With the horsepower wars raging in the late 1960s, many outstanding and powerful muscle cars came to life. Ford was one American automaker that shone well throughout this decade. Muscle cars were faster and more polished than ever before in the late 1960s, and one of the most fascinating aspects of this progression has been the advancement of car design.
The Mustang was that muscle vehicle, and in 1969, it received one of its best versions ever when Ford introduced the Boss 429 to compete with Mopar's HEMI engine in NASCAR. To meet the homologation requirement of 500 units, the brand manufactured it as a limited-production Mustang Fastback. It's a true Mustang, ready to shatter the crack of a starter gun.
Ford constructed 1358 Boss 429s between 1969 and 1970, with 859 for 1969 and 499 for 1970. A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 7.0-liter V8 produced 375 horsepower for both years, and it could speed up from 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, which is not bad at all for a classic car. The Ford Mustang Boss 429 is one of the most difficult muscle cars to find. So let us look at which '60s muscle cars are worthy to take on a 1969 Mustang Boss 429.
9 1969 Dodge Charger
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The automobile that Hollywood adored. This generation of classic Dodge Chargers is best-known when painted in orange with textures “01” numbers on each door, because of the '69 Chargers' portrayal as the modified stock car On CBS's Dukes of Hazzard as the iconic General Lee.
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This was no ruse. Dodge complemented the fast-looking exterior with lots of muscle under the hood. The standard engine was a 230-hp, two-barrel carburetor, 5.2-liter V8 with typical “wedge” style combustion chambers. However, the R/T featured a 440 V8 producing 380 hp, with an optional 425-hp 426 Hemi V8 capable of 0-60 in under 6 seconds. On the market, this speedster ranges in price from $47,000 to $120,000.
8 1965 Pontiac GTO
In 1964, the GTO was only available as an option package for the LeMans, but it swiftly matured into a formidable weapon in muscle car combat in the late 1960s. The Pontiac GTO launched the muscle car era in 1964, although several cars had used the recipe before it.
When sales soared, the horsepower wars started, and every other manufacturer hurried to make their own version as soon as possible, bringing in an era of automotive magnificence that will never repeat. We spotted 1965 models for as little as $50,000 on classiccars.com.
7 1968 Plymouth Road Runner Hemi
The Road Runner may be named after a bird, but make no bones about it: it was all enterprise all the time. The Road Runner Hemi was a popular muscle vehicle in the late 1960s.
It came with a base powertrain that included a standard 383 cubic inch four-barrel V8 engine with 335 hp or a more powerful optional 426 c.i. Hemi engine with 425 hp and a 0-60 time of just 4.9 seconds. You can get one in good condition for around $48,000.
6 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350
In 1964, the Ford Mustang 'pony car' swept the United States, selling two million units in its first two years of manufacture. In 1965, Shelby only produced 562 Mustang GT-350, and the Shelby GT-350 cars that followed from 1967 to 1968 were more luxuriously furnished and less race-oriented.
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These improvements resulted in 306 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. Hence, the GT350, one of the best muscle cars ever made, was good for a top speed of 138 mph and a 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds. In its pomp, the Shelby was a lightning-fast car. This magnificent beast is a wonderful value at $130,000.
5 1968 Pontiac Firebird
Pontiac released the Firebird in 1967. Despite being overshadowed by the Chevrolet Camaro, the first-generation Pontiac Firebird is a car worth finding. The GTO's 400 cubic inch engine produced 325 horsepower at 4,800 rpm and 430 pound-feet of torque at 3,300 rpm for the 1968 year.
However, the performance was excellent. It took 14.7 seconds to complete a quarter-mile, and 6.2 seconds to speed up from zero to sixty miles per hour. It's a valuable automobile even at $29,990 on the used market.
4 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Chevy built the Z/28 to compete in the SCCA Trans-Am series as a proper race vehicle dressed in street clothes. Upgraded suspension, a Muncie close-ratio 4-speed transmission, power disc brakes on all four wheels, and a solid 5.0-liter V8 producing 290 hp were all standard.
However, a 6.5-liter big-block engine capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds was also available. You can drive one home now for $62,000, according to ClassicCars pricing listings.
3 1969 ½ Dodge Super Bee A12
The Super Bee was simply a modified Dodge Charger. In 1968, the Bee was available with either a 6.2-liter V8 or the renowned 7.0-liter Hemi. The A12 Super Bee had 390 hp and a whopping 490 lb-ft of torque.
How rare is this Super Bee? Dodge Only made 1,907 for the 1969 1/2 model year with the A12 package. They made them in two body styles: a pillar-less hardtop and a pillared coupe. The starting price for a used Dodge Super Bee A12 is $64,900.
2 1966 Oldsmobile 442 W30
In response to the highly popular 1964 Pontiac GTO, Oldsmobile added a late performance option based on the B09 Police Apprehended package to its 1964 model year run. The 4-4-2 hit its stride in 1966. Some consider it the best-looking 4-4-2 ever manufactured after an exciting external overhaul.
The basic L78 400ci engine now produced 350 horsepower, while an optional L69 tri-power engine produced 360 horsepower. In 1966, 21,997 Oldsmobile 442 found new homes. A 1966 model is available for between $26,500 and $89,000, according to ClassicCars.
1 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
This was the Dodge with the most distinctive styling of all time. However, they did not build the Daytona for street racing, as its name suggests. Dodge made it to win NASCAR races on the world's longest and fastest courses, super-speedways.
Dodge made only 505 Charger Daytonas for the 1969 model year. The models made either 425 hp from a 7.0-liter Hemi 426 or 375 hp from a 7.2-liter Hemi 440. You can get a Daytona in fair condition for around $260,700.