Americans may not have invented automobiles – that honor belongs to German engineer Karl Benz – but they quickly made the automobile their own. By 1904, the US led the world in vehicle sales, and by 1914, 80 percent of all the vehicles in the world were made in the US thanks to the introduction of the assembly line.
The 20th Century was massively successful for the American auto industry as it saw the birth of famous brands we know and love today as well as many iconic models we’d love to buy, despite their scary price tags in the modern market. This article explores ten superb American classic cars every gearhead dreams of owning.
10 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL1
1969 Corvette ZL1The C3 is considered by many to be the worst Corvette generation, as it gave us some of the worst-performing models as it was largely produced during the malaise era. However, it did give us a few gems, one of which was the 1969 ZL1.
1969-Corvette-ZL1The 1969 ZL1 was a $5,000 option package that came with a 7.0-liter all-aluminum L88 engine generating well over 430 hp. Due to the high price, only 2 ZL1s were ever built in 1969, making it one of the rarest American sports cars.
9 Shelby Cobra Super Snake
Blue Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake In Parking LotThe Shelby Cobra is an absolute icon of the American auto industry. Everyone loves its gorgeous European design and raw American V8 power, which is why it’s a highly sought-after collectible.
As great as the Cobra was, its creator – the renowned Carroll Shelby – didn’t think it was powerful enough, so he built the crazy Super Snake for himself. Equipped with a 7.0-liter twin-supercharged, the Cobra Super Snake made an unbelievable 800 hp. The surviving Super Snake recently sold for an insane $5.5 million at a Barrett-Jackson auction.
8 Buick GNX
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The first thing that comes to most gearheads’ minds when ‘Buick’ is mentioned is slow, boring, affordable cars for the daily commute. However, in the ’80s, Buick built a vehicle that absolutely dominated every drag strip it went to – the GNX.
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The GNX was a limited edition version of the Grand National that Buick built in collaboration with McLaren. Powered by a 3.8-liter turbocharged and intercooled V6 engine making just under 300 hp, the GNX had a 0-60 of just over 4 seconds.
7 Ford GT40
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The Blue Oval brand has had many achievements over the last century, but few of them come close to the iconic GT40. The GT40 was the result of Ford’s desire to get revenge on Enzo Ferrari after the Italian had refused a takeover deal.
Ford’s plan was to hit Ferrari where it hurt most – motorsports. Ford built the GT40 specifically to defeat Ferrari at Le Mans, and it did just that in 1966 and the following three years after that. The GT40 is definitely one of the greatest American race cars ever.
6 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
When Chevrolet introduced the C2 Corvette in 1963, everyone’s jaw fell to the floor. The thing that impressed gearheads most about the 1963 Corvette was its gorgeous shark-inspired design, which featured sleek lines flowing all the way to the back, hidden headlights, a distinctive tapering rear deck, and a rear split-window design.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ‘Split Window’ rear endThe 1963 Corvette Sting Ray was also a joy to drive, as it was significantly lighter than its predecessor and had a 360-hp V8 under the hood.
5 Dodge Charger Daytona
White 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona parkedThe 1968 Nascar season was horrible for Dodge, so it went back to the drawing board and built the 1969 Charger Daytona to reclaim its spot at the top of the Nascar world.
Dodge Charger Daytona (1969)The Charger Daytona was developed specifically to win Nascar races. It was based on the high-performance Charger R/T but was equipped with a body kit with a special nose cone and a massive rear wing. Thanks to its insane power and other modifications, the Charger Daytona was unbeatable on the track and was the first-ever Nascar vehicle to hit 200 mph.
4 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1The muscle car industry was heating up in the late ’60s, with all top American automakers competing to have the most powerful car. Chevy wanted the Camaro to be able to compete with the likes of the Pontiac GTO Judge and Dodge Charger R/T, so it built the high-performance ZL1 in 1969.
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – SideThe ZL1 was only sold through Chevrolet’s COPO program and was quite expensive, which is why only 69 examples were made. It was powered by an all-aluminum 7.0-liter V8 specifically developed for racing, making it incredibly quick.
3 1965 Shelby GT350R
Less than a year after the Mustang’s introduction, Carroll Shelby got his hands on one and started working his magic on it. Shelby planned to turn the Mustang into one of the best race cars of the ’60s, and after a lot of work, the Shelby GT350R was born.
1965 Shelby Mustang GT350R 5R106 profileShelby boosted the engine from 325 hp to 360 hp and made other modifications to make the GT350R super fast. Homologation rules required 100 examples, but Shelby ended up making only 34 examples. Due to its power and rarity, the 1965 Shelby GT350R can cost millions at auctions.
2 Plymouth Hemi ‘Çuda Convertible
Hemi ‘ÇudaPlymouth sadly went out of business in the early 2000s, but it will always be remembered as one of the top automakers of the 20th century. One of the best cars Plymouth ever built was the Barracuda – a superb muscle car that many gearheads loved.
Rare 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible Classic CarLike most muscle cars, the Barracuda also got a high-performance version in the late ’60s to ensure it could keep up with the competition. Dubbed the Hemi’ ‘Cuda, this insane muscle car had a monstrous Hemi V8 under the hood dishing out over 425 hp, making it a beast. The Hemi ‘Cuda is a rare find these days, particularly the convertible.
1 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake
In 1967, Goodyear Tires needed a new high-performance muscle car to put their ‘Thunderbolt’ tires to the test, so they asked Carroll Shelby to build them one. The result was the 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake.
Shelby took a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 and added several upgrades to give it the required performance, including a modified engine from the Ford GT40 race car. Shelby planned to build several GT500 Super Snakes, but since it was too expensive, only one was ever built