10 Dead Muscle Car Nameplates That Need To Be Resurrected
We are truly blessed in that it’s still possible to go down to a local car dealer and pick up a Ford Mustang or Dodge Charger, both of which are genuinely far better than they were in the beginning. It is, however, a shame that so many Golden Age muscle car nameplates have been dormant for decades, or even generations. Hollywood is completely out of ideas, rehashing titles and pushing endless sequels, which is thoroughly boring, but rebooting a classic muscle car nameplate with modern technology would be extraordinarily exciting. Obviously, many of the great ’60s and ’70s factory street machines were made by companies that no longer exist, but we’ve found ways to resurrect these legends that make all the sense in the world.
10
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
The Screaming Chicken Has Been Silenced for Too Long
The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is one of the most beloved classic muscle cars of all time, especially once that iconic hood was adorned with the giant “Screaming Chicken” decal, but it’s been almost 25 years since it was discontinued and fans want it back. Pontiac as a company ceased to be in 2010, so there’s little chance they’ll be bringing it back any time soon, but there is a way to make it happen. Chevy dumped the Camaro in 2024, and they really missed the boat by not having a Trans Am trim, though some aftermarket modders built some and they were killer. Clearly, Chevy needs to bring back the Camaro, and we’ll address that in more detail shortly; the next-gen Camaro should include a Trans Am performance version. Also, there’s nothing stopping them from branding it the Pontiac Firsebird Trans Am. Pontiac doesn’t need to exist for Chevy to place an Arrowhead logo on the grille and a glorious Firebird decal on the hood.
9
AMC Rebel Machine
Revolutionary That Takes it to the Streets
The Rebel Machine is easily the coolest thing AMC ever built, and it has the distinction of bearing the greatest name in automotive history. The biggest problem with bringing this car back is that AMC no longer exists, but there’s an exploitable loophole. Chrysler actually bought AMC, mostly because they wanted the Jeep brand, but the AMC portfolio is technically part of the Mopar family. The way this could, and should, work is a two-door built on the Chrysler LD platform, which hosted both the 300 and the seventh-gen Charger, with a base 392 Hemi V8 and a Hellcat option. It’s tempting to give this reboot to Chrysler, because they don’t currently make any cars, but it isn’t really their style, and a Dodge Rebel Machine is too compelling to pass up. Also, Dodge has been fantastic at incorporating their muscle past with Scat Packs, Super Bees, and Daytonas, so bringing back the Rebel Machine is in their wheelhouse.
8
Plymouth Road Runner
Wile E. Coyote Needs Something to Chase
Believe it or not, the Plymouth Road Runner was the best-selling Mopar muscle car of the Golden Age, eclipsing even the mighty Charger. Something that popular deserves another shot at life, but unfortunately, Plymouth bit the dust in 2001. Mopar still exists though, and Dodge could easily host a relaunch of the Road Runner. The question is, what would it be? Back in the day, the Road Runner shared the Chrysler B-body platform with the Dodge Charger, so there is no reason that should not continue. The Road Runner could be built on the Stellantis STLA Large platform that the current Charger uses, but with distinct sheet metal. It should be a little less sporty or flashy, representing the Road Runner’s stripped-down speed-machine ethos of the classic era, while still packing serious power. Chances are Chrysler still holds the rights to use the “meep meep” horn that they secured from Warner Bros. back in the ’60s, which would make it a genuinely memorable touch.
7
Buick Gran Sport
Let Buick Have A Third Shot At Street Dominance
The Buick Gran Sport was something of a second-tier muscle car in the classic era, but in 1970, the GS455 and special-edition GSX with 510 earth-shattering lb-ft of torque were the most dominant GM machines on the street, capable of outrunning even a Chevy Chevelle SS 454 LS6. That level of devastation needs to return to the Buick lineup and luckily there’s a pretty easy way for that to happen. Buick is reportedly developing a sporty rear-wheel-drive sedan based on the Cadillac CT5 Alpha 2+2 platform that could very easily host a Gran Sport comeback. In fact, they could structure it like this: a Gran Sport base model, a GSX performance trim, and a GNX turbocharged top-level model to honor the 1980s legacy. Buick has been so boring for so long, but taking from the two times they had a dominant street machine would wake the whole company up and bring some excitement to the brand.
6
Mercury Cougar Eliminator
Let This Apex Predator Loose Again
Mercury always played second fiddle to Ford, but actually produced some impressive machines in the Golden Age, like the seriously underappreciated Cyclone as well as the Cougar, which was Mercury’s take on the Mustang. The 1969–1970 Cougar Eliminator, another car with a genuinely formidable name, was essentially Mercury’s answer to the Boss 429, but with a 428 Cobra Jet and distinct styling. Mercury went kaput in 2010, but that’s fine because Ford still exists, as does the Mustang, so this reboot is doable. A modern Cougar Eliminator could be as straightforward as a seventh-gen Mustang with some distinct body details and, of course, a 500-horsepower 5.0-liter Coyote V8. It wouldn’t even need to be called a Mercury, as a Ford Cougar Eliminator is sufficiently intimidating already. The other thing about the Cougar way back when was that it was an upscale version of the Mustang, so this proposed reboot could also be a luxury ride.
