Just about everyone who lived back then – car enthusiast or otherwise, knows the '70s was a muscle car decade. The rave and admiration for muscle cars with massive V8 engines were growing rampantly.
Performance monsters were the heyday of the '70s, which led to the birth of pretty popular muscles worth every dime. But as with anything new, interest fades with the passing of time and access to better offerings.
Like these muscle cars, some products are bound to wane and lose value with time. Back then, they were worth your dime. Today, they aren't even worth your time.
5 Pontiac Firebird Formula
The Pontiac Firebird debuted in 1967, but the second-generation was delayed until the '70s due to tooling and engineering problems. Subsequent models like the 1974 model featured a redesigned "shovel-nose" front end and new wide "slotted" taillights. Firebirds were used in the Trans-Am series in the 1960s and 1970s. And Pontiac offered two base engines for the '74 models: a 100 hp inline-6 and a 155 hp V8. Decent specs for a muscle of that era, but the Firebird Formula has since faded. Not worth much since then.
4 Chevrolet El Camino SS454
Despite being a utility vehicle, back in the day, the El Camino was considered by many to be the ultimate muscle car of the era. It was one of the fastest cars at the time and could beat anything on a straight line. The El Camino ran circles around conventional muscle cars and retained the likeness of a truck utility.
The El Camino was blessed with serious specs and performance parts and appealed to folks who love big-block power, but you wouldn't bank on its reliability anymore. This auto dropped faster than a hot potato after the rave. A truck-like muscle car? We can see why it flopped.
3 1974-1976 Ford Torino
Named after the city of Turin, considered 'the Italian Detroit', the Ford Torino was a conventional muscle car. The Torino was redesigned in the '70s using many features from the previous generation. Like the Ranchero, the Torino had shallow-pointed grille and front end with smooth, curvaceous lines influenced by coke bottle styling. As a competitor in the intermediate market segment, the Torino sold and received decent praise in the '70s. What's surprising is the aftermath. The Torino dropped off the radar faster than it came. Today, it's hardly worth much.
2 1975 Chevrolet Camaro
If Chevrolet had the worst year in their history book, it would be 1975. Those who lived back then can testify. When Chevrolet released this Camaro, it was the ugliest car around. But it raved. It came standard with 155-horsepower, 350-cubic-inch V8, and awful build quality.
For the 1975 model, a catalytic converter was added to the exhaust system of all US-market GM passenger cars, since it was more efficient at reducing emissions. But this muscle monster has little value today. It's dirt cheap and we dare say the build quality has something to do with why. Seriously, this is a Camaro to avoid.
1 1971-1974 AMC Javelin
When it debuted in 1968, the Javelin was American Motors’ first true pony car. It looked great and car enthusiasts loved it. When the second-generation came out, it wasn't so lovely. By the time the 1971-1974 models rolled out, it was something else. It looked even wilder– and ugly. It was laden with flaws even the predecessor didn't have. The Javelin of the '70s isn't a worthy buy, no wonder it's dirt cheap. It's a popular muscle car from the '70s with squeaky interior and awful build quality. Almost worthless.