13 Most Iconic American Sports Cars Ever Made

Sports cars have been a part of American pop culture since their beginnings. With a rich history on the track, in the movies, and in the driveways of the rich and famous, sports cars are more than just geek fuel in America — they’re status symbols. 

But as is the case with most things from sea to shining sea, not all sports cars were created equal. This list explores the 13 most iconic American Sports cars ever made.  

When we say iconic, we mean more than just a powerful engine and advanced aerodynamics, although that’s certainly part of it. These 13 cars also have an American racetrack heritage, impressive technologies and performance capabilities, and a distinctive and recognizable design.

1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350

Shelby designed the 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 as a high-performance version of the iconic Mustang. The ’65 Shelby featured an 8-cylinder, 4.7-liter engine capable of 306 horsepower. It had a 108″ wheelbase and weighed 2800 pounds–alloy Crager/Shelby wheels could help it shave some pounds for even more speed force.

The Shelby Mustang GT350 was one of the original “pony cars,” compact versions of the high-powered American muscle cars of the 1960s. These pony cars evolved into what we now call sports cars, making this limited-edition race rocket one of the most iconic American sports cars ever made. 

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray stood out from the crowd in the early ’60s. Its 327-cid OHV V8 motor cranked out 360 horses at 5,000 RPMs. At the time of its release, you could catch this 2,859-pounder by casting away $4,257.

The 1963 Stingray featured a bold split rear window design, a progressive fuel-injected engine, and racer-style knock-off wheels. The ’63 Corvette introduced Stingray’s “coup” form, which served as the prototype of the sportier, contemporary Corvettes and the slew of Vette-inspired vehicles that came after it. 

1992 Dodge Viper RT/10

1992 Dodge Viper RT/10 stocks a ten-cylinder, 488-cubic-inch engine with an output of 400 horsepower for a second. This nasty early-90s race machine stocked wide tires, oversized disk brakes, and a six-speed gearbox for a chunky, classic American build that clears a quarter-mile in 13.2 seconds.

The ’92 Viper split the difference between an exotic sports car and a raw muscle car power, with a plastic body hung on a steel-tube frame. But don’t get it twisted; the Viper is a sports car engineered for the track, rip-roaring through straights and hanging through the corners with the grace of an icon.

1967 Shelby 427 COBRA CSX 3269

The Shelby 427 Cobra CSX3269 was first introduced in 1963 to compete in drag races and NASCAR. The 1967 427 COBRA CSX3269 stocked a 427 V8 that could hit 425 horsepower. 

A well-tuned ’67 Shelby 427 could rip from zero to 60 in 4.3 seconds – and by 8.8 seconds, it hits 100mph. The Shelby 427 is the iconic American race machine Ken Miles famously used to go from zero to a hundred and back to zero in less than 13 seconds. 

1969 AMC AMX/3

The AMC AMX is an American icon, although typically celebrated as a sleek muscle car rather than a chunky sports car. But the 1969 AMC AMX/3 is a quintessential American Sports car that unfortunately never reached mass production.

The AMC AMX/3 boasts a mid-engine concept, an early attempt at converting a muscle car into a high-performance race machine. That said, only somewhere around five AMX/3 prototypes were produced, making it a hot commodity among car collectors. 

AMC conducted an elaborate series of tests on the SMX/3extensive in the US and Europe in their attempt at an early supercar entry. Technology wasn’t ready for AMC’s bold and iconic vision. However, high production costs made the ambitious build unrealistic for mass production, but that didn’t stop it from symbolizing American sports car ingenuity. 

2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is one of the most recognizable year-model Corvettes Chevy’s ever manufactured. It boasts a Supercharged 6.2L powerhouse of a motor capable of outbursting 638hp. 

The ’09 Corvette ZR1 stocks Brembo carbon-ceramic four-wheel disk brakes, providing the lightweight stopping power required on a car with a 205mph top speed. This distinctive supercar features the technology and engineering refinement of carbon fiber, ceramics, and refined engineering and electronics together in an iconic, all-American package. 

