Although the recently-debuted 426 Hemi had dominated the drag strip the year prior, Chrysler knew they'd have to up their game for 1965 with the upcoming Fords that would run in Super Stock and Factory Experimental.

Over the course of a few years, AMC transformed itself from a company synonymous with budget-minded economy cars to a performance-focused brand, and the two-seater AMX served as their Corvette-baiting halo car.

In the late 1960s Dodge was struggling in NASCAR. After spending time at the wind tunnel, their engineers returned with the Charger Daytona homologation special - a car so good, NASCAR promptly banned it.

Back in the early '60s, a rocket scientist decided it was time to bring rocket power to the masses. Turbonique's hardware is the stuff of legend, and it found its way onto this Galaxie drag racer.

After seeing the sales success of Ford's new Mustang pony car, Mercury wanted in. The result was the Cougar, a model which stranded the line between a luxury coupe and a full-bred muscle car throughout the 1960s.

Although a little late to the game, Mopar jumped into the youth market with both feet in 1968. For Dodge, the new Super Bee used the tried and tested formula of a lot of performance for not a lot of money.

While the 1980s and early 90s aren't remembered as a particularly inspired time in the world of high performance street cars, GM continued to take enthusiasts surprised with their turbocharged hot rods.