American cars are some of the most popular and mass-produced models on the market, but there are also some extremely rare gems.
10/10 1970-1971 Plymouth Barracuda 426 Hemi Convertible (21 Units)
The Plymouth Barracuda is inarguably one of the most coveted cars in American muscle car history. The Hemi ‘Cuda, of course, took things to the next level, making it a collector’s dream across the world. One of the rarest Barracudas is the 1971 Plymouth Barracuda 426 Hemi Convertible.
Plymouth built only 14 units of this car in 1970, and another 7 units the next year. With a new front end featuring dual headlamps and a power-folding black canvas top, this Cuda rode on a 426 Hemi V8, making a monstrous 425 hp. It also reached the 60 mph mark from 0 in just 6 seconds. A hardcore car, the ’70-71 Hemi Cuda Convertible remains one of the rarest American cars.
9/10 Vector W8 (22 Units)
Back in the ’90s, the Vector Aeromotive Corporation was new to the auto industry, but that didn’t deter the team from trying to build the most advanced supercar. Thus, the W8 took birth as a supercar with great looks and power to match.
The Vector W8 rode on a 6.0-liter small-block V8 that came from Chevrolet and made 625 horsepower. This made the W8 one of the most powerful sports cars of the time. With a price tag close to half-a-million dollars and many mechanical problems, the W8 saw poor sales, resulting in just 22 units of the car rolling off the line.
8/10 1971 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible (17 Units)
One of the rarest muscle cars produced on American soil, the 1971 Pontiac GTO Judge Convertible only had 17 units built. Even rarer were the only two models that came in the Tropical Lime paint job, armed with a 455 big-block V8 that cranked out 335 horsepower.
The ’71 GTO Judge Convertible rode on a heavy-duty suspension setup and boasted a 6.1-second 0 to 60 time. Crazy graphics and a massive spoiler on the hood made this muscle car turn heads wherever it went, and every enthusiast and collector today would love to have it in their driveway.
7/10 Oldsmobile F-88 (4 Units)
In 1954, Oldsmobile built 4 prototypes of the car they were working on, the F-88. Out of these four units built for promotional and testing purposes, only one remains today. Oldsmobile built the F-88 to be the ultimate roadster, taking a first-generation Corvette’s chassis and ditching its V6 with a more powerful mill.
Riding on a Rocket 88 324 V8 engine, the Oldsmobile F-88 from 1954 made 250 horsepower, and thanks to its fiberglass lightweight exterior, definitely went like hell. The car’s value is unsurprisingly high, with the one model left alive selling for over $3 million.
6/10 1970 Ford Torino King Cobra (3 Units)
Ford built the 1970 Torino King Cobra to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Sadly, changes in the rules made it so the King Cobra couldn’t compete. This left only three prototypes of the car before Ford discontinued its production altogether.
Equipped with a 429 Semi-Hemi V8 engine that made nearly 400 horsepower, the King Cobra was one of the fastest cars of its time, moving from 0 to 60 mph in just 5 seconds.
5/10 Shelby Cobra Super Snake (2 Units)
Any car with Carroll Shelby’s name attached to it has a lot to prove, and the 1965 Shelby Cobra Super Snake more than fits the bill. Shelby built only two models of this ultra-rare car, one of which was for himself. The other model went to actor-comedian Bill Cosby, who was a close friend of Shelby’s.
In fact, Cosby returned the car due to its fearsome power, and the next owner ended up crashing it into the Pacific Ocean. This leaves only one S/C Super Snake in existence, armed with a 427 twin-supercharged Ford V8 engine that made an insane 800 horsepower and 462 lb-ft of torque. As fast as modern sports cars, the Super Snake could go from 0 to 60 in just 4.5 seconds.
4/10 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL-1 (2 Units)
Chevrolet only built two Corvette ZL-1 cars in the 1969 model year. Thankfully, both units are in existence today. A fast and lightweight car capable of going from 0 to 60 in a whopping 4 seconds, the ’69 ZL-1 could easily beat many great sports cars from the modern era as well.
Thanks to an aluminum L88 engine that cranked out a staggering 420 hp, these Corvettes were some of the most powerful to ever come off the Chevrolet assembly line. Some urban legends even suggest that the actual power of these rare cars was over 500 hp.
3/10 Gaylord Gladiator (2 Units)
In the 1950s, the Gaylord Brothers came into a lot of money, thus building their own new company. The Gaylord Gladiator was their creation, which they built by contracting a German engineering company.
While this car excited the rich and the famous, only two models were ever built. The Gaylord Gladiator rode on a V8 engine that made 305 horsepower, going from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds, all the way back in 1957.
2/10 Hennessey Venom F5 (24 Units)
Hennessey Performance is a name every gearhead is familiar with. An American tuning company that turns cars into absolute beasts, the company now builds its own cars. The Venom F5 is Hennessey’s finest work, designed to set fire to every road it blazes through.
Armed with a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8, the Venom F5 makes a ludicrous 1.817 horsepower and 1,193 lb-ft of torque. It also costs an eye-watering amount, with a price tag of $2.1 million. Hennessey limited production to just 24 units, adding exclusivity to the insane numbers of their car.
1/10 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 Super Snake (1 Unit)
One-off cars are truly something special, and the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 Super Snake is one of the finest ever. Goodyear asked Carroll Shelby to build a unique car for high-speed testing of their new Thunderbolt tires, and Shelby obliged.
The ’67 GT 500 Super Snake had taller gearing for maximum top speed, along with super-sized front disc brakes. It rode on a 427 racing engine straight from the Ford GT40, producing 520 horsepower and going all the way up to 170 mph.