10 Gorgeous Malaise Muscle Cars You Can Actually Afford Right Now
The Golden Age of American Muscle was a far-too-brief period beginning in 1964 with the introduction of the Pontiac GTO and effectively ending in 1971 before the detuned engines of the Malaise Era set in. Most people think, ’71 was the last year you could get a killer-looking set of wheels, but that’s simply not true. All the major players continued with hot styling, at least until 1974, but with less powerful engines. Back in the day, it was important to have some raging horsepower under the hood in case of a red-light challenge, but today, looking cool is more important than blowing the doors off, and post-1971 cars are making that happen on the cheap. There’s little chance that anyone is using their million-dollar classic as a daily driver, or even driving it at all, but a Malaise Era muscle car can be enjoyed all week long and will turn just as many heads.
10
1974 Plymouth ‘Cuda
Average Retail Price: $37,600
1974 was the final year for the Plymouth Barracuda, and while it lacked the finishing moves of the ’70-’71 Hemi ‘Cuda, it still looked every bit as lethal. Available with a 360 V8, the ’74 ‘Cuda produced 245 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, which is a far cry from the 425 ponies and 490 lb-ft of the Hemi ‘Cuda. On the plus side, it’s actually pretty easy to add power to these cars, but more importantly, they have a J.D. Power average retail price of $37,600, which is much easier on the wallet than the $546,900 a ’71 Hemi ‘Cuda sells for. That price is the real deal as several excellent condition ’74 ‘Cudas have sold for under it. That gray car pictured above appears to be in outstanding shape and is also apparently a survivor car with a numbers-matching 360. It was bid to $27,500 on Bring a Trailer in 2019, failing to hit the reserve, but the fact is, if that’s how much someone is willing to spend, that’s how much the car is worth, and it’s a steal.
9
1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
Average Retail Price: $36,200
Every enthusiast wants Burt Reynolds’ “Screaming Chicken” from the Smokey and the Bandit movie, but unfortunately, 1977 Pontiac Trans Am SEs are multi-six-figure collectibles now. The movie car was a ’76 that they modified to look like a ’77 because the current model wasn’t actually ready in time for the start of filming. In reality, it’s possible to own the actual car that schooled Sheriff Buford T. Justice because the average price of a 1976 Firebird Trans Am is only $36,200. The front fascia is a little different, but only Pontiac super-nerds will be able to spot that, while everyone else will be thinking you’re behind the wheel of an iconic movie car. There are a number of ’76 Trans Ams listed on auction sites for under $36k, mostly in other colors and with 400 V8s, but there are a few 455s in black with gold trim, including that one above that sold for $26,250 in 2025, though it is a tribute rather than a factory Howling Hen, Raging Rooster, or whatever else you could call it.
8
1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Average Retail Price: $32,500
Correction: Enthusiasts also want an “Eleanor” car from the original Gone in 60 Seconds, which was a 1971 Ford Mustang Sportroof dressed up to resemble a 1973 Mach 1. With a top-option 266-horsepower 351 Cobra Jet V8, the ’73 Mach 1 wasn’t too bad for the Malaise era and could still pull an ET in the low 14s. This is actually a fairly rare Mustang, with perhaps only a few Mach 1s equipped with the 351 Cobra Jet and four-speed manual transmission combination, and yet it has a paltry average retail price of barely over $30,000. Bring a Trailer has sold a surprising number of yellow ’73 Mach 1 Q-code 351 cars in the $30,000 range, including the one featured in this entry. It has a replacement engine and is a three-speed automatic, but it sold for $25,500, so who really cares? The car is in impeccable condition and looks way hotter than the real Eleanor movie car.
7
1972 Plymouth Road Runner
Average Retail Price: $31,000
The appeal of the Plymouth Road Runner, introduced in 1968, was that it was a super-affordable muscle car with super power, and not necessarily that it was a hot-looking ride. Its boxy style and bold stance gave it an aggressive feel, but when compared to gorgeous cars like the second-gen Charger, it was pretty plain and mundane. When the 1971 B-body refresh came along, the Road Runner got a sleek “fuselage” body style and retained its ability to embarrass Chevys and Fords. In 1972, the Road Runner was reduced in power but still had the swagger, and is a great budget collectible. A ’71 Hemi car sold for over a half-million, while a ’72 with a 255-horsepower 400 V8 will run you around $30,000, and in fact, that one above crossed the block for $30,800 at Mecum Indy 2019. The big bucks Hemi will probably never see more than ten more miles on it for the rest of time, while the 400 is going to be a prized daily driver that will max the odometer while getting all kinds of attention.
6
1972 Pontiac GTO
Average Retail Price: $26,900
The 1964 Pontiac GTO was a smash hit and launched the Golden Age of American muscle, but in a strange twist of fate, it closed out the classic era as a pariah. The 1971 GTO Judge, which was one of the baddest rides of the day, was discontinued mid-model year due to poor sales. While people back then didn’t appreciate the GTO Judge for what it was, collectors today certainly do, and since it is relatively rare, it has become a big-money item. In 1972, the GTO had the exact same body style and even came with a graphics package similar to the Judge, as well as a 455 V8 option. Granted, the 300-horsepower 455 wasn’t quite as powerful as the previous year, but it could easily be restored to glory. A ’71 GTO Judge with a HO 455 has a Hagerty excellent condition value of $125,667 and a ’72 equipped with the same engine, albeit a detuned version, has a nice retail price of just $26,900.
