From the '50s to the '70s, America led the way in building world-beating muscle cars with crazy engines and iconic designs. Many cars from that era are now worth a fortune, with collectors paying unbelievable sums of money to own the rarest variant of their favorite model.
Owning one of these cars today is seen as the 'holy grail' for muscle car enthusiasts. They're ultra-rare beasts that offer driving experiences that just can't be had in any other car. Many sit in pride of place in owners' collections for many years, only very rarely coming up for sale. When they do, they fetch a fortune. Let's take a look at ten of the most insane sums collectors have paid for classic muscle cars.
10 Pontiac Trans Am 'Smokey and the Bandit' (1977) - $550,000
The 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit not only launched Burt Reynolds' career into superstardom but cemented the Pontiac Trans Am as a household name. Only one car was made for the film's promo, and it went up for auction in 2016.
The Pontiac sold for $550,000, including auction fees. That seems a good price for such an irreplaceable piece of film history. It's certainly one of the coolest movie cars around.
9 Dodge Charger Daytona (1969) - $900,000
It's one of the most iconic muscle car designs in history, but Dodge only built 503 Charger Daytonas. That makes them not only very rare but very valuable too.
In 2015, headlines were made when a mint-condition Charger Daytona sold for $900,000. That sale set the tone for future auctions, with most Daytonas sold from then on being valued at similar amounts.
8 Chevrolet Corvette L88 (1967) - $3,200,000
The L88 trim for the Chevrolet Corvette was a semi-secret option that the brand never marketed to the general public or to its dealers. Instead, most '67 L88s were quietly sold to race teams for use in drag competitions.
With 430 horsepower, the L88 was a true performance beast for its time. Examples very rarely go up for auction but when they do they sell for eye-watering sums. A convertible L88 recently sold for $3.2 million.
7 Shelby Cobra 289 (1964) - $1,020,000
Shelby Cobras are highly desirable all over the world thanks to their rarity and unique driving experience. the Cobra 289 isn't the most powerful or exclusive version ever made, but even as a more 'regular' model, it's still worth north of one million dollars.
An example is currently for sale in the Netherlands with an asking price of €839,000, which converts to about $1,020,000. For that price owners get a 4.7L V8 connected to a 4-speed manual transmission, and also the bragging rights of saying they own an original example of Carroll Shelby's work.
6 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda Convertible (1970) - $2,250,000
Convertible cars were much less common in the 70s than they are today, so examples of muscle cars with drop-top roofs fetch a lot of money when they're put up for auction.
In fact, only 11 convertible 'Cudas were made in 1971, and examples have sold in recent years for over $2 million. With an original list price of $4,348 back in '71, that's a staggering 51,648% increase in value from new.
5 Pontiac Bonneville Special Motorama Concept (1954) - $3,080,000
This concept car was built to appeal to younger buyers and try to give Pontiac a sportier image to rival the Chevrolet Corvette. The sleek Bonneville Special featured a 230hp engine, which was Pontiac's most powerful at the time.
The Bonneville Concept never made production, and as a result, only two examples were ever built. One was recently sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction for an insane $3.08 million dollars.
4 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 R (1965) - $990,000
Built by Carroll Shelby as dedicated racing machines, the Mustang Shelby GT350 R was unsurprisingly a highly successful car, winning a multitude of titles. Only 36 examples were built, and most have been with their current owners for decades.
One example did go to auction in 2012 and was a highly-original GT350 R with an odometer reading of only 4,900 miles. It sold for a hefty $990 thousand dollars, with less well-preserved examples being valued at several hundred thousand less.
3 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 (1970) - $1,200,000
The Chevrolet Chevelle was a popular and well-selling muscle car, with most cars sold sporting the standard LS5 trim. LS6s, however, were a much rarer and higher-spec variant. It's estimated only 3,700 units were sold.
The LS6 boasted an upgraded engine and carburetor and was conservatively rated at 450hp. The most pristine, low mileage examples of these cars now sell for well over a million at auction.
2 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible (1971) - $440,000
Appearing towards the end of the classic muscle car era, the Pontiac GTO Judge was heralded as one of the last true classic muscle greats. Powered by a 6.6L V8 making 366hp, it's a muscle car that collectors continue to fawn over to this day.
The convertible Judge is an ultra-rare variant of the much-loved car. Only 17 were made, so when they're put up for sale there's a huge demand from collectors. Recent examples have fetched nearly half a million dollars.
1 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake (1966) - $5,100,000
The rarest of all the Cobras, the '66 Super Snake was personally built by Carroll Shelby for himself as a test of how fast he could make a Cobra. Only two Super Snakes were ever built and only one survives to the present day.
That sole example crossed the auction block at a Barrett-Jackson auction and sold for an unbelievable $5.1 million dollars. It's an all-original car, still sporting its 1965 engine block that pushes almost 1,000hp. That surely makes it one of the greatest American muscle cars ever.