The legendary Carroll Shelby teamed up with Dodge to introduce his version of the compact Omni model. Dodge called it the Omni GLH, which meant, “Goes Like Hell.”
It was a proper hot hatch and one of the best affordable performance models money could buy. Nobody expected Dodge could produce a hot hatch that could beat the European competitors. But with Shelby’s help, it did just that. Shelby took the 2.2-liter four-cylinder and added a turbocharger.
The SS version was the perfect blend of performance and luxury in an affordable package. But they discontinued the option in 1974 and customers soon forgot it.
The mid-1980s Monte Carlo was one of the coolest two-door coupes of the period. Its performance wasn’t exhilarating, however. Under the hood was a 305 V8 with 180 HP linked to a slow automatic transmission.
The Shelby Charger wasn’t your typical muscle car. However, it provided strong performance as well as decent power and acceleration times.
Despite the famous name and good performance, this edition of Chargers aren’t that collectible, but they deserve recognition and respect. After all, they are a part of the American performance portfolio from the ’80s as well as a budget-friendly way to obtain a genuine Shelby car.
The Trans Am was the hottest version of the third generation Pontiac F-body. The secret weapons of the GTA were its engine and WS6 handling package.
However, power and performance were similar. The WS6 package offered unmatched road holding and braking capabilities. It consisted of four disk brakes and a stiffer suspension. The WS6 also came with special wheels and performance tires.
The Dakota was a compact pickup truck sold between 1987 and 1996. It was dependable, tough-looking, and came with a wide arrange of engines and trim levels. But Dodge wanted more...
Shelby took the regular production Dakota and installed a 5.2-liter V8 engine with 175 HP. Despite the fact the power output was relatively small, the Dakota was light and had lots of torque. This meant this compact truck delivered a convincing performance.
Shelby also dressed up the Dakota with special paint, trim, a rollbar, and wheels, which made this compact muscle truck stand out on the streets.
Pontiac still managed to produce some memorable cars through its Special Edition models that dressed up the Trans Am and turned it into a street icon.
Affectionately called the “Screaming Chicken,” this was a highly stylized flaming bird logo on the hood of the car. This classic muscle car was extraordinarily modern and hip by the standards of the day.
After 1970, the classic muscle car segment began to decline. In just a few short years, those glorious muscle cars disappeared from the scene. Buick tried their best to deliver great performance in a luxury package.
However, in 1973, they renamed their Skylark line the Century. That meant the engineers at Buick managed to sneak one more proper classic muscle car model – the Century GS. The Century GS was a Colonnade-style intermediate coupe.
The original Dodge Magnum was a luxury muscle car coupe Dodge produced for two years, in 1978 and 1979. For the time, it was a cool-looking coupe with all the right ingredients.
With its big weight, slow automatic transmission, and low power, the Magnum delivered pathetic performance numbers. Also, the high price didn’t help the sales, so Dodge discontinued the Magnum for the 1980 model year.
Like all muscle cars in the ’70s, the Camaro was faced with tightening emissions and safety regulations. This resulted in a loss of power and performance.
The 1977 model is important for two reasons. First, it marked the return of the Z/28 option after a few years of absence. The 1977 Z/28 had just 185 horses but came with a special body kit, wild graphics package, and spoiler. However, the second reason is much more interesting. In 1977, Chevrolet Camaro finally outsold the Ford Mustang for the first time since 1967.
Chevy introduced the C4 Corvette in 1984, so it is a true 80’s classic muscle car. Its wedge-shaped body, pop up headlights, rear hatch and bright colors make this generation a true pop culture icon.
However, there is much more about this car than funny stereotypes and GTA Vice City games. In fact, the Corvette C4 was the car that singlehandedly saved the Corvette from its demise caused by the recession and a lack of popularity.