Amidst the rise of muscle cars in the 60s, the pony car lost its popularity. Pony cars are sporty and compact vehicles with long hoods. Some of the popular pony cars were from Chevrolet, Ford, Mercury, and Dodge. The Ford Mustang is one of the existing pony cars right now. Let us see some of the best pony cars that have been underrated over the years.
Underrated Pony Cars
Mercury Cougar Eliminator
The Cougar Eliminator was a performance package of the regular Mercury Cougar. Being in production for 2 years, it was a rare vehicle with just 2100+ units. The Cougar Eliminator with its Cobra Jet V8 and Boss 302 V8 engines delivered a top speed of 130mph. The design was great with Blackout grille, bucket seats, performance tires, and sport-tuned suspension. The “Eliminator” stripes on the vehicle impressed the buyers. Cougar Eliminator was both a muscle and pony car sold for $3,500 USD.
Pontiac Firebird Sprint
The Front-engine RWD vehicle was built using Cam inline-6 engines with the Quadrajet 4‑barrel carburetor. Firebird Sprint was equipped with the overhead camshaft, sport-tuned springs, and heavy-duty chassis for better handling. The vehicle’s design included “Sprint” decals and stripes. Pontiac Firebird Sprint was not successful like other Firebird models although it offered a top speed of 120mph apart from its advanced features.
Ford Maverick Grabber
The Maverick Grabber was a sport-oriented package of Ford with V8 and Inline-6 engines. It was a 2-door coupe available in production between 1970 to 1977. Ford Maverick Grabber was built around sport suspension tweaks, 3-speed manual gearbox, vinyl upholstery, dual sport mirrors, and deck lid rear spoiler. It was a comfortable and affordable sports vehicle. The V8 models of Maverick Grabber clocked around 120mph speed. It was widely used in street racing. Ford Maverick Grabber sold around 2 million units, but it was always an underrated model.
Rambler Rogue
The Rambler Rogue V8 was produced by AMC who built it with AMC V8 and 343 cu in V8 engines. It was available with both 3-speed automatic and 4-speed manual transmissions. It was a performance package of the Rambler American models sold around $2,500 USD. Rambler Rogue was available as a 2-door hardtop with a short deck and long hood. The Rogue Badging was a major attraction. It had bucket seats, speedometer, dual exhausts, and steel wheels.
Buick Apollo GSX
Apollo GSX is an upgraded version of the Buick Apollo. Built as a performance package, it was equipped with OHV Buick V8 engines and RWD. The vehicle had 3-speed Turbo‑Hydra‑Matic automatic transmission. This was another rare vehicle from Buick as not more than 850 units were sold. It had solid features like full gauge cluster, sports steering wheel, and bucket seats. The vehicle was known for its unique aerodynamics and GSX badges. Overall, the Buick Apollo GSX was a top vehicle known for its raw performance and handling.
Chevron Corvair Monza
Corvair Monza was a classic pony car with air-cooled flat-6 engines. This became one of the iconic sporty vehicles from Chevrolet for its features and technology. The air-cooled layout was new those days. It was built around independent suspension with axles which gave a smooth driving experience. Corvair Monza had bucket seats, AM radio, carpeted floors and trim. The first-generation Corvair Monza was sold for $2,000 USD. The second-generation was sold at $2,700 USD.