DEBATABLE MUSCLE CARS

Debatable Muscle Cars
Looking back in time, these cars of the 70’s and 80’s were all inferior. Yes, the performance was good for the times but overall quality, fit and finish and reliability were dismal. You be the judge!
1980 Mercury Capri RS
The introduction of the third-generation Mustang had a big influence on Mercury because the brand got its own version in the form of the Capri in 1979. From 1970 to 1977, Mercury sold the Capri, which they imported from Germany with four and six-cylinder engines. However, in 1979 thanks to the Mustang, the Capri was new and featured a unique front end design.
1981 Chevrolet Citation X-11
The Chevrolet Citation X-11 is an interesting car since most people can’t decide how they feel about this model. It’s a compact, front-wheel drive hatchback Chevrolet produced from 1980 to 1985 with a powerful V6 engine and muscle car look.
Chevrolet Cavalier Z24
Although the Cavalier Z24 performance stats are nothing compared to modern cars, back in the late ’80s, this was a hot car in the compact class. It was available as coupe or convertible. If you opted for the Z24 package, you would get a 2.8-liter V6 engine with a whopping 125 HP on tap. This meant the Cavalier Z24 was one of the fastest compact cars ever.
Dodge Shelby Charger
With front-wheel drive, the Dodge Omni platform, and a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Shelby Charger was not a typical muscle car by any means. However, it did provide a vivid performance, decent power, and good acceleration time. But most of all, it combined two of the greatest names in the American performance portfolio: Shelby and Charger.
Pontiac Fiero
In the 1980s, everybody expected another GTO from Pontiac. However, they got a small sports car that was something Italians would build. It was a bold move for Pontiac to introduce a compact rear-wheel-drive car with the engine positioned in the center and pair it up with a five-speed manual transaxle gearbox.
Pontiac Sunbird Formula
The Sunbird was the typical hatchback-type GM compact of the ’70s and was almost identical to Buick Skylark or Chevrolet Monza. However, in the Pontiac version, the Sunbird had an interesting muscle model they called the Formula with an optional V8 under the hood. Pontiac borrowed the name, “Formula,” from the Firebird lineup, which marked the model they equipped with a V8 engine.
Mercury Capri 1991
Over the years, Mercury sold numerous models under the Capri name. First, it was just a trim level on a regular Mercury sedan and then it was a re-badged Ford Capri from Europe. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, it was the Mercury version of a Fox-bodied Mustang. However, in 1991, it was a new and separate model.
Ford Mustang Cobra
The 1979 model year brought several major improvements to the Mustang range. First, they presented a new model featuring a modern design, updated chassis and wider track. Second, they introduced an interesting performance version they called the Cobra. Although not as powerful or crazy as those Cobra Jets of before, the 1979 Cobra featured a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 140 HP. And although this was pathetic even by the standards of the day, it was a step in the right direction. In fact, it helped the American performance market finally start to recover.