Classic Muscle Cars You Can Import in India

A muscle car is defined as an American-made two-door sports coupe with a powerful engine, generally designed for high-performance driving. The reason this definition exclusively mentions ‘American-made’ is because the craze of muscle cars was born in America, and while it spread to other parts of the world soon after, America was where it remained at its peak. While the production of muscle cars stopped years ago, given the rising need for sustainability, many auto enthusiasts keep them as classic vintage cars.

With the Indian government recently allowing imports of any vintage car that is older than 50 years, there are a number of classic muscle cars that should be high on your list if you have the means and desire to own one. 

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429

As far as classic muscle cars are concerned, the Ford Mustang Boss 429 is one of the rarest and most collectible. The model was only produced in 1969 and 1970, with only 1,359 units leaving the assembly plant. It was Ford’s answer to the Chrysler 426 HEMI V8, which was beating Ford contenders at NASCAR championships and the stop light drags across Main Street America. Launched in 1969, the Ford Mustang Boss 429 was named after its engine dubbed ‘The Boss,’ a 429 cubic-inch V8. To this day, the Boss 429 remains the biggest engine to be put in a Ford Mustang. The Boss 429 would produce 375 HP and could sprint the Mustang through the quarter-mile in a respectable time of 14 seconds, and reach a top speed of 194 km/h.

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Specifications

• Engine: 429 cubic-inch (7-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox
• Mileage: 5.1 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe
• Seating Capacity: 4

1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

Of all the Mustangs, the Carroll Shelby’s Mustangs are some of the most desirable models, especially for the Mustang purists. While the 1965 and 1966 GT350 models were lighter, designed, and fit for track racing, the 1967 and 1968 models brought more fun under the hood and were the favourites for drag races. The 1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was equipped with a 428 cubic-inch V8, which produced 355 HP and could power the model to a 0 to 100 km/hr dash in 6.9 seconds. With such calibre and reprofiled engineering from the legendary Carroll Shelby, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 was a magazine star and had a celebrity air about it.

1968 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Specifications

• Engine: 428 cubic-inch (7-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 3-speed automatic or 4-speed manual gearbox
• Mileage: 5.95 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door fastback or 2-door convertible
• Seating Capacity: 4

1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible R/T

Launched in 1970, the Dodge Challenger was relatively late to join the muscle car bandwagon. However, it quickly gained popularity with its unique physical appeal and wide variety of powertrain combinations. One of its most popular trims was the high-performance R/T or “Road and Track” option package. This variant had all features of the standard Challenger and added an electric clock, Rallye gauge cluster, Rallye suspension with front and rear sway bars, heavy-duty front disc and rear drum brakes, fibreglass belted tyres with raised white letters, and special striping. It was powered by a legendary 440 cubic-inch V8, which produced 390 HP and put the Dodge Challenger Convertible R/T in a fairly exclusive class.

1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible R/T Specifications

• Engine: 440 cubic-inch (7.2-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 3-speed manual gearbox
• Mileage: 4.29 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe
• Seating Capacity: 5

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona

The 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona is arguably one of the most radical vehicles the muscle car wars ever brought onto the scene. It was built for NASCAR races on the superspeedways, which were the longest and fastest tracks. To calibrate the Dodge Charger for high speeds and check the scope for modifications, engineers took the standard model to the wind tunnel. The aerodynamic modifications done to the Charger included a 2-foot-tall rear wing, a flush rear window, and a longer, sloped nose cone. Such modifications lowered the drag coefficient to 0.28 – an excellent figure even by today’s standards and made the race version of the Daytona the first car in NASCAR history to break 322 km/hr. However, after its numerous wins in 1969, NASCAR rules banned it. However, the production version of the Dodge Charger Daytona, which came equipped with either a 440 cubic-inch V8 or a 426 cubic-inch V8 is one of the most sought-after classic muscle cars today.

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona Specifications

• Engine: 440 cubic-inch (7.2-litre) V8 petrol engine or 426 cubic-inch (7-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox or 3-speed automatic transmission
• Mileage: 5.11 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe
• Seating Capacity: 5

1965 Shelby GT350R

From the inception of the Ford Mustang, Ford collaborated with the legendary Carroll Shelby, an esteemed automotive engineer, racing driver, and entrepreneur. When the Mustang was launched in 1964, a small batch of its units was sent to Shelby American’s Venice shops in December 1964, to develop a performance version of Mustang, which was supposed to participate in car racing championships. Soon after in 1965, the Shelby GT350R was produced, where “R” stands for “Race Spec,” indicating that the race car complied with all the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) racing rules. This car competed in the Sports Car Club of America for class B Production racing. It was Ken Miles who raced the GT350 to victory for the first time, and the car won the same race for the next three years. Along with one of the most iconic muscle cars, the 1965 Shelby GT350R is the most expensive Ford Mustang ever. In 2020, the first of two Shelby Mustang team prototypes of the GT350R was sold for $3.85 million, setting a mind-boggling record.