5
Chevrolet Chevelle
The King of GM Muscle Cars Deserves Another Reign
Along with the Plymouth Road Runner and Dodge Charger, the Chevy Chevelle was part of the ruling court on the streets during the Golden Age of American Muscle. It may not have been tops in performance, though it was right there with the Hemis, but the Chevelle was by far the most popular in terms of sales. To this day, it is one of the most coveted classic nameplates, and fans deserve a chance at a modern reiteration of it. The Chevelle could happen if Chevy were properly motivated to build one on the aforementioned Cadillac platform, and it should be a two-door with aggressive, muscular styling like the ’70 SS. Maybe borrowing the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the CT5-V Cadillac Blackwing, a new Chevelle could bill itself as an SS 668 to reflect the insane horsepower under the hood.
4
Pontiac GTO
The G.O.A.T. Needs to Graze Again
The Pontiac GTO kicked off the muscle car craze in 1964 and cemented its street legacy with the 400 Ram Air IV, as well as the 455-powered Judge in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The GTO got something of a reprieve in the early 2000s with what was, at the time, the fastest American car on the road, but it was a badge-engineered Holden Monaro that was anything but cool-looking. The godfather of American muscle shouldn’t be reserved for the history books and needs to be back out on the streets making new history, but as we mentioned, Pontiac is no more. This, however, doesn’t take a Mensa member to figure out, as it could be a variant of the next-gen Chevelle concept we just outlined. The Chevelle, Gran Sport, Olds 442, and Pontiac GTO all shared the same GM A-body platform back in the day, but with different front fascias, hoods, and body accents. The new GTO could be a Chevelle variant with a signature split grille and some extra attitude in the sheet metal.
3
Dodge Challenger
What the Hell, Dodge?
When Dodge resurrected the Challenger in 2008, it was the most perfect reboot that captured all the classic styling but in a modern, updated kind of way. It also brought the Hemi power that far surpassed the classic version’s street dominance, as well as being one of the best-selling muscle cars of the Modern Age. Then, Dodge (Stellantis) discontinued it in 2023, replacing it with nothing, which ranks among the most ill-advised decisions in automotive history. Dodge (Stellantis) also mishandled the eighth-gen Charger rollout, and they certainly could have approached it more effectively. The Charger Daytona EV, that nobody wants, could remain under the same nameplate, but the gas-powered version should have been split up, with the four-door being the Charger Six-Pack and the two-door carrying on the Challenger legacy. It’s a given that the Hemi V8 is returning to the Charger, which is among the smarter decisions Dodge (Stellantis) has made recently, but offering a Hemi Challenger would be a masterstroke.
2
Chevrolet Camaro
Are You Kidding Me, Chevy?
Introduced in 1967, the Chevy Camaro quickly established itself as one of the most iconic cars on the street and carried that reputation through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s as one of the best-selling performance cars of all time. Then, in 2003, Chevy abruptly discontinued this popular ride, causing panic among the Bow Tie faithful. To their credit, Chevy brought back the Camaro in 2009 with a striking retro-modern design, and then discontinued it again in 2024, crushing fans once more. The good news is that a next-gen Camaro is almost certain to happen as soon as 2028, and hopefully Chevy will grace us with Z/28 and IROC-Z trims, but not the rumored four-door version of the fabled pony car. This inevitability also opens the door for a Trans Am reboot, but more importantly, it restores a sense of balance in the automotive landscape. A world without a new Camaro is, frankly, a bleak prospect that no enthusiast should have to contemplate.
1
Plymouth Barracuda
Bring the Sick Fish Back to Health
The 1970-1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda was the baddest of the bad Golden Age street machines with an unbeatable 13.1-second quarter-mile ET straight from the factory. It is remarkable that a car this exceptional only had two years to shine and was never brought into the modern age. There were rumors that the Barracuda was coming back, but it would have been V6-based on an Alfa Romeo platform, which many fans felt would have been worse than not returning at all. There’s about a zero percent chance that there will ever be another Barracuda, but we still hold out hope and think there’s a simple solution to its rebirth. The original ‘Cuda shared the E-body platform with the Challenger, so the new one could logically be based on the next-gen Dodge Challenger concept we outlined two entries ago. Built on the Stellantis STLA platform, the 2029 Hemi ‘Cuda has radically different styling that channels the classic design with a modern twist, and comes with a variety of Hemi engines, including one that blows away the 1,025-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi Challenger SRT Demon 170.
Sources: Chrysler, Ford, GM
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