1964 Ford GT40

The 1964 Ford GT40 is an American legend. Race legends Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby used it to win the 1965 Daytona 2000km Continental–Ford’s first-ever Daytona win–but the legend doesn’t end there. 

Bruce McClaren and Ken Miles used the GT40 to place second at Sebring that same year. A season later, Racer Phil Hill adopted the Ford GT40 for the Nürburgring race and stuffed the champion car with an upgraded 325-cubic-inch monster.

2016 Dodge Viper ACR

The 2016 Dodge Viper ACR stocks an 8.4-liter V-10 engine that cranks 645 horses and slaps the pavement with 600 lb-ft of torque. The 2016 Viper may only have a top speed of 177mph, but it can accelerate from 0–60 mph in 3.2 seconds.

The Viper ACR boasts impressive performance capabilities, with a focus on downforce and aerodynamics. A massive front splitter, dive-plane mustache, and rear diffuser work together to create 2,000 pounds of downforce at its top speed. The ’16 Viper ACR is also precisely what an iconic American sports car should look like.

2015 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang

Ford’s Shelby GT350 Mustang is an impressive tribute to the legendary Shelby GT350 we covered earlier. It sought to maintain the car’s legacy while implementing updates, but its specs make it an icon all on its own. 

The 2015 Ford Shelby Mustang had a 5.2-liter flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine for a heart and thundered with the heartbeats of 526 horses — 429 lb.-ft. of torque and an 8,250 RPM redline make the 2015 Shelby GT350 the highest-revving V8 in Ford history. The Shelby GT350 program has always focused on balancing nimble physics with exhilarating power. The Shelby Mustang has always been an American icon, and 2015 proved itself to be the most powerful Mustang yet.

2000–2009 Saleen S7

Beneath its cyber-punk, transformers-meets-Lamborghini exterior, the Saleen S7 hides a 7.0-liter V-8 engine capable of 550 horsepower at 5900 pm and 525 pound-feet of torque at 4k. This all-American icon boasts a top speed of 223mph and an acceleration rate of 0–60mph in 3.3 seconds.

Saleen’s iconic S7’s engineering prioritizes downforce and aerodynamics. A carbon-fiber body, flat floorpan, and front and rear underside diffusers were tested and designed to generate enough downforce for the S7 to drive upside down in a tunnel at any speed over 160mph.

2015 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 

There’s no doubt the Corvette is an American classic, and the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 is one of the best examples of how to Corvette properly. This sleek package produces 650 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and a pavement-punching 650 lb-ft of torque.

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 hits 0–60mph in 2.95 seconds–that’s right, in under three seconds–thanks to an eight-speed automatic and 3.2 seconds with the seven-speed manual transmission. The 2015 Corvette Z06 was the first to stock a supercharger, paddle-shift automatic transmission, and a removable roof panel for coupes to become convertibles, as a true American icon should. 

2006 Mosler MT900S 

Mosler is an American sportscar manufacturer that prioritizes supercar refinement to the point of disregarding accessibility. As their website says, “Sports cars, or supercars like the ones produced by Mosler, are all the rage for people who seek exceptional design and performance capabilities.” 

The 2006 Mosler MT900S is somewhere between an American icon and a science-fiction legend. Mosler took a 405-hp Corvette V-8 engine and built it into a supercar with a 2539-pound curb weight. The 2003 Mosler MT900S won its class at the 24-Hour Daytona race. This baby is so raw and race-ready that, while it has an adjustable steering ratio, there wasn’t even a power steering option available.

2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat is somewhere between a sleek muscle and a beefy sports car, but the specs tell their own story. Dodge took the iconic Challenger aesthetic and took it to supercar territory with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine that cranks out 707 horsepower at 6000 rpm. The 2015 Hellcat hits the ground with 650 lb-ft of torque when it hits 4000 rpm.

The 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat goes from 0 to 60mph in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 199mph. The Challenger may be a classic American muscle car, but turning it into a modern high-performance track star was a bold move, ranking the Hellcat among the recent sports icons.