Dodge

The A100 is the muscle van. While Ford and GM were putting economical sixes in their compact vans, Dodge offered a 318 V8. The legendary 'Little Red Wagon' drag truck was an A100. This was Chrysler being Chrysler — if some is good, more is better. The forward-control design put you right over the front wheels, which was either exciting or terrifying depending on your perspective. The A100 proved that vans didn't have to be boring.

The 1968-70 Charger is the most recognizable muscle car silhouette ever drawn. The hidden headlights, tunneled rear glass, and Coke-bottle curves made it look like a spaceship from the future. Then Dodge dropped the 426 Hemi in it. The Charger R/T (Road/Track) came standard with the 440 Magnum — 375 horsepower of reliable big-block power. The optional Hemi added another 50 hp and legendary status. Yes, the General Lee destroyed hundreds of these cars. But the Charger's design transcends any TV show. This is what a muscle car is supposed to look like.

The Li'l Red Express was Dodge's middle finger to the malaise era. While passenger cars choked on emissions equipment and made embarrassing power numbers, Chrysler noticed that light-duty trucks were exempt from the same regulations. So they dropped a 360 V8 with a performance cam, free-flowing exhaust, and those absurd chrome stacks into a D150 shortbed. The result? The fastest American vehicle you could buy in 1978, capable of 14.7-second quarter miles when Corvettes were struggling to break 16. It was a factory hot rod disguised as a work truck, painted Bright Canyon Red and wearing its wood rails and gold stripes like a badge of honor.

The Viper was Chrysler's insane bet that Americans still wanted raw, unassisted muscle. Bob Lutz and Carroll Shelby created a car with no safety nets — no ABS, no traction control, no airbags, and side exhaust pipes that would brand your calf if you weren't careful. The 8.0L V10 was derived from a truck engine but made 400 hp in an era when Corvettes made 300. The Viper was automotive machismo distilled to its purest form. It was too hot, too loud, too uncomfortable, and too willing to swap ends if you disrespected it. That was the entire point.

The GTS coupe took the RT/10's brutality and added just enough refinement to make it usable without losing the soul. The double-bubble roof — a direct homage to the Shelby Cobra Daytona coupe — made it instantly recognizable. The 450 hp V10 was even more aggressive than the roadster's. And then Chrysler went racing. The Viper GTS-R dominated GT2 class racing, including class wins at Le Mans in 1998, 1999, and 2000. The blue-with-white-stripes livery became iconic. The GTS proved the Viper wasn't just a drag strip brawler — it could humiliate European exotics on road courses too.