World Top Muscle Cars.

The '60s and '70s marked the hey-day of the muscle car, and the birth of several veritable high-horsepower legends. This is  compiled list of 50 of them, along with a few factory race cars and luxury coupes. Did we miss out on a particular muscle car icon? Let us know in the comments below.

1963 Chevrolet Impala Z11
The Z11 code Impala came right off the showroom floor with drag racing in mind. Besides a monster engine swap – it came with a 427 cu. in.  V-8 with dual quad carbs and an early form of cowl induction – the Z11 shed about 300 pounds thanks to aluminum body panels and radio/heater/everything delete. The full-size sleeper was good for low 11-second quarter-mile passes. They made less than 60.

1964 Ford Thunderbolt 427
The Thunderbolt was, simply, a Fairlane with a big motor and a bunch of lighter-weight panels hanging off its frame. By "big motor" I mean a 427 cu. in. V8 that drew in heaps of air through what were once the inner headlight bezels. And by "lighter-weight panels" I mean things like plexiglass windows and fibreglass fenders and bumpers (it still weighed more than a stock Fairlane). You've got to dig the too-cool teardrop-scoop hood and steel wheels.

1962 Plymouth 413 Max Wedge
The "Max Wedge" actually refers to the race-ready dual-quad 413 cu. in. engines available on Dodge and Plymouth two-doors between '62 and '65 (that's a Max Wedge '63 Dodge Polara above). The cars were already usually lighter than their Chevy and Ford rivals, but could be ordered without heaters and radios anyway. In '62 Max Wedge cars ran high-11 second quarter-miles — shifted with a push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

1969 Ford Torino Talladega
 The Ford Torino Talladega marked FoMoCo's entry into the "aero wars," in which automakers tried to gain speed by tweaking aerodynamics. The car was built for NASCAR racing – indeed, it was named after a track in Alabama – and homologated for the street, to the tune of some 750-plus units. Production cars came with Ford's 428 Cobra Jet and the race car's distinct six-inch "droop nose" front extension and flush-mounted grille.

1970 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
Dodge's foray into the aero wars – the pointy-nosed Charger Daytona – showed Ford just how aero they were willing to go. Ford came back with plans for a special edition Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II (above) and Ford King Cobra Torino, though neither made it to production. Changing NASCAR rules forced them to scrap the aero program. The few Cyclone Spoiler IIs that made it off the line came with a variety of engines, up to and including the 429 Super Cobra Jet.

1970 Plymouth Superbird
 The last soldier to fight in the NASCAR "aero wars" between Ford and Chrysler, the Superbird built on the success of its older brother, the '69 Dodge Charger Daytona. Both had massive rear spoilers – 26 inches tall on the 'Bird, for trunk lid clearance more than aerodynamics – and sleek nosecones. The Superbird famously wore a vinyl roof to cover up the sloppy welds made around the rear window, which was flush-fitted for better airflow around those flying buttress rear pillars.

1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator 
 Worried people thought of their upmarket Cougar as more of a luxury coupe than a muscle car, Mercury took action and in 1969 unveiled this "road animal," the Cougar Eliminator. The 1970 Eliminator (pictured above) used a Ram Air hood scoop to feed a 351 Cleveland V8 as much oxygen as possible; the 428 Super Cobra Jet was a rare option.

1965 Shelby Mustang GT350
 As if the production Mustang wasn't hot enough, legendary Texas tuner Carroll Shelby collaborated with Ford in 1965 on these special GT350 models. These were basically street-legal versions of Shelby's GT350R race car, powered by Ford's 289 Hi-Po small-block. The legend grew the following year when rental company Hertz snapped up some Shelbys as part of their "Rent-a-Racer" program. Some were apparently returned with their high-power engines myseriously swapped out. Huh.

1968 Shelby Mustang GT500KR
The GT500 took Shelby's already-quick GT350 small-block and stuffed a big-block underhood instead. In the 1968 model year GT500KR – "King of the Road" – edition, that big-block was a 428 Cobra Jet good for at least 335 horsepower. Convertible KRs are exceedingly rare, though replicas ain't.

1969 Mustang Boss 429
The Mustang Boss 429 was apparently Ford's answer to Chrysler's 426 cu. in. HEMI, the "Elephant." Big cubes and big horsepower – rated at 375 hp but likely closer to 500 hp – in a light car like the Mustang made for a formidable package. They made only 859 in '69, and another 499 in '70. 

