15. AMC Marlin 343
Back in the mid-60s, AMC was famous for its lineup of economy cars and small sedans. This was the time before the AMC Javelin and AMX entered the mainstream muscle car class. However, the company management wanted an exciting sporty car, so they turned to their Marlin model. As a result, the Marlin was a cool looking mid-size fastback with a design that suggested it was fast and powerful. But the truth was that the car delivered only mediocre performance. So, for the 1967 model year, AMC decided to introduce a 343 V8 version of the Marlin with 280 HP on tap.
Although it wasn’t much, it was still enough to provide the Marlin with a decent performance and driving dynamics. Today, those 343 V8 powered Marlins are rare, but there were even rarer options. One consisted of a factory tuned 343 V8 engine providing 320 HP, which gave the Marlin some real power. It was unclear how many of those special order cars they made. But today, people have forgotten about them and they are impossible to find.