Almost everyone has a love for the American muscle car. Whether it’s from having owned one, being around them growing up or seeing them in movies. We all have our favorites cars from the muscle car era so lets look at the most popular.
After doing some extensive reading and researching on the internet these are the top picks of muscle cars.
- 1968 Chevy Camaro
- 1968 Plymouth Roadrunner
- 1967 Chevy Corvette
- 1968 Chevy Chevelle
- 1967 Ford Mustang
- 1968 Dodge Charger
- 1971 Plymouth Barracuda
- 1969 Oldsmobile 442
- 1969 Pontiac Firebird
- 1966 Chevy Nova
Muscle car is an American term for high-performance cars, usually but not limited to rear-wheel drive and fitted with a large and powerful V8 engine. The term originated for 1960s and early 1970s special editions of mass-production cars which had factory added options.
wikipedia
Today the term muscle car refers to a nostalgic era of big engines, street races on Saturday nights, and a car that anyone with any mechanical ability could work on in his garage or driveway.
Now they are much sought after by collectors around the world and by those who grew up in the muscle car era. Here is a list of the cars that had numerous model kits built after them.
What Is The Most Popular Chevy Camaro Muscle Car Model Kit?
The 1968 Chevy Camaro is at the top of everyone’s list. Even though model companies have made dozens of different Camaro model kits over the years the 1968 is still one of the top sellers. The 1968 Camaro Z28 (2 ‘n 1) Stock or Wild Custom (1/25) scale by AMT tops the list for many.
These are all a close second.
What Is The Most Popular Plymouth Roadrunner Model Kit?
1968 was the first year of the Roadrunner and it took the model kit market by storm. Chrysler had a way with putting the horsepower to the ground and AMT had a way to make this model look powerful. This long and sleek muscle car was an instant hit and still is among today’s modelers.
1968 Plymouth Roadrunner–Plastic Model Kit (1/25) AMT
There have been a lot of Mopar muscle models sold over the years and they continue to be very popular. They are all pretty much equal in popularity so we’ll start with the Roadrunners.
The following years are also very popular models but some of the kits can be a little hard to find. Keep checking on eBay and Model Kit Roundup and you will eventually find them.
- 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner. I could not locate a model kit for sale on the internet. There are a few for sale that have been finished.
- Revell 1970 Plymouth Road Runner (1/24) Revell
- The Plymouth group will include the Superbirds and the GTX models
- There is a new release by Revell 1970 Plymouth Superbird (2 ‘n 1) with Richard Petty Decals (1/24)
What Is The Most Popular Chevy Corvette Model Kit?
Top of the list is the classic 1967 Corvette Convertible 427 (1/25) by Revell. This is a head turner at car shows and is still a very popular model. If you are a Corvette fan you are probably a diehard Corvette fan. T-shirts, hats, Corvette car clubs– it must be a tribal thing because people love their Corvettes.
Here are some more favorites for the ‘vette diehards.
- 1970 Corvette LT-1/ZR-1 Coupe
- 1969 Corvette Yenko Coupe
- 1967 Corvette “Streaker” ‘Vette
What Is The Most Popular Chevy Chevelle Model Kit?
The most popular Chevelle kit is the 1968. This year introduced a new and favorite body style with a few different kits to choose from. This 1968 model kit is a skill level four that is both challenging and interesting to build as it is very detailed.
The Chevelles command a lot of best of show trophies at car shows. Always a favorite with their big block motors and smooth body lines. One of the draws of owning Chevy muscle is the parts are cheaper and more plentiful.
1968 Chevy Chevelle SS 396 Revell RV07662 (1:25)
These Chevelle model kits are also very popular among muscle car kit builders and are easy to be found.
- 72 Chevelle SS
- 1967 Chevelle Pro Street
- 1970 Chevelle SS 454 Snap Kit (1/25) Inexpensive and great for a beginner.
What Is The Most Popular Ford Mustang Model Kit?
The 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby is by far the most popular Mustang model kit. It’s been in a few movies over the years and has quite a following. Easy and fun to build skill level 2 makes it a great model for anyone 10 and older.
The Ford Mustang was a late bloomer in the muscle car era as it waited for the big horse power to bring it out of the pony car group. Always a huge selling car, it has always been a big selling model.
This is the car that brought the Mustang into the muscle car arena and it could hold its own very well. Now when you pulled up to the stoplight next to other Detroit powers you felt right at home.
There are lots of great Mustang kits that have been built over the years and heres a few to take a look at.
- 1969 Ford Mustang Mach I Cobra Jet
- 1970 Mustang Mach 1
- 1968 Ford Mustang GT
What Is The Most Popular Dodge Charger Model Kit?
The 1968 Dodge Charger is the most popular model kit year for the Charger with a few different kits offered over the years. The Revell special edition kit is a skill level three that is a fun kit for all model kit builders. Two ways to build this kit makes it even more exciting.