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302
The Boss 302 was designed by ex-GM employee Larry Shinoda as a car to bite his former employer in the butt, especially in the SCCA Trans-Am racing series in which the companies' pony cars competed. As the name implies, the track-inspired Boss 302 ran a rated-at-290-horsepower 302 cu. in. V8.

1971 Mustang Mach 1
When Ford pulled out of SCCA racing and killed off the Boss Mustang models, the Mach 1 became the go-to performance trim. The Mach 1 commonly came fitted with a 351 Cleveland motor, but 429 Cobra Jet or Super Cobra Jet engines were an option. 

1967 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro 427
 In 1967, Chevrolet dealer Don Yenko had the bright idea of taking 396-equipped Camaros and swapping Corvette 427 cu. in. L-72 engines into 'em. What the 54 lucky customers who ordered one had in their possession was a first-year Camaro with more than 400 horsepower — that's plenty, if you ask us. A 1968 model is pictured above.

1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
 Wondering where the 2012 Camaro ZL1 earned its pedigree? Right here. The 1969 ZL1 boasted what was at the time the most powerful engine Chevy'd ever offered to the public, a 427 cu. in. aluminum-block monster that churned out north of 500 horses but weighed as much as a small-block V8. Chevrolet built exactly 69 of 'em. 

1970 Chevrolet Camaro Baldwin-Motion Phase III
When dealer Baldwin Auto Company teamed up with speed shop Motion Performance in 1967, they started something special: a line of hopped-up hot rods you could buy right from the dealer. Take the '70 Baldwin-Motion Phase III Camaro, for example: it came with a cowl induction hood, side exhaust pipes and a 454 LS6 big-block. Y'know, because hot rod.

1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
 When Pontiac wanted to hop up their '69 Firebird pony car, they added a performance package called "Trans Am," named after a well-known racing series. The package came with a spoiler and special white-with-blue-stripes colour combo; a Ram Air IV-fed 400-cu.-in. V8 was the mill of choice.

1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455
The 455-SD or "Super Duty" engine was one of the last high-performance muscle car era big-blocks GM offered. You'd find it in the '73 Pontiac Trans Am with a "shaker scoop" on top, peeking out through the hood.

1971 Plymouth HEMI 'Cuda
The '71 'Cuda saw a host of very-cool styling changes versus the previous year; check off the option box for the 426 cu. in. HEMI and Incredible Quivering Exposed Cold Air Grabber (er, shaker scoop) and you had yourself one very powerful and highly desirable machine. They made only 11 convertibles, each now worth a few million dollars.

1970 Dodge Challenger T/A
The Dodge Challenger T/A and Plymouth Barracuda AAR were the street-legal homologated versions of Chrysler's entries into the SCCA Trans Am series. The cars came with a potent 340 small-block topped with a trio of two-barrel carbs they called the "Six Pack." Not only were they quick, the street cars looked the part of race car, with flat black hoods capped with unique scoops; special rear spoilers; and side exit exhausts.

1971 AMC Javelin SST
 The AMC Javelin may have been the underdog sales-wise, but it was certainly no slouch in the performance-and-looks department. You could order the bulging-fenders muscle car in several "Big Bad" colours and with a variety of wing-tastic spoilers. Power came courtesy a 401 cu. in. V8.

1965 Plymouth Barracuda "Hurst HEMI Under Glass"
Alright, this is technically a drag racer, not a muscle car, but it was based on a muscle car, the 1965 Plymouth Barracuda fastback. Just with, y'know, the engine, a HEMI, moved into the back seat. So the car could do wheelstands. Isn't that what muscle cars are all about?

1968 Dodge Dart HEMI
 Chrysler nailed the formula for factory drag racer in the early '60s – too-big engine, little car – and kept with it into the late '60s. Evidence: the '68 Dodge Dart HEMI. The 426 cu. in. "Elephant" provided plenty of power (circa 425 horses) but they did their best to keep weight down anyway, even leaving the thing completely unpainted.

1971 Plymouth Duster 340
 The Duster 340 was inarguably the hottest of the mini muscle cars fielded by the Big Three (full disclosure: it's also my favourite muscle car). A 340 cu. in. turning out close to 300 horsepower sat underneath the car's matte black hood in '71, something the Duster'd warn you about with a set of '340' full-length side stripes, if the exhaust note wasn't enough of a hint.

