The 15 Greatest American Muscle Cars of All Time

Big-block brutes, winged speedsters, and chrome-laden legends born from Detroit's all-out horsepower wars of the '60s and '70s. Which one deserves the crown?

1. 1
   1964 Pontiac GTO

   The 389 V8 machine widely credited as the car that launched the muscle-car era.
   1000pts
2. 2
   1967 Shelby GT500

   Carroll Shelby's high-performance Mustang with a 428 Police Interceptor V8.
   914pts
3. 3
   1969 Dodge Charger Daytona

   The winged NASCAR homologation special built for 200-mph speeds.
   862pts
4. 4
   1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

   The 426 Hemi Barracuda that sits atop many all-time muscle-car lists.
   705pts
5. 5
   1971 Plymouth Road Runner

   The budget-friendly, cartoon-branded muscle car built for pure speed.
   548pts
6. 6
   1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429

   A rare homologation special built to legalize Ford's Hemi-fighting 429 engine.
   548pts
7. 7
   1970 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

   The small-block sports car that blurred the line into muscle-car territory.
   548pts
8. 8
   1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

   Mopar's E-body bruiser, a rival to the Camaro and Mustang.
   448pts
9. 9
   1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

   An ultra-rare all-aluminum 427 Camaro, among the fastest factory muscle cars.
   448pts
10. 10
    1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1

    A sleek fastback that blended style with big-block performance.
    329pts
11. 11
    1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454

    One of the most powerful factory muscle cars, packing a big-block 454 V8.
    329pts
12. 12
    1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28

    A canyon-carving small-block icon of the first-generation Camaro.
    183pts
13. 13
    1968 Dodge Charger R/T

    The menacing coke-bottle Charger immortalized on screen and in muscle-car lore.
    183pts
14. 14
    1970 Buick GSX Stage 1

    A torque monster whose 455 V8 set a production-car record for its era.
    183pts
15. 15
    1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30

    Oldsmobile's refined yet ferocious big-block muscle car.
    183pts