Here at Sazua.com, we love finding value for our readers, and we've done numerous affordable classic muscle car lists for the frugal gearhead. The reason many of those cars are so cheap, however, is because they are either off-brands like Mercury and AMC or have less impressive engines, such as a 383 Dodge Super Bee. While rides like that are certainly cool and fun to drive, they aren't much of an investment that probably won't depreciate, but also won't skyrocket in value. It's not really getting a lot of bang for your buck on a classic muscle car that isn't super-collectible.
The most desired Golden Age muscle is brand-name superstars with the top performance trims and killer V-8s, but more often than not, those are outside of everyone's price range. There are, however, some truly amazing classic-era muscle cars that are undervalued and represent a great bargain, with nothing but upside when the market corrects itself. These are Hemi, LS6, and Cobra Jet rides with surprisingly affordable price tags that are guaranteed to blow up. When it comes to classic American muscle, getting the most bang for your buck means driving away with an A-list car for an entry-level price, and that's actually possible.
In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturers and other authoritative sources, including J.D. Power, Hagerty, and Bring a Trailer. Cars are ranked by average retail price, lowest to highest.
1970 Buick Gran Sport 455
Average Used Price: $30,900
The Buick Garn Sport 455 has been overshadowed a bit by the special edition '70 GSX , but it's the same car. Actually, it's better because it was available in cooler colors than the Apollo White and Saturn Yellow the GSX was limited to. With the Stage 1 performance upgrade, the GS 455 was the baddest non-Hemi car on the streets with a 13.38-second quarter-mile. It was also the 'torque-iest' ride for decades, churning out 510 pound-feet of stump-pulling power, which gave it tremendous launch from a dead stop.
1970 Buick Gran Sport 455 Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $4,880
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $30,900
- Hagerty Good Condition - $33,900
- Top Auction Sale - $285,000
- BaT Best Deal - $30,750
The values on this amazing Buick are almost a farce, with J.D. Power reporting the average used price at just over $30,000 and Hagerty's good condition backing that up. The high auction is in the six digits, but that's for an ultra-rare convertible, with the hardtops selling for considerably less. That super-clean Sherwood Green '70 GS pictured above was completely restored and has the original 455 that was rebuilt with Stage 1 performance parts, yet sold for barely over $30k on Bring a Trailer last year. It is, by far, the least expensive classic 13-second car ever sold and will do nothing but increase in value.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS 396
Average Used Price: $35,400
The first-gen Camaro is such an American icon that most people probably figure it's a big-money collectible, but it is actually quite affordable. Chevy made a ton of these cars, so there's a supply-and-demand thing keeping 'em cheap, but most of those cars were equipped with weak engines, which explains their relative affordability. The 1967 Camaro Super Stock 396, on the other hand, is more elusive with just 1,138 of the 375-horsepower L78 cars built, but they still don't break the bank. This is literally the best factory version of one of the coolest rides of all time, and yet it's a budget collectible.
1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $2,677
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $35,400
- Hagerty Good Condition - $56,400
- Top Auction Sale - $100,000
- BaT Best Deal - $45,250
The J.D. Power average retail price is most certainly for the 325-horsepower L35 version of the '67 Camaro SS, but Hagerty's $60,000-plus good condition value is definitely for the mighty L78. There are COPO Camaros that sell for over a half-million dollars at auction, but the highest gavel drop for a factory original is a mere $100,000. On Bring a Trailer, a '67 Camaro RS/SS 396 sold for around $45,000 earlier this year. The car was repainted in Bolero Red, which may not be the original color, and it has the L35 V-8, but the matching-numbers engine was rebuilt with L78 performance enhancements, so this is a steal of a deal.
1971 Dodge Demon 340
Average Used Price: $49,400
The Plymouth Duster was such a success that Dodge demanded their own version and Chrysler caved, gifting them what would eventually be the 1971 Demon. Dodge initially wanted to call it the "Beaver" but found out that was some naughty slang, so they thankfully went in a different direction. The Demon was unleashed from the depths of Hell, AKA Detroit, at the tail-end of the Golden Age of American Muscle, so it was a forgotten classic, but found renewed interest with the release of the insane 840-horsepower supercharged 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. Now, it has become one of the most sought-after classic Mopars.
1971 Dodge Demon 340 Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $2,343
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $49,400
- Hagerty Good Condition - N/A
- Top Auction Sale - $88,000
- BaT Best Deal - $53,000
With an under $50,000 average retail price, the Demon is one of the most accessible collectible Mopar muscle cars, but it won't stay that way for long. As Challenger R/Ts and Hemi 'Cudas are stretching into the millions, collectors are looking for more reasonable rides, which will only drive the price of the Demon upward. The nearly-$90,000 top auction price is quite good for a car most people ignored 10 years ago. Bring a Trailer has only sold a couple of these killer Mopars, at least with the more desirable 340ci V-8, and they're going up in value from $50k-ish to over $60,000. Now is the time to strike on these devilish Dodges, because the prices are never going to drop on them.
