The 1960s and early 1970s birthed many classic muscle cars that have attained legendary status today. These classic cars embodied the true definition of a muscle car and were monsters on the streets and strips back in the day. But as they say, nothing lasts forever. Iconic American muscle cars like the 1967 Shelby GT500, 1969 Chevy Camaro, 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T, and 1970 Challenger T/A are now rarer than ever before and no longer regular sights on the road or drag strip.
Thankfully, manufacturers like Chevrolet, Dodge, and Ford are leading the charge to keep the spirit of these classic muscle cars alive. With the launch of new limited run, special edition models that retain classic design cues, muscle car manufacturers are bringing back some fond memories while showing you what’s technologically possible in this day and age.
10 2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona
While most of the cars in the Last Call special-edition lineup pay tribute to models from Dodge’s muscle car history, the 2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona is one of only two models that celebrates influential Black racers of the 1960s and 1970s. The 2023 Charger King Daytona immortalizes the life of Willie “Big Willie” Robinson, a Los Angeles street racer who raced in a couple of Dodge Charger Daytona events and founded the International Brotherhood of Street Racers.
The 2023 Charger King Daytona adopts a Go Mango exterior and unique orange interior accents of the original 1969 Dodge Charger, which Big Willie dubbed the “King Daytona.” The special-edition 2023 Charger takes the output of the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody to a staggering 807 hp. However, just 300 examples of the 2023 Charger King Daytona are available.
9 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost
The 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost is a modern version of the Hemi-powered 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE, which had an unbeaten run at Woodward Avenue, Detroit in the 1970s. Godfrey Qualls, who was a traffic cop for the Detroit Police Department, owned the original Black Ghost. The 2023 Black Ghost special edition is finished in black and chrome, with black “gator skin” roof vinyl graphics, just like the original version.
Just like the 2023 Charger King Daytona, the special-edition Black Ghost takes the output of the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody to 807 hp. The Last Call Challenger is also a rare gem, with just 300 examples available. Since the 2023 Challenger Black Ghost marks the beginning of the end of Dodge’s iconic supercharged V8, it goes without saying that this American muscle car is a future classic.
8 2017 Dodge Charger Daytona
The 2017 Charger Daytona is another Dodge muscle car that you can’t just summon with a phone call. For the 2017 Charger Daytona, Dodge draws inspiration from the record-setting 1969 Daytona, which was specifically designed to win NASCAR races. But apart from paying homage to classic Dodge muscle cars, the 2017 Charger Daytona comes with some distinct features that make it more special.
On the outside, you can’t help but appreciate the muscular beauty brought by the “HEMI”-badged hood scoop, a unique grille, and large Daytona side badging. The race-inspired black shifter, carbonite instrument panel with black bezels, and leather-wrapped steering wheel are some of the cool interior features that greet you as you open the 2017 Charger Daytona’s doors. While the 2017 Charger Daytona has a similar style to the original, the modern version boasts more power, thanks to a 375-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and a 486-hp 6.4-liter “392” Hemi V8 engine.
7 2017 Dodge Challenger T/A
The 2017 Dodge Challenger T/A is a classic muscle car done right. It derives its name and styling from the iconic 1970 Challenger T/A, which was Dodge’s weapon of choice for the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA’s) Trans-Am racing series. For the Challenger T/A’s front seats, Dodge takes things back in time, fitting the interior with houndstooth cloth inserts. The Challenger T/A Plus trim is, however, modernized with a Uconnect 8.4 infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
The T/A Plus model also comes with heated and ventilated leather buckets and a telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel. For power generation, the base T/A relies on a 5.7-liter V8 engine, while the T/A Plus model produces up to 375 hp. The top-of-the-line T/A 392 makes 485 hp from a 6.4-liter V8 engine.
6 2010 Chevrolet Camaro
After a seven-year hiatus, Chevrolet reintroduced the Camaro in 2010. Even though the new Camaro came with bulging fenders and larger wheels, it’s still a modernized rendition of the 1969 model. As a muscle car that evokes all the good memories of the 1960s, the 2010 Camaro deserves to be celebrated, especially in the SS form, which offers the best performance-per-dollar ratio.