Dodge’s entry into the muscle car fight was the Charger. Long and lean with some great Mopar motor choices it made for a very popular model to build.
This 68 by Revell is always a fun build. 1968 Dodge Charger (2 ‘n 1) (1/25)
There’s a lot of good Charger models to choose from.
- 1969 Dodge Charger 1/16 “General Lee” Dukes of Hazzard. It wouldn’t be a story about chargers without the General Lee
- 1970 “Fast & Furious” Dodge Charger is a very popular model
- 1967 Charger Great Street Machines from MPC
What Is The Most Popular Plymouth Barracuda Model Kit?
The 1971 Plymouth “Hemi Cuda” Barracuda (1/24) Revell is the most popular Barracuda model kit. Highly collectible Barracudas are led by the very rare hemi cudas. Collectors will pay in the hundreds of thousands for the convertibles and nearly that for the hardtops.
These are also great Barracuda model kits to build that are a lot of fun.
- 1966 Plymouth Barracuda Hurst Hemi Under Glass (1/25) AMT model that looks like a fun build.
- 1969 Plymouth Barracuda (1/25) MPC
- 1970 Plymouth AAR Barracuda (1/24) Revell
What Is The Most Popular Oldsmobile 442 Model Kit?
The beautiful body lined 1969 442 is the most popular Olds 442 model kit. If you like luxury in your muscle car this kit is for you. Four barrel four speed with dual exhaust makes for a fun kit to build. Great kit for any model building enthusiasts.
You think of Oldsmobiles as dad’s or grandpa’s cars, but Olds dabbled in the muscle car market with a luxury/horsepower version that was very popular.
442 stands for four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhausts.
This was the sought after model of the 442 and is a great model.
- 1970 Oldsmobile 442 Hardtop (1/25) JO-HAN This model is rare and expensive at $140.
- 1970 Oldsmobile 442 Hardtop (1/25) Revell This is the Indy 500 pace car with the 455 rocket engine.
- 1967 Oldsmobile 442 Cutlass Supreme (1/25) Lindberg offers this Cutlass with the W30 442 option.
What Is The Most Popular Pontiac Firebird Model Kit?
The 1969 model kit comes in at the top of the list of Firebirds. Camaro’s first cousin, the Firebird had good horsepower and plenty of great options for a fun muscle car. These models have never been as popular as their first cousin but never the less many have been built with this version at the top.
1969 Pontiac Firebird T/A (1/25) AMT
These will also be a fun build.
- 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (1/24) Monogram You cannot talk Firebird without the Trans Am.
- 1970 Pontiac Firebird (2 ‘n 1) (1/24) Revell with the 400 cubic inch V8 and 4 speed with the hurst shifter.
What Is The Most Popular Chevy Nova Model Kit?
The 66 is the most popular model kit for the Chevy Nova. What can you say– when you put a 327 cubic inch motor in a light car –this is gonna be fast. A skill level two kit that is fun and somewhat challenging for all model builders.
1966 Chevy Nova SS Hardtop Resto Rod (2 ‘n 1) (1/25)
Lots of cool Nova kits that will all be fun to build.
- 1969 Chevy Nova SS (1/25) Revell
- 1969 Yenko Nova (1/25) You’ve got to build all the Yenkos.
- 1972 Chevy Old Pro Nova SS (1/25) AMT
Final Thoughts
Now you have thirty five great muscle car model kit options to choose from. Myself, I would like to do all of them but there are so many models in this world I may not get to all of them. I feel bad for all the great muscle cars that I didn’t list like the GTX, Torinos, Dusters, Demons, I could go on all day. I love muscle cars.
Take the opportunity to attend a local car show sometime to see these classic muscle cars in person. Happy Modeling!
Related Questions
How do they make plastic model cars? Plastic models are generally produced using a process called injection molding. A model kit manufacturer will create a “tool” (two halves of steel plate that have been engraved with the shape of the kit’s parts). They will then press the two tools together and inject liquid styrene plastic into the engraving.
What is the difference between acrylic and enamel model paint?
Acrylic: Built for Speed
| PROS | CONS |
| Quick drying – touch dry within 10-15 minutes. Easy to thin (water, alcohol). Easy to dry brush with.Useful for glazes and washes Extensive range of colors available. Easy to clean from brushes. Non toxic, no fumes. | Harder to get good coverage, so needs more coats to obtain appropriate depth of color. Leaves unsightly brushstrokes. Doesn’t adhere well to very smooth surfaces, so a primer is required. Not hard-wearing, tends to peel. Hard to remove |
Enamel: The Slow and Steady Option
| PROS | CONS |
| Gives a consistent covering which holds the color well. Gives a nice hard coat finish, with no sign of brush strokes. Can be applied without a primer. Easy to remove from models using spirits. | Long drying time – ~ 24 hours. Oil separates after extended shelf life, so requires remixing. Harder to airbrush with – requires more thinning. Less colors available. Much more toxic, gives off fumes. |