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Living Legends: These Memorable Muscle Cars Still Last A Lifetime

Vukasin Herbez April 26, 2023

Plymouth Duster 340

As an economy brand, Plymouth was very active and successful at the lower end of the market since the early ’60s and the Valiant model. By the late ’60s and early ’70s, the compact market had grown, and Plymouth introduced the Duster 340. This model was a junior muscle car since it looked like bigger competitors, but it had a smaller 340 HP engine rated at 275 HP (via Hemmings).

Plymouth never anticipated the success that Duster 340 had achieved. Production doubled in just a few months. Despite being a compact model, the 340 was a very good muscle car since 275 HP moved the light body to respectable 0 to 60 mph times in just over six seconds. The vehicle may be half the size of some of the heavy hitters of the era, but it was almost as fast.

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Pontiac Firebird 400

When the Firebird debuted, it caused quite a stir among performance-loving car buyers in America. It was a pretty coupe with a wide arrange of optional extras and one of the biggest engines you could get in a pony car – Pontiac’s 400 CID V8. Back in the late ’60s, GM had a rule forbidding manufacturers to produce vehicles with more than 1 hp for every 10 pounds of the car’s weight. This rule aimed at stopping manufacturers from making insanely overpowered models, and all GM’s products and brands had to follow this. The only exception was the Corvette (via Hagerty).

In 1968, Pontiac introduced the new Firebird with a 400 V8 engine, which was rated at 320 HP. Immediately after its introduction, car fans publicly asked the factory why the new 400 V8 engine in the Firebird is rated at 320 HP while the same 400 V8 engine in the GTO makes 366 HP. Pontiac didn’t reply, and soon the answer came from insiders at the factory. The new Firebird 400 weighed 3300 pounds. So, to make it eligible under the GM 1 HP per 10 pounds rule, Pontiac had to rate the 400 V8 engine at 320 HP.

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Chevrolet Nova SS

The Nova was Chevrolet’s compact introduced first as Chevy II in the early ’60s. The small, affordable model was just a scaled-down Chevelle or Impala. Still, it obtained serious street credibility by the end of the ’60s since it became a favorite street racer weapon. The combination of Nova`s lightweight body and potent V8 engines made it very fast (via Motor Trend).

Chevrolet introduced the SS 350 and SS 396 versions in 1968/9, which were extremely fast. The 1970 model still retained classic styling and two powerful V8 engines as an option. Independent tuners like Yenko even offered brutally fast 427 conversions.

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Ford Mustang 5.0 GT HO

The rise in power of domestic cars during the ’80s brought the first actual performance to the Mustang range in almost 20 years. The Fox-body Mustang grew more and more powerful with each model year, starting with 175 HP in the 1983 model. By the late ’80s, the venerable 5.0-liter V8 engine was pumping 225 HP and 300 lb.-ft of torque, translating to reasonably competent 0 to 60 mph times (via Motor Junkie).

This car marked a return to the roots with a strong V8 engine and exciting performance. Also, the late ’80s Fox-body GT was very popular, so they are plentiful today. This makes them an excellent choice for entry-level collectors. On the other hand, the aftermarket for those cars is enormous, so you can modify your Fox-body GT easily and cheap.

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Dodge Challenger

Even though Plymouth had the Barracuda, the first pony car model introduced two weeks before the Ford Mustang, its stablemate Dodge didn’t enter the segment until 1970. Some muscle car historians said that Dodge was almost late to the party. But the Challenger was so good that it truly left its mark and reserved a place in history. Mopar’s E-Body models Barracuda and Challenger were new in 1970. They featured a unique design, better construction, and a larger body (via Motor Trend).

There was no significant mechanical difference between the Barracuda and the Challenger, only the design. But these two cars also had some interchangeable bodywork parts. The Challenger got full firepower from Mopar’s engines, and buyers could get a powerful 383 V8, a hefty 440, and the famous 426 Hemi. Of course, the best performers were the 440 and the Hemi. Depending on the specifications, differential ratio, and gearboxes, Challengers equipped with those engines could accelerate to 60 mph in the 5.5 to 5.7 seconds range, quick for 1970.

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Mercury Cougar Eliminator

Despite being a twin brother to the Mustang, Mercury Cougar gained a cult following and managed to create a name of its own in the late ’60s. For the 1970 muscle car wars, Mercury had something special in the Cougar Eliminator (via Heacock Classics).

The Eliminator was a top-of-the-line model with several interesting engine choices. You could get a Boss 302 engine, high-revving 5.0-liter V8, 351 Cleveland, or the famous 428 Cobra Jet. If you compare this model to the Mustang range, you could say that Eliminator was a cross between Boss 302 and Mach I Mustang. However, the Cougar was slightly longer than the Mustang and had better handling and comfort.

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Oldsmobile 442 W30

The 442 is one of the most legendary muscle car names. In true Oldsmobile fashion, the 442 was a thoroughly engineered and quality-built performance machine and a car that could stand up to any muscle car legends. In 1966, Olds presented a W30 option which was marketed “for performance enthusiasts only.”

But for 1970, this package got a whole new meaning with the introduction of the mighty 455 V8 engine with 370 HP, which was a grossly underrated figure. The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 was luxurious, powerful, and more expensive than the rest of the similar muscle cars. However, Oldsmobile engineers put a lot of time and effort into making it one of the most capable cars on the market with numerous tweaks and improvements unavailable on other GM models (via Top Speed).

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Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

What was a special version for 1969, for 1970, was a full-fledged member of the Firebird lineup. The Trans Am featured a high-revving 400 V8 engine. Although it was smaller than the 455 V8 found in GTO, it was faster because Firebird was lighter than GTO.

The engine was also available in two stages depending on the type of Ram Air induction, and power varied from 345 to 370 HP (via Motor Trend). Design-wise, the 1970 Firebird was a great-looking car, especially in Trans AM trim with front and rear spoilers and a beautiful paint job. With a 57/43 weight split, the Trans Am handled like a dream.

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Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z

The third-generation Camaro was famous. But after a while, the buyers wanted more performance and power. So Chevrolet delivered that in the legendary IROC-Z version in 1985. The IROC-Z was a tribute to the Chevrolet-sponsored International Race of Champions racing series (via Car Gurus).

However, it was more than an appearance package and a cool name. Under the hood was a 350 V8 with 225 HP and in later versions, 245 HP. Buyers could opt for manual or automatic and tuned suspensions and steering. Chevrolet even offered a cool-looking convertible: the first Camaro ragtop in 18 years. The IROC-Z proved to be a popular and influential muscle car that finally brought some actual performance to buyers.

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Shelby GT 500

Even though Mustang had some performance versions like the GT with the 289 HiPo V8 engine or Shelby GT 350 in 1965, the first actual performance Mustang with a big block engine and respectable 0 to 60 mph times was the 1967 Shelby GT 500. Bigger and more powerful than before, the 1967 GT 500 featured a new design, modified front and rear end, and a hefty 427 V8 engine with 335 HP and 420 lb.-ft of torque (via Hagerty).

In those days, Ford was notorious for underrating the power output of their engines, and 335 HP sounded too little for the big 427. The enthusiasts claim that the real power was closer to the 400 hp range, and the performance figures backed that claim. The 0 to 60 mph time was 6.5 seconds which was suitable for the day, and thanks to suspension modifications, the GT 500 could handle the curves well, too.

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