When the golden period of muscle vehicles ended in 1973, fuel shortages, premium rate increases, and pollution regulations ushered in "The Malaise Era," which featured low-compression, low-horsepower engines, and automobiles that looked like muscle cars but didn't perform like one.
There were so many interesting American muscle cars to pick from '80s that we often get lost in the mix. Although the value of several of these automobiles has since surged, there was a time in the 1980s when they didn't live up to the expectations. These cars were highly sought after, yet only achieved a fraction of their potential. This still continues in the automotive business today, but it was different in the muscle car era. Some of the following cars are like those that have been damaged by critical errors.
Every now and then, you'll come across a piece of iron with legs attached to it that is ostensibly a muscle car but only excels in being a dysfunctional mess. However, for every solid performance or muscle car America produced, there will be at least two or three that are unmemorable.
10 Mercury Capri RS Turbo 1981
The Capri was technically Mercury's attempt to build a Mustang. They equipped the car with a turbocharged 2.3-liter engine, as well as several body modifications that gave it a hefty appearance. It had been renamed a couple of times and had been on the market for over thirty years.
One of the worst aspects of it was that it was an unreliable vehicle that frequently broke down. The car didn't appeal to anyone after learning that it produces 117 horsepower.
9 1984 Ford Mustang GT350
Ford was in dire straits by the time the Fox-Body Mustang debuted. Any muscle-car prowess that the brand had built up in its prime had been wiped out by the awful Mustang II. Ford chose to release a unique edition of the GT350 to commemorate its 20th anniversary.
Customers were unhappy, however, to learn that this was the only cosmetics bundle available. Carroll Shelby sued Ford for unlawful use of the celebrated GT350 model designation, which astonished them as well.
8 Chevrolet Corvette C3
Before the Corvette's fortunes improved, it went through some difficult moments. The C3's platform, which had been in use since the 1970s, was a letdown. The first reason for this was that it subjected the cars to pollution rules and a gasoline shortage.
GM, on the other hand, attempted to do things right with this generation by developing a modern Corvette. That wasn't good enough in the 1980s. It didn't help that the engine had 180 horsepower. It isn't considered the best Corvette ever made.
7 The Chevy Monza
Is there a model that is less popular than the Chevrolet Monza on the list? It's a tough question. It was a high-performance small automobile based on the Chevy Vega platform, in any case. They sold the car from the mid-1970s until the early 1980s, although it was never popular with the public or mass-marketed.
Despite the fact that it was marketed as a performance vehicle, it was clearly one of Chevy's slowest models. Chevy pulled the V8 just as the Monza's popularity was growing, and the Monza was doomed.
6 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke
The first four-cylinder Camaro was the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro Iron Duke. This one, according to fans, belongs in a junkyard. Why are you inquiring? If you buy the automobile for its aesthetics, you'll get a speed of 0-100 km/h in 20 seconds.
Although it has a traditional appearance, the performance does not match the classic appearance. Its four-cylinder engine produces a paltry 90 horsepower, earning it the title of "Weakest Camaro Ever."
5 1981 Chrysler Imperial
They advertised the Imperial as an "electronic marvel," but the actual miracle was that a firm in such terrible shape as Chrysler could find the resources to build such a bad car. The Imperial had a computerized display that didn't operate, an electronic fuel injection unit that didn't seem to work, and several factory-installed supplementary quality controls that didn't work.
In three years of manufacturing, Chrysler managed to persuade only 11,000 unsuspecting purchasers to buy one. The triumph of the K-car, fortunately for Chrysler, Lido, and Ol' Blue Eyes, outweighed the failure of this insult to the once-great Imperial name.
4 1983 Dodge Challenger
Because of its old-school, throwback early 1970s style, the Dodge Challenger has surprising popularity today. However, there was a second-generation model produced from 1978 until 1983 before they brought it back in 2008. And, while the Challenger escaped becoming a front-wheel-drive vehicle, it was no longer a muscle car. They repackaged it as a Mitsubishi with lower power output.
The issue was the engine choices available in the second-generation Dodge Challenger. There was no V8, and there wasn't even a V6. The largest engine was a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 100 horsepower. No wonder why people didn't buy many of these.
3 1982 Ford Thunderbird
The Ford Thunderbird has always been one of Ford's most elegant cars. They have even dubbed it a "classic muscle automobile." Unfortunately, the one from 1980 to 1982 was one of the worst.
This is because of the modifications made to its performance and muscle mass. Despite the fact that it was a large car with a V8 engine, it only had 120 horsepower to offer the driver. As a result, the Thunderbird couldn't manage to pull in good numbers.
2 1982 Pontiac Trans Am
You'll probably agree with reviewers who say the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am looks aggressive if you take a glance at it. It had a futuristic appearance and even appeared in Knight Rider while being driven by none other than David Hasselhoff!
While the car had a lot of potential, it lacked in terms of performance. The base version of the 1982 Trans Am came with an Iron Duke engine, which was also the power plant that killed the Camaro.
1 1980-81 Delorean Dmc-12
The Delorean DMC-12 captivated the imagination of car fans even before Back to the Future gave it legendary fame, with its gullwing doors and stainless steel finish—only the few who bought one discovered exactly how they were.
Even though it was classified as a muscle car, it only had 130 horsepower and took over ten seconds to go from zero to sixty. Fans of the franchise accepted it, although it did not perform well at the box office. In fact, in 1984, the company declared bankruptcy.