Most enthusiasts consider classics as near-immortal symbols of years past. They contain stories from the time of their production and offer glimpses of what it was like before electric cars and crossovers dominated the scene. There’s no telling what a classic car has survived and seen over the years.
America is known for delivering some of the best classic cars in history. It's home to some of the best muscle cars and sports cars, including the Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, and Corvette. If you love investing in classic cars, here are a few American options that’ll soon be worth a fortune.
10 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
The C2 Stingray was one of the best Corvettes ever made. It introduced an all-independent suspension that helped transform the Corvette in cornering power and traction. These changes helped make the Corvette a great track and road car.
The Stingray also got the new hydraulic power steering, giving enough road feel for most enthusiasts. Because of its updates over the predecessor, most enthusiasts considered it the first modern Corvette. It looked miles apart from the C1 with a longer hood, a unique rear fastback design, and a split rear window.
9 Dodge Viper
When you think of an affordable classic, it's unlikely that the first thing that comes to mind is a Dodge Viper. However, the first-generation Viper is an ideal classic for any performance-hungry enthusiast. Even when Dodge introduced the car, it was a bargain and a brutal roadster.
The Viper was a modern supercar with a sophisticated transmission, a modern engine management system, and a computer-aided suspension design. It also got a massive 10-cylinder engine, enough to whet the appetite of any enthusiast. The 8.0-liter beast made the Viper an instant hit with its impressive 400 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque.
8 Dodge Dart
The 60s Dodge Dart was a hidden treasure that remained buried until now. Dodge offered the Dart in all body styles, from a station wagon to a convertible. The Dart also received different powertrains from the base 6-cylinder engines to the fire-breathing V8s.
In the 60s, Dodge offered the Dart as a four-door wagon and sedan alongside a 2-door hardtop and convertible. All models got three engine options, the base 145 hp 3.7-liter slant-6, a 230 hp 5.2-liter V8 and a 310 hp 5.9-liter V8.
7 Buick GNX
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In the early 80s, Buick had a big image problem. Most people considered it a brand for older people who loved cushy rides rather than handling or performance. Since its demographic was aging, the brand had to find new ways to a younger, performance-oriented generation.
Buick created the GNX as a fitting farewell to the Grand National. It was a super Grand National with a simple and ambitious design. Under the hood of the GNX was the same 23 cubic-inch V6 but with a special T-3 turbocharger with a ceramic impeller. The net result was 276 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque.
6 Buick Wildcat
Buick is one of the oldest active American car brands. It has a long history of producing affordable luxury vehicles, even with its parent company, General Motors, having a reputation for discontinuing most of its divisions. Over the years, Buick has had impressive models, most competing with Cadillac and Chevrolet.
The Wildcat was a subseries of the Invicta, a Buick that had been around for many years. It had a longer body and some interior and exterior updates helping it distinguish itself from the Invicta. The Wildcat brought a more modern styling while retaining the 325 hp Nailhead V8 engine.
5 Ford Torino GT
Ford introduced the Torino to get a more muscle car market chunk. Even though the GT got its roots from the Fairlane series, it was one of the lesser-known names within the Ford family. It made one of the best cars to buy for anyone who had enough of the Mustang but not of Ford.
Ford offered the Torino GT as a hardtop, fastback, and convertible. It was available with only V8 engines from 1968 to 1969, but Ford later introduced six cylinders to the lineup. Besides the punchy engines and body styles, the Torino GT also got special exterior trim, wheel covers, and door panel lamps.
4 Pontiac Firebird
The Firebird was one of the most famous vehicles of the 60s and 70s. It had a coke bottle styling like the then Chevrolet Camaro. The Firebird was available as a two-door hardtop or convertible. Pontiac sold the Firebird across four generations from 1967 to 2002.
The first generation borrowed the body paneling of the Camaro and the split grille design of the GTO. It had multiple engine offerings, including an inline-6 and two punchy V8 options. All engine options were reasonably robust, with the inline 6 producing 165 or 205 hp and the V8s producing 250, 265, 285, or 325 hp.
3 AMC AMX
American Motor Corporation (AMC) was famous for producing economical and safe cars. However, this wasn’t translating into sales as the brand would like. The AMX was the brand's try to build a performance car that could compete with the Camaro and Mustang while attracting younger car enthusiasts.
The AMX was a steel-bodied two-seater with a bolder grille and a cleaner fastback roofline. These design aspects helped give the AMX an aggressive look. Under the hood was a high displacement 290 cubic-inch V8 engine, producing 225 hp. The AMX could spring from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, thanks to its lightweight and short wheelbase.
2 Plymouth Barracuda
In the early 60s, the big three, Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler, were competing to dominate the market with affordable, midsize-performance cars. The Barracuda was one of the first pony cars ever produced. Chrysler launched this pony car in 1964, before the introduction of the Ford Mustang.
Since Chrysler had a limited budget, the Barracuda was an iteration of the Plymouth Valiant. The first-generation Barracudas had small block engines and powertrains, all identical to the Valiant. The highest performance Barracuda had the 273 cubic inch V8, making it faster than a Mustang.
1 Oldsmobile 4-4-2
American muscle cars were iconic in the 60s as hip-hop was in the 90s. The history of the muscle car explosion was complex and fascinating, thanks to the horsepower race between Ford, Chrysler, and GM. The 442 was in production from 1964 to 1987.
Its 442-nomenclature stood for a 4-barrel carburetor, 4-speed manual, and dual exhaust. It perfectly fit in with the competition, especially the 1969 W-30 performance package that offered cold air induction that helped push it even further.