1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 CJ
Average Used Price: $52,600
In the original John Wick film, the title character supposedly drives a Ford Mustang Boss 429 , which is stolen and sets off a four-film and-counting revenge spree that leaves the largest wake of carnage in cinematic history. The thing is, John's car was actually a Mach 1, which was, in reality, a better car. Boss 429s, produced from 1969-1970, were slapped-together rides with no creature comforts, while the Mach 1s were loaded with features. Also, the 428ci Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet V-8s of the Mach 1 were faster than the 429 in the Boss. Boss 429s are half-million-dollar classics, but the superior Mach 1 428s are shockingly affordable.
1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $3,271
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $52,600
- Hagerty Good Condition - $56,300
- Top Auction Sale - $154,000
- BaT Best Deal - $46,000
Both J.D. Power and Hagerty put the 1970 Mach 1 428 CJ in the low-to-mid $50,000 range, which seems like a mistake, but is totally legit. There's a top auction sale of over $150,000 for a '70 Mach 1 428, but there are many great-condition examples that have sold for far less. Bring a Trailer moved a fairly incredible Mach 1 recently for under $50,000. This was a meticulously restored, matching-numbers car, with the 428 Super Cobra Jet V-8, that seriously should have gone for much more. Only 2,501 CJ 428-equipped Mach 1s were made in 1971, which is only slightly more than the 1,359 Boss 429s ever produced, so it's on an upward trajectory for classic Mustangs.
1964 Pontiac GTO
Average Used Price: $54,100
There were speedy cars before the 1964 GTO, but the brilliance of the Pontiac was that it was the first factory ride marketed to young people who wanted to look cool and go fast. It literally launched the Golden Age of American Muscle and none of the other cars on this list would exist without it. At the time, Pontiac was under the inane GM ban on engines over 400 cubic inches, so they equipped the GTO with a triple-two-barrel carb 389 V-8 that really got that sucker moving. For such a historically significant and inherently awesome ride, first-year GTOs are shamefully undervalued.
1964 Pontiac GTO Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $2,780
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $54,100
- Hagerty Good Condition - $47,700
- Top Auction Sale - $140,000
- BaT Best Deal - $37,750
The original MSRP of the '64 GTO translates into $28,678 in today's dollars, which isn't that far off for what they can be had for. J.D. Power has an average retail price in the mid-$50,000s, but Hagerty drops the good-condition value down by almost seven grand. As is the case with all classics, the highest-selling Goat is a convertible, but the difference with the hardtop is dramatic. The $37,750 that the dark blue GTO pictured above went for on Bring a Trailer isn't excessively higher than the rate of inflation from the original price. The car is all-original, except for a paint color change, and is the definition of getting maximum classic muscle car bang for your buck.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SE
Average Used Price: $55,600
No other movie car has sold more units than the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit . Burt Reynolds' ride in the movie was actually a '76 with some updated styling because the new '77 wasn't ready for the film, but it's still the greatest "Screaming Chicken" ever conceived. In reality, 1977 was deep into the Dead Horsepower Era, so it wasn't as fast or powerful as it seemed in the movie, but the Trans Am Special Edition with the stroked-out 455 was decidedly more ass-kicking. It came in two versions: the coupe, of which 1,861 were made, and the way-cooler T-top version that had a 13,706-unit production run.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SE Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $6,599
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $55,600
- Hagerty Good Condition - N/A
- Top Auction Sale - $400,000
- BaT Best Deal - $50,800
There is a humongous gap between the average value of the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am SE and its top auction sale that isn't all that easy to explain. J.D. Power sets the average retail price in the mid-$50,000 range and that perfectly restored Y82 T-top pictured above went for just over $50k on Bring a Trailer. Meanwhile, the same car sold for an astronomical $400,000 at Mecum Harrisburg in 2022 . The auction-buster Trans Am was an immaculate, un-restored ride with only 14 miles on the odometer, but that still doesn't explain the nearly $350,000 difference. In any case, this is a classic that can be had on the cheap, with a dazzling future.
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner A12
Average Used Price: $62,200
As the Golden Age of American Muscle wore on, cars lost their original mission statement of being affordable street machines with the introduction of increasingly expensive and luxe models. Plymouth set out to rectify that in 1968 with the Roadrunner, which was a stripped-down burner that anyone could scrape together the cash for. In the 1969 mid-model year, Plymouth introduced the Roadrunner A12, featuring the 440ci 6BBL V-8 , which was a 3x2 intake that offered near-Hemi performance at a fraction of the price. The Roadrunner was also available with the 426 Street Hemi and, in fact, is the most Hemi-equipped Mopar nameplate, but the 440 6BBL is more appropriate for its no-frills persona.
