When automakers, auto enthusiasts, and car fanatics talk about the history of American performance, we often think of muscle cars and meat-head high-horsepower cars from Detroit’s golden age. In reality, the history of domestic high-horsepower cars is much more comprehensive, and always was. Automakers and car builders working long before electronic fuel injection and computer-tuned forced induction was the norm, were building fast cars fast cars with huge engines, creative mechanical solutions, aggressive styling, and serious performance to go with the enormous power at a time when that level of power was considered a true engineering feat.

Starting from pre-war high-performance supercharged straight-eight luxury cars to enormous big-block V8 behemoths in the late ’60s and early ’70s, these cars were reaching the limits of what the American road machine could provide. They may have been legendary muscle-car legends or just another forgotten car that had unique specs and performance feats, but when examining them, we saw just how ambitious we are with performance engineering through different generations of American cars. Here are six American cars with 400+ horsepower that every gear-head should know.

1. Duesenberg SSJ

Even before the muscle car era changed the definition of speed in America, Duesenberg was always there-pushing performance, luxury, and engineering craftsmanship to new heights. When the Great Depression hit its low point in 1935, the first supercharged Duesenberg (SSJ) wore a shortened 125-inch wheelbase, so that it could be more nimble and faster. Built for Hollywood actors Gary Cooper and Clark Gable, LaGrande built only two open-top speedsters of the SSJ, which combined breath-taking proportions, exclusivity, and technical innovation into one unbelievable machine.

Duesenberg SSJ Performance Highlights:

• 420 cubic inch straight-eight
• Centrifugal supercharger added
• Around 400 horsepower
• Under eight-second 0–60 mph
• More than 130 mph

Beneath the long, curved hood sat a 420-cubic-inch straight-eight engine with four valves per cylinder, a centrifugal supercharger, and a rating of approximately 400 horsepower-more than most new luxury cars make today, and less than half what it would take to get to 60 in that era. The cars had four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, and a performance-oriented suspension. Despite its 5,000-pound curb weight, it could reach 60 in less than eight seconds and top out over 130 miles per hour. Duesenberg collapsed in 1937, but the SSJ’s was an exemplar of American engineering-its original owner was actor Gary Cooper, and in 2018, one sold for $22 million, the highest ever paid at auction for an American car.

2. 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda

The 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda was the high-water mark of all Chrysler’s Mopar muscle-car efforts. Using the smaller E-body platform, it looked aggressive in every dimension and delivered the sort of street-racing performance that made the first half of the 1970s such a memorable era for muscle cars. Its aggressive bodywork made it impossible to ignore and the stand-out functional shaker-style hood scoop was equally pleasing to the eye and to the engine’s performance. The latter thing fed the twin four-barrel carbs with unencumbered outside air.

Hemi Cuda Muscle Highlights:

• 426 cubic inch Hemi
• Official 425 horsepower
• Functional shaker hood
• 5.8-second 0–60 mph
• Extremely limited production

Hemi Cuda featured the famous 426-cubic-inch Hemi V8 engine known as a Hemi, which produced a rated 425 hp. The shape of the combustion chambers allowed for a dense, smooth flow of air and combustion and allowed the car to accelerate at an extraordinary rate for such a large automobile. From 0-60 mph in 5.8 seconds, the Hemi Cuda was arguably the most competitive production performance car on the road in 1970-71 and requires the focused attention of the driver not only because of its raw power but also the legendary mechanics. It was produced in relatively limited numbers and has a legendary status as one of the ultimate big-block factory muscle cars ever built.

3. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454

In 1970, GM ended their self-imposed limitation of 400 cubic inch engines in intermediate cars, giving Chevy the green light to build the baddest Chevelle. Enter, the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454, which gained ground-hugging street cred by straddling its own cowl induction hood, hood stripes and blacked out front grille. The hood was functional; it sent chilly air straight to the engine for maximum power output. And if the Chevelle wasn’t intimidating enough, the ‘Velle found a way to be a performance vehicle, without sacrificing practicality or comfort.

