9 Cheapest Golden Age Muscle Cars Enthusiasts Quietly Flock To
In the Golden Age of American Muscle, it was important to have the baddest engine possible because you literally had to defend your honor on the streets, but nowadays, classic muscle cars are all about collecting or just looking cool rolling down the boulevard. Let’s face it, right now there’s a 17-year-old with a tuner waiting to make your ’70 Chevelle SS look like it’s standing still, so there’s not much point in dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on a 454 LS6 as a street racer. And that’s the thing, top engine classics are so valuable now that the only time they hit the road is on the back of a trailer en route to a car show. Collectors who want a killer classic that can still be enjoyed are flocking to smaller displacements for muscle cars that look every bit as awesome as the big dogs for a fraction of the price.
9
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Good Condition Value: $34,700
It’s a proven scientific fact that elements like spoilers, hood scoops, racing stripes, or mag wheels can make any dorky ride look hot, and the 1971 Ford Mustang is the data set. The iconic pony car grew substantially longer in ’71, and with a plain base model, looked positively awkward, but with the Mach 1 package, it was arguably the sharpest-looking first-gen Mustang there was. The great news on this one is that all that style and swagger is surprisingly affordable. A ’71 Mach 1 with a 429 Cobra Jet has a Hagerty good condition value of $52,800, which is a hell of a price for a big-block ‘Stang, but dropping down to a 351 V8 delivers a $34,700 super-bargain. Hagerty values are somewhat theoretical and don’t always reflect real world prices, but in this case, it’s spot on. Great condition ’71 Mach 1 351s often sell below $40,000 and some have even gone in the low $20ks for restored numbers-matching rides.
8
1968 Plymouth Road Runner
Good Condition Value: $34,000
Because the stripped-down 1968 Plymouth Road Runner was so cheap, buyers could afford to upgrade to the pricey 426 Street Hemi engine option and still have an affordable street assassin. Those days of affordability for a Hemi Road Runner are long gone, with cherry examples selling in the hundreds of thousands. The base model, with an underappreciated 335-horsepower 383 V8, however, is almost free. Hagerty’s good condition value is a little lower than the J.D. Power average retail price of $38,000, but either way, that’s a great price for a classic-era street legend. As with any old-school muscle car, there are super-clean low-mileage rides that can sell for a ton, but also ones that are in amazing shape that the owner is practically giving away. We were able to locate several in the latter category, including a 2022 sale for $36,000, which is higher than the Hagerty value, but comes under the J.D. Power price, so this is a confirmed attainable Mopar.
7
1971 Pontiac GTO
Good Condition Value: $33,000
One of the most astonishing things about the 1971 Pontiac GTO is how much a set of decals, 10 extra ponies, and a lack of a roof increases its value. A ’71 GTO Judge convertible in pristine condition is worth almost a half-million bucks, and while the hardtop with a 335-horsepower 455 V8 is much more affordable with a good condition value of $72,100, that’s still pretty steep. Meanwhile, a ’71 GTO base equipped with a 325-horsepower version of the 455 is worth $33,000 in good condition, which is less than half the price of a decal and 10 horsepower upgrade. That Canyon Copper ’71 GTO pictured above was completely restored, has a rebuilt numbers-matching 455 V8, only 58,000 miles on the odometer, and comes with an original build sheet. Now here comes the mind-blowing part: this absolutely perfect GTO sold for just $34,000 on Bring a Trailer in 2022, meaning someone literally stole it.
6
1970 AMC Javelin SST
Good Condition Value: $32,800
The AMC Javelin is by far the coolest Golden Age ride coolest Golden Age ride, and until recently, was a bargain-basement classic muscle car. While prices have started to come up as collectors rediscover the ’70 Javelin SST, it still represents a great deal on an even greater set of wheels. With a $32,800 good condition value, the ’70 Javelin SST is up a solid two grand from this time last year, which points to its potential. One of the assets of picking up a Javelin is that it looks just as cool as any other classic-era car, but most people have no idea what it is, so it’s a serious conversation starter and head-turner. There are some rare Mark Donohue Editions that can top six figures, but ’70 Javelin SSTs with 390 V8s in terrific condition can sell as low as $14,000 at auction.
