Best Classic Sports Cars

The best classic sports car in the United States and Japan can be easily one of the following: Nissan 240Z, Dodge Charger, Pontiac GTO, Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Impala, Pontiac Firebird, Chevy Chevelle, Ford Mustang or the Chevy Camaro.

The Nissan 240Z, manufactured between 1970 and 1973 had a reasonably price which made it compete with the best cars from America and Europe. It had a very sexy look and performed quite nicely with its 2.4-liter DOHC engine that outputted 151 hp. The engine was linked to a 4-speed manual gearbox and it had front disc brakes.

The Dodge Charger, made between 1964 and 1974 was born after the company decided to come up with a worthy rival for the iconic Pontiac GTO. The exterior design of the car was inspired from the company’s drag racing cars and it featured a couple of goodies, including: roll bar, two true seats, and a rolled pan in the rear, a scoop and a dual headrest mount. The car had a low ride height and a full-length console, making it look more like a jet fighter.

Speaking of the Pontiac GTO (1964-1974), it was the automotive icon of the 60s and the first one was the option package for the LeMans which featured a 389 engine with 4-barrel carburetor and a dual exhaust, wider wheels, 3-speed floor shift, larger front sway bar and hood scoops.

From 1970 until 1974, Dodge made another great car, the Challenger which was designed in order to compete with the Cougar. It had a longer wheelbase and a more luxurious cabin. The car was available with a hardtop configuration and the R/T model was the most powerful, featuring a 383 hp engine linked to a 3-speed manual gearbox.

The Chevrolet Impala was made between 1958 and 1976. Another legendary car from America and during its course of five generations after the original model, each model suffered significant changes. From ’61 to ’69, they made the Impala Super Sports (SS) but was outsold by other cars belonging to the same segment. Collectors consider the Z24 to be the most desirable model, only a few are left in the world today.

In 1967, Pontiac launched the Firebird in order to compete with the legendary Mustang. It had a similar styling to the Camaro with the exception of the taillights and the split grille. Manufactured until the early 2000s, the Firebrid was available during its lifespan with many engine, transmission, carburetor and axle ratio choices.

The Chevy Chevelle was launched in 1964 and six years later the company rolled out the most powerful model. One year later they had to detune the car in order to make it work on unleaded fuel and the sales plummeted until 1973 when the model was discontinued.

Considered by many Americans as the best classic sports car, the Ford Mustang (the ones made between 1964 and 1973) was the original pony car. The first version was available in convertible and coupe configurations and one year later they introduced the fastback model. In 1967 the Mustang underwent some serious restyling and two years later received other important changes. When the fastback variant was discontinued, the Blue Oval launched the Mach I, Boss 302 and E models. In 1971 the car received its last restyling, when the 351 and the 429 replaced the previously mentioned Boss 302 model.

The last car in this top would have to be the Chevy Camaro, manufactured between 1967 and 2002. Back in the late 60s, the Camaro was Chevy’s answer to the Mustang. The first generation of this model was very successful and the most desirable one was the Z28. The Chevy Camaro went through four generations until it was discontinued in 2002.

Post tags: Tags: classic sports cars