10 Classic Muscle Cars That Were Never Sold In America

Muscle cars are among the most sought-after classics in America, with the rarest and most pristine examples fetching millions of dollars at auction. However, actually defining what qualifies as a muscle car is not as easy as it might seem to be at first. Even dictionaries give conflicting definitions — some claim muscle cars have to be American and only feature two doors, while others refer to vehicles made in the '60s that took inspiration from racing designs.

There's an argument to be made that none of those definitions accurately reflect the term, as alongside America, countries like Australia and South Africa had vibrant muscle car scenes for decades, churning out local specials in the same vein as their American counterparts — sometimes even long after America's muscle car scene began to wane.

While some purists out there will argue that muscle cars always have to be American, we've rounded up 10 classics from around the world that prove otherwise. Each one never made it to U.S. shores, but all remain highly sought-after in their respective home countries, with the most valuable even reaching seven figures at auction.

Another muscle car built as the result of a racing rivalry, the Chevrolet Firenza Can-Am took the chassis and bodyshell of a small British car and squeezed in a big American V8 engine. Rather than Australia, however, it was South Africa where the Firenza Can-Am originated. It was created by Basil Van Rooyen, a local racing star who designed it as a homologation special to meet Production Car Championship requirements. Originally, Van Rooyen had planned to use an Australian-built Holden V8, but since those were too big to meet the regulations, he snagged a batch of 302 cubic inch V8 engines that were destined for use in the American Camaro Z/28 instead.

The Firenza, in its base form, was a small car powered by a weedy 1.2L four-cylinder, so fitting a 302 V8 produced transformative results. The Can-Am is far from the easiest car to drive –- it can reach 100 mph in second gear and spins its wheels the whole way there -– but it was exactly what Van Rooyen was looking for. A limited run of 100 examples were produced to meet homologation requirements, but unfortunately the car's racing career was cut short. The 1973 oil crisis meant that racing was temporarily suspended across South Africa, so just a year after it debuted, the Firenza Can-Am was forced into retirement.

[Featured image by Tony Harrison via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 2.0]

The Walky, as it was commonly known, was developed at a key point in Holden's racing history. The Holden Dealer Team, previously responsible for the brand's competition success, had been dumped by Holden after team owner Peter Brock went on a sudden, bizarre media tour touting the transformative power of healing crystals on his cars' performance. Faced with the PR nightmare of explaining why its race team boss was now ranting about performance-enhancing rocks, Holden bosses went looking for other companies with which it could build competition cars.

Tom Walkinshaw Racing was chosen as the brand's new partner, with the new racing outfit christened Holden Special Vehicles, or HSV. The VL SS Group A Walkinshaw was its first product and was most notable for its unique, squared-off aero kit that made it stand out from anything else on the road. Originally, 500 examples of the car were planned to satisfy homologation rules, but in the wake of strong demand, an extra 250 units were later built.

The car's 241 horsepower wasn't exceptional even back then, and it proved largely unsuccessful in racing. Nonetheless, the torquey, specially-developed 5.0L (304 cubic inch) V8 was great at shredding the car's skinny tires, and its unique looks have ensured it remains a cult classic among collectors today.

[Featured image by Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

One of the most famous cars built by Peter Brock's HDT, the VK SS Group A featured a 304 cubic inch V8 developed specifically for competition and then adapted for the road. It was built to homologate HDT's race car for Group A regulations, so a total of 500 were planned to be constructed. However, according to HDT, a mixup in numbering meant that 502 examples were actually built, all as 1985 models.

Every example was finished in the same shade of Formula Blue paint, which led race fans to nickname the car the Blue Meanie. Thanks to a set of upgrades including an upgraded block, roller rockers, and a new exhaust, the car produced around 270 horsepower. That power was sent to the ground through either a standard four-speed or optional five-speed manual transmission. Inside, the car was fitted with extras including sports seats and a Momo steering wheel to emphasize that this was no run-of-the-mill family sedan.

[Featured image by Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

Ford and GM-backed Holden weren't the only two manufacturers to be duking it out in the Australian muscle car scene. Chrysler's Aussie division also got in on the action, although its most famous creation stretched the definition of what some people would consider a muscle car. Instead of a V8 under the hood, there sat a 4.3L (262 cubic inch) inline-six. It might have been lacking a pair of cylinders, but its performance was inarguable — 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds and a standing quarter mile in the mid-14 second range.

Although it might have been faster on the road, the Valiant VH Charger E49 R/T never quite saw the same successes as its rivals on the track. It debuted at Bathurst in 1972, managing a best of third. A Holden and a Ford beat it to the top spots. Despite this, it has still become a very valuable collectors' classic in the decades since, with prices for the best examples eclipsing more than a quarter of a million USD.

[Featured image by Jeremy via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

The Cobra moniker is most famously associated with Mustangs and Caroll Shelby's iconic AC Cobra in America. However, over in Australia, another local legend also bore the name — the Ford Falcon. 

The XC Falcon Cobra was reportedly conceived as a way of selling old bodyshells at the end of the XC Falcon's production run but was marketed at the time as a celebration of Ford's racing success at Bathurst. In 1977, two Ford Falcons had crossed the finish line of the famous race in first and second, and so the following year, the XC Falcon Cobra was unveiled to commemorate the win.

There were 400 Falcon bodyshells spare, and so it was decided that 400 examples of the Cobra would be built. Of those, 30 were given further upgrades and marketed as the Bathurst Specials. Under the hood sat a 351 cubic inch Cleveland V8 making around 217 horsepower and 316 lb-ft of torque –- not as potent as the golden age muscle cars, but an impressive figure for the oil crisis years.

The Cobra's limited run, combined with its distinctive white and blue livery, has made it a highly collectible classic muscle car in Australia. Prices vary considerably based on options, mileage, and condition, but buyers can expect to pay the equivalent of at least $100,000 USD, rising to more than $350,000 USD ($550,000 Australian dollars) for the most sought-after examples.

[Featured image by Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]