There are three major pillars in the domestic automotive industry: Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Stellantis. Over the course of several decades, the three major groups developed some truly mesmerizing vehicles. Among the groups, one definitely stands out: General Motors.
General Motors has created a large number of vehicles since the group starting acquiring smaller companies. Some of the fastest cars from General Motors have mesmerized generations of petrol heads. Others were not particularly liked when they first hit the tarmac, but car fans warmed up to them as time went on.
10 1963 Pontiac Tempest Station Wagon
There are very few carmakers in America that can claim they had once a car competing with a Ferrari. Back then, the Ferrari GTO 250 was tested against the Pontiac GTO. Though the Ferrari handled far better, the Pontiac was not far behind. While Pontiac kept on producing mean muscle cars, it also focused on the full-size coupe market.
The Tempest Station Wagon no longer is the type of Pontiac classics that can be bought for dirt cheap. Upon its release, only real piston heads would look into this oddity. It is a family-friendly vehicle equipped with a potent 421 ci Super Duty V8 that pumps out 405 hp at 5,600 rpm and 425 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. Since only six units were ever made, this awesome classic station wagon is worth $477,000.
9 1964 Chevrolet Corvair
Back in 1964, Ford was in the process of developing the Mustang. Though it took a whole year for Chevrolet to come up with the Camaro, the GM-owned carmaker must have caught wind of the Mustang prior to its release. In the meantime, the only car Chevrolet released that year that could somewhat rival the Mustang was the Corvair.
Though the Corvair is the type of GM classics that have massive reliability issues, it is still a collectible. The Corvair comes at best with a 164 ci flat-six that produces 110 hp. In comparison, the top-line '65 Mustang is equipped with a 289 ci V8 that cranks out 210 hp. Though the Corvair is not the meanest Chevy beast out there, it is a great collectible or a good base for a restomod project. Given the controversy associated with the Corvair, the car will still cost $12,000 in excellent condition.
8 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
Back in the mid-60s, Oldsmobile was considered one of GM's most successful brands. Its cars were stylish, to say the least. Style was not the only thing Oldsmobile cars had going for them. There was a je ne sais quoi that only American cars built between 1965 and 1969 truly have.
The '66 Toronado may not be the rarest or most valuable today. In fact, the 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 is that car. It sold a couple of years ago for a jaw-dropping $3,240,000. The Toronado is only worth about $20,000 in today's money. It is however a terrific vehicle equipped with a rumbling 455 ci Rocket V8 that produces 375 hp.
7 1971 GMC Sprint YE7
Ford and GM both produced Australia's most peculiar vehicle: the ute. With the Ranchero and the El Camino, the two groups surprised the public by releasing a car that was both a coupe and a pickup. Though unknown to the vast majority of the public, GMC also had its version of the ute.
In the US, the Chevy El Camino eclipsed every other coupe/ pickup vehicle. Most gearheads do not even know that the GMC Sprint YE7 exists. Only 25 units of this very rare GMC hybrid were ever made. The car comes with the 454 ci V8 also found in the El Camino SS. The current value of the car remains a mystery, but it is safe to say that it must have skyrocketed over the last couple of decades.
6 1973 Buick Apollo
Buick is one of only the second-tier GM brands that is still alive today. During the Golden Age of the American car, Buick manufactured some stellar vehicles such as the Skylark or the Riviera. While larger models were getting all the attention, Buick released very quiet yet impressive muscle cars.
Wait a minute. This looks like a Chevy Nova. Well, the Apollo does use the same GM X platform the Nova is based on. Manufactured between 1973 and 1975, the Apollo is not the most memorable car. Two engines were available: a 250 ci Chevy inline-six and a 350 ci Buick V8. The V8 is capable of developing 175 hp, which may seem quite disappointing. 1973 was the beginning of a very dark era. Though the Apollo is not one of the most valuable classic cars out there, some models can be found around $11,000.
5 1974 Buick Century Grand Sport
The mid-70s witnessed the downfall of American cars. While most engines remained quite large, their power outputs were laughable. As far as looks are concerned, most cars retained their imposing physique. Buick produced some full-size coupes that would really have people spend their life savings on.
The Century Grand Sport and Grand Sport Stage 1 are quite remarkable. First of all, only 579 were made in 1974. The Grand Sport came with a 455 ci four-barrel V8 that produced 250 hp. The powerplant found on the Grand Sport Stage 1 produced an additional 20 hp. The Grand Sport in the pictures above sold at auction for $22,000.
4 1976 Pontiac Astre
It has been said that 1976 was the worst year ever for the American automotive industry. In fact, when taking a look at what was on the market, it is fair to say that carmakers simply did not what to do to overcome the effects of the new regulations in place and the Japanese invasion.
The '76 Pontiac Astre is essentially a '76 Chevrolet Cosworth Vega. You knew it looked like something you have seen before, now you know. The Astre is an attempt at remaining relevant in an ever-changing market. No big-block V8s here. The Astre only comes with four-cylinder engines; the same engines found in the Vega. The base engine, the 2.3L inline-four produces barely 90 hp. However, with the increasing amount of souped-up Astres, it is fair to assume that its value will keep on going up.
3 1977 Oldsmobile Omega
Formerly part of General Motors, now-defunct Oldsmobile went down a dangerous path back in the late 1970s. The creator of the outstanding Cutlass 442 needed to come up with a plan to maintain its sales while sacrificing its cars' power and quality. Though the company was never able to recover, it did release a few interesting vehicles during the Malaise Era.
The Omega may not be the coolest Oldsmobile car ever, but it sure is a very interesting car. At best, the Omega comes with a 350 ci Rocket V8 that develops 165 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. Not the fastest car out there, but an LS can fit in about everything. The Omega is becoming more popular among gearheads, meaning that its current value of about $9,000 might go up very soon.
2 1996 General Motors EV1
Around the mid-2000s, hybrid vehicles started becoming mainstream. The Prius, despite its awful looks performance, and reputation, conquered the hearts of several hippies turned corporate workers. Following the Prius was Tesla's fully-electric Model S. That is when the automotive scene started to really change. Chevrolet released a fully electric vehicle as well. Way back in the days.
The GM EV1 is a two decades too early. The car looked like a flying saucer from a low-budget sci-fi movie from the 1950s. Today, it could have been very popular among Comic-Con fans. Do not ask for power and torque. There is none of that here. Only 1,117 units were ever made. The history behind the EV1 and the fact it was manufactured in small numbers made the car appreciate over time. The EV1 could allegedly cost up to $450,000 in showroom condition.
1 2006 Cadillac XLR-V
Back in the early 2000s, American carmakers started looked into really reviving the sports car. Chrysler and Dodge put an emphasis on the muscle sedan. Ford was still in the process of making the Mustang great again. At GM, the Chevy remained a true icon while other brands, such as Cadillac, had a go at the luxurious sports coupe.
The Cadillac XLR-V is not the most iconic Cadillac car ever made. In fact, it may be one of the least popular Cadillacs made over the last 20 years. Far from being a let-down, the XLR-V is equipped with a supercharged 4.4L V8 that churns out 443 hp at 6,400 rpm and 414 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm. Back in 2006, this particular XLR-V sold for $110,000. The same vehicle in mint condition will cost around the same price.