1965 Shelby GT350R Specifications

• Engine: 289 cubic-inch (4.7-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox
• Mileage: 5.1 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe
• Seating Capacity: 2

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6

Even before 1970, the Chevrolet Chevelle was an established superstar in the muscle car arena. However, the launch of the SS 454 LS6 model of the Chevrolet Chevelle in 1970 took the game to the next level. It all happened because General Motors – the parent brand of Chevrolet had scrapped the long-standing rule of forbidding engines larger than 400 cubic inches. Thanks to this move, the Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 was equipped with a 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) V8 topped by a four-barrel Holley carburettor. The LS6 produced 450 HP and 678 Nm torque, making the Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 the most powerful production car of its era and a much-in-demand classic muscle car today.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 Specifications

• Engine: 454 cubic-inch (7.4-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox or a 3-speed automatic
• Mileage: 3.93 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe
• Seating Capacity: 5

1969 COPO Camaro

Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Order (COPO) system was set up for fleet sales. Here they specced out heavy-duty suspensions for police cars and stain-proof interiors for taxicabs. But some enterprising dealers with special clouts figured out that the Chevrolet Camaro – a popular rival of the Ford Mustang, could be ordered from this setup too. Moreover, for specific orders, the dealer could equip a Camaro with a mighty fire-breathing powerplant that Chevrolet did not want to own. A special order, COPO 9560 was served with an all-aluminium ZL-1 427 V-8, which produced more than 550 HP. Only 69 COPO Camaros ZL-1 were built, and each unit commands nearly $400,000 at auctions.

1969 COPO Camaro Specifications

• Engine: 427 cubic-inch (7-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox
• Mileage: 4.36 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe
• Seating Capacity: 4

1969 Pontiac GTO Judge

When it came to muscle cars, Pontiac was one of the frontline runners in the early 1960s. As a matter of fact, the 1964 Pontiac GTO was widely recognised as the first of its kind. However, by 1968, the GTO had a lot of competition. To work around this competition, first, the GTO makers thought of making a more affordable GTO with a smaller 350 cubic-inch engine, called the ET, which would stand for “Elapsed Time,” – a drag racing term. All the same, John DeLorean – the head of the Pontiac division at General Motors (GM) in the 1960s, did not like that idea. To him, no Pontiac GTO could be equipped with such a small engine. Instead, his team built an even more powerful version of the GTO – the GTO Judge, which was equipped with a 400 cubic-inch Ram Air III, which produced 360 HP. Buyers also had the option to opt for a punchier 370 HP producing Ram Air IV. The rarest of all was the GTO Judge Ram Air IV convertible; only five units were built in 1969.

1969 Pontiac GTO Judge Specifications

• Engine: 400 cubic-inch (6.5-litre) V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox
• Mileage: 3.87 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe
• Seating Capacity: 5

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

The Aston Martin V8 Vantage has had a long and epic run, wherein, the first generation (1977 – 1990) V8 Vantage was quite a popular muscle car in its time and still remains high in demand among collectors. It was equipped with a 5.3-litre V8, which produced 385 HP. With the ability to do a 0 to 100 km/hr dash in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 273 km/hr, the V8 Vantage was not only the UK’s first true supercar but also the fastest 4-seater production car in the world.

Aston Martin V8 Vantage Specifications

• Engine: 5.3 V8 petrol engine
• Transmission: 5-speed manual gearbox or 3-speed automatic
• Mileage: 5.1 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol
• Body type: 2-door coupe and 2-door convertible
• Seating Capacity: 2

Hindustan Contessa

While India has not been home to many muscle cars, it has proudly been the birthplace of the iconic Hindustan Contessa. It was once commonly called the Indian muscle car for its muscular body that had a striking appeal. As a matter of fact, many Indians have modified their Contessas to look like the legendary Ford Mustang. At its time, for the kind of luxury it offered, the Hindustan Contessa was also nicknamed “The Indian Benz.” When launched in 1984, the Hindustan Contessa was equipped with a 1.5-litre B-Series engine petrol engine. However, across its run, which ended in 2002, the Contessa was made available with a 1.8-litre petrol engine, a 2-litre diesel engine, and a 2-litre turbo diesel engine.

Hindustan Contessa Specifications

• Engine: 1.5-litre petrol engine, 1.8-litre petrol engine, 2-litre diesel engine, and 2.-litre turbo diesel engine
• Transmission: 4-speed manual gearbox and 5-speed manual gearbox
• Mileage: up to 14.1 km/l
• Fuel Type: Petrol & Diesel
• Body type: 4-door sedan
• Seating Capacity: 5

Summary

The bygone era of muscle cars was a joyful period for automobile and driving enthusiasts. All the same, with their power-packed engines and unique muscular bodies, muscle cars remain some of the most coveted collectibles, especially for those with a penchant for vintage cars. In this article, we learn about some of the most popular classic muscle cars you can import in India and an iconic Indian muscle car, Hindustan Contessa.

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