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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I told myself before I read the article. “It’s got to be a hemi...”
1966 chevelle SS 396 ...
I guess the Corvette and AC Cobra are in a different category.
‘65 Mustang fastback. Not even a contest.
The 427 Shelby Cobras had it all: looks, power, sound.
As far as mass-produced cars the 1970 Chevelle SS with the LS-6 454 was the most powerful.
There are other genre’s of “muscle” cars that get overlooked because they are luxury barges, but they had some serious engines in Lincolns and Cadillacs during this time frame. 460s, 472s, and of course the 500 CID Cadillac. They weren’t drag strip screamers, but they produced mountains of torque.
‘69 Roadrunner.
The 1970 Dodge HEMI Challenger is the King of the 1964-1972 American Muscle Cars!
1971 Dodge Colt. I drove all the way to Flagstaff and back in one of those.
1968 Dodge Charger
I take it the Shelby Cobra was excluded because many / most were made in England with Ford motors ….
Because otherwise:
“The fastest production Shelby Cobra in the quarter mile was the 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Cobra (often referred to as the S/C or “Super Cobra” model), which achieved a best documented time of 12.2 seconds at 118 mph.
Key Details:
• Model: 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C (semi-competition version, street-legal but race-prepped; only 31 produced).
• Engine: 7.0L (427 cubic inch) Ford V8, dual four-barrel carburetors, rated at 425 hp (conservatively; dyno tests often showed 450+ hp).
• Transmission: 4-speed manual.
• Weight: ~2,350 lbs (extremely light for the power).
• Source of Record: Road tests by Car and Driver and Motor Trend in 1966–1967, with the 12.2-second quarter-mile being the fastest verified time for a street-legal production model on street tires.
Context on Variants:
• The standard 427 Cobra (non-S/C) typically ran 12.4–12.5 seconds.
• Earlier 289 cu in models were slower (~13.5–14 seconds).
• Some tuned or race-prepped Cobras (non-production) ran into the 11s, but those were not street-legal production cars.
Thus, 12.2 seconds @ 118 mph remains the benchmark for the fastest production Shelby Cobra in the quarter mile.”
Cutting it off at 1972 seems a few years early to me.
Regular production cars that I was around personally:
Fastest from a redlight: 1973 Trans Am - Super Duty 455
Fastest from a rolling start - 1969 Z-28 Camaro
And yes, I loved my ‘69 Roadrunner, I loved all the muscle cars and loved that era.
RE: 1972 was too early....
How about 1974.
“The EPA mandated that all vehicles be equipped with catalytic converters beginning with the 1975 model year to meet the new standards.”
The Bluesmobile ran great on regular gas but that was an exception left around.
Had one I modified to run low 13’s. Too slow. Bought a ‘69 SS 396 Camaro, dropped in a LS6 454 and ran mid 11’s with 9” slicks, 4:56 gears. This is my candidate!
I was thinking the 427.
1974 sounds about right for the era of muscle cars. I guess those toward the end just weren’t as good as the earlier years.
I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe — of “Mad Max” fame.
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