To many motoring enthusiasts, the 60s and early 70s was the golden era for the American automaking industry. This was when emission restrictions were yet to be introduced in the US, and automakers had the freedom to install the biggest engines they could find. Several of the most iconic American cars were launched during this era, including the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Challenger, Pontiac GTO, and Chevrolet Camaro.

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But, while these four cars may receive all the praise for being the best American cars of the time, they were not the only ones. This short era spawned multiple performance-oriented cars, many of which flew under the radar. This list looks at ten American classic cars that deserved more credit.

10 1971 Ford Torino Cobra

1971 Ford Torino Cobra parked outside
Via wikimedia.org

The Torino Cobra was the fastest iteration of Ford's long-running Torino line. It quickly made its name when it went toe to toe with the famous Superbird for NASCAR superiority. The Cobra didn't have a brutally overpowering engine as some of its rivals did, but it was still strong enough on the street thanks to a 429-CID V8 producing 360 hp.

1971 Ford Torino Cobra parked outside
Via pinterest.co.kr

Ford had added five inches of length in the 1971 Torino Cobra, making it one of those large American classics packing serious muscle. Comfort was perfect, handling was surprisingly composed, and even though the Torino Cobra was massive, it was still a top performer.

9 1971 Dodge Dart Demon

1971 Dodge Dart Demon parked outside
Via hagerty.com

In the 1970s, every automaker tried to build the car that would dethrone the legendary Chevrolet Nova SS in the small muscle car segment. With the Plymouth Valiant 440 discontinued, Mopar introduced a sportier version of the Dodge Dart called the Demon.

1971 Dodge Dart Demon parked outside
Via rkmotors.com

The Demon wasn't available with the monstrous Hemi V8s that Dodge offered in the Challenger and Charger, but it came with a 5.6-liter mill cranking out 275 hp and 340 pound-feet of torque. This may seem weak compared to the other muscle cars from the era, but since the Dart Demon was light, it didn't fall far behind performance-wise.

8 Mercury Marauder

Mercury Marauder at a parking
Via southcoasttoday.com

The Marauder is a full-size car produced by Ford's Mercury division since 1963. It was marketed as the highest performance version of Ford's full-size product range and derived its name from the most powerful engine Ford had made for the Mercury line, a 6.3-liter V8 dubbed Marauder.

Turquoise Mercury Marauder parked
Via youtube.com

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The Marauder was sold across three generations, but it always stuck to the same formula; raw V8 power and killer looks. Ford discontinued the Marauder in 2004 after four glorious decades of production. The many that survive may not have collectible value, but they are still amazing cars.

7 1970 Buick Wildcat

red 1970 Buick Wildcat
Via mecum.com

Buick introduced the Wildcat in 1963 as a full-size car with no intention of competing in the muscle car market. But as Chrysler and Ford introduced high-powered versions of their full-size cars, Buick started offering Wildcats with bigger V8s.

1970 Buick Wildcat parked outside
Via wsupercars.com

By 1970, the Wildcat came with Buick's largest engine; a 7.5-liter V8 rated at 370 hp and 510 pound-feet of torque. Though the Wildcat was massive, this was more than enough power to compete with sportier cars of the day. Unfortunately, Buick axed the Wildcat soon after and replaced it with the short-lived Centurion.

6 1971 AMC Matador Machine

AMC Matador
via Twitter

After the Rebel's production run ended in 1970, AMC replaced it with the Matador midsize sedan and slapped it with the iconic Machine badge. The Machine was a bundle of options called the 'Go Package' that included 15-inch slot-styled wheels, a heavy-duty handling package, a dual exhaust system, and power disc brakes.

AMC matador
via pinterest

AMC offered two engines for the Matador Machine; a 5.9-liter or 6.6-liter V8 pumping out a reliable 330 hp and 430 pound-feet of torque. AMC discontinued the package after 1971 with only 50 examples built.

5 1969 Chevrolet Biscayne 427

1969 Chevrolet Biscayne 427 at a parking
Via motorious.com

The Chevrolet Biscayne was a full-size car produced by Chevrolet from 1958 to 1975. It was the least expensive model in Chevrolet's full-size car range and lacked the fancy interior and exterior trimmings that other models had.

1969 Chevrolet Biscayne 427 parked outside
Via motorious.com

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The 1969 Biscayne 427 belonged to the third generation of the car and was powered by Chevrolet's new big-block 7.0-liter V8 rated at an impressive 425 hp. Due to the Biscayne's trimmed down nature, it was lighter than most other cars in its category and faster in many cases.

4 1974 Pontiac Ventura GTO

1974 Pontiac Ventura GTO on the road
Via hagerty.com

The early 1970s were a terrible time for American muscle cars, thanks to the financial crisis and new emission regulations. As a result, Pontiac discontinued the famed GTO in 1974 but continued to use its badge on the Ventura.

rear-view of the 1974 Pontiac Ventura GTO
Via hagerty.com

The Ventura was a decent car, but the GTO package made it good enough to be on this list. The GTO package added several cool features to the Ventura, including Rally wheels, tri-color decals, a shaker-style hood scoop, and grille-mounted lights. More importantly, it also included a 200-hp 5.7-liter V8 engine, making the Ventura GTO one of the most potent muscle cars at the time.

3 1971 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler

1971 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler on the road
via mecum.com

The Mercury Cyclone had a humble beginning when it was first introduced in 1964. It was initially a beautification package for the Mercury Comet and replaced the S-22 as the Comet's performance package.

rear-view of the 1971 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler.
Via mecum.com

But in 1968, the Mercury Montego replaced the Comet prompting Mercury to make the Cyclone a distinct nameplate. By 1969, the Cyclone had a 428 ci V8 under the hood producing 335 hp. Things got even better with the 1971 Cyclone, particularly the one with an optional performance package dubbed 'Spoiler,' which came with a 375-hp Super Cobra Jet 429.

2 1965 Ford Falcon Sprint

1965 Ford Falcon Sprint on a farm road
Via classiccarsltd.com

Sometimes fate is cruel, and the Ford Falcon Sprint is a perfect example of why that is the case. When Ford debuted the Mustang using the second generation Falcon's underpinnings and broke sales records, the Falcon began its slow descent into its eventual cancellation.

1965 Ford Falcon Sprint parked outside
Via mecum.com

However, it didn't go without a fight; the Falcon Sprint package was impressive and included the same V8 and heavy-duty springs from Ford's pony car offering despite being much cheaper. Buyers didn't care, though, and the Falcon Sprint performed poorly in the market until its discontinuation in the late 60s.

1 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360

1971 AMC Hornet SC360 on the road
Via pinterest.com

When AMC introduced the Hornet in 1969, it received mixed reactions. Many people loved its unique design, but most muscle car enthusiasts felt that it wasn't fast or powerful enough. For the 1971 model year, AMC introduced a high-performance version of the Hornet, the SC/360.

1971 AMC Hornet SC360 at aprking
Via pinterest.com

This two-door coupe was impressively quick thanks to a 285-hp 5.9-liter V8 and was described as one of the best handling muscle cars of the day. It also featured all the goodies that top-rated muscle cars from the era had, including body striping and unique, sporty wheels.

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