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Posted on 11/16/2025 6:42:18 PM PST by Duke C.
The Ernst Bros and I have talked about collaborating on an article on American muscle cars for a while. I wanted it to be different from all the “Top 10” or “Best 15” titles you see on the web.
So, we decided to pick just one from the 1964-1972 era and call it the Best Muscle Car of all time.
(Excerpt) Read more at classicnation.com ...
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My personal choices for BEST might not mean the fastest, but they were pretty quick. They would be Pontiac GTO & Buick GS models.
The fastest American cars during the 1964–1972 period were not muscle cars, but rather the Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake and specialized race cars like the Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt. While many muscle cars were exceptionally quick, the high-performance roadster and purpose-built drag racing machines consistently outperformed them on the track.
I’d say the Chevelle SS, The Mustang and the Camaro were the most popular and affordable “muscle cars”. Not many people could afford a Shelby.
For me, I’d take a BMW 2002 Tii over a “muscle car” anyday.
1969 Z 28
By whose definition?
Hard to argue with that one! I loved mine.
I drove a Chevelle SS396 in my younger days …great ride. However, for sheer power the 1970 Chevelle SS454 had no equal. I worked as a timer at a drag strip in the early 1970s and a straight stock Chevelle SS 454 was easily capable of running a quarter in the mid 12 seconds
Did you see very man6 muscle cars that weren’t modified in some manner? LOL!
I had a 68. Turbocharged 350 with NOX, 4 speed, 3.73 posi gears, and was like driving on ice! Then I put the motor in a 1967 Pontiac Beaumont. (Canadian Chevelle)
I ground pounder
An old neighbor of mine had a 1970 BOSS 429. He had pulled the BOSS engine and put in a 429 Cleveland for daily driving. The Boss was on an engine stand in his garage.
I used to drive 600 miles to college, in less than 10 hours. I hitched a ride when Dad died from school at 6:00 pm and made it home before breakfast once. 64 4-door Dodge.
Street ready, no. Our cars always beat street hemis. Now, on the track? different story.
I’d say probably the 454/450 horse Chevelle of around 1970.
In my Jr and Sr. years in HS, I had a ‘71 Skylark Custom HT with a 350 2-barrel, Posi, auto transmission...It looked great with air shocks in the back, ET-X wheels all around and a lift kit in the front but it wasn’t going to win any races, so I never did drive it like it was a real street machine.
The automotive industry and enthusiasts of the time defined “muscle cars” that way.
As the pony cars grew, the definitions became somewhat blurred, but the original definition stands as most accurate, and the pony cars (Mustang, Camaro/Firebird, Challenger/’cuda, Javelin) are still considered their own classification.
Muscle cars are things like the Chevelle, Fairlane, Dart, Charger, Marlin.
Perhaps it’s perception. The original Pontiac GTO (the 1964 Tempest LeMans GTO) was a midsize car unlike its later versions, and that was the one first termed “muscle car”.
I’ve read sports writers refer to the original Mustang, derived from the Ford Falcon, as a “sports car”. The term “pony car” was coined by one person, Dennis Shattuck, and the first car to be so “christened” so to speak was the 1964 Plymouth Barracuda fastback.
There’s a car in that picture?
My vote is for the 68 Pontiac Firebird 400 muncie 4 spd in cameo ivory outside black interior. Delete vinyl top.
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