12 Muscle Cars That Were Not What You Think: A Beginner’s Guide

Welcome to Muscle Car Fan. If you are new to muscle cars, you might think they were all just big engines and loud noises. The truth is a lot stranger. In this video you will […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMQOnBCSt8

Welcome to Muscle Car Fan. If you are new to muscle cars, you might think they were all just big engines and loud noises. The truth is a lot stranger. In this video you will meet twelve muscle cars that were not what you think, from budget heroes to luxury surprises to cars built for completely different reasons. No car degree required. Let us start with a car that proves speed does not have to be expensive.

#12: 1970 Plymouth Duster 340

Surprise number one is the car that proves you did not need a fortune to go fast. The 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 was a small, lightweight compact with a high revving 340 cubic inch V8 under the hood, rated at 275 horsepower. Because the Duster was so light, it could run with cars that had much bigger engines, and it cost far less to buy and to insure.

#11: 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt

Surprise number two was never meant for the street at all. In 1964, Ford built the Fairlane Thunderbolt in a small batch for one purpose, winning drag races. Engineers started with an ordinary Fairlane, stuffed in the big 427 cubic inch V8 from the race program, and then cut weight wherever they could, with fiberglass body pieces and a stripped interior.

⚑ Featured Gear

Start Car Conversations →

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

#10: 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429

Surprise number three is a Mustang that was built for the wrong reason. In 1969, Ford wanted to race its new 429 cubic inch engine in NASCAR, but the rules said the engine had to be sold in regular cars first. So Ford created the Mustang Boss 429, and a company called Kar Kraft modified the cars so the giant engine would fit.

#9: 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1

Surprise number four comes from a brand people never expected, Buick. Known for comfortable family cars, Buick shocked everyone in 1970 with the GSX, a loud Saturn Yellow or Apollo White package with stripes, a front spoiler, and a rear wing. With the Stage 1 option, the 455 cubic inch V8 was rated at 360 horsepower, but the number that really mattered was torque.

#8: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Surprise number five was never supposed to exist. In 1969, a drag racing dealer named Fred Gibb wanted a Camaro that could win, so he used a special ordering system called COPO to get one with an all aluminum 427 cubic inch big block, the ZL1. The engine was officially rated at 430 horsepower, but nobody who drove one believed that.

#7: 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator

Surprise number six is a muscle car with a cat’s name and a tuxedo budget. Mercury sold the Cougar as an upscale cousin of the Mustang, but in 1970 it added the Eliminator, a bright, loud version with a front spoiler, a rear wing, and bold stripes. It was clearly meant to get noticed in a parking lot long before the light turned green, which is a big part of its charm for collectors today, and a big part of why people smile when one rolls in.

#6: 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge

Surprise number seven started as a joke. In the late 1960s, a TV show called Laugh-In made the phrase here come the judge a national catchphrase. Pontiac borrowed it for 1969 and named a new GTO package The Judge.

#5: 1973 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Super Duty 455

Surprise number eight arrived just as the party was ending. By 1973, tighter emissions rules, rising insurance costs, and a new way of measuring horsepower were crushing the big engines. Yet Pontiac built the Trans Am with the Super Duty 455, a heavy duty engine with a reinforced block, rated at 290 net horsepower.

#4: 1970 AMC Rebel Machine

Surprise number nine came from American Motors, a company better known for economy cars. In 1970, AMC teamed up with Hurst Performance to build the Rebel Machine, a midsize car with a 390 cubic inch V8 rated at 340 horsepower. Most Machines wore a patriotic paint scheme of white with red and blue stripes, a hood scoop with a built in tachometer, and a Hurst shifter, a famous name in manual transmissions.

#3: 1966 Dodge Charger

Surprise number ten is a car that looked like a luxury coupe and performed like a brawler. Dodge introduced the Charger in 1966 with a sweeping fastback roofline, a full length console, and rear seats that folded flat for cargo. Buyers could add the mighty 426 Hemi, which made the Charger a threat on the superspeedways.

#2: 1970 Ford Torino Cobra 429

Surprise number eleven is a Ford that hid its power behind a plain name. The 1970 Torino Cobra came with a standard 429 cubic inch V8 rated at 360 horsepower, and the 429 Cobra Jet was available as an upgrade, rated at 370. Its fastback body was low and sleek, and it looked wider and meaner than the Mustang.

#1: 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

And surprise number twelve is the car most people picture when they hear the words muscle car. The 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda carried the legendary 426 Hemi, rated at 425 horsepower and fed by two four barrel carburetors. It had a loud shaker hood that rose through the hood and shook with the engine, and wild colors with names like Plum Crazy and Sublime.

That is twelve muscle cars that were not what you think. The big lesson is that the badge, the paint, and the horsepower number on the brochure never told the whole story. Which surprise caught you off guard? Tell me in the comments, and follow Muscle Car Fan for more muscle car stories every day.