American muscle cars are among the best classic cars ever made. From the very first muscle car, the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, to the latest muscle sedans such as the Charger Hellcat, the domestic automobile industry released some of the most emblematic sports cars ever.

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Though American muscle cars are known for their serious looks and outstanding performance, some of them are simply disappointing. Some of them are the worst designed muscle cars to date. They are either unattractive, uncomfortable, slow, or just unreliable.

8 1966 Ford Mustang Base Model

When Ford Motors introduced its Model T to the world in 1908, the company revolutionized not only the automotive industry, but industrial processes as a whole. In 1965, Ford hit the nail on the head again with the Mustang. Upon its release, the pony car was sexy and represented an era of carefreeness and freedom.

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There are several facts no one knows about the Ford Mustang. It is well-known that the original Ford pony is a tremendous car that is by far the most popular American classic. However, the base '66 Mustang is far from exciting. Though the car looks terrific, it is powered by a horrible 2.8-liter inline-six that produces only 120 hp.

7 1971 AMC Hornet

As the American automobile industry boomed in the 1950s and 1960s, several entrepreneurs wanted to get a piece of the cake. The two giants, General Motors and Ford Motors, were not too keen to have other players coming to the market with outstanding vehicles. Companies like AMC were definitely not worrying the two giants.

AMC was a very obscure carmaker that came up with a handful of decent vehicles. The Hornet was in production for about seven years, however it never truly conquered the hearts of muscle fans at the time. The only respectable Hornet is the SC360, which is powered by a 360ci V8 that develops 245 hp. Despite its power, the Hornet was not powerful enough to become a hit.

6 1976 Ford Mustang II

The Ford Mustang is undeniably the best car to ever come out of the US. The Mustang outsold the Camaro, its only serious rival, by a long shot. Thanks to models such as the Boss 302 and the Bullitt, the Mustang is the only pony car made by Ford that lasted for more than five decades.

1976 Ford Mustang 2
Via- Mecum Auctions

The Ford Mustang II was dubbed the worst sports car by several critics. When looking at previous Mustangs, it is quite puzzling to understand what went through Ford engineers' heads. The base Mustang is fitted with a 2.3-liter inline-four engine that cranks out as much power as an old Honda Civic.

5 1978 Chevrolet Corvette

Via mecum.com

Chevrolet has manufactured some amazing vehicles throughout the years. From the Camaro to the Nova, the General Motors subsidiary came out with truly majestic muscle cars that would please people from different economic backgrounds. For the ones with a deep pocket and a love for cars, the Corvette was there.

This '78 Corvette is far from being among the best Corvettes ever made. Though a Corvette will always be a respectable car, regardless of what is being done to it, the '78 edition is like most cars of the same era. The V8 engines that produced anywhere between 300 and 425 hp in the early 1970s were now developing anywhere between 190 and 230 hp.

4 1979 Mercury Capri RS Turbo

It is widely unknown that brands are often bundled under an umbrella company, or that they are simply owned by a much larger group. Mercury was created as a subsidiary of Ford Motors in order to be a middle ground between mass-produced Ford cars and overly luxurious Lincoln vehicles.

1979 Mercury Capri RS Turbo

It is fair to say that the Mercury Capri was never meant to be as insane as the Cougar Eliminator. However, with a badge that states RS Turbo, gearheads would expect the Capri to pack quite a punch. The turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four was barely making 116 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque. So much for an RS Turbo.

3 1980s Dodge Challenger

Dodge is one of the few muscle carmakers that did not seem to understand that aesthetics played a huge part. Most of its early muscle cars were respectably powered, but they all look like milk boxes. However, Dodge stepped its game up when it released the Charger and the Challenger in the early 1970s.

In the 1980s, there was nothing muscle car-like left of the Challenger. Based on the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda, the Challenger was a pure disappointment that would only attract the people that have no need for a stylish and powerful car. The engine lodged under the hood is from Mitsubishi, and not the top of the line. Enough said.

2 1980 Pontiac Trans Am Turbo

Pontiac is one of those automakers that reached its pinnacle prematurely. From the mid-1960s until the mid-1970s, the carmaker released some of the coolest muscle cars out there. From the GTO "The Judge" to the Firebird, Pontiac was seriously challenging some of the well-established automakers out there.

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The Pontiac Trans Am was one of the best muscle cars during the 1970s. However, as the Malaise Era set in, Pontiac had no choice but to be a law-abiding company. In 1980, the Trans Am came out with a turbocharged 4.9-liter V8 that was capable of producing a meek 210 hp. That is horrible for a car of that caliber.

1 1993 Chevrolet Camaro

The Camaro is the only car out there that was able to truly challenge the Mustang. Even today, the rivalry between the two pony cars remains alive and well. Back in the 1960s, both Chevrolet and Ford came out with diligently engineered engines that would fare well in a race car. As the old adage goes, "win on Sunday, sell on Monday." The same principle applies to the newest Camaros and Mustangs.

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This edition of the Camaro is the sort of Chevy Camaros no collector wants to own. The car is poorly designed, and to be quite frank, does not even look good when modified. The only tolerable trim is the Z28, which is nothing like the past Z28s. The 5.7-liter V8 is capable of producing 275 hp, which was decent for the time. The aesthetics of the car are simply too atrocious.

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