1972 Dodge Demon GSS
In 1972, when high-performance-oriented dealerships like Chevy's Yenko and Baldwin-Motion were winding down their special edition muscle cars, Mr. Norm of Grand-Spaulding Dodge was winding up cars like Dodge's Demon compact. Norm'd supercharge the Demon's 340 engines until they belched out 360 horses, more than anything else on the market in '72. The best part? You could older them in completely plain jane trim — a real sleeper.

1969 Yenko Chevy "SuperNova" 427
 Don Yenko was known for his fire-breathing Camaros and Chevelles, but he stuffed 427 cu. in. engines into little Novas, too. We'll forgive you if you didn't know, since his dealership only turned out about 37 Yenko Supernovas.

1972 Ford Maverick Grabber 302
If, in 1972, you didn't like Plymouth's Duster or Chevrolet's Nova, Ford had the Maverick for you. Speed freaks could single out the Grabber 302 on dealership lots, specifically, identifiable thanks to its unique hood scoops, stripes and spoilers. 

1970 AMC AMX
The AMX squeezed a pretty potent performance package on top of a 97-inch wheelbase chassis. How's a compact with a 390 cu. in. V8 underhood sound? We can't understand how this company went under.

1964 Pontiac GTO
 Arguably the first real muscle car – ignore the fact we've several "muscle cars" that predate it on this list – the GTO, for Gran Turismo Omologato, is what happened when GM exec John Z. DeLorean crammed a 325-horsepower 389 into Pontiac's compact Tempest. Every other automaker is just perfecting the big-engine-in-a-small-car formula he came up with, some people say.

1970 Pontiac GTO Judge
If you wanted to mete out justice on the street in the form of stoplight racing victories, the big-and-bold GTO Judge was the car for you. You couldn't miss it, with a huge rear spoiler and often a bright paint job – "Orbit Orange" was popular – and the growl of 455 cu. in. was sure to catch your ear, too.

1970 Buick GSX 455 Stage 1
 Buick didn't always trade in upmarket marshmallows: once upon a time they dabbled in muscle cars. The GSX Stage 1 was a serious contender in the horsepower wars of the time, with a 455 cu. in. V8 standard, and won the torque wars without contest — it put down 510 lb. ft. They were available only in Saturn Yellow and Apollo White in 1970.

1970 Oldsmobile 442 w/ 445
If you wanted to know what made the 442 stand out, it's right there in the name: a four-barrel carb, sitting on top of a 455 Olds V8 in 1970; a four-speed manual transmission; and a set of two exhaust pipes. 4-4-2.

1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Hurst/Olds
Olds' partnership with stickshift specialists Hurst birthed a series of Hurst/Old Cutlass 442 muscle cars, starting in 1968. In '69 that meant a special gold-and-white paint scheme; a wicked rear wing; and a funky snorkel-like pair of nostrils on the leading edge of the hood to help the car really breathe.

1961 Chevrolet Impala SS 4091961 marked the first appearance of Chevrolet's pop-song-inspiring 409 "Lumpy Head" V8. It was a force to be reckoned with, tucked between the fenders of something like an Impala SS (Super-Sport) — the thing was good for some 306 horsepower and 409 lb. ft. of torque.

1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Z16 SS396
Chevrolet turned out just 200 Z16-code Chevelles in 1965, cars desirable for the heavy-duty upgrades they received – convertible-spec internal bracing, for example – as well as the fact they came standard with 396 Turbo-Jet V8 engines.

1969 Chevrolet Chevelle COPO 427
 In the late '60s Chevrolet banned putting 400-plus cubic inch engines in mid-size cars — but there was a loophole. You could request a L72 427-equipped Chevelle through the Central Office Production Order (COPO) system, which normally handled special-equipment fleet orders. They were virtually indistinguishable from stocker Chevelles like the one above.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6
 One of the most legendary muscle cars has to be the '70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6, available with a V8 rated at – get this – 450 horsepower and which likely actually delivered even more. With a cowl induction hood and rally stripes, you couldn't beat the muscle-bound look of the thing, either.

