Class and offered a fairly unique design. The Hemi V8 engine motivated the car with authority, and the muscle car revolution was in full swing. The Charger’s design was sleek and sporty simultaneously (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

There were many options to choose from, and the Charger had some unique paint jobs to choose from. Performance derived from the Hemi V8 engine, and it did an excellent job on the track or in city driving. The Charger was a gas hog and brand would suffer when gas prices began to rise in the 1970s.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

10: Dodge Hemi Dart LO23 Super Stock

Right before high gas prices ruined the muscle car segment, there were some unique options. One of which was the Dodge Hemi Dart LO23 Super Stock, a modern race car consumers could purchase. The most obvious improvement to this incarnation of the Dart was the Hemi V8 engine under the hood (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The Dodge Hemi Dart LO23 Super Stock was one of the smallest production models sold by Dodge at the time. Because of the street racing heritage, the Dodge Hemi Dart LO23 Super Stock was incredibly popular with enthusiasts. Nowadays, this is definitely one of the rarest Dart models on the market.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

9: Dodge Coronet Super Bee

The Coronet was a massively popular car platform, especially with police agencies and hot rod enthusiasts. But there were also a few special editions of the car worth noting. The Dodge Coronet Super Bee is among the first and most notable options that came along during the muscle car era (via Autowise).

Dodge Coronet - Dodge Super Bee
Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The Coronet Super Bee was a popular model and showed what the car could do with a little work. The Coronet Super Bee is by far one of the rarest Coronet models released. Its design was excellent, and the style has managed to hang on even by today’s muscle car standards.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

8: Dodge Charger Daytona

The Charger itself was one of the most influential muscle cars of the decade. The car had success in the NASCAR circuit, which is how the Daytona model originated. After a long stretch of wins, Dodge decided to release a production version of the Daytona, which took design elements from the racing circuit (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The 440 V8 was the standard engine on these models, and there were a limited run of 70 models that came with the 426 Hemi. The stock configuration of the Dodge Charger Daytona was impressive enough that enthusiasts flocked to the car. Even to this day, a stock Charger Daytona is an excellent muscle car.

1970 Plymouth Superbird
Photo Credit: Hot Rod

7: Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird

The Plymouth brand brought many unique muscle car models to the market. The brand also had a successful run in NASCAR. The Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird was a production version of the successful NASCAR model that won championship after championship (via Autowise).

1970 Plymouth Superbird
Photo Credit: Hot Rod

With engineering pioneered by Richard Petty, the Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird was among one of the most influential cars on the road. To this day, the Plymouth Roadrunner Superbird is one of the most sought after muscle cars on the road.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

6: Plymouth Cuda AAR

The 1970s were a crucial time for the muscle car segment, and Plymouth offered models left and right. The Plymouth Cuda AAR was essentially a production race car, a lightweight design with many unique features. The 340 V8 small block that came equipped was one of the most popular engines Chrysler offered at the time (via Autowise).

Photo Credit: Edmunds

There were 2,724 of these that were made altogether. It wasn’t a large production run, which has made the Cuda AAR rare. There were unique features, like a matte black hood, that made the car a unique option for a muscle car. The Plymouth Cuda AAR is a rarity in the muscle car world, but it is worth considering.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

5: Chrysler 300 Hurst (Avoid)

The Chrysler 300 Hurst is one of the lesser known muscle cars that has come out from the Chrysler brand. There were some great characteristics about the 300 Hurst that made it a unique option. The 440 V8 engine with 395 HP was a decent powerplant but the execution wasn’t there when it came to the finished product (via Road Kill Customs).

Chrysler 300 - Chrysler
Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The styling of the Chrysler 300 Hurst was a mix between a luxury car and a muscle car, which didn’t make for a great combination. The production numbers of this car were very low, and thus finding one is a challenge. There are much better options that you can find in this price range and built on this platform.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

4: Plymouth Duster 340 (Avoid)

There were many Duster models released during the muscle car era. The Plymouth Duster 340 should be avoided. The cheap build quality and design of the car made it a lethargic offering. This was at a time when the fuel crisis of the 1970s was in full swing, and gas prices were soaring (via Road Kill Customs).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The engine ended up a lot smaller than previous models, and it was only rated at 275 HP. They dubbed this model a “junior” muscle car. Many automakers were trying to capitalize on the higher cost of fuel by selling smaller models. The Duster 340 took this philosophy and applied it to a production model, although the sales weren’t worth noting.

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

3: Plymouth Fury GT (Avoid)

The Plymouth Fury was a large two-door coupe that sold during the height of the muscle car era. Plymouth didn’t name the car a muscle car, but the targeted buyers were in the market for a muscle car. Performance was derived from the 440 V8, which was mated to a 727 Torqueflite automatic (via Road Kill Customs).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The Fury is not one of the most popular coupes to come out of a Chrysler showroom, and the flawed design is part of the reason why. There are better cars from this generation that you can get that will offer better performance for the price. All-in-all, the Plymouth Fury GT is something that you should definitely avoid.

Dodge Lil' Red Express Truck
Photo Credit: Car Domain

2: Dodge Lil’ Express Truck (Avoid)

Muscle-bound pickup trucks are all the rage nowadays with the Ford Raptor and the Chevrolet Trail Boss, but these weren’t the first performance trucks. The Dodge Lil’ Express Truck packed a muscle car into a pickup truck’s body. While it was a valiant effort, the truck had some serious flaws (via Road Kill Customs).

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

Reliability was minuscule at best, and the styling of the truck was fairly limiting. The smoke stacks that came out of the truck bed were designed to replicate the style of a semi-truck. The finished product, though, was released a limited production cycle and lacked the stuff you’d expect from a performance vehicle.

Photo Credit: Mecum

1: 1962 Plymouth Savoy Super Stock 413 (Avoid)

Although it was mechanically similar to the Dodge Dart Max Wedge, the 1962 Savoy Super Stock 413 had many shortcomings that should not be overlooked. The first and most notable shortcoming is the styling of the car, which was quite ugly. The engine setup was built to mimic the Dodge Max Wedge, but it didn’t do it well enough (via Road Kill Customs).

Photo Credit: Classic Car Marks

The car did not differentiate enough from the Max Wedge to make it worth considering. Coupled with the high price of repairs, the Plymouth variant didn’t fare well in terms of sales. The car did seemingly well enough on the racing circuit for Plymouth and Mopar to keep it in production. Still, there are much better options for a classic car.

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