The 1960s will forever be remembered for its all-out performance cars

The cars from 1970s, however, are remembered more for their lack of punch, an era ushered in by high gas prices and escalating insurance premiums.
Muscle cars of '70s were an evolving group, as performance shifted from the old school power-to-weight ratio ('Race on Sunday, sell on Monday' mantra) to an emphasis for more balanced, well handling touring machines, which set the tone for well into the '80s.
Still, even through the dreary years of lackluster '70s performance, there were a few bright spots along the way.
Sure the list heavily favors the early '70s, but how could it not? 1970 represented the peak of the muscle car era (1964-72).
Here are the Top 10 muscle cars of the '70s:
#1)1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6454
was the new 427 and though it lacked some of the mystique that made the former big block an icon, the larger displacement engine deserves credit. At 450 HP it was a feared powerplant across all car lines. The '70 Chevelle is hands down one of the best GM designs ever, too. An all-time favorite model, a '70 with the Super Sport package is icing on the cake.

#2) 1971 Hemi 'CudaYes,
the '70 performance-oriented 'Cuda model earned first dibs. But the '71 is more desirable, styling-wise, with that cool staggered grill and 4 headlights instead of 2 on the '70. 425 factory-rated HP in a pony car goes down as the most fearsome Mopar to prowl the streets.

#3) 1970 Camaro Z28 LT1A
Camaro Z28 LT1A street-friendly motor with more torque down low versus the old high-revving 302 motor, the 350 LT1 is a solid-lifter powerhouse. Combined with a fine chassis and Z28 suspension package, the second-gen ('70-'81) could actually turn and carve a corner compared to the first-gen.

#4) 1970 Buick GSX
The A-body chassis was popular style for all GM brands, with a rivalry between divisions which tried to one-up each other. In 1970 the Grand Sport model was finally paired with a Buick 455 motor producing 510-lb.ft. of torque, the highest of any brand. Hardly your grandma's car.

#5) 1971 Corvette LS6
The LS6 454 engine wasn't available on the '70 Corvette, thus handing the '70 Chevelle the top spot in GM's lineup. The next year, though, 425 HP was still plenty tough. An interesting note: the Vette came with aluminum cylinder heads.

1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZR-2 LS6 454

#6) 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455 Hand it to Pontiac.
When all others cut performance, they still were trying to be different (sounds more like Mopar, huh?). An option on the Formula and Trans Am models, with 310 HP the SD-455 (for Super Duty) was a special Pontiac motor that easily made the Firebird one to respect. '73 was the first, so it makes the list over the '74.

#7) 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
Take one look at the new-age Challenger in showrooms today, and you know why Dodge didn't need to change much on the outside: the original design rocks. The R/T came standard with a 440 motor, which really had nothing standard about it.

#8) 1971 Mustang Boss 351
The Mustang kept growing continually in both styling and engine displacement. In 1971 a new 351 Cleveland motor with 330 HP set a new standard. Though the earlier Boss 302 and Boss 429 models from '69 were more visually impressive, the '70s Boss 351 gets the nod due to it being an overall more-balanced design than its predecessors.

#9) 1978 Trans Am
Good looks, great W72 400-cid engine option backed by a 4-speed; this car had it all. Add the WS6 suspension and it will handle better than any '70s cars out there, including Corvettes. Fame no doubt soared due to the 1977 hit film 'Smokey and The Bandit.'

#10)1978 Dodge 'Lil Red Express
Dig those cool semi-truck 'smoke stack' exhaust near the cab's back window. With a 360 V8 it recorded the fastest 0-60 times for any production car, uh, truck, from that year. Enough said.