Top 10 Muscle Cars of All Time

We took a poll and the people have spoken.These are the top 10 American Muscle cars ever made! Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments!

Follow POWERNATION Everywhere:

0:00 Introduction
1:09 Number 10 - 1964 Pontiac GTO Tri-Power 389CI 348 HP
4:53 Number 9 - 1969 Ford Mach 1 428 Cobra Jet
7:52 (Honorable Mention) 1969 Chevy Camaro Z/28 RS
8:40 (Honorable Mention) 1969 Dodge Daytona
9:20 (Honorable Mention) 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
10:33 Number 8 - 1968 Shelby GT500KR
13:45 Number 7 - 1969 Pontiac GTO "The Judge"
17:41 Number 6 - 1969 Chevy Camaro RS/SS 396
20:30 Number 5 - 1968 Dodge 426 Hemi Charger R/T
23:19 (Honorable Mention) 1965 Cobra S/C
24:19 (Honorable Mention) 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
25:01 (Honorable Mention) 1970 AMC AMX
26:59 Number 4 - 1969 Plymouth Road Runner 440 6-Pack
31:56 Number 3 - 1969 Mustang Boss 429
35:01 (Honorable Mention) 1969 Chevy Copo Camaro
35:44 (Honorable Mention) 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
36:58 Number 2 - 1970 Chevy Chevelle SS LS6
38:44 Number 1 - 1970 Hemi 'Cuda

[jayshmoney]

1964 Pontiac GTO 389CI 348HP
1969 Pontiac Firebird 400ci
1969 Ford mustang mach 1
1969 Ford mustang GT500
1969 Chevy camaro z28
1962 Chevy Impala $$ 409ci
1970 Chevy chevelle ss 454

[ardem]

They are all awesome cars but for me the 1969 Mustang Boss 429 is number 1

[ronosborn]

I was fortunate enough to grow up in the muscle car era with a Dad that was a gear head and taught me from an early age how to drive and respect the automobile. I had several cars that I wish I still owned now. Even though they may not have made this muscle car list, they were still awesome automobiles and I was fortunate to own them if for just a short time! (1961 Bubble Top Impala with factory 283 power pack option, 1964 Ford Galaxie XL with 390 Police Interceptor engine, 1969 Ford Mach I with 428 Cobra Jet, 1967 Ford 390 GTA Fastback Mustang, 1970 Ford Torino GT 2-door Fastback with 351 Cleveland)

[LR-mydi]

I'm 73 years old and grew up around ALL of these cars and remember them very well and also how they REALLY ran on the strip when stock. I was THERE. So, it was no surprise that the 1970 Stage 1 GS/GSX was not mentioned here. They were (and are) rare and were very lightly promoted by Buick, if at all. However, the GS Stage 1 ran way better than the sum of their parts would indicate. And unlike the Hemi's of the day, RA IV Pontiacs, LS6 Chevelle's, COPO 427's, 440+6 Mopar's, Boss 429 or Super Cobra Jet Fords, Boss 302's, 1967-71 Z-28's, etc. etc.... a Stage 1 GS could be ordered with a/c! The engine was that streetable, .
So why wasn't the '70 GS Stage 1 included here? Simple. It was because: (1) few people who voted here really know anything about the 1970 GS Stage 1, not to mention ever owned one or raced against one stock for stock and (2) very few people who "voted" are Buick muscle car enthusiasts. It seemed that few GS guys ever raced their cars at the strip and thus lacked basic dragstrip etiquette in how to drive them or even decently tune one.
Back in 1971 at the Gainesville, FL Raceway, when all of these cars were new, I saw several GS Stage 1's outrun nearly about all of the so-called Top 10 muscle cars shown here. I remember that the now-deceased 18-year track manager "Bob" used to laugh about that when it happened because he liked it when such underdogs took out the more highly touted models.

