The world has demonstrated immense love for classic cars. We constantly find ourselves looking for hits and misses in cars of the olden days. By good luck, most cars of the early 20th century, down to the early years of the 21st century, have proven to be incredible gems. Gearheads go to extensive lengths to restore vehicles that would otherwise spend their time in the junkyard.

The automotive industry is a victim of influences caused by various global phenomena. For instance, these World War II led automotive companies such as Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, and others to gain a new level of confidence in their craft. Engineers prodded new ideas while governments got more involved and interested in the automobile industry. In the years that followed, the industry witnessed an accelerated level of overwhelming changes. New car designs, road and track competitions, car design rules, new regulations on emissions, homologation, and competitions are just a few of the memorable changes of this important era.

Many automotive companies were also ahead of their time, building machines that carried futuristic features, unprecedented road and track capabilities, quirky designs, captivating dashboard designs, and a great deal of ambitious technology. It’s always a fascinating affair going back in time to reveal how these American brands found their footing. The beauty of these old days is that some of the machines built still have the ability to compete admirably with modern cars.

We’ve put together a list of classic cars that could aptly give modern sports a serious run on any road, any time of day or night.

10 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake

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Fame and fortune have irresistibly followed the Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake ever since it came to the limelight in 1967. The fact that it was Carroll Shelby’s personal car has indisputably helped to preserve its resourcefulness in this industry and the world at large.

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The Super Snake was built exceptionally for the racing legend. With its meticulous 7.0-liter V-8 engine, the Cobra 427 was alleged to hit all the way to 200 mph, a spectacular feat in those days. The last time Shelby’s Cobra came up for auction, a customer blew $5.5 million. The machine raking 800 horsepower could easily floor several competitors today.

Related: These '80s Classics Are Still Tons Of Fun On The Track

9 1968 Dodge Charger R/T

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The Dodge Charger debuted in 1966 and received its chassis from the mid-sized Coronet. It made great efforts to curve a body and life of its own. It became a beloved high-speed streetcar and one of the more pricey fastback specialty machines of this season.

The standard engine was a 5.2-liter V-8 engine discharging 230 hp. Over time, engines such as a 6.2-liter V-8 generating 325 ponies were availed. The icing on the cake was the 426 cubic-inch Street HEMI engine that changed fortunes for the Dodge Charger. The 1968 version was redesigned to set it completely apart from the Dodge Coronet.

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This version bore the R/T (Road/Track) capabilities, with twin stripes around the back being the distinguishing spec. The presence of a Charger R/T in the 1968 film Bullitt cements its importance in this season. If you get hold of one, be kind to let us know how it behaves against modern contemporaries, but we can guarantee you it will be satisfying.

Related: Here's How Much A Classic Dodge Viper Is Worth Today

8 1970 Plymouth Barracuda

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Chrysler produced the Plymouth Barracuda from 1964 to 1974. This was a season when car fanaticism had hit epic levels and unprecedented ideas were rife. The legendary muscle car continues to have a huge following today.

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It’s actually very interesting to see that in its ten years of production, several models of the Plymouth Barracuda saw the light of day. A long list of engine options graced the Plymouth Barracuda at different times. Following a boom in experimental ideas at the time, strict safety regulations were affected, related to production and performance. The Barracuda recorded decreasing performance in subsequent years and production ceased in 1974.

7 1979 Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta

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The engine of the Chevrolet Camaro Berlinetta sends power to the rear wheels. It thrived from 1979 to 1986, and you can still find a few examples today, though you need a little more effort.

The first important thing to learn is that this car was meant to compete with the Mustang introduced in 1964. What this means is that this Chevy had to be more than a nemesis and prove its worth. It did manage to become the Mustang’s most threatening competitor.

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Chevrolet focused on the Berlinetta as a luxury car and offered a wide range of engines, including the menacing 5.0-liter V-8 automatic. In those days, it cut its niche by feats such as sprinting to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds.

6  1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
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The grandiloquent modern Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 dispatches 650 hp from a supercharged V-8 engine. It has its predecessors to thank for these and many other extravagant attributes.

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There is almost an uncontested view that the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is among the most potent Camaros ever made. One of the reasons why is that it was built to homologate Camaros for Super Stock racing and therefore carried highly rated refinement. Its chassis was modified, and the engine was crafted from an all-aluminum block. It is a 6.8-liter dispatching up to 430 hp.

Related: American Tragedy: Here's Why Packard Stopped Manufacturing Cars

5 1970 Chrysler 300H (Hurst)

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In a previous detailed review of the Chrysler 300H, Hot Cars contend that “luxury was combined with performance” to make it an upscale competitor. This observation is nothing but the absolute truth.

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In 1970, Chrysler partnered with the car performance company Hurst to build one of the most iconic cars in its lineage. Hurst had already cast its work upon the legends of the time. Although engine enhancements by Hurst didn’t make it to the Chrysler 300, the bodywork and hood skin became very instrumental. The crowning was the 300H emblem.

4 Dodge Monaco

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The Dodge Monaco and its close cousin the Royal Monaco featured prominently in TV shows of the ‘70s and the '80s as seen in the Hill Street Blues and other shows. With this grandiose presence, they became beloved cars that are now collectibles worth top dollar.

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This car was motivated by 3.0L "Douvrin" PRV V6 engine produced by Renault. It was mated with a ZF-produced 4-speed automatic transmission. Interestingly, this car was intended for what was known as the personal luxury market but eventually fit squarely in the full-size luxury segment of Dodge cars.

Related: Check Out These Incredible Classic American Race Cars

3 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt

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Let’s start by letting you know that this car was specifically meant to compete and win drag races. We suspect that Ford executives knew they were placing it for greatness and built just 100 Thunderbolts. That’s right…just 100 of them. It never disappointed its creator, for it won the 1964 NHRA Top Stock award.

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They were considered so special that they weren’t sent to dealers but lucky buyers had to collect them at Dearbon, Michigan. It also came with a disclaimer notifying owners that it was a racing-only example.

2  1970 Pontiac LeMans Sport Convertible.

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The appearance of Pontiac and Lemans in the same sentence should ring a bell in a gearhead’s mind. This had a sterling existence between 1961 to 1981. While it was a remarkable performer, you could still have it in the GTO version.

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Over the years, it was offered in ranging variants, all of which were immaculately powered. The final year of the Le Mans was 1981 in the U.S. and it was given the Grand LeMans nameplate. It also came with a slight redesign that included a slanted nose borrowed from the Pontiac Firebird. This new look is credited for lifting it to NASCAR popularity. The Pontiac LeMans nameplate was resurrected briefly between 1987 and 1994

Related: 10 Classic Muscle Cars We Wish Would Make A Comeback

1 1971 Buick GSX

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The acquisition of Buick by General Motors often masks the fact that Buick is among the oldest American companies with an extraordinarily rich and colorful history. That’s a story for another day. Flash backward to when Buick decided to upgrade an existing nameplate, the Skylark, to magnificent appearance and performance levels for the 1970 model year.

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The GSX was only available as a two-door hardtop and came in two colors: Saturn Yellow and Apollo White. It had a humongous 455 cubic-inch V8 squeezing 350 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. These talents enabled the GSX to achieve a 0-60 mph time of just 5.8 seconds. It took about 13.38 secs to reach 105.5 mph, which is outstanding performance in the '70s.

Next: Flashback to FantomWorks... Restore or Preserve?