#Muclecars#Soundingcars#burnoutcar This is part of a series of videos featuring Quickest Muscle Cars by Year. Here is a link to the playlist that contains the entire series.
Get ready to step into the fast lane of nostalgia with Magnalume's latest video, "10 Quickest Muscle Cars of the 1970s: What They Cost Then vs. Now." Join us as we ignite the engines of classic American muscle cars from the 1970s, exploring their speed, power, and the evolving market values from back in the day to the present.
From the iconic Chevrolet Chevelle to the powerful Chevrolet El Camino 454, and the legendary Ford Mustang Boss 429 to the blazing Pontiac Trans AM SD 455, we've curated the top 10 quickest muscle cars that defined the high-octane spirit of the 1970s. Join us on a journey through the roaring engines and sleek designs that made these cars legends of their time.
Discover the original costs of these muscle marvels in the 1970s and witness the transformation of their values in today's market. From the most expensive classic cars to the 10 rarest muscle cars of all time, we delve into the history of these iconic vehicles that continue to capture the hearts of car enthusiasts worldwide.
Whether you're a seasoned collector or a newcomer to the world of classic cars, this video is your ticket to the top 20 muscle cars that ruled the roads in the 1970s. From the fastest muscle cars to the best first muscle car, Magnalume is your guide through the muscle car history that shaped an era.
Don't miss out on the chance to witness the roar of engines and the sleek designs that made the 1970s a golden era for classic American muscle cars. Join us in "10 Quickest Muscle Cars of the 1970s: What They Cost Then vs. Now" for a thrilling ride down memory lane!
Most people would probably have a vague awareness of what the quickest muscle cars from the 1970s
might be, and perhaps envision monster engine pony and midsize cars, and they would be largely
correct. However, the details of the specific trim, engine, and transmission options are mostly
forgotten. In this video, we review 10 of the quickest factory original muscle cars from the
1970s, and how they were optioned in the order of 0 to 60 mile per hour times. And to satisfy
curiosity, we've included their original cost when new, and how much they're worth today. So here we
go for a cruise down Classic Car Mile to take a nostalgic look back at some legendary muscle car
warriors from the unbridled horsepower era of the early 1970s. In 1970, Buick decided to mix go-fast
with class and infuse their midsize Skylark with enough muscle to produce a car with 360 horsepower
and 510 foot-pounds of torque from a 455 cubic inch engine. The result was the Buick GS455 with
a Stage 1 option that made for a very well-equipped, comfortable, and seriously speedy Buick.
If one desired a racier look for their GS to compete with the GTO Judge or Chevelle SS,
the GSX option was available. It was also quick in the 0 to 60 sprint at 5.5 seconds,
and the quarter mile only needing 13.38 seconds to complete. In 1970, the price of this car at
the dealership was about $4,800. You could get yourself a pristine example of one of these today
for about $150,000. The aggressive and muscular looking Dodge Challenger RT was Chrysler's answer
to the Mustang and their entry into the pony car segment. It definitely looked the part with a
great design and a range of V8 engine choices including 383, 426, and 440 cubic inch versions.
The wild one to have in your Challenger RT was the 426 Hemi with a 4-speed manual transmission.
That configuration would propel this American muscle thrill ride from 0 to 60 miles per hour
in 5.4 seconds. How much for the Challenger RT Hemi in 1970? It would set you back about $4,500.
If you bought it as an investment and took care of it, you could sell it today for around $350,000.
For the Firebird Trans Am 1971 model year, Pontiac decided that bigger was better and
upped their engine game to include the 455 cubic inch Brute and made it available in the Formula
and Trans Am trim levels. Pontiac engineers breathed their performance magic into the
big block engine by adding some Ram Air engine components from the previous year's GTOs to come
up with the 335 horsepower LS5. With the 4-speed transmission it could definitely get up and go
with 0 to 60 miles per hour arriving at 5.4 seconds and the end of the quarter mile appearing at 13.8
seconds. How much when new? It would have cost about $4,700. To put a showroom condition all
original 455 HO in your garage today would set you back about $80,000. Chevrolet's midsize Chevelle
received a new engine option for 1970. The 454 cubic inch big block Goliath rated at 450 horsepower.
The beastly design of the sport coupe Chevelle SS announced its performance credentials
and the LS6 could definitely deliver the goods when it was go time.