5
1970 Dodge Coronet R/T
Good Condition Value: $32,100
The 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T is the most criminally slept-on classic Mopar with values far below its contemporaries. It is also arguably the baddest-looking Dodge or Plymouth muscle car with that wicked “bumblebee wings” grille, twin hood scoops, and sexy Coke bottle styling, that rivals the second-gen Charger and makes the boxy Road Runner look like, well, a box. The great news for Mopar fans is that this completely killer B-body has a good condition value of barely over $32,000, and astute enthusiasts will note that the base R/T came with a 375-horsepower 440 V8. The only real issue with this otherwise flawless classic is actually finding one, because they are hard to come by. Mecum has only listed four numbers-matching ’70 Coronet 440 R/T coupes in the past decade or so and there was just one ride on Bring a Trailer. The best deal from either auction house was an unrestored, but nearly perfect Coronet R/T that sold for $46,200, so this is one that will take some work to find on the cheap.
4
1970 Mercury Cyclone GT
Good Condition Value: $31,200
Actually, we take it back, as the 1970 Mercury Cyclone GT is far more anonymous to collectors than the ’70 Coronet R/T, and it’s even more undervalued. Packing a 429 Super Cobra Jet V8, the ’70 Cyclone GT has a good condition value of $31,200, which seems like a fair price for just the big-block, but it comes with an entire cool-ass car wrapped around it. One sold for just $9,900 at Mecum Louisville 2017, but the pictures are no longer available, and the listing mentions that it has a “touchscreen console,” so we don’t know what to make of it. Bring a Trailer has only actually sold one, and it’s that black beauty pictured above that went for just $15,750 in 2021. By all accounts, the car is in great shape with just a little bit of paint missing from the front fender, and we forgot to add that it’s a four-speed manual. At that price, the lucky buyer can afford a deluxe repaint, but we tend to think the paint chips give it character and attitude.
3
1970 Chevrolet Camaro SS 350
Good Condition Value: $29,000
The Chevrolet Camaro is the most successful muscle car next to the Ford Mustang, which is another way of saying they sold a boatload of them and they aren’t particularly rare. Bowtie fanatics, however, are some of the most rabid collectors, so even this fairly common Golden Age ride can get expensive, but it is still a bargain-rich platform. A 375-horsepower L78 1970 Camaro SS 396 has a good condition value of only $54,400, but if you’re willing to dip down to the 300-horsepower L48 350 V8, it’s an under $30,000 classic. That value is no joke either, as Mecum has auctioned off several in that price range, including that apparently brown SS 350 pictured above that sold for $31,900 at Mecum Kissimmee 2023. Now, that’s a bit higher than the Hagerty value, but this car wasn’t just in good condition, but rather completely restored with a numbers-matching drivetrain. The value of a car like this is between $75,000-$95,600, so it was an incredible deal.
2
1969 Oldsmobile 442
Good Condition Value: $26,000
If the Oldsmobile 4-4-2 (later switched to 442) had been named after its displacement or horsepower, it would be remembered as one of the most kick-ass Golden Age rides of all time. It was, instead, named for its 4-barrel carb, 4-speed manual transmission, as well as its dual (2) exhausts, and had a tame 310-horsepower 330 V8, making it the weakest muscle car in its 1964 debut. By 1965, it upgraded to a more respectable 400 V8 and 442 then stood for 4-barrels, 400 cubic inches, and 2 exhausts, but by then everyone was immersed in the sheer awesomeness of the GTO and Chevelle. In 1969, there was a special edition Hurst/Olds with a 380-horsepower 455 that defied GM’s big engine ban, but those rarities are for deep-pocket collectors only; on the other hand, the base 442 with a 350-horsepower 400 is a frugal fanatic’s best friend with a $26,000 good condition value. Base ’69 442s have sold for as low as $19,200 on Mecum, and even the more desirable W-30 cars have come in under the Hagerty valuation.
1
1970 Buick GS 455
Good Condition Value: $25,200
The 1970 Buick GS 455 with the Stage 1 performance package jammed out 360 horsepower (underrated) and a tire-shredding 510 lb-ft of torque, which rocketed it to a 13.38-second quarter mile, rivaling Hemi-equipped Mopars. It was the baddest GM Golden Age muscle car that could even smoke a ’70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6, but it doesn’t get the same love on the auction block. A ’70 GS 455 Stage 1 has a good condition value of $42,500 and taking a 10-pony downgrade to the base GS 455 nets a $25,200 car. This entry was for the base GS 455, but we actually found a Stage 1 car that was incredibly cheap. That lean green street machine pictured above is a nearly perfect ’70 GS 455 Stage 1 that sold for $30,750 in 2024 on Bring a Trailer. That’s obviously more than the base price, but far less than the Hagerty Stage 1 value, and a killer deal for a 13-second classic muscle car. For the record, base GS 455s can be had for as little as $14,800, so this really is the best deal in Golden Age rides.
Sources: Bring a Trailer, Hagerty, J.D. Power, Mecum
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