Although a large part of the Camaro’s interior is made of plastic, the steering wheel has a nice heft and the key gauges are easily readable. While not everyone likes optional gauges for oil pressure, oil temperature, and transmission fluid temperature to be placed in the center console, classic muscle car fans will appreciate the old-school touch.
5 2007 Mustang GT / California Special
In 1968, West Coast dealers managed to convince Ford to build a limited-production Mustang, borrowing styling cues from the Shelby Mustang. This led to the introduction of the California Special, which was reborn 39 years later in the form of a 2007 Mustang GT / California Special. Eagle-eyed Mustang fans will notice that the California Special edition comes with restyled front and rear fascias, as well as side scoops and GT/CS stripes that bring back memories of the original.
Available in the form of a coupe or convertible, the California Special Package comes standard with leather seats, a Shaker 500 audio system, and of course, a 4.6 liter V8 engine with an output of 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. While roughly 4,100 units of the 1968 California Special were sold, up to 8,519 examples of the 2007 edition were produced.
4 Equus Bass 770
The Detroit-based Equus Automotive handbuilt the Bass 770 by taking design cues from classic muscle cars like the Chevy Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Mustang fastback, Pontiac GTO, and Plymouth Barracuda. The Bass 770’s interior sports a classic look, with vintage gauges, switches, and a steering wheel. However, an infotainment system, air-conditioning, cruise control, and a GPS navigation system bring a modern twist to it.
Perhaps the coolest part of the Bass 770 is its supercar-worthy performance, courtesy of a 640-hp and 605 lb-ft supercharged LS9 6.2-liter V8 engine sourced from a Corvette ZR1. The supercar-slaying engine pushes the Bass 770 from 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds.
3 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Steve McQueen classic, Bullitt, Ford reintroduces the Mustang Bullitt to its lineup of Performance vehicles in 2019 after a 10-year hiatus. With a decade since the last Bullitt Mustang was introduced, Ford has had ample time to revamp the muscle car’s tech and style, but the iconic shade of dark green and blacked-out wheels remain the same. On the inside, Ford updates the Bullitt Mustang with new instrument panel graphics and distinctive dashboard stitching.
The best part of the Bullitt Mustang is underneath its eye-catching skin, which houses a tuned 5.0-liter V8 Coyote engine, that produces enough energy to blast the muscle car from a standstill to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds. The 2019 Bullitt Mustang produces 480 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, making it more powerful than the Mustang GT.
2 2022 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition
Drawing inspiration from his team’s impressive finish at Le Mans, Carroll Shelby took the design of the dominant road racing Mustang GT350 machine to a whole new level by crafting the Shelby GT500 in 1967. The original Shelby GT500 is the first muscle car Carroll Shelby was really proud of making. So, it’s not surprising that Ford is paying tribute to the 1967 Shelby GT500 for its 55th anniversary.
Just like the original, the 2022 Mustang Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition is finished in a beautiful Brittany Blue with two different stripes of either Wimbledon White or Absolute Black. However, the 2022 Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition is not a classic car at heart, as it attains supercar-like performance levels, thanks to a supercharged 5.2-liter V8, which is one of the coolest features of the GT500 Heritage Edition. Pairing the V8 with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Shelby GT500 Heritage Edition pumps out 760 hp and 625 lb-ft of torque.
1 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Yellow Jacket
The Dodge Super Bee nameplate made its first appearance in the muscle car scene in 1968 as a Coronet Super Bee and was well received. About 44 years later, Dodge decided to stick the Super Bee nameplate to the Challenger SRT8 392, dubbing it the “Yellow Jacket.” While the black side stripe on the 2012 SRT8 Yellow Jacket was inspired by the original Yellow Jacket show car, Dodge did a terrific job of balancing the retro design with modern muscle car features like 20 x 9-inch, five-spoke cast-aluminum wheels as well as leather seats with embroidered Yellow Jacket logo and silver accent stitching.
Your hunger for power is totally satisfied with the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine that produces 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. With its tire-burning V8, balanced performance approach, retro design cues, and up-to-date technologies, the SRT8 Yellow Jacket is a modern-day collectible.
