The 15 Best Muscle Cars, According to a Brit

The 15 Best Muscle Cars, According to a Brit

They’re not necessarily in order, but these are the best muscle cars out there.

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A photo of a white Ford Mustang with USA badges.
This Apollo-spec Mustang is about the most American car I can think of.
Photo: Ford

Muscle cars are cool, we can all agree on that right? But while they’re deeply ingrained in car culture stateside, this combination of big engines and little quarter-mile times can sometimes seem a bit alien to outsiders.

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So, as someone with the unique perspective of being “an outsider,” or “an alien” if you’re the U.S. department of homeland security, I’ve taken a flick through the muscle car archives to pick out my favorite models from the genre. These aren’t in any particular order, they’re just 15 damn cool cars that I wish I’d seen growing up.

Are there any muscle car icons you think I’ve missed? Let us know in the comments section below.

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2 / 17

1964 Ford Mustang

1964 Ford Mustang

A photo of a white 1964 Ford Mustang.
Photo: Ford

This is the one that started it all for me, and it’s still one of my dream cars. There was a white coupe very similar to the one pictured above rusting away in a garage on my paper route growing up. I think I once figured out how many newspapers I’d have to deliver to afford one, and it was highly depressing.

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3 / 17

1965 Pontiac GTO

1965 Pontiac GTO

A photo of a gold Pontiac GTO.
Photo: Pontiac

The front end on this 60s icon is what ensures its place on my list, it just looks cool as hell. A drive out with that sweet face, vinyl roof and a sound track from The Supremes would be a recipe for a very happy Owen.

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4 / 17

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona

A photo of an orange Dodge Charger Daytona.
Photo: Dodge

Built to win NASCAR races, the Dodge Charger Daytona is iconic, and I love it. A big, ridiculous engine; a big, ridiculous wing; and a bright, ridiculous paint scheme. What more could you want from a muscle car?

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5 / 17

2014 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

2014 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon

A photo of a red Cadillac station wagon.
Photo: Cadillac

A muscle car coupe or convertible might look awesome, but sometimes you need to carry more stuff with you. That’s when the 2014 CTS-V wagon from Cadillac comes in. This awesome station wagon packs a 6.2-liter V8 that kicks out 556 horsepower. That’ll do nicely.

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6 / 17

1969 Dodge Super Bee

1969 Dodge Super Bee

A photo of a green Dodge Super Bee.
Photo: Dodge

Based on the mid-size Dodge Coronet, this chunk of American muscle came along in 1968. It could be ordered from the factory with a 6.3-liter V8 as standard, or crazy people could up that to a 7.2-liter monster that produced 425 hp.

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7 / 17

1976 Ford Gran Torino

1976 Ford Gran Torino

A photo of a red and white Ford Gran Torino.
Photo: Ford

My parents were big Starsky and Hutch fans, so obviously the 1976 Ford Gran Torino with its white swoosh gets a place here. Highly impractical as a police car, but it looks great on screen.

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8 / 17

1965 Shelby Mustang GT350

1965 Shelby Mustang GT350

A photo of a pale blue Shelby Mustang.
Photo: Ford

There are no winners here, but this is low-key my favorite one on the list. If I ever win the lottery I’m taking a Shelby GT350 in blue or red... heck, I’ve won the lottery, I’ll have one of each!

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9 / 17

2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

2022 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

A photo of a white Dodge Charger hellcat in a hanger.
Photo: Dodge

Hearing a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat rumble past me as I cycle into work still makes me jump with excitement.

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10 / 17

1968 Plymouth Road Runner

1968 Plymouth Road Runner

A photo of a white Plymouth Road Runner.
Photo: Plymouth

Credit to Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift for bringing the joy of the Plymouth Road Runner into my life. It’s teasing appearance with Dom behind the wheel at the film’s close is just *chef’s kiss.*

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11 / 17

1970 Chevrolet El Camino

1970 Chevrolet El Camino

A photo of a black El Camino pickup truck.
Photo: Chevrolet

Unless you are some kind of laborer, you don’t need to own a pickup truck. Well, unless it’s an old El Camino. In that case, pickup away!

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12 / 17

1970 Dodge Charger

1970 Dodge Charger

A photo of a burgundy Dodge Charger.
Photo: Dodge

Dodge peaked with the second-gen Charger, which was perfected in its final year: 1970. the gaping chrome front end made it look a bit like a blinged-out whale shark and the 7-liter Hemi made it sound like an angry god.

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13 / 17

1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS

1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS

A photo of a white Chevrolet Camaro in the snow.
Photo: Chevrolet

The 1967 Chevrolet Camaro is a very pretty car. There’s something about the line from the tip of its hood to the top of the tail that really speaks to me.

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14 / 17

2015 Ford Mustang

2015 Ford Mustang

A photo of a white Ford Mustang with USA badges.
Photo: Ford

I really like the current Mustang, it does a good job at paying homage to the original while also forging its own path – and that looks set to continue with the next generation. But this Apollo-spec Mustang from 2015 seems like peak muscle car thanks to all those American flags and USA badges it’s covered with.

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15 / 17

2002 HSV Coupe

2002 HSV Coupe

A photo of a blue HSV Coupe sports car.
Photo: Holden

Other places can make muscle cars too, you know. So here’s a glorious Holden from those crazy Aussies. This higher-performance iteration of the Holden Monaro came with a Chevrolet V8 motor and an outlandish set of hood scoops.

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16 / 17

1977 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

1977 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

A photo of a pale blue Aston Martin Vantage from the 1970s.
Photo: Aston Martin

Long hood, V8 motor and quick in a straight line. If they’re the markers of a great muscle car then the Aston Martin V8 Vantage from the 1970s definitely makes the cut. I think it’s still my dream Aston Martin thanks to its more brutal styling and excellent engine note.

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