[johnberger]

In 1967 my family had the following 3 cars:
DAD: 1964 Pontiac Bonneville 2 dr coupe with 421 c.i. V8 3 2 barrel carbs and a (no cost) option 4:10 rear end.
ME: 1963 Corvette Stingray convertible 327 c.i. originally with solid lifter 340 HP motor, but had been replaced by a 1964 365 HP Holley 4 bbl carbed 327. Car had close ratio 4 spd and a 4:11 rear end.
TWIN BROTHER: 1967 Shelby GT 500 428 c.i. 355 HP, 2 Holley 4bbl vacuum actuated carbs w/ Hurst 4spd tranny and Detroit Locker rear diff. The 355 HP was vastly underrated.
Gas was $.25 per gallon for premium.

[ianfechtner]

My 10 favorites are:
1. 1970 GSX Stage 1
2. 1969 GTO Bobcat
3. 1969 442 Hurst
4. 1970 Chevelle LS6
5. 1970 Baldwin Motion Camaro RS/SS Phase III
6. 1970 Cyclone Spoiler
7. 1969 Boss 429
8. 1969 S/C Rambler
9. 1971 ‘Cuda
10. 1970 Challenger R/T

[bamayates]

My dad bought me an E-body Barracuda going into 1977, my Junior year of high school. I still have Love those old school Mopars...

[theplayernkc]

The 69 Camaro ZL1 is top dog for me, followed by the 70 Chevelle SS, 70 Boss 429, 70 Buick GSX, 69 Camaro Z/28, 69 Mach 1, 69 GTO Judge, 69 Trans Am, 70 Trans Am and 71 Cuda.

[NoWayOut]

I had a 400 firebird my Dad and I put together.
The one and only Muscle Car I ever owned.

[billellers]

I had a 69 Z28 like the hugger orange rally sport you showed. It ran 13.96 pure stock, 12.80 with headers, bars, and 5.13 gears. Later with a L88 it ran 10.90s, never had problems with any Hemi, 428s, 440s, 455s or just about anything else on the street. The L88 is now in my 60 Corvette with a 4.88 Olds rear, ladder bars, 400 turbo. Best was 10.60s back in 1975. The Vette was my first car I had ever bought. I managed to keep it when I went to Viet Nam and will keep it till I die. Currently I’m putting a 509W motor with twin turbos in it. I’m 74 now and I will never grow up when it comes to loud and fast cars.

[rickintexas]

What about the Buick GSX? At the end of the muscle car era it had the best 1/4 mile time of all.

[Fred-wyix]

Had a 1965 GTO for my first car
389.with a single 4 Barrel with approximately 335 HP was fun to drive, however, I also had a 3 duce manifold that took approximately 30 minutes to swap out and the horsepower went to 360 horsepower.
So easy to work on cars back then.

[thman]

No GSX Buick or a W30 Olds I demand a recount lol

[brocksutliff]

I don’t know if the Buick Grand National would be considered a classic or modern muscle car, but they’d get my vote. That turbo V6 would hurt all sorts of big V-8 feelings and have all the creature comforts doing it.

[SpideySenses-gbgi]

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ULTIMATE TORQUE MONSTER'S BUICK GS STAGE 1 AND THE OLDS 442 W 30 . 500 FT LB PLUS OF TORQUE @ LIKE 3200 RPM. 68 HURST OLDS 0 - 60 MPH IN 5.3 SEC.

[billmoro]

Failed to mention the best;
1970 Buick GSX!

[jayf.]

It must have been a blast to have grown up with these cars.

[jimmyhuesandthehouserocker]

When I was 17, my working class dad got lucky rich in the stock market, and so bought me a 1971 Dodge Demon 340 RT, 4 speed, blue with ralley wheels. I was an exceptional kid who treated my car with care and respect, unlike practically all of my contemporaries who raced and wrecked and beat the 1969-era muscle cars into the wrecking yards, generally in 6 months or less. I remember as a teenager, going to the wrecking yards, where there was row after row of smashed up Mustangs, Camaros, Firebirds, Chargers, what would make today's collectors cry

[joshshuckahosee]

Always had a sweet spot for the old school xr7 cougars

[ricardocorbie]

It was a great time for gear heads, but I will say this!! What’s old is new again!! These days the muscle cars running around are unbelievable, the horsepower and torque numbers are mind blowing!! America 🇺🇸 no one does it better!!‼️🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