The muscle car craze that kicked off in the 1950s had gathered steam and was in full swing during the 1960s. The race was on among carmakers and it was basically a question of how big an engine you could fit into your car. Unsurprisingly, these carmakers enjoyed varying degrees of success with their creations.

On one side, you had really powerful muscle cars, with loads of horsepower and torque to light up the tires and burn some rubber out at the drag strip. However, there were also the cars that struggled to put together any sort of decent performance and only served to make up the numbers during drag races.

Let's look at how the best and worst classic muscle cars compare when it comes to obliterating the drag strip.

10 Drag Strip King - 1962 Ford Galaxie 406

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via classiccars

For Ford, 1962 began without an engine rated at over 400 cid. This put them at a serious disadvantage compared to the hulking muscle cars like the 409 Chevys or the tire slaying 421 Pontiacs. They resolved that issue in 1962 though by enlarging the 390-cid V8 engine to 406-cid. That engine was plunked into the Ford Galaxie and could produce 405hp at 5,800rpm.

1962-ford-galaxie
via mecum

A competition version of the Galaxie, complete with weight-saving aluminum parts, were offered. This transformed the Ford Galaxie into a serious contender out on the drag strip with impressive sprint times and the ability to reach 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds.

9 Drag Strip King - 1962 Dodge Dart 413 Max Wedge

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via hotrodnetwork

This was one of the first cars used by Dodge on the drag strip and the car owed its prowess to the Max Wedge 413 engine under the hood. That V8 block pumped out as much as 420 hp and 470 pound-feet of torque.

Dodge-dart-1962
via mecum

That power output was enough to earn the otherwise ordinary Dodge Dart some serious credibility at the races with a 0 to 60mph sprint time of 5.8 seconds while a quarter-mile dash could be completed in about 14 seconds at 101mph.

8 Drag Strip King - 1969 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet

1969-ford-mustang-428-cobra-jet
via classiccars

As the name implies, this Ford Mustang had, a potent 428 Cobra Jet engine that produced 335 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque. Equipping this car with the Drag Pack option added performance-enhancing parts such as a shaker scoop, engine oil cooler, modified crankshaft, and stronger connecting rods for increased durability at speed.

1969 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet
Mecum Auctions

It was an expensive addition but the car was still cheaper than the Mustang Boss 429. It became a popular sight at drag races and its 0 to 60mph time of 5.7 seconds was no joke.

Related: Fastest Quarter-Mile Times Set By Standard Muscle Cars

7 Drag Strip King - 1963 Pontiac Catalina 421 Super Duty ‘Swiss Cheese’

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via mecum

This was a hardcore muscle car purpose-built by Pontiac to rip up the drag strip. The carmaker reportedly built only 14 of these cars. Emphasis was placed on weight reduction with body parts such as fenders, the bumper, radiator support, and hood were made from thin-gauge aluminum.

Pontiac-Catalina
via supercars.net

Interestingly, the name ‘Swiss Cheese’ comes from the fact that holes were actually drilled into the frame rails to further save weight. In the end, the cars weighed 3,308 pounds compared to a 3,725-pound production version. This car could zip to 60 mph in just 5.4 seconds and take down the quarter-mile marker in 13.9 seconds, running at over 100 mph.

6 Drag Strip King - 1966 Plymouth Satellite 426 Hemi

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via bringatrailer

The premise behind this car was quite straightforward; get a race engine and tune down the wildness to enable it to run efficiently in a production series car. That engine was the 426 Hemi, a powerplant that produced as much as 500 hp. In the 1966 Plymouth Satellite though, that output had been trimmed to a more manageable 425 hp at 5,000 rpm.

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via mecum

To cope with that power, the car was equipped with performance parts such as the heavy-duty suspension and brakes. It was one of the few cars at the time that could run the quarter-mile at speeds exceeding 100mph.

5 Drag Strip King - 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

1969-Chevrolet-Camaro-ZL1
via roadandtrack

The 1969 Chevy Camaro ZL1 was one of the fastest cars of its era, able to hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds before demolishing the quarter-mile marker 7.9 seconds later at 110 mph. The car could be made even faster with some mechanical tweaks under the hood.

1969-Chevrolet-Camaro-ZL1
via mecum

Its blistering performance was mainly down to an innovative ZL1 engine, the first production Chevy engine to utilize an aluminum block. The engine was officially rated at 430 hp but a power output of almost 500 hp is closer to the truth, making it one of the most powerful engines ever offered by the carmaker to the public.

Related: 10 Photos Of Modified Camaros That Defy All Logic

4 Drag Strip King - 1968 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi

1968-Dodge-Charger-RT-Hemi
via mecum

The 1968 Dodge Charger was one of the best-looking muscle cars at the time, with its distinctive hidden-headlamp grille and sleek body lines. It would be almost impossible to miss this car at the drag strip but that was not only because of its looks. The car also packed fearsome performance capabilities within that frame.

1968-Dodge-Charger-RT-Hemi
via classiccar

The official power output was pegged at 425 hp though that proved to be a modest estimate in the real world. The car could finish the 60 mph dash in 4.8 seconds and then carry on past the quarter-mile marker 8.7 seconds later at 105 mph.

3 Drag Strip King - 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster

1965-shelby-cobra
via motorauthority

The Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster was in a league of its own and ruled the roost as the fastest muscle car in its prime. It was the result of a collaboration between Carroll Shelby (backed by Ford) and British carmaker AC. To produce the Shelby Cobra, an emphasis was placed on weight and engine power.

1965-shelby-cobra
via motorauthority

In the end, the car weighed a scant 2, 355 pounds, and a mighty engine that put out up to 485 hp in the competition model. The car was a beast to handle and in experienced hands, a 0 to 60mph sprint time of 4.2 seconds was very feasible.

Related: Pontiac Trans Am And 9 Other Badass '70s Muscle Cars

2 Drag Strip Snail - 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS

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via americancarcollector

The ’67 Camaro SS trim came with a 5.7-liter V8 engine that produced 295hp at 4,800rpm. That kind of power did not make for any room for decent performance out on the drag strip.

1967-chevrolet-camaro-ss
via mecum

Even in experienced hands, the Camaro SS would struggle to beat an 8 second 0 to 60mph time. The car also ran the quarter-mile in over 15 seconds at a mere 90mph. These numbers did not necessarily mean the Camaro SS was a bad car but on the drag strip, it would regularly trail behind the more accomplished cars.

1 Drag Strip Snail - 1964 Plymouth Barracuda

1964 Plymouth Barracuda
via: Mecum

The Plymouth Barracuda was an attempt to unseat the wildly popular Ford Mustang that was unveiled that same year. Unfortunately, the car fell quite short of the mark. Its sales volume for the entire 1964 was 23,443 compared to the over 22,000 Mustang units that were sold on the first day of launch alone.

1964-Plymouth-Barracuda
via pinterest

The Plymouth was a decent enough car but its performance was severely lacking, especially when compared to the other power-hungry muscle cars. On the drag strip, the 235 hp engine could only wring out an 8.2-second wobble to 60 mph, which was hardly a performance worth noting.

Next: These Tuned Muscle Cars Are Producing Ridiculous Amounts Of Power