Equipped with a 4-speed u-shifted transmission the LS6 Chevelle could blast a 60 miles per hour
from a standstill in 5.4 seconds and conquest the quarter mile in 13.12 seconds and look
mighty muscle car fine doing it. In 1970 this car cost around $4,500. If you missed out on getting
one back then not to worry you can pick up an all-original restored LS6 at auction from around
$330,000. For the 1971 Corvette Chevrolet dropped the aluminum head LS6 454 cubic inch engine
between the front fenders of this iconic American roadster that made a conservatively rated 425
horsepower. It was called the ZR2 and was a one-year only option that upgraded the suspension
brakes clutch and added an aluminum radiator. From the outside this vet appeared as any other
big block version with the 454 badging on the hood's power bulge but no indication that it was
an LS6 version or the ZR2 variant. It was quick though it would get you to 60 miles per hour in
5.3 seconds and blister through the quarter mile at 13.8 seconds. Not exactly cheap when new in 1971
it would cost you $7,600 about the cost of two Malibus. A ZR2 convertible recently sold at
auction for $365,000. To combat the Plymouth Roadrunner and offer buyers a cheaper alternative
to their own legendary Charger, Dodge formulated the Superbee based on its Coronet model.
It had the same basic shape as the Charger and Roadrunner but with less equipment content.
However the engine choices were the same as offered in its Chrysler colleagues
the 383, 440, and 426 cubic inch Hemi. The benefit of its less on-board accessories and options was
a lighter weight. Paired with the 425 horsepower 426 Hemi the Superbee could dash from zero to 60
in 5.3 seconds and gobble up the quarter mile in 13.5 seconds. In 1970 this new car would have
cost around $4,000. At auction today an immaculate all-original Superbee Hemi rings in at around
$110,000. This one is a bit of an anomaly as it's from the 1973 model year, a full two years after
the apex of the American muscle car peak horsepower year of 1970. The 1973 Trans Am 455SD is the second
Trans Am to show up on our list. This bird benefited from Pontiac engineers upgrading most
of the engine components from the standard 455 to yield improved big block performance in this last
true muscle car masterpiece. Besides being a sweet looking ride the four-speed manually equipped SD
could also get up and go with zero to 60 coming in at 5.3 seconds and a quarter mile blast only
taking 13.5 seconds. When new this car cost around $5,500 in 1973. Today set aside about $100,000
to take one home with you. One of the most sought after muscle cars from the late 1960s and very
early 1970s is the Mustang Boss 429. Between 1969 and 1970 only 1,358 of the 429s were produced at
CarCraft, Ford's special vehicle engineering facility in Brighton, Michigan. Without the
stripes of their Mach 1 sibling these low-key rides were quick beasts with only 5.3 seconds
needed to get to 60 miles per hour from a standstill and the quarter mile run taking 13.7
seconds. Brand new in 1970 this car cost around $5,000. Bring many multiples of $5,000 these days
if you want one. They go for about $200,000 to $350,000 at auction for an original example.
In 1970 the GTO received freshened body styling and a new polyurethane molded front fascia to
distinguish it from its Pontiac Tempest roots. The GTO was a standout muscle car that definitely
got you noticed and perhaps invited to an impromptu stoplight drag race every now and then.
If you were looking to put some pep into your goat the 400 cubic inch Ram Air series of engines
was the way to go with the top dog Ram Air 4 delivering 370 horsepower. This brawny and gorgeous
GTO could rush to 60 miles per hour in 5.1 seconds and blow through the quarter mile in 13.6 seconds.
In 1970 this king of Pontiac performance would have cost you about $4,600.
Fast forward to today and this brute will deplete your cash pile by about $100,000
for an all-original model. The winner of the quickest 1970s era muscle car is a bit of a
surprise. It's not a pony car, it didn't have a hemi, and it wasn't all that popular, but it did
derive its bones from the Chevrolet Chevelle. The El Camino SS with the LS6 version of the 454 cubic
inch engine was the one to beat and reign supreme at stoplight sprint duels. This muscle car truck
mashup could do the 0 to 60 dash in 5.0 seconds and pull a quarter mile in 13.44 seconds. Your
friendly Chevrolet dealer would have charged you around $3,800 in 1970 to drive one home new.
If you did happen to locate one of these almost mythical creatures
it would take about $115,000 to bring it home to your garage.
Maybe that's actually a bargain for this very rare unicorn. Don't forget to like,
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