For many, a classic car is still the dream. More so, when it’s a classic muscle car from the ’60s or even the early ’70s. The Detroit Three, Ford, Chrysler, and GM gave it their best shot, in making muscle cars that came powered by the biggest V8 blocks, and yet stayed mostly affordable.
Of course, while many muscle cars fell by the wayside because of the malaise era and intrinsic automobile evolution, some of the biggest nameplates have hung on. The vaunted Chevy Camaro is one such muscle car that did go off the rails for a while but came back with a bang. On the other hand, the Ford Mustang is one muscle car that has continued to pull crowds, since its debut in 1964.
If you are a diehard muscle car fan then you are in the right place because we have some incredible used muscle car deals for you—the best of the lot in 2022.
10 1969 Buick Gran Sport
Buick introduced the Gran Sport as GM’s most-decorated performance beast in 1964 to lock horns with the reigning Pontiac GTO. By 1968, it was in its second generation that carried through 1972 and outlived all its siblings. It used a 5.7-liter V8 with a 4-barrel that cranked out 280 horses and potent torque.
Remembered as one of the best muscle cars from GM, an excellent condition model can be bought for around $40,000 making it a cool muscle car deal. There’s one up for grabs on Hemmings.
9 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt
This Mustang redefined the car chase scenes in movies when Steve McQueen drove it in Bullitt back in 1968. In 2008, Ford presented the 40th-anniversary edition of the original 1968 Bullitt to its Mustang fans.
It’s also one of the last Bullitt Mustangs on the market and carried the best of Ford Racing tech at the time. Ford built limited copies of this iconic movie car, so it’s destined to become a future classic. However, at $40,000, it is one of the best muscle car deals today.
8 1966 Oldsmobile 442
Detroit’s muscle car bazaar was in its prime in the mid-60s so Oldsmobile threw its hat into the ring with the 442. The 442 was armed with a 4-speed gearbox, 4-barrel carb, and dual exhausts, which explains its nomenclature.
The 1966 442s received a massive 6.6-liter V8 hammering out 350 horses. With a tri-carb setup, it cranked out a little extra, going up to 360 horses. There are plenty of neat examples to grab on the classic car market for around $40,000 and it’s a must-buy for muscle car gearheads.
7 1971 AMC Javelin SST
The SST moniker was extra special for AMC fans. These top-shelf Javelins were badged as SSTs, otherwise known as “Super Sports Touring” and they were sportier and swankier than the other models. Under the hood, they carried a 5.9-liter V8 mill backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission.
This powerplant pumped out 245 horses with a 2-barrel carb and 285 horsepower with a 4-barrel. The coolest bit is that it makes for an affordable collectible today. There’s an excellent model listed on Hemmings for less than $25,000 making it one cool muscle car deal.
6 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS
This Rally Sport (RS)/Super Sport (SS) Camaro is a hidden jewel as it screams out the tune of the American muscle glory days. This is the original Mustang-fighter Camaro that came equipped with a 5.7-liter V8 4-bbl mated to a 4-speed manual transmission, thrashing out 295 horses and 380 lb-ft of torque.
At the time, it had more than enough to match the styling and performance of the reigning Mustang. There’s one mint model listed on Hemmings for less than $40,000 and it’s one of the best muscle car deals you could get.
5 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Mecham “Motor Sports Edition”
The Firebird Trans Am was Pontiac’s purebred pony car for years and the 1982 Knight Rider KITT made it a cult classic. However, another cooler avatar was the “Motor Sports Edition” by Mecham Racing. These guys were known for putting the Firebirds and Trans Ams on ‘roids, in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
The Trans Am MSE received a gamut of insane modifications for maddening track performance. This beast can be all yours for only $24,000 on Hemmings and it’s spicy enough to be considered a hot muscle car deal.
4 1971 Mercury Cougar
The Mercury Cougar suffered from an identity crisis in the mushrooming muscle car bazaar but it still is one of the greatest muscle cars of its era. According to Hagerty, you get a Concours condition 1971 Mercury Cougar for about $35,000 today and that alone makes it one of the best muscle car deals of now.
However, there’s an even sweeter deal. An excellent condition model is listed on Hemmings for about $27,000. It’s armed with a 7.0-liter Super Cobra Jet V8 motor jetting out a massive 370 horses. Rather sought-after by collectors, this Cougar is ready to be tamed by you.
3 1969 Plymouth Road Runner
Plymouth wanted to cash in on the thriving performance market in the mid-60s so they brought out the Road Runner in 1968. Within a year it became the MotorTrend Car of the Year for 1969 and today is remembered as one of the most iconic American cars of all time.
One of these classic Mopar muscle cars is currently listed on Hemmings for only $50,000 and makes for an excellent muscle car deal of today. It’s got the original 6.3-liter 4-bbl V8 putting out a whopping 335 horses. It also boasts an original 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission.
2 1967 Hemi Dodge Charger
Being the very first Mopars to be armed with the iconic 426 Hemi V8, these original Dodge muscle cars are one of the most sought-after classics today. These Hemi-equipped Chargers are usually expensive but now and then, one slips through the cracks. So here’s a muscle car deal for you, a Hemi Charger up for grabs for only $37,500 on Hemmings.
With this money, you get an original mint condition 1967 Dodge Charger that boasts a top-spec 440 Magnum V8 with 4-bbl under its hood. This powerplant is capable of jetting out a massive 375 horses.
1 1968 California Special Ford Mustang
Ford kick-started the muscle car mania in the mid-60s but when the competition started to catch up by the late 60s, Ford had to come up with a special edition to boost flagging sales. The California Special Ford Mustang was born in 1968 to draw the attention of the muscle car buyers.
These “GT/ CS” badged Mustangs received a host of cosmetic updates including a Shelby-like spoiler and all-new rear side air scoops. They’re extremely desirable but also affordable these days at about $40,000. There’s one on Hemmings for $38,500.
Sources: Hemmings, Hagerty, BringaTrailer
Read Next
About The Author