5
1972 Dodge Challenger
Average Retail Price: $25,000
Introduced in 1970, the Dodge Challenger is the Golden Age’s biggest one-hit wonder and the vehicular equivalent of “My Sharona” by the Knack. Sprinting right out of the gate in ’70, the Challenger moved 76,935 units, but by ’71 it was limping along with only 26,299 sales. Combined with the loss of the 426 Hemi and 440 Six Pack after ’71, many people assumed this car just disappeared, but it actually continued on for two more years, looking cool as ever. There are a number of ’72s available for auction with 440s, but those are replacement engines, as the 240-horsepower 340 V8 was the top option that year. While first-two-year Challengers can sell for six and even seven figures, a ’72 is almost free with an average retail price of $25,000. That blue bomber pictured above is a numbers-matching 340 car in beautiful condition that somebody took home for $27,500 a few years ago. Now, that’s a bit more than the average price, but it’s still a great deal on a seriously cool-looking Mopar.
4
1973 Dodge Charger
Average Retail Price: $17,100
The third-gen Dodge Charger was ignored by the collector community for a long time but has recently caught on, with one Hemi-powered R/T selling for $550,000, which is more than any non-Daytona second-gen has ever gone for. Another weird quirk here, given that the second-gen was the defining ride of the Golden Age, is that it was outsold by its less-heralded successor. The second-gen sold 235,600 cars between 1968 and 1970, while the third-gen racked up the sales, moving 351,200 units from 1971 to 1974. We’ve already established that you probably can’t afford a ’71, where even the 383 cars can near the $100,000 mark, but a ’73, which retains the look, is an under-$20,000 ride all day long. Mecum has a dozen or so listings for sub-$20k ’73 Chargers with 400 V8s, and auction sales as low as $14,300 for ones equipped with 318s. A 318 might be a little sluggish for a car this size, but at that price, you can afford to drop a Hemi Hellcat in it, and actually, you probably should.
3
1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport
Average Retail Price: $16,000
You could still get a 429 V8 in the 1972 Ford Gran Torino, but it was practically dead with a 212 horsepower rating, and in a counterintuitive turn, it was the 266-horsepower 351 Cobra Jet that was the performance engine that year. While not a barn-burner, it was certainly faster than the sluggish ’76 Gran Torino from the Starsky & Hutch TV series. Despite starring in the 2008 Clint Eastwood movie Gran Torino, the ’72 Gran Torino Sport hasn’t become out of reach for frugal fans. Clocking in at $16,000 for an average retail price, it’s hard to find a classic muscle car that looks this sharp for less. Hagerty sold a seemingly flawless ’72 Sport with a numbers-matching Q-code 351 Cobra Jet for only $12,100 in 2019. That red one above is more along the lines of a Concours condition restoration, and even it only hit $19,500 before bidding stalled in 2026, so this is a legitimate bargain muscle car.
2
1979 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28
Average Retail Price: $15,100
The body design of the second-gen Chevrolet Camaro was so timeless that it went from people calling it “boss” in its 1970 introduction to describing it as “totally rad” in 1981 when it was finally replaced. Though the body remained unchanged over its run, the grilles and trims were different from year to year and while all were awesome, this editor has a thing for the sharp angle front fascias of the later models. A 1979 Camaro Z/28 was Charles Jefferson’s car from Fast Times at Ridgemont High that his little brother and Jeff Spicoli totaled, which makes it all the more appealing. The fact that most people only pay around $15,000 for these is something of an insult, but mostly a blessing because they are attainable. That blue ’79 Z/28 pictured above sold for $17,600, which is a little more than average, but it came with performance upgrades aplenty and it’s still an incredible bargain.
1
1974 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3
Average Retail Price: $5,450
The Laguna Type S-3 is what became of the Chevrolet Chevelle in the Malaise Era, and while most people call it a Laguna S3, it was still branded as a Chevelle. You might need a magnifying glass to see the Chevelle badge on the grille, but it’s definitely there. With a radically different body style, the 1974 Laguna S3 is not entirely without appeal, and it genuinely grows on you as an aggressive post-Golden Age muscle car. What makes this such an interesting, underrated, and overlooked car is that it still had the 454 big-block option. The most compelling thing about this car, however, is the remarkably low average retail price of around $5,000. There is an asterisk on this one as finding one, for any price, isn’t the easiest task in the world. Bring a Trailer has only ever listed one that sold for $18,000 in 2021. Mecum has also only listed a single ’74 Laguna S-3 with a 454, which happened to be a replica of the Cannonball Run movie car titled to Burt Reynolds’ company, which somehow dropped the gavel for a measly $8,800.
Sources: Bring a Trailer, Hagerty, J.D. Power, Mecum
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