Starting at around $30,000, the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata is not only one of the most affordable new cars on the market, but also a super-bargain for a thrilling performance vehicle. The diminutive ride boasts a killer power-to-weight ratio that makes it an absolute blast to drive. The drawbacks are, it’s a two-seater, it is golf cart-sized, and it isn’t going to impress anyone on the street or in a parking lot because it’s fairly common. While it does deliver muscle car-like acceleration, it’s not as cool as one, and for the same price, a Golden Age classic can grace your driveway.
There probably aren’t too many people who have both a new compact import sports car and classic American muscle cars on their list, so this is just a price point to demonstrate that there are still some deals on killer old-school performance. This isn’t a case of settling for an oddball ride or a money-pit project, but actual brand-name muscle cars with high-powered V8s that any enthusiast would be proud to own. With that, here’s the Golden Age awesomeness that can be had for 2025 Miata money on the used muscle car collector’s market.
Some of the biggest big-block bargains on the used market today.
The Golden Age of American Muscle kicked off in 1964, with the Pontiac GTO, and was such a smash success that every other automaker set out to copy it. Buick’s contribution was the 1965 Skylark-based Gran Sport performance trim that was also such a smash hit that it became its own nameplate the following year.
A 1967 Buick GS 400 is one of the baddest old-school muscle cars you can get for under $30,000, and definitely one of the baddest. A ’67 GS with a 400ci V8 runs on average of $2,000 less than the price of a 2025 Mazda Miata, and about 60 points higher on the Kickass Scale. That’s a real deal price too, as Hagerty sets the good condition value at just $23,000, so this is a budget OG muscle car collector’s dream ride.
The third-gen Dodge Charger with its radical Coke bottle, fuselage design has long been an after-thought to Mopar collectors, but is coming on strong with a ’71 Hemi R/T recently hitting the half-million-dollar mark at auction. Clearly, that blows past the Miata price limit, but with a lesser engine, is the best value in Mopar collectibles. In 1971, Dodge Super Bee Generations (All Years, U.S.): Engines, Trims, Specs & Value became a trim package for the Charger that, like its predecessor, offered performance at a reasonable price. A ’71 Super Bee with a 383ci V8 sells for an average of $27k even, and that’s not an unrealistic number. Bring a Trailer sold a 1971 Super Bee 383 for $30,000 and then a 440-equipped example for only five grand more. Both cars were nearly immaculate, so this is a Mopar collector’s sweet spot.
It’s hard to think of a muscle car as cool as the 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Burt Reynolds drove in Smokey and the Bandit. While most cars, muscle or otherwise, from the late 1970s are almost worthless, this particular car can and does sell for over $100,000. The good news for fans who want to get behind the wheel of Bandit’s “Screaming Chicken” is that a nearly identical 1978 Trans Am sells for just shy of $26,000. Bring a Trailer has moved plenty of these bad boys from under the Miata line, and many of them are in nearly perfect condition. There may be a handful of Trans Am wonks out there who can tell the difference between a ’77 and ’78, but to most of the world, this is going to be perceived as the same ride that helped bootleg 400 cases of Coors beer in the classic film.
1974 seems like a good year to get an affordable classic muscle car, as it is the oldest model available to pick up a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 for less than the price of a new Miata. Much like the Challenger, a ’74 Z/28 doesn’t have the same performance that it did a few years earlier, but again, it is every bit as gorgeous as a car that can hit six-figures at auction. J.D. Power assures that buyers have spent, on average, just under $25,000. That beautifully restored ’74 Z/28 pictured above sold on Bring a Trailer for $26,000 and absolutely made some lucky buyer’s millennium. It’s not a matching numbers car, but for that price, nobody in their right mind would care.
As a member of the Mopar Royal Court, there are few cars more desirable than a 1970-1971 Dodge Challenger R/T, especially if they come equipped with the legendary 426 Hemi. The problem is, you can’t even find an engineless, rusted frame project for under $30,000. A little-known secret is that Dodge kept building these babies until 1974, and they are extremely affordable. Sure, a ’74 Challenger doesn’t pack as much punch as its earlier version, but it still looks as cool and, with an average used price of barely over $24,000 according to J.D. Power, is an incredible value. Because the styling is so close to the ’70s, the ’74 is a great candidate for a resto mod, so they can be hard to find in original condition, but there really are sub-$30k cars out there.
A classic Chevy Chevelle SS is out of the question for under $30,000, but a Chevelle Jr., AKA a Nova SS, is completely within reach. The compact muscle car is every bit as ornery as a Chevelle, just a little bit smaller, and that also includes the price. Going for an average of slightly more than $24,000, a 1971 Nova SS 350 is one of the best ways to enjoy some Golden Age Bowtie muscle without taking out a second mortgage. This was a car that Chevy made a ton of, so there’s a buyer-friendly supply and demand ratio, and there are tons of cars that fall into our affordability rating, including several on Bring a Trailer and a pretty sweet one that went for $29,700 at Mecum Kansas City 2025.
Some of the greatest ’60s and ’70s American muscle cars are surprisingly cheap in 2025.
Fans may not be able to get a 1968 Mustang GT like Steve McQueen drove in Bullitt on the cheap, but they sure can snag an “Eleanor” car like from the original Gone in 60 Seconds. A 1973 Mustang SportRoof fastback, which is what the movie car was supposed to be, has an average used price in the low $20,000 range, which is definitely doable.
That number is for a Plain Jane ’73, but Bring a Trailer has sold quite a few Mach 1s for under our Miata-based price limit. Earlier this year, Bring a Trailer sold a restored ’73 Mach 1 351 for $21,000, and another equally nice one for only $17,750. The actual average used price for a ’73 Mach 1 is $32,500, so we used a regular Mustang for this entry, but BaT has some deals on a cooler version.
AMC muscle cars are the Golden Age equivalent of the great comedian Rodney Dangerfield in that they get no respect. The thing is, they actually made some cool stuff that could hang with the Big Three, but are much easier on the wallet. You can’t go wrong with a 1969 Javelin SST, which brings an aggressive fastback style and packs a potent 390ci V-8 under the hood. Hagerty, whose prices are somewhat theoretical, lists a good condition ’71 Javelin SST 390 at just over $30,000, which exceeds our Miata limit, but J.D. Power has them selling on average for only $20,800. Like with anything, research and patience is what it takes to find the ultimate deal.
The Plymouth Duster has had to live in the shadow of Mopar Titans like the Road Runner and Dodge Charger, but it is starting to gain attention from collectors. The big reason is that almost nobody will ever check the Hemi ‘Cuda off on their wish list, but a totally ripping 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 is affordable on any budget. With an average retail price that barely cracks $20.000, this is the coolest Mopar muscle car that anyone can get their hands on. Classic.com sets the average auction price of the ’71 Duster much higher at $51,825, but that’s based on four sales, three of which a big-money resto mods, so a little leg work can get you one for a decent price.
Being the title car in the Clint Eastwood masterpiece Gran Torino certainly raised the profile of the Ford, but it didn’t do too much to push it into the collector elite. A 1972 Gran Torino Sport, just like Walt Kowalski drove in the movie, has a J.D. Power average retail price of just over $16,000. That number is based on real sales, so it’s what buyers can realistically expect to pay. That’s for a car with a 429ci Cobra Jet V-8 under the hood and in good-to-excellent condition, which is an absolute steal. Even a flawless restoration is only worth around $20,000, which is well under the Miata price cap.
Sources: Bring a Trailer, Classic.com, J.D. Power
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Your comment has not been saved
This thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