1969 Plymouth Roadrunner A12 Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $3,545
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $62,200
- Hagerty Good Condition - $59,600
- Top Auction Sale - $148,500
- BaT Best Deal - N/A ($75,900)
Plymouth produced only 1,412 Roadrunner A12s in 1969, so this is a rarity, and the fact that it was never considered particularly collectible until recently, there are probably not that many still in existence. It's a lot easier to find a '69 Hemi than a 6BBL, which is proof that this car is poised for a surge in price. Both J.D. Power and Hagerty set the value at around $60,000, which can't be backed up by any similar auction prices. Bring a Trailer has never sold an A12, but a restored Bahama Yellow example with 38,656 miles on it just sold at Mecum Indy 2025 for $75,900, which still seems cheap. A killer Mopar collectible like this is a six-digit ride all the way, and deals like this will disappear sooner rather than later.
1971 Pontiac GTO Judge
Average Used Price: $72,600
If there were a Mount Rushmore for Golden Age muscle cars, it would include the second-gen Dodge Charger R/T, and second-gen Chevrolet SS, and while the third slot could be argued for several models, the final figure would be the second-gen Pontiac GTO Judge. The Judge performance package was introduced in 1969 and in 1970, after the GM big engine ban was lifted, came with the massive 455 HO V-8. Not only did the GTO Judge look cool , but it was also a guaranteed 13-second ride, and these were the two most important characteristics of a classic-era muscle car. The Judge was discontinued mid-model year in 1971, with only 374 units (357 hardtops and 17 droptops) leaving the factory before it got the axe.
1971 Pontiac GTO Judge Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $3,583
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $72,600
- Hagerty Good Condition - $73,900
- Top Auction Sale - $147,500
- BaT Best Deal - $69,277
A car this rare and from a royal bloodline really should be one of the top collectibles, but J.D. Power fixes the average retail price in the low-$70,000s. This is echoed by the Hagerty good condition value as well as the best deal on Bring a Trailer. As astonishing as it seems, a spotless Judge hardtop sold for under $70k on BaT last year. This car was in remarkable shape, and included the original 455 HO engine as well as the factory build sheet. The only unoriginal thing about it is the paint, which was changed from Aztec Gold to Red and, quite frankly, sounds like an upgrade. There's no way a classic as amazing as the '71 Judge is going to stay in this insanely affordable price range for long.
1970 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi
Average Used Price: $97,900
Nearly $100,000 doesn't sound like much of a deal, so it's important to remember that this isn't a list of the cheapest muscle cars, but rather the ones that deliver the most bang for the buck. Getting a ride that should be worth a half-million dollars for $97,000 is a hell of a deal, and that's what is possible with the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi. In reality, the entire second-gen Charger run is criminally undervalued, but the '70 is simply shameless. Just 63 Charger R/Ts were equipped with the 426 Street Hemi in 1970, and similarly rare Hemi-equipped Challengers and Barracudas go in the high six-figures to millions. The second-gen Charger is the defining car of the Golden Age and the elusive '70 Hemi R/T is the most collectible of the bunch.
1970 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $4,359
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $97,900
- Hagerty Good Condition - $113,000
- Top Auction Sale - $352,000
- BaT Best Deal - N/A
The highest-selling '70 Charger R/T Hemi went for over $350,000 at Mecum Indy, which sounds like it is appropriately valued, but that car was a rare gem. It was a perfect condition, matching-numbers, un-restored ride with only 14,000 miles on the odometer, and survivor cars are always at a premium. After that, it's hard to even find a '70 Hemi car that sold recently, which is a clue that it's an extreme rarity. There have been a couple of 1970 Charger R/T 440 Six-Packs that have sold for between $230,000-$297,000, which points to a higher value for the rarer Hemi R/T. It also puts the shockingly low J.D. Power and Hagerty values into perspective, but if it's possible to find a '70 Charger R/T with a Hemi for around $100,000, it's the deal of the century.
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6
Average Used Price: $105,500
The 450-horsepower 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 is simply the greatest GM muscle car ever built in terms of street performance and general badassness. There are way more Bowtie fans and collectors than Mopar nuts, which is another way of saying the '70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 is the most sought-after Golden Age collectible in existence. They are also not all that common, and in a weird twist, Chevy has no idea how many were actually built. Being rare and desirable should put this car solidly in the half-million dollar club, but they are surprisingly affordable, in relative terms. Again, $100,000-ish isn't a budget ride, but it's an extreme deal on a car with unrealized value.
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 Prices and Values
- Original MSRP - $3,797
- J.D. Power Average Retail - $105,500
- Hagerty Good Condition - $112,000
- Top Auction Sale - $440,000
- BaT Best Deal - $114,000
J.D. Power and Hagerty are united that the '70 Chevelle SS 454 LS6 is valued in the low six digits. LS6 convertibles consistently blow up the auction block at over the half-million mark and there are actually some hardtops that have come close, but they are exceptional examples that pushed their prices higher. Meanwhile, great-condition LS6 Chevelles can be had for comparative pennies. That beautiful Cranberry Red Chevelle SS has a matching-numbers 454 LS6 V-8, a four-speed transmission, plus it underwent a rotisserie restoration, and it only has 58,000 miles on it. It's hard to find a more perfect example of the mighty SS, but somehow it only sold for $114,000 on Bring a Trailer last year. Suffice it to say, that car is already worth two or three times what the buyer paid, and even that is an undervalue.
