The 3 greatest muscle cars ever: Power, Legacy, and Pure Americana

Looking back more than six decades, it’s generally agreed by automotive historians that the 1964 Pontiac GTO was the first true muscle car. Sure, there were the 1957 Rambler Rebel and Chevy Bel Air “Fuelie,” but to many people alive at the time, and later generations who’ve driven them since, a “real” muscle car was only made in America and built from 1964 until, maybe, the most charitable extension, 1973.

Ultimately, 1970 was the most exuberant model year for the breed of automobiles whose power and tire-smoking, straight-line performance would not be revived by American manufacturers for more than four decades.

Herewith, our picks for the 3 best muscle cars ever made. Many of these cars offered only marginal or stylistic differences from their competitors, which, to each car’s devotees, was all the difference in the world. The cars are in reverse chronological order.

1964 Pontiac GTO

Pontiac’s GTO was the creation of John Z. DeLorean, long before the former Detroit maverick’s debacle with his snake-bitten Irish gullwing. History is on his side, crediting his brainchild—the 1964 GTO—with being the first purpose-built muscle car ever made. Any similarity to the Prancing Horse’s Gran Turismo Omologatois illusory: pure Detroit marketing at its ’60s-era best.

In fact, Pontiac’s top performer earned an affectionate nickname—Goat—by admirers and detractors alike. It’s hard to beat the first GTOs, made from 1964 to 1967, for rugged good looks and unabashed, good-natured, tire-shredding fun.

1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt

Among the rarities of Ford’s high-performance era was the Fairlane Thunderbolt, built to win drag races and nothing else. Only 100 examples were built, largely as a solution to overcoming the weight of the full-sized Galaxie drag models that, despite being equipped with a 427 ci V8 engine and lightweight parts, were still too heavy to be truly competitive.

The intermediate-sized Fairlane was the answer. Its big-block 427 made an impressive 425 hp, and 51 cars were equipped with 3-speed automatic transmissions to achieve the quickest straight-line acceleration. Weight was pared to just 3,200 lbs by using fiberglass for doors, front fenders, hood, and even the front bumper. The formula was a success, winning Ford the 1964 NHRA Super Stock championship.

1966 Ford Galaxie 500

Ford’s Galaxie was a long-lived nameplate made from 1959 to 1974 as a full-sized two- and four-door model. It was redesigned in 1965 with a new body distinguished by vertically stacked dual headlamps. Importantly, it had a new three-link rear suspension and coil springs that replaced the leaf springs still used in the Mustang.

The top dog was a two-door coupe or convertible powered by a 428 ci (7.0 liter) V8 engine, like the one in that year’s Thunderbird, that developed 360 hp in the “Police Interceptor” version. Transmission choices were a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic. The Galaxie was a big “sporty” car made for luxury cruising, with front bucket seats and many optional creature comforts.

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