13. Chevrolet Opala SS
The Chevrolet Opala SS is a typical example of a Brazilian muscle car they produced in the height of the muscle car craze. They presented this handsome fastback coupe in 1969. It came in a wide arrange of formal body styles as Chevrolet’s main mid-size model for the Brazilian market. Also, the name, “Opala,” was a bit controversial since the customers thought it represented the mix between the names, “Opel” and “Impala.” But Germany’s Opel was a part of GM who produced a model they called the Rekord. It was visually the same, while the U.S.-made Chevrolet had the Impala. The Impala used the 4.1-liter straight-six, the same as the engine for Brazil’s Opalas.
Either way, Chevrolet decided to introduce the performance version of the Opala that used the same 4.1-liter straight six they tuned to produce 169 HP. Although it was not much by today’s standards, it helped the Opala SS deliver a decent performance. The Opala SS was even successful on the race track, winning many events in Brazil during the ‘70s. Lastly, the Opala SS got a distinctive appearance package. It included a vinyl roof, racing stripes, graphics, and sporty wheels to differentiate them from their lesser cousins.