Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Top 10 Classic American Cars

Shared from: Top 10 Classic American Cars (Guides.Org)


1. 1953 Chevrolet Corvette


Photo By The Brucer
It was introduced in America as the first two – seat sports car. Although it began as a slow performer, it later gained a lot of momentum and soon became an “American icon”. Only three hundred Corvette cars were rolled out in that year, thus making it very rare. Moreover, as opposed to the current red color Vettes you see on the road, the 1953 Corvette was available only in white color.

2. 1967 Pontiac GTO


Photo by Wikimedia Commons
It had a classic split grill design, which is a common feature among the muscle cars you find. Though it debuted as an alternative for the 1963 Pontiac LeMans, GTO later became a model series of its own in 1966 but ended in 1967, hence making it among the best American classic cars of all times. This model had amazing features like bucket seats, duel exhaust, a big 400 cid motor, the 400 HO performance option and also having option for Ram Air induction.

3. 1964-70 Ford Mustang


Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Its look and features were so attractive that there was great demand for this classic American car at the dealers, whether to have a look, or to buy one. In spite of the fact that the earliest models did not have adjustable passenger seats, the Ford Mustang is regarded as the second longest running production vehicle in the history of Ford manufacturers.

4. 1969 Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee


Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Both these varieties of cars were very popular among people and hence, both find a place in this list. The R/T (or road/track performance) option was available on many Dodge models from the year 1967. In 1969, the Super Bee was launched as a light weight car, with the base 383 cid and bigger Hemi than the R/T models.

5. 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner


Photo by Wikimedia Commons
This model was marketed among the young audience as an affordable car. The car did not compromise on performance and suspension features. To make it more appealing, its makers licensed the Warner Brothers cartoon character for its naming and mascot uses and featured the car with the “beep beep” sound instead of the typical horn. Its impressive speed and design finds it a place in the list of top 10 classic American cars.

6. 1959 Cadillac


Photo by kendoman26
This classic American car was huge and beautifully built, although it seemed too gaudy to go out with it. Its “tailfin” design put an end to an entire era of the typical automotive designs. The 1959 model boasted of another unique design- a mimic of the front grill design in the rear part as well.

7. 1969 Ford Fairlane/ Torino Cobra


Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Another Ford car in the list of top American classic cars! The Torino designation was an option package for the mainstream Fairlane models until the year 1969, when the Torino became a separate line of cars by the Ford. There is often a debate regarding its naming convention as it is also sometimes referred to as the Torino GT or Fairlane Cobra.
There were two kinds of body styles in this line of cars- a hardtop (or formal roof) and the more common fastback (or sports roof). It had standard features and speed, Ram Air option which accelerated the performance peak, locking rear differential and other such amazing features. The fastback version was more sold than the hardtop version.

8. 1969 AMC SC/ Rambler


Photo by Wikimedia Commons
This was another no-frills car, hence priced quite low. It was the result of a small car big engine strategy, which worked well. The most attractive feature of the car was the large Ram Air induction hood scoop and also a prominent paint combination. The most popular cars surviving now is of the “A” trim design.

9. 1963 Impala Z11 427


Photo by jerbec
The Impala line of cars by Chevrolet was among the top favorites of muscle car lovers. The 1963 models of the car had better and improved features like the 429 cid, special heads, valves, two-piece aluminium intake, and dual quads. The hoods, fenders and bumpers were also made of aluminium to reduce the weight of the car. The 1963 Impala was very rare, and only 7 of them can be found today.

10. 1964 Ford Thunderbolt


Photo by by PMC 1stPix
To keep up with the rising competition from other manufacturers in the market, Ford introduced this car as “purely designed for racing”. It was characterized by plexiglass windows and fiberglass body panels. Its interiors lacked comforts like armrests, mirrors, sound-dampening insulations, radio and heater. Because of all this, it was not appropriate for daily usage and hence, only 100 cars were sold in the year 1964.

The list of top classic American cars given above is just a brief list of the many classic American cars that one can check out.


Tag:  | Vintage Cars | Collecting |

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