Many enthusiasts consider the Pontiac GTO as the "Grandfather" of all muscle cars. While it may have been the first to officially adopt the moniker, some cars from the '40s and '50s certainly carried the sentiment. It really took off thanks to icons such as the GTO Judge, Charger, and Camaro, and hit a massive 8-year sized speed bump in the 1970s through the early 1980s.

Thankfully, the muscle car soldiered on through this bleak period and is back today in full force. American car companies are once again shoving big displacement V8s into mid-size cars and burning up far too much rubber.

8 1949 Oldsmobile 88 - 97 MPH

Oldsmobile Rocket 88
Via: mecum

The GTO may be the first official "muscle car," but Oldsmobile was way ahead of the game. In 1949 it took a full-size car and gave it a 303-cubic inch "Rocket" V8. It used increased compression to pump out 135 horsepower and almost 300 lb-ft of torque.

1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88
via hagerty.com

Its top speed of 97 mph is by today's standards a far cry from flattering, but its history is steeped in racing success. It dominated the 1950 NASCAR season and won the Carrera Panamericana, a 2,000-mile road race in Mexico. By the end of the 1950s, its performance was dwarfed by the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbird.

RELATED: Ranking The Fastest Muscle Cars Ever Made

7 1958 Chrysler 300D - 156 MPH

1958 chrysler 300d front driver
Via: Mecum

Chrysler turned a lot of heads starting in the 1950s with its 300 series. It was about as close to a road-legal NASCAR racecar as an everyday consumer could get. The 300D sent 390 fuel-injected horsepower to its rear wheels via 6.4-liter V8, for a 156 mph speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

1958 chrysler 300d drivers side
Via: Mecum

Many problems arose from its primitive fuel injection, which was fortunately put in the few initial models before being replaced with two four-barrel carburetors to make 380 horsepower. It was the last year of Chrysler's first-generation Hemi engine.

6 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona - 200 MPH

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
via hemmings.com

Horsepower wasn't the only weapon at the '69 Charger Daytona's disposal. It used a 426 cubic inch V8 that produced 425 horsepower, and engineers actually ran it through a wind tunnel to determine where aerodynamic drag was slowing the car down.

Via: Pinterest

As a result, the car was fitted with a giant spoiler and closed nosecone, which did a better job of slicing through the air than the Charger's flat grille ever did. All this helped the car reach a record-breaking 200 mph, and thus it was the car to beat in stock car racing. It was successful enough to eventually be banned from competition.

RELATED: These Underrated Muscle Cars Deserve More Recognition

5 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda - 155 MPH

via Pinterest

Unsurprisingly, the also-from-Chrysler Plymouth Cuda accomplished its 155 mph milestone using the same engine that was in the Charger Daytona. In 1970, the engine received hydraulic lifters, which according to some experts improved low-end power. It was a hefty car even compared to other muscle cars of its era at 3,900 pounds, despite having virtually no safety equipment besides a lap belt.​​​​​​​

1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda Rear
Via: Mecum Auctions

Nevertheless, it reached 60 mph in just 5.6 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13 seconds. Its hemispherical pistons helped achieve a relatively high 10.25:1 compression ratio, and that plus two four-barrel carburetors got it the 425 horsepower.

4 1989 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (Turbo V6) - 153 MPH

1989 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo side view
Via: Mecum.com

Muscle cars would take a back seat to more economical cars like the Pinto in the mid-’70s. The V8 was beaten down and humiliated, in some cases down to 120 horsepower despite a 5.0-liter displacement. However, by the mid-’80s, things started to pick back up, and not necessarily in the form of a V8.​​​​​​​

1989 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo rear third quarter view
Via: Mecum.com

One of the fastest American cars of the decade was the Firebird Trans Am at the helm of a turbocharged 3.8-liter V6, making 250 horsepower. Mated to an automatic transmission, the '89 Trans Am could top out at 153 mph. The Buick Grand National received a similar engine, but with a much lower top speed.

RELATED: 10 Most Underrated American Muscle Cars Ever Made

3 1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R - 151 MPH

White 1995-Ford-Mustang-SVT-Cobra R parked outside
Via mecum auctions

The year 1994 saw the revamped Mustang explode out of its 15-year-old Fox Body shell. It still used the same overhead-valve 4.9-liter V8, weighed a bit more than the Fox Body at 3,276 pounds, and used single-piston brake calipers. The 1995 Cobra R cut through all of the base Mustang GT's weaknesses.

1995-Ford-Mustang-SVT-Cobra R
via mecum

SVT engineers gave the mustang a larger naturally aspirated 5.8-liter Windsor engine with 300 horsepower and a beefier transmission to handle the power. They also removed the radio, back seats, and air conditioning with the intent of saving weight. Fog lights were omitted in favor of ducting that would assist in cooling the front brakes.

2 2006 Pontiac GTO - 190 MPH

2006-Pontiac-GTO
via bring a trailer

On looks alone, the 2004-2006 GTO was ridiculed for being a mere shadow of its ancestral namesake. It didn't carry the same impact as the original '66 GTO in terms of road presence that would stop onlookers in their tracks. However, under the hood was pure muscle. It used a 6.0-liter V8 that sent 400 horsepower to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission (or automatic).​​​​​​​

Via Cars&Bids

Top speed claims vary from owner experience to spec sheets from reputable sources. The general consensus seems to be that from the factory they are electronically limited to 160 mph, however with the restrictions removed, the car can max out at 190 mph.

RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Pontiac GTO

1 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon - 204 MPH

Via: Dodge

Chrysler once again cracked the 200 mph barrier. One of the best examples of the muscle car era making its triumphant return with modern vehicles is the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. Its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 bellows 808 horsepower, or 840 with 100 octane.

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon road
Via FCA

The Demon should be capable of conquering insurmountable odds, yet because its computer limits the top speed thanks to the tires it sits on, the Demon manages a dismal 168 mph. While Dodge had its focus set on annihilating the quarter-mile, the top speed can be increased by removing the speed limiter and fitting better tires. One owner even surpassed 210 mph.

NEXT: These Are The Fastest Modern Muscle Cars Money Can Buy