When you have thoughts about America, you mostly think about something big and representative. American music is very loud and popular in the other parts of the world, politics is loud, food is massive, and vehicles are very muscular and big.
So, it makes perfect sense that they became very popular at one time in the middle of the 20th century. They were pictured on various pictures and tv shows and became a symbol of a certain time. We will provide you, our reader with a list of top seven muscle cars that were the best at their prime.
7. Ford Mustang
We are certain that the manufacturers of the Ford Mustang didn`t know how much of an impact they will create with its release in the mid-sixties. They made this decision after they saw how good of impression the Mustang concept left on the customers in 1963.
The original vehicle had only 101hp from the first six-cylinder motor and its V8 could produce up to 164hp. Within the first generation, it rose up to 302hp with 8V. In 1969, the company decided that its time to add some additional weight to the vehicle. Next generations only improved the original concept. Today, we are witnessing the six generations of Ford Mustang.
6. Chevrolet Camaro
After other car companies witnessed the success of the Ford Mustang, they started improving their vehicles. One of them who succeeded with their intention was Chevrolet. In 1966, they launched the new Chevrolet Camaro. The original vehicle featured four V8 and three six-cylinders.
The company released new generations of Camaro regularly over the years. Probably, the most important one is the first generation of Camaro who had a V8 that produced around 290hp with its 320. They used the design of the first generation of Camaro`s as an inspiration for their fifth generations that was released in 2010.
5. Plymouth Barracuda
At the same time as the Pontiac`s GTO was released into the market, the Chrysler introduced Plymouth Barracuda. For the first period of time after its release, it was not considered a big deal. It had the same chassis as the Valiant, who had the four-door.
The next generation of Plymouth was the response to the success of the Mustang. This new generation had more aggressive design and featured a handling improvement with their V8 motors. One more generation of Barracuda was introduced some years later. In the seventies, the company decided that its time for retirement.
4. Dodge Challenger
After the Chrysler saw that there is enough space in the market for another muscle car, other than Barracuda, they decided to introduce their new product, Dodge Challenger. They released it in 1970. It was more luxurious in comparison to the Plymouth Barracuda. It was nothing like Dodge Charger, but it was one of the most imposing cars in that time.
The company had two more attempts, during the seventies and eighties, at reviving the Challenger, under the name of Mitsubishi Galant. This turned out to be a mistake. However, they had a successful attempt in 2008, with the third generation of the Challenger.
3. Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper is the youngest participant on this list. It was introduced in the early nineties, 1991 to be more exact. It had a V10 engine that was developed by the famous Lamborghini. It was one of the most luxurious vehicles it`s prime. By some, they were regarded as pure sports cats, but some considered them a death trap.
Five years later, the second generation of Dodge Viper had coupe style design. It featured V10 which had the capacity of eight liters. The next generations became very popular among people who are fans of sports cars. The latest generation was released in 2013. It had a very modern design, but with a touch of influence from their predecessors.
2. Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO became an instant hit since it appeared in the middle sixties. It was created by the transformation of Pontiac Tempest to a mid-size with a 140 horsepower straight-six. Customers who wanted more had the opportunity to upgrade it to the V8 motor who could make from 240 to 280 hp.
After that, they started looking for a new name for the vehicle. The company decided to use Ferrari`s GTO (Gran Turismo Omologato). The production of the Pontiac GTO was continued to mid-seventies. Ultimately, it was canceled. At 2004, the company decided to launch production once again. That lasted up to 2006 when it was canceled definitely.
1. Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette was created even before the term “Muscle Car”, but it was evident that it can be categorized under that name. The company introduced a two-door convertible car who was a rear-drive one. Its first generation was very successful, so mass production started.
In 1963, Chevrolet introduced a c2 Corvette, under the name of Sting Ray. Future generations of vehicles came with improved features. During the middle eighties, they introduced c4 who had a controversial design with a straight-edged exterior.
