These cars will make you feel like the king of the road… all for less than what a new Mustang would sell for.
Whether you’ll admit it or not, every single one of us wanted to drive a one-of-a-kind cool car, or perhaps still do. Now, the biggest with this is such a cool car most likely means you’ll have to fork up a giant chunk of change to buy an overpriced sports car of some sort, like a used Mercedes-Benz that everyone regrets buying. Why? Well, more often than not, high-mileage used European luxury cars, like Mercedes-Benz models, tend to be disastrously expensive to maintain and break more frequently than a set of $10 wireless earbuds.
That said, there are other alternatives worth checking out too… classic American cars to be exact. Sure, they might not be as luxurious as their European rivals. Some of the cars we’re talking about today aren’t even luxury cars but rather focus on the cool factor. So if you want a cheap sports car that’ll outlast any Porsche, a one-of-a-kind offroader, a car that very few people know of, or a piece of automotive history for a criminally low price, keep on reading. Here are the coolest American-built classic cars you can snag up for less than $30,000.
11 1966 Jeep CJ-5 – $15,400
Hold your horses, we get it. An old Jeep from the ’60s might not seem like anything super special at first glance but think about it for a moment. For only $15,400, you can buy yourself not only one of the most unique cars on the road since it has only two seats, and lacks doors and a roof, but also one that’ll soon rise in value. On top of that, if you aren’t interested in buying a running example, you can pick a run-down Jeep CJ-5 up for next to nothing and turn it into your next project car.
Sure, Jeep might not be the best American car brand ever, but we’d choose a Jeep CJ-5 over hybrid SUVs that everyone regrets buying any day of the week. After scouring the internet for a moment or two, we found a 1966 example finished in orange with a speck of tasteful modifications done to it that we’d highly recommend checking out.
10 1985 AMC Eagle – $19,500
If you’ve never heard of the AMC Eagle before, we don’t blame you. As many of you may know, AMC was an American carmaker that went defunct back in 1988, and they made some pretty desirable cars like the AMC Javelin and AMX. However, there’s one AMC car that many completely forgot existed; the AMC Eagle.
Built like a station wagon with the ride height of an SUV, the AMC Eagle was one of the best cars to take on long road trips, but way ahead of its time. Luckily, you can snatch up an AMC Eagle for just below $20,000 and make everyone do a double-take when you drive by and say to themselves, ‘I don’t know what that is, but I sure do want one.’
9 1965 Ford Mustang – $20,000
Ford makes some of the best American cars, and the original Ford Mustang is the ultimate American car that defined automotive excellence. Contrary to popular belief, a classic ‘Stang isn’t worth a million gazillion dollars nowadays, and you can pick one up for around $20,000 that’s not in bad shape. And when comparing the vintage Mustang’s $20,000 price tag to a new 2024 Ford Mustang GT’s price, the old Mustang looks like a deal that’s too good to be true.
When growing up, many of us dreamed of owning a Mustang, and although you can get old less-desirable Mustangs for much cheaper – as low as $5,000 in fact – we’d argue that you’re better off splurging the extra cash on something truly worthwhile on the first-generation Mustang, no matter which engine it came with.
8 1963 Chrysler 300 – $20,000
It’s not very often that you find sports cars that are more style than substance – especially one built by Americans – but that’s the case with the Chrysler 300. And we’re okay with that. Just look at it. The Chrysler 300 looks like nothing else on the road.
It’s a perfect blend of American muscle due to its robust 305-hp 383 cubic-inch V8 and massive size, and Italian design hence its pair of dual headlights and stylized grille. Best of all though is when people heard you drive a Chrysler 300, and as soon as they see your car in the flesh, their jaws drop. They were expecting a boring luxury saloon, not a piece of art on wheels. We found a white 1963 Chrysler 300C with a complementary red interior for sale on Cars.com for just below $20,000.
7 1978 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 – $20,000
Sometimes pop culture plays a huge role in how much the public loves a certain car. Just take the DeLorean DMC-12 for example. On paper, it’s an underpowered sports car, but because it featured in the blockbuster, ‘Back to the Future’, everyone loves it. Fortunately for the second-generation Chevrolet Camaro, it was already loved before it starred in the Transformers film; the fact that Chevrolet decided to partner up with the Transformers franchise just proves that it might very well be the best American car brand.
Just like the original Mustang, these Camaros are much cheaper than people make them out to be. They’re so cheap in fact, that you can buy a 1978 Camaro SS that features a mighty 350 cubic-inch V8 with 275 hp. Not only is a second-gen Camaro Z28 one of the coolest affordable American muscle cars money can buy, but they’re also one of the most iconic American classic cars that are easy to find.
