In the 1960s, a new phenomenon was started in American automotive culture that significantly influenced the global industry. Almost quickly after the hype began, all American manufacturers offered various models that could be categorized as Muscle Cars.
Manufacturers all around the world followed their American counterparts. They introduced myriads of models, versions, engines, trim levels, and performance packages, and it looked like the fun will never end. However, early in the 1970s, the US government felt the need to introduce a set of safety and environmental regulations, and muscle car craze came to a halt.
Muscle cars were so influential and loved that most common models became well known to many. Examples include the Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Plymouth Barracuda, and many more. But, what about those lesser-known cars that appear much less in popular movies or TV shows? Scroll down the list to find some of the most obscure ones.
10 Studebaker Avanti R2
The 1960s was a hard time for Studebaker. The company that was once famous and very popular was facing lower sales, and bankruptcy was just around the corner. This renowned luxury coupe named Avanti was an attempt to regain the hype and attract the customers.
From the outside, the car looked fantastic, with one exciting trim called R2. The engine was a supercharged one, and it had four-speed manual transmission. In 1966, Studebaker closed its doors forever, and Avanti went into the list of the forgotten muscle cars despite its excellent design and 280 horsepower engine.
9 Chevrolet Nova SS
The 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS seemed ideal for street racers who valued flashy and expensive muscle cars. It was a car that would satisfy their insatiable taste for speed and stealth. Although Chevy had redesigned its compact for 1968, the look was still pretty familiar.
It shared the chassis with Camaro. As for the engine, they put a 350-CID V8 into, which would be known as the Super Sport option. It was also wearing more luxuries, like SS badges, black-accented grille and tail, and simulated hood air intakes.
8 AMC Hornet SC/360
AMC Hornet SC/360 is somewhat a forgotten car, but this exotic compact muscle car of the 1970s tried to combine both shrinking size and performance credentials. It was based on a general understanding of manufacturers that predicted the closing end of the muscle era on the horizon.
In an attempt to comply with the ever-changing taste of customers, they tried to introduce cars that were smaller and cheaper but retained the same performance levels. The Hornet SC/360 wasn't successful, and only 784 units were made, which partly explains the reason for its obscurity.
7 Ford Falcon Sprint
The 1963-1966 Falcon Sprint is the fruit of association between Falcon and Sprint that began in 1963. As the first Falcon with a V8 engine, it was available to order in both two-door hardtop or convertible. Of course, the second configuration was not delivered in Australia.
The Falcon Sprint got its power from a 260 cubic-inch Windsor V8. A year later, the newborn Mustang was spawned from it that shared many mechanical features. The second-generation launched in 1964 was called Sprint Package and showed up a beefed-up suspension and a freer-flowing exhaust. However, Sprint's success was somehow blocked by the Mustang.
6 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
One of the longest-running Chevrolet nameplates of all time, the Monte Carlo was first introduced in 1970. This car was built on a stretched platform of Chevelle and featured more luxury and powerful engines.
This personal luxury coupe had a 454 big-block V8 engine that would make it as quick as contemporary Corvettes and Camaros. There were lots of units produced that make it a reasonable buy in terms of today's prices.
5 AMC Javelin
The AMC Javelin is a great representative of the muscle car era. They are unique cars, meaning you will never find precisely another example just like yours when waiting behind traffic lights. The AMC Javelin was short-lived, it was in production between 1967 and 1974. This fact makes it one of those rarest cars based on the number of units and helps make it a lovely, collectible item.
It underwent a redesign for the 1971 model year, the same year when the AMX became part of the Javelin lineup. As such, the 1971 AMX version was Javelin's top-performance trim level.
4 Chrysler 300 Hurst
At the end of the 1960s, the muscle car craze was reached a fevered pitch. In an attempt to satisfy the public demand, automakers looked beyond pony cars and intermediate coupes for high-performance models. One of the vehicles that cultivated a reputation for high performance back in the 1950s was the Chrysler 300. A decade later, it had grown substantially in both size and weight.
The muscle car era continued in 1970, so folks at Chrysler decided it was time to drop one of Chrysler's venerable performance-tuned big-block V8s under the hood, which resulted in Chrysler 300 Hurst.
3 Mercury Cyclone CJ
Why was the 1969 Mercury Cyclone Cobra Jet so special? Because the Cobra Jet-badged Cyclone was produced only for one year. Mercury built just 2,175 units of this car in 1969.
The Cyclone could never reach the same popularity as its counterparts, namely Dodge Charger Super Bee and Plymouth Road Runner. Despite this, the Cyclone Cobra Jet was not an ordinary car. It had a V8 engine capable of putting out 335 hp and 440 lb-ft, enough to push its hefty body while reaching 100+ mph.
2 AMC AMX
When muscle car fever was at its highest, the AMX (standing for American Motors eXperimental) intended to show a proper example of a genuine muscle car.
Produced from 1968 to 1970, AMX was a shortened version of the Javelin. Still, the strict two-seater AMX had some serious performance credentials to show. Then there was no surprise that 1968 Daytona International Raceway was chosen the first place to unveil it. The AMX managed to register a speed record of over 120 mph. All AMXs were equipped with V8 engines, and the lowest-powered of them could put out 225 horsepower.
1 Plymouth GTX
The story of Plymouth GTX started in 1967. At this year, the GTX was unveiled as an upscale, fast-going muscle car. It lasted only for five years in production, and this short-lived model had only two engine options available.
The GTX was built based on Belvedere, a typical, mid-sized, and budgeted family car. Plymouth engineers took this car and added features like a blacked-out grille, hood scoops made of fiberglass, a chrome-cast back facia, and a tach mounted on the center console. The Plymouth GTX is easily recognizable due to its dual racing stripes on the lower sides.