Americans may not have invented the automobile—that honor belongs to German engineer Karl Benz—but it didn't take them long to master the art of automaking. By 1904, the US led the world in automobile production, and by 1913, more than 80 percent of all the cars in the world were manufactured in the US. Hundreds of automakers and coachbuilders were already operating in the US by the 1910s, leading to the rapid advancement of automotive technology and the introduction of new vehicles at an astonishing rate.
The 20th century gave us hundreds of American classic cars, but these ten were the greatest for one reason or another. Greatness can be defined in many ways, but these fantastic American classic cars were hugely influential in their design, technology, engineering, and overall impact on society.
10 Dodge Viper
In the late '80s, then Chrysler executive Bob Lutz wanted to build a fantastic sports car that would not only beat the most powerful Corvette at the time, but also the fastest European sports cars. The result of Lutz's ambition was the Dodge Viper, and what an icon it turned out to be.
Powering the Viper was a monstrous aluminum V10 built from the ground up by Lamborghini, which Chrysler owned at the time. The engine produced 400 horsepower, which is a lot even by current standards. On top of that, Dodge designers ensured that the Viper was one of the lightest cars by eliminating things like air conditioning, ABS, and even exterior door handles.
9 Buick GNX
The '80s were a dark period for the American auto industry. Emission restrictions had forced manufacturers to use less powerful, more efficient engines, almost leading to the death of muscle cars. Fed up with the slow and boring cars flooding the market, Buick decided to make the most powerful muscle car of the '80s—the GNX.
Powering the GNX was a McLaren-tuned 3.8-liter turbocharged engine cranking out 300 horsepower. With a 0-60 mph time of 4.6 seconds, the GNX was the fastest American car at the time.
8 1968 Dodge Charger
The second-generation Dodge Charger needs no introduction at all. Unveiled in 1968, this car had it all—a beautiful design, comfy interior, and enough power to make it a beast on the road and track. It had 425 horsepower coming out of the monstrous 426ci Hemi under the hood.
The Charger looked and sounded so good that it became one of Hollywood's favorite cars towards the end of the 20th century, appearing in films like Steve McQueen's Bullitt, The Fast and The Furious, Blade, and The Dukes of Hazzard, to name a few.
7 1970 Dodge Challenger
The Dodge Challenger may have arrived much later after the Camaro and Mustang, but when it finally did arrive, gearheads were in love. Like its brother, the 1968 Charger, the 1970 Challenger had a killer design featuring smooth body contours, an attention-grabbing grille, and racing stripes that showed it meant business.
Other than its looks, the thing that people liked the most about the 1970 Challenger was the fact that Dodge sold it with nine engine options. The most powerful option was the same engine in the 1968 Charger—a 426ci Hemi V8 pumping out 425 horsepower.
6 1963 Corvette Stingray
The second-generation Corvette was a landmark car for Chevrolet, particularly the 1963 Sting Ray model. For starters, it is one of the most beautiful American cars of all time, especially the coupe version that had the iconic 'split window' design. It was also an all-new car from top to bottom and could be had with various go-fast bits like stiffer springs, bigger brakes, and a four-speed manual gearbox.
Powering the 1963 Sting Ray was a 5.4-liter naturally-aspirated L84 V8 engine producing 360 horsepower. An all-new independent rear suspension ensured that drivers could handle all that power with ease.
5 Shelby AC Cobra
In the early '60s, legendary American automotive designer Carroll Shelby spoke to British automaker AC requesting a car that could accept an American V8 engine. The Brits agreed, as long as Shelby could find a suitable engine.
Ford was in desperate need of a Corvette-beating car, so they agreed to supply the engines. The combination of a lightweight British-built chassis and a powerful American small-block V8 made the Cobra a fantastic car to drive, whether on or off the track.
4 Ford GT40
In 1964, Ford built the legendary GT40 with one mission—to beat Ferrari in sports car races. The two automaking giants weren't natural enemies, but Enzo Ferrari had famously upset Henry Ford II after pulling out of talks about a possible Ferrari takeover.
Having spent a fortune putting the deal together, Ford wasn't happy. To get back at the Italians, Ford pumped millions into the development of a new sports car that could annihilate any Ferrari. Dubbed the GT40, this car came out just as Ford had dreamed it and even famously recorded a 1-2-3 win at the 1966 Le Mans. Just 30 road-going GT40 versions were ever made.
3 1965 Shelby GT350
There are many iconic classic Mustangs, but the 1965 Shelby GT350 is the top choice for most gearheads. Born from another successful partnership between Carroll Shelby and Ford, the GT350 turned the Mustang from a "secretary's car" into a coveted American performance vehicle.
After tweaking the powertrain, Shelby increased the GT350's power output to 306 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque. He then used fiberglass for some of the body panels and removed the rear seats to reduce weight, allowing the car to sprint to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. The result was one of the most desirable Mustangs of all time—so desirable that one sold for a whopping $3.85 million at a 2020 auction.
2 1969 Camaro ZL-1
The 1969 Camaro is, by far, the most popular Camaro of all time, particularly the ZL-1 trim. Available through the COPO program only, the ZL-1 was essentially a drag racing-ready factory car that could destroy any muscle car on the quarter-mile.
At the heart of the 1969 Camaro ZL-1 was a fire-breathing aluminum block 427ci V8 engine that officially produced 430 horses, but the actual output was likely more than 500 horses. Interestingly, Chevrolet only built 69 examples of the 1969 Camaro ZL-1, making it one of the rarest cars on this list.
1 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88
The '67-'69 period is widely considered to be among the best Corvette years, thanks to the 1967 L88. The L88 is where Corvettes went from lovely sporty cruisers to full-fledged performance cars.
To set the 1967 Corvette apart from the rest, Chevrolet equipped it with the most powerful engine it had ever produced—the L88. The monster engine was officially rated at 430 horsepower, but some experts claim the figure was closer to 550 horsepower. Simply put, the 1967 Corvette L88 was incredibly fast even by current standards, but since only 20 were made, finding one is almost an impossible task.