Top 7 Fastest Muscle Cars of 1974

Of all our fastest muscle car lists by year, the fastest muscle cars of 1974 are the most puzzling—even more than the fastest 1973 muscle cars. 

First, there are only seven vehicles to feature for this year with published road tests.

Second, the vehicles that made this list weren’t all the highest performance options offered. 

Third, many high-performance muscle cars didn’t have any road tests published whatsoever. 

How did this happen?

The reason is simple:

It’s because all the high-performance versions weren’t tested and published by the magazines back in the day.

The lack of coverage on supercars stems from the shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles as mandated by the Feds and the skyrocketing premiums imposed by the insurance companies.

So, there are gaps in road testing on significant supercars in 1974, including:

• The Hurst/Olds (455 CID)
• Oldsmobile 4-4-2 (455 CID)
• Buick GS Stage 1 (455 CID)
• Plymouth Road Runner GTX (440 CID)
• Plymouth Cuda (360 CID)
• Dodge Challenger (360 CID)
• Dodge Charger (440 CID)
• Plymouth Duster (360 CID)
• Dodge Dart (360 CID)
• AMC Javeline AMX (401 CID)

Had the automotive magazines tested and published the vehicles above, today’s list would look very different than it does. Guaranteed.

In my research, all I could find published is what I have included here. However, it seems like there should be more out there than I was able to uncover.

If you know of any auto magazines that published track results for any of the vehicles above, please share in the comments below. 

Let’s take a look at the fastest muscle cars of 1974 that were published, shall we?

Fastest 1974 Muscle Cars

Here are the top seven fastest muscle cars of 1974 from AMC, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Pontiac.

Given the sluggish ETs ranging from 14.25 to 17.3-seconds and all entrants having less than 300 horsepower, we can definitively conclude the muscle car era had come to a close in 1974.

1974 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455

For the second year in a row, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is in first place.

In the June 1974 issue of Super Stock & Drag Illustrated magazine, a 1974 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455 ran 14.25 seconds, traveling 100.9 mph.

The Pontiac Trans Am was not only the fastest, it was also the only supercar to hit the 100-mile-per-hour mark by the end of the quarter-mile.

Pontiac produced 10,255 Trans Am hardtops this year. Pontiac installed the SD-455 engine in 1,001 Firebird and Trans Ams in 1974. 

1974 Pontic Trans Am Key Specs

1974 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 350

Second place goes to the sporty Camaro Z/28 powered by a 350 CID V-8 with 245 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. It was equipped with a 3-speed auto and favorable 3.73 rear gears.

These lightweight pony cars not only looked good, but they could also burn some rubber. In the April 1974 issue of Motor Trend magazine, a 74 Camaro Z/28 ran 15.4-seconds, traveling 90.54 mph.

Chevrolet made 13,802 hardtop Z/28s in 1974, up 2,228 units from the previous model year.  

1974 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Key Specs

1974 Pontiac GTO 350

The Pontiac GTO, built on the Ventura platform, rounds out the top three fastest 1974 muscle cars.

In the May 1974 issue of Hi-Performance Cars magazine, a 1974 Pontiac GTO ran 15.72-seconds, traveling 88 mph. 

This year marked the eleventh and final year of the GTO during the muscle car era until it blipped back on the radar in the early 2000s. 

Gone were the days of the 389, 400, and 455 engines. In its last hurrah, the highest performance engine was an L78 200 horse 350 engine. 

You don’t hear much about the 1974 Pontiac GTO, and it is undoubtedly one of the black sheep GTOs—right behind the 1973 model.

Pontiac only produced 7,058 GTOs this year, with 5,335 coupes and 1,723 hatchbacks. This was a far cry from its peak of 96,946 units in 1966!

1974 Pontiac GTO Key Specs

1974 Chevrolet Laguna S-3

The Chevrolet Laguna S-3 is in fourth place. The Laguna S-3 replaced the once mighty Chevy Chevelle SS offered from 1964 to 1973. 

The Laguna was a higher ticket model with an executive appeal, built on the bloated and unattractive Colonnade body style—complete with swivel seats.

While heavy and unappealing, it was agile enough to crack the top five fastest in 1974, so at least it has that going for it. 

In the February 1974 issue of Car and Driver magazine, a 1974 Chevrolet Laguna S-3 ran 16.2-seconds, traveling 87 mph. 

The fuel-efficient two-barrel V-8 engine options included the 145 horsepower 350 (standard) with an optional 150 horsepower 400.

The four-barrel high-performance V-8 options included a 175 horsepower 400 and a 235 horsepower 454—the last year for the 454 engine. 

Chevrolet assembled 21,902 Colonnade Coupes wearing the Laguna S-3 nameplate. This production figure includes all engine options. 

1974 Chevrolet Laguna S3 Key Specs

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1974 Dodge Challenger 318

In fifth place is the Dodge Challenger. However, it wasn’t the highest performance 360 CID V-8 that appeared on this list. 

Instead, the 150-horsepower 318 CID base V-8 engine made its debut. While not known as a performance engine, it is the first time the 318 CID engine appeared on one of our fastest lists.

The Motor Trend road test Challenger had a 3-speed automatic with 2.76 rear gears out back.

I’m as surprised as you are this made it on this list.

But here we are.

In the April 1974 issue of Motor Trend magazine, a 1974 Dodge Challenger ran 16.87-seconds, traveling 80.2 mph. 

Dodge produced a total of 16,437 Challenger hardtops this year. This figure includes all engines and Rallye models. 

1974 Dodge Challenger Key Specs

1974 Pontiac Firebird 400

Sixth place goes to the Pontic Firebird powered by a 400 CID V-8 with 175-hp and 315 lb-ft of torque. It was backed by a 3-speed automatic and a 3.08 rear gear.

In the April 1974 issue of Motor Trend magazine, a 1974 Pontiac Firebird ran 17.05-seconds, traveling 82.1 mph. 

Pontiac made 26,372 Firebirds this year. This figure does not include the 1,001 SD-455 Firebirds and Trans Ams.

1974 Pontiac Firebird 400 Key Specs

1974 AMC Javelin AMX 304

Seventh and last place is the AMC Javelin AMX backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission with a 3.15 rear gear ratio.

However, it wasn’t the 360 or 401-powered AMX that made it to this list. Instead, it was the lowest-performing 150-horse 304 CID V-8 that sported 245 lb-ft of torque.

In the April 1974 issue of Motor Trend magazine, a 1974 AMC Javelin AMX ran 17.3-seconds, traveling 83.05 mph.

This year, American Motor Corporation rolled 4,980 Javelin AMX hardtops off the assembly line, 1,884 with the 304 CID V-8 engine.

1974 AMC Javelin AMX 304 Key Specs

Well, there you have the fastest 1974 Muscle Cars—the slowest and most underpowered muscle cars ever built since they started in 1964. Be sure to subscribe if you liked this article!

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Ryan Wheaton

Ryan has owned muscle cars since 1986 and currently owns a 1972 Dodge Charger Rallye. He combines passion and experience to create engaging content for fellow muscle car enthusiasts. In 2018, he founded Muscle Cars Illustrated, authoring hundreds of articles on tips, history, and trends in the muscle car industry. He attends national car shows, auctions, and museums to stay current with the latest developments in the muscle car industry.

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