The American automotive industry produced legendary cars such as the Mustang, the Corvette, and the Charger. Given the plethora of outstanding vehicles, several ended up being completely unnoticed or even shunned. As time went by, these cars became increasingly popular.
While Ford and GM were taking up most of the market, Chrysler was not far behind. Now Stellantis, the group released a wide variety of amazing all-American monsters. True American gearheads know all the greatest Mopar cars of all time. However, several classic cars from Mopar are only now getting the attention they should have received decades ago.
10 1948 Chrysler Town And Country
In 1948, the world was still recovering from the disastrous impact of World War II. While some countries needed to completely rebuild their economy, others were able to benefit from a post-war boom. The USA is one of the countries that saw its economy explode during the post-war era.
The Town And Country is certainly not the sort of classic Mopar cars that will leave modern sports cars in the dust. However, it is a car that would make its owners look sophisticated. This particular Town And Country was restored from the ground up and is estimated to sell between $120,000 and $140,000. The original MSRP of the '48 Town And Country was less than $20,000 in today's dollar. The car is now valued at over $190,000 in excellent condition.
9 1958 Dodge Royal Lancer
Dodge is to Stellantis (formerly Fiat-Chrysler) what Mercury is to Ford Motors. As a matter of fact, the two brands were targeting a very similar market segment. During the 1950s, Dodge was in between high-end Chrysler and accessible Plymouth cars. The Dodge Royal Lancer may not be a mystery to most gearheads, but it sure was not as popular as the '58 Chevelle.
Most Dodges prior to the Challenger and Charger models were not very exciting. That being said, Chrysler put an emphasis on developing cars that were far from being average. The '58 Royal Lancer is fitted with a 350 ci V8 that produces enough power to take this boat down the freeway. Some Royal Lancers have sold for over $50,000, which is a lot more than their original MSRP.
8 1960 DeSoto Adventurer
Chrysler-owned DeSoto was shut down in 196o following a shift in consumer wants and needs. Despite having sold over two million vehicles during its existence, the brand was eventually put aside in order to focus resources on Chrysler and Plymouth vehicles. The DeSoto Adventurer may have been overshadowed by much more iconic Chrysler cars, but it is still a great classic car.
The Adventurer should be among the sickest HEMI-powered Mopars ever. Though it is not powered by the most nervous engines found on the market at the time, namely a 383 ci V8, it is still a remarkable and highly significant vehicle for Chrysler. After 61 years, the car's value doubled. It is quite understandable given the fact that only 3,092 units were produced in 1960.
7 1962 Rambler Ambassador
Rambler is that one car brand everybody knows, but no one can quite pinpoint what the cars actually look like. Most gearheads do not know that Rambler and Hudson merged to form AMC, the very company that produced rather obscure cars such as the AMX/3 or the Hornet SC360.
The '62 Ambassador is a very peculiar vehicle. Underneath the hood sits a nice 327 ci V8 that churns out a solid 270 hp at best. That is a lot of horsepower for a car from the early 1960s. The Ambassador was sold under the AMC and Rambler brands. The Ambassador was not cheap, to begin with, but now the car is a true collectible and is priced accordingly.
6 1964 Imperial Crown
Most car fans do not know that '64-'66 Imperial Crowns were not allowed to participate in demolition derbies. The car received high safety ratings and was far more powerful and larger than most cars in the arena. Despite its great features, the Imperial Crown was not as popular as rival cars.
The Imperial Crown was one of Chrysler's most luxurious cars that year. Fitted with a 413 ci Wedge V8 that produces 340 hp. The power is transmitted to the back wheels thanks to a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission. Not bad for a Chrysler-made, tarmac-bound land yacht. Though the Imperial Crown did not incredibly appreciate, its value did go up a bit over the years and is very likely to keep on going up.
5 1965 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200
Plymouth is Chrysler's low-end brand. As the company was not permitted to outperform Chrysler cars, the cars rolling out of the assembly lines were neither astonishing nor mediocre. Back in 1958, the slogan for the Plymouth Belvedere two-door hardtop was "Only from Plymouth: the Broadway look at a Main Street price."
Plymouth did something incredible with the Valiant Signet 200. Unlike the previous versions, the '65 Valiant 200 came with a 273 ci V8 engine that was capable of producing a furious 235 hp to the wheels. There was a 1965 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200 for sale with a price tag of $24,900.
4 1967 Dodge Polara 500
Dodge, being the missing link between Plymouth and Chrysler, did not release beautifully designed cars until the late 1960s. From this point onward, Dodge did whatever was possible to shake its image and provide motorists with far more enjoyable vehicles.
The Dodge Polara would be the equivalent of the Ford Crown Victoria. Used by law enforcement, the car was consequently nowhere as notorious as other cars of its era. However, given the fact that it was not worth much back then, the fact that the car sells for thousands of dollars today is quite impressive.
3 1972 AMC Gremlin X
As it has been previously stated, AMC is the result of a merger between Rambler and Hudson. AMC cars are becoming quite popular, mainly thanks to the restomod trend that is currently reshaping the idea of custom vehicles. While Ringbrothers' AMC Javelin AMX is insane, other AMC cars are begging to be restomodded.
AMC and its cars. There should be a movie made about this company. Back in the 1970s, AMC tried to target the same consumers Toyota and Honda had already acquired. The Gremlin X is equipped with a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 that produces 150 hp to the back wheels. An AMC Gremlin was allegedly sold for $60,000.
2 1992 Dodge Daytona IROC R/T
Emission regulations and several economic events hindered the production of fast and reliable domestic cars. Though the Malaise Era started to slowly but surely fade away, most muscle cars from the early '90s are simply horrendous. However, some carmakers were able to come up with a fantastic car every now and then.
The Dodge Daytona IROC R/T is quite unknown among gearheads. However, the car is far from being like other muscle cars of that era. The turbocharged 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine develops 224 hp, which is quite impressive. Back then, the car was advertised at a little over $20,000. As the car is becoming a collectible, it is expected to see its value triple over the next couple of years.
1 2001 Plymouth Prowler
The Prowler is Plymouth's last attempt at producing a truly American vehicle. As a matter of fact, the Prowler is a clear shout-out to the hot-rod culture that has been part of America's folklore for almost a century. Despite having so much potential, the Prowler sort of fell flat.
The Prowler was one of the most disappointing vehicles of the early 2000s. The mean machine is equipped with a lousy 3.5-liter V6 that produces barely 253 hp. Given what was available on the market at the time, Plymouth could have adopted the V8 found in other models at the time.
Though the car's value greatly depreciated a couple of years after its release, it is now going up again as an increasing number of tuners may be looking into giving this sick-looking vehicle the power it deserves.