Chevelle SS 454 Power Highlights:

• Optional LS6 454 V8
• Factory-rated 450 horsepower
• High-flow cylinder heads
• 13.7-second quarter-mile
• Comfortable interior design

However, the real selling point was the optional LS6 454-cubic-inch V8, which was factory-rated at 450 horsepower. That huge engine had the highest factory horsepower rating of any of the classic muscle car era, and its heavy-duty rotating assembly and high-flow cylinder heads allowed the Chevelle to deliver serious drag-strip performance, 13.7 seconds in the quarter-mile from the factory, no less. More than that, though, the SS 454 was a versatile and comfortable muscle car, with an interior that boasted a good ergonomics and comfort to go along with its terrifying acceleration, making it all the more impressive that Chevrolet built something that could both slaughter the drag strip and be a road-going muscle car.

4. 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird

However, the most outlandish and radical of all the American cars when it came to aerodynamics was the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird. Designed as a proud NASCAR homologation car, the Superbird was a classic Road Runner transformed by high-speed stability and racing ability into a new animal. With a nose cone that was far longer than a typical winged fighter and a huge, high-mounted rear wing, the Superbird was visually way out on a limb, but these features were not contrived they were specifically engineered to allow the Plymouth to cut through the air and stay glued to the tarmac at high speed.

Superbird Aerodynamic Highlights:

• NASCAR homologation special
• Extended aerodynamic nose
• Massive rear wing
• 425-horsepower Hemi V8
• Distinctive Road Runner horn

Beneath that flamboyant, race car-like roofline sat the much-loved 426 Hemi V8, with a claimed rating of 425 horsepower. That meant that the Superbird was one of the most powerful cars of the time, however, thanks to its aerodynamic bodywork, the car was also extremely conspicuous. To add a touch of playfulness to this serious performance car, Plymouth also had an unusual addition to the Angry Bird’s car, fitting a horn that sounded like the Road Runner tune that goes “beep-beep”. Although it was very much a serious vehicle, it was still equipped with a very comfortable suspension, meaning that you could enjoy the machine on the road just as much as you could enjoy it on the race track.

5. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was the embodiment of factory drag-racing engineering. Built around a very sophisticated aluminum 427-cubic-inch V8 engine, the ZL1 was finally officially rated at 430 horsepower by Chevrolet. But at the time, it was known that the engine produced much more, around 500 horsepower, thus making the ZL1 a far cry from your average high-performance Camaro. The lightweight engine, which was lighter than most other V8s, also contributed to the car’s advantage of being lighter over the front.

Camaro ZL1 Performance Highlights:

• All-aluminum 427 V8
• Official 430 horsepower
• Actual output near 500
• Heavy-duty suspension components
• Only 69 units built

Thanks to the lightweight aluminum engine block, this muscle car weighed substantially less than a standard big block-powered version, which enhanced the Camaro’s weight distribution and handling. Chevrolet further upgraded the entire chassis with stronger suspension parts and enhanced braking to keep this Pontiac safe at high speed. The fact that so few examples of the ZL1 were produced only 69 total only enhanced its legendary reputation as one of the most desirable muscle cars of all time. It’s astonishing combination of supreme straight-line speed, lightweight engine architecture, optimized chassis hardware, and brutal quarter-mile run mean you’ll want one in your garage.

6. 1968 Dodge Charger R/T

This 1968 Dodge Charger R/T was a four-time fastback that looked every bit as dramatic as it performed. Twin hidden headlamps, high sweeping body contours, and a complete width tail lamp bar combined with a distinctive stance to create an icon of the era, and the style made the Charger the template for many future muscle cars. Although the Charger R/T may have been a styling trend-setter, it was also a serious muscle car, thanks to the massive big-block powerplants it could be equipped with.

Charger R/T Performance Highlights:

• Standard 440 Magnum V8
• 375 horsepower standards
• Optional 426 Hemi
• Up to 425 horsepower
• Four-passenger cruising ability

The Charger R/T was equipped with a 440 Magnum V8 making 375hp with a 426 Hemi optional upgrade to increase output to 425hp and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds. It was fast yet comfortable and four seat capable, it was a street monster that was not quite stripped down. These six cars showcase how broad the world of all-American high-horsepower cars can be from the supercharged Duesenberg SSJ to the big-engined muscle cars from the late ’60s and early ’70s, there is a car in this list for everyone the legend of high-horsepower American cars is not just about cars like the Hemi Cuda, Chevelle SS 454, Superbird, Camaro ZL1 and Charger R/T, but how American car companies pushed the limits of performance through race cars, NASCAR, drag racing and plain old muscle cars that might be easy on the eyes but not when they step on the gas.