1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Turbo-Jet 454
Yes, the 1970 Monte Carlo borders on the edge of personal luxury coupe, but buyers who checked off the SS 454 package knew they were getting a muscle car out of the deal. You don't need 360 horsepower and 500 lb. ft. of torque in a luxury coupe.

1970 Chevrolet El Camino SS 454
Call it a muscle truck and we'll include it in our muscle car gallery, anyway. I mean from the cowl forward the thing was a muscle car, and does a bed out back really make a difference? The 454-powered SS is in here for sure, but I'd argue even the 396 (pictured above) deserves to be on this list.

1963 Ford Galaxie XL SportsRoof
A fastback roof is nothing new now, but in 1963 it was ground-breaking. If the 390 cu. in. V8 in the '63 Galaxie XL wasn't enough to get you going – really, though, it should be – there was also a special "R" code with a 427, lightened for racing.

1966 Ford Fairlane GT 390
The 'GT' badge let passersby know this wasn't your typical Fairlane, and was instead one with a 335-horsepower 390 cu. in. V8. No true muscle car enthusiast is going to turn one of these down.

1970 Ford Torino Cobra 429 Super Cobra Jet
This car was named after Turin, Italy, but we're not sure it'd fit on the streets, there. And if you put the hammer down, with close to 400 horsepower from a 429 cu. in. V8 on tap, you'd be sure to run out of Italian road before too long. Quarter-mile times figured well under 14 seconds from the factory.

1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX 426
The name "Belvedere" didn't quite pack a punch to match that of the 426 cu. in. "Elephant" motor Chrysler'd made available in their B-body mid-size in '67, so they called it the "GTX" instead. Twin hood scoops and racing stripes added some tasteful visual impact — this was a "gentleman's muscle car," after all.

1971 Plymouth Road Runner
From its inception through to 1971, the Road Runner was the "low-priced supercar," the machine you'd want if you were looking for affordable muscle. With a wealth of powerful engines on the option list – there was the 340 in '71, as well as the veteran 440 Super Commando – you really couldn't go wrong.

1969 Dodge Super Bee A12 440 Six Pak
Those three little numbers and letters – "A12" – make all the difference when it comes to Super Bees. They denote Dodges equipped with the HEMI-rivaling 440 Six Pack option and lift-off hood. You won't see that code anywhere on the car, but there are plenty of scoops and engine size callouts to let you know you messed with the wrong street racer.

1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440
 The '68 Charger has to be arguably one of the most gorgeous muscle cars of its era. But it didn't just look nice, it could move, too. A 440 cu. in.  Magnum – or optional 426 HEMI – made sure of that. 

1969 AMC Hurst SC/Rambler
In case there was any confusion, the AMC Hurst SC/Rambler came with an arrow on the hood pointing toward the scoop, showing the air where to go. That graphic served a purpose — but the rest of them apparently turned the car into a red-white-and-blue joke. The SC/Rambler's performance figures were no laughing matter, though, since the car's 390 V8 helped it turn quarter-mile ETs in the low 14 seconds.

1970 AMC Rebel Machine
 Not too many other muscle cars can boast a hood scoop with built-in tachometer, but this AMC was just that sort of Rebel. It was marketed, simply, as The Machine — it sounds impressive, and it could've been, if it weren't for the silly stripe package. The car's power and performance were in the sweet spot, though.

1987 Buick GNX
We'd say 25 years is enough time for a legend to form around a car — it certainly has around the Buick GNX, a Darth Vader-esque machine with a reputation for embarassing GM's supposed-to-be-top-of-the-line Corvette sports car. Buick worked with tuner McLaren (not the supercar guys) on turbocharging the GNX into a paradoxically ominous-looking sleeper. Quarter-mile times were in the mid-13s.

1969 Holden HT Monaro GTS 350
It may not have much cachet here, but the Monaro GTS 350 from Holden, GM's Australian arm, is apparently a legend Down Under. The HT boasts only a 350 cu. in. V8, but it looks killer, and since they're Australians – notorious for their gearhead proclivities – we'll trust 'em on its awesome-ness.

1973 Ford XB Falcon GT351
 The movie Mad Max is why you recognize the Falcon XB, but it's got a reputation as a legendary muscle car apart from the one its earned on the silver screen. The 351 cu. in. V8-powered car also has a pretty stacked racing pedigree in Australia.

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