Ford offered the Torino GT as a hardtop, fastback, and convertible. It was available with only V8 engines from 1968 to 1969, but Ford later introduced six cylinders to the lineup. Besides the punchy engines and body styles, the Torino GT also got special exterior trim, wheel covers, and door panel lamps.
4 Pontiac Firebird
The Firebird was one of the most famous vehicles of the 60s and 70s. It had a coke bottle styling like the then Chevrolet Camaro. The Firebird was available as a two-door hardtop or convertible. Pontiac sold the Firebird across four generations from 1967 to 2002.
The first generation borrowed the body paneling of the Camaro and the split grille design of the GTO. It had multiple engine offerings, including an inline-6 and two punchy V8 options. All engine options were reasonably robust, with the inline 6 producing 165 or 205 hp and the V8s producing 250, 265, 285, or 325 hp.
3 AMC AMX
American Motor Corporation (AMC) was famous for producing economical and safe cars. However, this wasn’t translating into sales as the brand would like. The AMX was the brand’s try to build a performance car that could compete with the Camaro and Mustang while attracting younger car enthusiasts.
The AMX was a steel-bodied two-seater with a bolder grille and a cleaner fastback roofline. These design aspects helped give the AMX an aggressive look. Under the hood was a high displacement 290 cubic-inch V8 engine, producing 225 hp. The AMX could spring from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, thanks to its lightweight and short wheelbase.
2 Plymouth Barracuda
In the early 60s, the big three, Chevrolet, Ford, and Chrysler, were competing to dominate the market with affordable, midsize-performance cars. The Barracuda was one of the first pony cars ever produced. Chrysler launched this pony car in 1964, before the introduction of the Ford Mustang.
Since Chrysler had a limited budget, the Barracuda was an iteration of the Plymouth Valiant. The first-generation Barracudas had small block engines and powertrains, all identical to the Valiant. The highest performance Barracuda had the 273 cubic inch V8, making it faster than a Mustang.
1 Oldsmobile 4-4-2
American muscle cars were iconic in the 60s as hip-hop was in the 90s. The history of the muscle car explosion was complex and fascinating, thanks to the horsepower race between Ford, Chrysler, and GM. The 442 was in production from 1964 to 1987.
Its 442-nomenclature stood for a 4-barrel carburetor, 4-speed manual, and dual exhaust. It perfectly fit in with the competition, especially the 1969 W-30 performance package that offered cold air induction that helped push it even further
