The 1960s in America was a transformative decade punctuated by rock-and-roll, the hippie movement and Vietnam War. It was also an era defined by the appearance on American roadways of muscle cars, with their powerful, gas-guzzling engines and break-neck speeds. Muscle cars ruled into the early 1970s, bolstered by the popularity of NASCAR, cheap gas prices, and lack of environmental emission standards. Since those bygone days of muscle car dominance, American car manufacturers have kept our driving palates satisfied periodically with sports car re-introductions, allowing Baby Boomers to longingly relive their pasts. To help facilitate that memory lane experience, here are 5 American muscle car classics that every collector would love to own.
Legendary race car designer Carroll Shelby is a sacred name within classic car circles. In the mid-1960s his Shelby American racing team collaborated with Ford Motor Co. to produce one of the most memorable collector cars of all-time, the 1967 Mustang Shelby GT 500. In addition to its racing-inspired trim, black bucket seats and cool instrumentation, the Shelby GT 500 was just plain fast. Here are some of its highlights:
Produced in limited quantities, this car back in 1967 was $5,000. Today? If you can find a Mustang Shelby GT 500 in excellent condition at a collectors’ auction, you’ll probably have to fork out over $200K.
In the late 60s, if an American car company sold over 500 units of a given model they could enter race-modified versions of it in NASCAR events. With that in mind, Dodge beefed up the ‘69 Charger with a special edition Daytona package. Its most distinguishing physical features were its 2-foot tall rear wing, flush rear window, and long, sloped nose cone- all contributing to amazing aerodynamics. Other features of the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona included:
If you’d bought your Dodge Daytona hot off the assembly line, it would have set you back about 5 grand. One today in pristine condition with low miles will run you about 30 times that amount.
Inspired by the sales of its Cutlass model, Oldsmobile launched the 442 in 1964 as a trim package and slight engine upgrade only. But in 1970, GM decided to infuse the 442 with an exceedingly-robust engine, 4-barrelled carburetor, 4-speed manual transmission and dual exhausts (“4-4-2”). And if that wasn’t enough, Oldsmobile even a offered a W30 performance upgrade for drivers who truly desired dragster-like acceleration. Soon thereafter, the ’70 442 became further ingrained in American muscle car lore. Its features included:
Forty-eight years ago, a 442 would have cost about $3,000. Today, the going rate for the same car in good to excellent condition is $30,000 to $65,000.
With sales inflated by the appearance of a 1977 version in the popular film Smokey and the Bandit, Pontiac decided to also boost the horsepower of its 1978 Trans-Am release by 20%, add a special W6 sport-tuned suspension, handling package, wider wheels, and improved steering. The resulting muscle car outperformed most of its competition, including the much more expensive Corvette. The Firebird Trans-Am was also known for its stock Hurst T-tops which, when removed, nearly duplicated a convertible feel. Most car enthusiasts today can also rattle off these facts about the ’78 Trans-Am:
A darling at auto shows today, in 1978 the Trans-Am would have set you back roughly 5500 bucks. Nowadays, they routinely sell for over $50,000 at collector’s auctions.
Back in 1982, GM executives realized that the performance of the Chevy Corvette didn’t match it hefty price tag. In fact, Chevrolet took a sabbatical from producing the Corvette the next year, as their engineers toyed with various new engine designs, including a rotary version found under the hood of Mazda’s RX-7s. In 1984, a new-and-improved ‘Vette was introduced, and then in 1989 the genie was completely released from its bottle as the ultra-performance ZR1 version. Boasting a racing-style body, wide tires and sub 3,000-pound curb weight, the ZR1 backed up its head-turning look with handling and braking superior to any sports car in its class. Features of the ’89 Corvette ZR1 included:
In addition to its amazing acceleration and road-hugging capabilities, the ZR1 also boasted an inflated price tag of $59,000. The good news today is that with the availability of used ’89 ZR1s, coupled with the fact the model isn’t even 30 years old yet, you can probably buy one in very good shape for less than it cost new.
If you own a classic American muscle car and need some body repairs, or your family minivan was just involved in a fender bender, a collision repair shop nearby has the restorative services you need. Auto body shop technicians have the training, experience and equipment to fix your vehicle reliably, even when it’s a classic, and get you back confidently and promptly on the road again. Most shops warranty their outcomes, and communicate directly with insurance companies so you don’t have to. To search your zip code now for a better collision repair shop in your area, visit: www.carwise.com.
