They don’t make them like they used to. Thirty years ago we were fascinated with muscle cars and power, now we are being force fed these lefty friendly cars like the Twingo and the Volkswagen up which are pathetic. Join me as we take a look a some of the Muscle Cars that are now a thing of the past.
No.5: 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
The 1969 Dodge Charger was popularized by ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ a famous TV show which aired in the 1980s, though it was a brilliant car long before the TV show. The Charger was able to generate a massive 480Ibs-ft of torque with its legendary -half a ton- 428 HEMI engine which packed 425bhp. It is therefore no surprise that the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T was cast as the “General Lee”, a car-acter which became just as big a star as its human co-stars.
No.4: 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR
The “KR” in the GT00KR stood for King of the Road, and boy did it live up to its name. It featured a whopping 7L supercharged V8 engine which at the time, Shelby claimed to be capable of 335bhp, though since then it has been speculated that the actual figure was closer to a much more impressive 450bhp! What really put the Shelby Mustang GT500KR on our radar were its looks. It is a timeless piece which wouldn’t look out of place on the road today; it is absolutely stunning. We would have included the Shelby Mustang GT500 in this list as well, but in the name of diversity, we have decided to leave it out.
No.3: 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IV
Now this car is incredibly rare and you won’t often see them on the road, if at all as it was only sold as a special edition at the time. The Pontiac GTO Judge Ram Air IV has plenty of power thanks to its V8 engine and high-flow heads. Again, it looks great, featuring a protruding nose typical of Pontiac and setting it apart from the other muscle cars of the era. The 1964 Pontiac GTO is often cited as the starting point for the muscle car era, so it is only right that it makes our list.
No.2: 1969 Z28 Chevy Camaro 2
This beauty should be on any good muscle car list. This Camaro had a small-block 302 cubic inch engine which was built with Trans-AM racing in mind. The engine was said to create 290 horsepower at the time of its release, but many have speculated that the Z28 Chevy could muster up many more horses than that. Even so the 1969 Chevy was by no means the fastest muscle car on the road, but its personality and looks meant it had a certain allure over its competition. I restored mine with some new Chevrolet Camaro Car Parts not too long ago, and I’ve fallen in love all over again.
No.1: 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
Some of the boys might disagree but for some reason I have had a love affair with the Plymouth Hemi Cuda for as long as I can remember. What initially hooked me were the cars looks and the shaker scoop, then, when I discovered what was beneath the Hemi Cuda’s hood, I was confirmed. The hemi engine packs 425/426 horsepower. Only 11 of these models were made -three of which were left hand drives- making it one of the rarest muscle cars ever! If you are lucky enough to find one for sale, you have to be lucky enough to have $500,000 to spare, because that’s how much they cost. Maybe you’ll just settle for a Used Pontiac Firebird or something.