The name Ford brings to mind images of large, powerful vehicles—and for good reason. Ford has been building cars and trucks since 1903, and they’ve been producing muscle cars since the 1960s. Some of these muscle cars are legendary, while others are simply badass.
In this article, we’ll be ranking the coolest Ford muscle cars to come out of the company over the years. We’ll look at some of their most badass models and how they impacted American culture and car design in general. So grab your favorite beverage, sit back, relax, and enjoy!
9 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT
If you’re looking for a classic car that really stands out in a crowd—and we mean really stands out—the 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT is the one for you. The reason? Well, this muscle car comes from down under and stands out like a sore thumb in our market of cars over here.
The Australian Ford muscle car came with a 351 V8 engine, which meant that while it wasn’t super fast, it definitely had plenty of pickup and could run with any other car on the road.
8 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351
The 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 is the 9th most badass Ford muscle car of all time. It uses a 351 cubic-inch V8 engine that generated 330 horsepower and 370 lb-ft of torque, which means it could go from 0 to 60 mph in about 5.7 seconds.
It also had a 4-speed manual transmission, which meant you felt like a total boss while driving down the highway at top speed. And then there were the looks: this car was just straight-up cool. The body paint colors were bright and they came with black stripes running along its sides and hood. Everyone knew you meant business when they saw you coming down the road.
7 1968 Ford Fairlane Torino GT
The 1970s were a tough time for the good ol’ US of A, but they were a great time for muscle cars. And if you want to talk about the finest of them all, look no further than the 1968 Ford Fairlane Torino GT.
This bad boy came with a Windsor V8 engine, which means it was capable of anything from dominating drag races to outrunning cops. It’s also got that classic ’70s aesthetic that just screams “badass.” You could say this car is an American hero.
6 1969 Mustang Mach 1 Cobra Jet
The 1969 Mustang Mach 1 Cobra Jet is a badass car for many reasons, but we’ll just focus on the most important ones.
It was one of the first Mustang muscle cars to come with a 428 cubic-inch V8 engine, which produced the power of 335 hp. It could also go from 0 to 60 in 5.5 seconds and do a quarter mile in 13.9 seconds.
5 1969 Ford Torino Talladega
The Ford Torino Talladega is one of the most badass Ford muscle cars ever made, and it’s not just because of its name. It’s got a 390 V8, which means it has 335 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. And that’s just with a carburetor! Imagine what it could do with some mods?
But this car isn’t just about power: it’s also got a mean reputation. They named it after the Talladega NASCAR Superspeedway in Alabama. And if they name you after a place that hosts some of the fastest NASCAR races in history, you better be able to live up to your name.
4 2007 Shelby GT500
When you look at the 2007 Shelby GT500, it seems like a regular old Mustang from the outside. But when you look closer you will see telltale signs of a Mustang that’s more aggressive, more on edge, and ready for business.
Then you open up the hood and see a supercharged version of Ford’s 5.4-Liter Coyote V8 under there. An engine that pumps out 500 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque. Which’s more than enough to power this car from 0 to 60 in 4.6 seconds and a quarter mile in 12.8. And that’s when you realize this is one of the most badass Muscle car Ford has ever built.
3 1970 Ford Torino King Cobra
The 1970 Ford Torino King Cobra is a badass Ford muscle car for many reasons. First and foremost, it’s got the 429 4V, which had a power rating of 360 horsepower. Which is crazy for a production car. This was all thanks to its 4-speed close-ratio transmission.
But that’s not all. The Torino King Cobra looked good too—especially with those chrome wheels and trim pieces on the exterior.
2 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
This is the Shelby Mustang that started it all. It has a huge 428 cubic-inch V8 “Police Interceptor” which makes 355 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Making it one of the most powerful Mustangs ever built.
Most importantly, it was one of the first Mustangs to have a big engine and lots of horsepower and tons of torque. This inspired the big-power Mustangs of our current generation and many muscle cars in the future.
1 2022 Shelby GT500
The newest version of this car is also one of its best! The Ford Predator V8 is a beast of an engine and produces 760 horsepower and 625 lb.-ft. of torque.
This means you can go from 0 to 60 in under 3.8 seconds and do the quarter mile in just 11.3 in this baby. This is your vehicle when you want to be fast AND look good while doing it. And because of its heritage’s massive performance and evolution, it will continue to be the most excellent muscle car for years.
Sources: Auto Snout, Which Car, Horsepower Memories, Fastest Laps, Edmunds