6 1957 Ford Thunderbird – $21,000
In all honesty, you can find a first-generation Ford Thunderbird for much less than $21,000, but just to show you how inexpensive these cars are, we based our entry’s price on a black 1957 Ford Thunderbird that sold at a Bring a Trailer auction for $21,000. In the early 2000s, Ford tried to revive the Thunderbird name, but it was a sales flop… after all, nothing beats the original, right?
If you’re not convinced that the Ford Thunderbird is a great buy, there’s one more factor you should consider: reliability. No one wants to buy a cool car and have it spend more time at the mechanic than on the road. Fortunately enough, the first-gen Ford Thunderbird is one of the few used Fords with bulletproof reliability.
5 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – $21,000
If you’ve never heard of the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from ‘Smokey and the Bandit’, we’re sorry you haven’t got the chance to experience all the blessings life has to offer. But for those of you who are normal, we have some great news. In 2023, you can finally buy one of the most Macho American coupes that turn heads everywhere they go, the original Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, for just north of $20,000.
There is quite a handful of Trans Ams for sale that cost well below $20,000, but we know you don’t want any ordinary old Firebird. You want the Trans Am with the gold accents and firebird decal on its hood. If that’s what you’re looking for, consider checking out this ’77 Trans Am finished in white that’s listed for $21,000 on Cars.com.
4 1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V Town Coupe – $23,000
We get it. Lincolns are only for elderly men going through their third midlife crisis and who keep on saying ‘the old days were better’, and that mumbo jumbo. But if you’d let go of your close-minded attitude for a second, and give the fifth-generation Lincoln Continental Town a chance – the coupe in particular – we think you’ll change your outlook on Lincolns.
Sure, the Lincoln Continental might be one of the slowest cars on our list today due to its underpowered 208-hp 460 cubic-inch V8, but damn… it’s breathtaking. From its gargantuan size to its razor-sharp body lines and sleek pop-up headlight design, the Mark V Lincoln Continental Coupe must be one of the most beautiful American cars ever made and one of the most awesome American classic cars to own.
3 1973 Buick Riviera – $23,900
Just like Lincoln, Buick also gets a bad rap from the youth nowadays and is only considered an elderly man’s car brand. Judging by their current lineup of vehicles, we can understand why you’d think that, but let’s rewind the clock a bit. Back to the gorgeous Buick Riviera.
Over the years, Buick built a few different versions of the Riviera; some better looking than others. But the all-time greatest Riviera has to be the third generation. Powered by a 455 cubic-inch V8 with up to 330 hp, the Riviera was rather light on its feet considering its 4,250-lb curb weight. Although Rivieras are more expensive than they used to be, costing a smidgen under $25,000, they remain much more soulful than a cheap electric car that’ll bankrupt you through maintenance and repair costs.
2 1986 Mercury Cougar Tiffany – $24,995
The 1986 Mercury Cougar Tiffany is truly a remarkable piece of American automotive ingenuity. Looking like a Gatsby-esque luxury cruiser with the same name as one of the most popular jewelry companies in the world, the Mercury Cougar Tiffany looks like a multi-million dollar classic car.
However, they’re much more affordable than you’d think, despite only around 1,500 units existing. After some digging, we found a cream example selling for $24,995 on Cars.com that’s in terrific condition. That really makes you wonder, why don’t more people know of the Mercury Cougar Tiffany’s existence? Maybe it’s better off that way regardless…
1 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray – $27,900
If you want a car that’s equally beautiful as it is powerful, look no further than the C3 Corvette. Powered by a choice of American V8 engines that’ll last 500,000 miles like the L30, L79, and L68 among others, the C3 Sting Ray had heaps of power. But the real star of the show was its design.
Although many consider the C2-generation Corvette to be the best-looking due to its iconic silhouette, the C3 Corvette sits right in between the most gorgeous and ugliest Corvette generation to exist (the C4).
So, in other words, the C3 inherited the C2’s design language, but became a bit bulkier during the process, and was in turn the last Corvette to follow the classic ‘Vette recipe to a T. Coming in at $27,900, the C3 Sting Ray certainly isn’t the cheapest Corvette money can buy, but it’s most certainly the coolest one you can pick up for less than $30,000.
Sources: AutoTempest, CarGurus, Bring a Trailer, Hagerty, Cars.com, Motor Trend
