What is the rarest muscle car?

“Rarest” can mean a few different things — fewest built, fewest remaining, or rarest configuration. Here are the top contenders depending on how you define it:

     1969 ZL-1 COPO Camaro

• Built: 69 total

• Engine: All-aluminum 427ci V8 (ZL-1)

• Why it’s legendary: Essentially a factory-built drag car. Dealers had to know how to order it through COPO (Central Office Production Order), so almost none were made.

• Often considered the holy grail of Camaros.

1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible

• Built: 14 total

• Engine: 426 Hemi

• Why it’s iconic: Combines the most desirable options — Hemi + convertible + 1970 body style (widely considered the best design year)

• One sold for $3.5M+ at auction.

1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake

• Built: 1 prototype (technically 2 if counting the converted test car)

• Engine: 427ci V8

• Why it’s rare: It was a Goodyear tire test car, not a production street model.

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible 426 Hemi

• Built: 9 total

• Why it’s ultra-rare: Most people wanted the coupe for racing, not the heavier convertible.

1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt

• Built: A total of 100 Thunderbolts were built, with 51 automatic versions, and 49 manual examples. All built for NHRA drag competition. 

• Why it matters: Basically a stripped factory drag car — fiberglass body panels, no radio, no heater, zero comfort upgrades.

So which one is the rarest?

Final answer:

The rarest muscle car ever built is the 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake (1 produced).

But…

The rarest “mass-produced street muscle car you could theoretically buy new” is the 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible (14 built).

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