This banana on wheels was overshadowed somewhat by the Oldsmobile 4-4-2, but don’t be fooled by the color – this is not for any yellow bellies, that’s for sure!

Overshadowed when it first came out in 1970, this was actually a bargain performance vehicle for those who wanted to smoke the tarmac without breaking the bank. It was designed to fit in with cars like the Chevrolet Chevelle and Dodge Dart, but it never seemed to sell as many units as the competition.

For those who wanted a little bit of luxury with their muscle car, there was the 1970 Buick Wildcat. While most American muscle car manufacturers focused on performance, Buick wanted to make something that oozed comfort and class.

However, that doesn’t mean that they scrimped on all of the performance you would want from a car like this! It still had 370-horsepower coming out of its 455 Buick big-block V8. Style, comfort, and speed. Yep, we’ll take ten of them!

We think this is what David Bowie was talking about when he sang, ‘Rebel, Rebel.’ Just look at it! Okay, so it may be a drag racer that was very thinly-disguised, but we’ll take it. The 1970 AMC Rebel Machine debuted at the NHRA World Championship Drag Race Finals back in 1969.

To advertise this red, white and blue muscle car, AMC drove ten vehicles from the factory in Wisconsin and let them run on the drag circuit in the condition anyone could buy them in.

Plenty of muscle car fans will already know the Buick Gran Sport 455, but unfortunately, it just had too much competition when it was released.

Popular vehicles such as the Chevelle, 442, and the GTO were all released in the same era, meaning this poor Buick was left struggling for position in the top charts. Luckily, we’re here to pay homage to an absolute beauty of a muscle car. Who needs a GTO when you could get your hands on the Buick Gran Sport 455?

Just look at this beauty! The 1965 Pontiac 2+2 got its name from the fact it could have two people in the front and two in the back, and everyone would fight for the chance to hitch a ride with you in this. Dubbed as the “big brother” of the GTO, this car was built for performance.

The 376-horsepower version came with bucket seats and Hurst shifter, so you’d feel like a street racer in this Pontiac. It also did 0-60mph in 7 seconds flat.

Wait… What? Yes, this is a station wagon muscle car – and an underappreciated one at that. The 1969 Chevrolet Kingswood 427 is sure to turn heads, solely for its sheer size… However, don’t be fooled by its family-friendly appearance.

Not only could you take the kids to school in this, but they’d get there in record timing with an option for a 427 cubic-inch turbojet V8 that has a whopping 390-horsepower. This car is for when you’ve got to drop the kids off at 9am and hit the drag circuit at 10am.

Back in the late 1960s, NASCAR rules dictated that cars had to be in production and at least 500 of them made, to stop those ‘one-off’ specials designed solely for racing.

So, Ford pulled this out of the bag. The 1969 Ford Torino Talladega was such a beast that it managed to win two championships and a total of 29 races in NASCAR, with an impressive 130mph top speed. Unfortunately, it was only in production for a year and has kind of been forgotten about.

Only 501 of the 1970 Chrysler Hurst 300 were ever made, with two convertibles that were thought to be solely for promotional use.

So, anyone who can get their hands on one of these beauties is going to have a real hidden gem in their garage. The most defining feature of the 300 is that ridiculously long hood and trunk, along with the super 1970s white and gold paint scheme. The cars were named after Hurst Performance, the aftermarket parts supplier.

If you consider yourself a muscle car purist, then you may want to look away now. However, if you’re a fan of something a little bit unique, then perhaps the 1993 GMC Typhoon is up your street! W

hile the stats don’t sound like they’d give this car a lot of power, this colossal vehicle could manage 0-60mph in a whopping 5.3 seconds and do the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds. To put that in perspective, that’s faster than the Ferrari 348 of around the same time.

Back in the 1970s, did you really have an American muscle car if you didn’t cruise down to the beach to show it off? Nope.

The 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna 454 was designed for those who wanted to head to Laguna Beach and please crowds of adoring fans… But, unfortunately, sales for this vehicle didn’t really do as well as Chevy had hoped. We’re still looking for one that has one of the coolest options ever seen in a car – swing-out front bucket seats…

What do you get when you combine an American muscle car with a pickup truck? The 1971 GMC Sprint SP 454, of course. The “unknown baby brother” of the famous Chevrolet El Camino, this car certainly proved to be the only thing like it on the market at the time.

However, it seemed people weren’t too bothered about being able to move their belongings in the back of a pickup truck that could pump out 365-horsepower, as sales were slow.

Some of you may already give the 1971 Plymouth Duster 340 the appreciation it deserves, but for many, it’s still underappreciated. This was a real hidden gem among the rest of the MOPAR vehicles at the time, and people seem to have forgotten it ever existed – but not us!

Luckily, back then, they were cheap to buy, and so there’s bound to be some people with one rotting away in their garage. Just look at that hood and tell us you don’t want one?

One of the biggest concerns people have always had with American muscle cars is their impact on the environment.

Back in 1971, AMC decided to release the Hornet SC/360 which was supposed to be a more efficient vehicle that still packed a punch. With people wanting more compact cars, you’d think that this would do well. It didn’t. However, you could get yourself a coupe, sedan, or a wagon version of it and feel like you were doing your bit for the environment.

The 1987 Buick GNX – with GNX meaning Grand National Experimental – was manufactured with the help of McLaren Performance Technologies. Yep, the same McLaren who are known for their classic racing cars. What made this so special, other than that totally 1980s vibe, was its 0-60mph time of 4.7 seconds.

That was pretty much unheard of in 1987, and it could even beat the V12 Ferrari Testarossa that came out the same year. This is the definition of an underrated beast!

The 1964 Mercury Super Marauder is one of the rarest cars on our list, with only 42 built that had the special R-Code in the VIN. That little letter meant that this particular Super model had an insane 425-horsepower pumping out of the 427 cubic-inch V8 engine.

This car was a real head-turner, combining good looks with impressive power. In fact, Parnelli Jones won an impressive seven USAC stock-car races with a 427 powered Marauder. Super indeed! You’d be lucky if you got hold of one, though.

The Vista Cruiser rose to fame as Eric Foreman’s car in the sitcom That ‘70s Show, but unfortunately for him, he didn’t own a 442 version.

Nope, he just had a regular ol’ brown Vista Cruiser. 1970 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser 442 was so much more, as it had a four-speed manual transmission, four-barrel carburetor, and twin exhausts. 4-4-2, get it? This is not the kind of thing you’d see on any regular station wagon, but this is no regular station wagon.

Welcome to the 1980s! The 1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am is a prime example of cars in this decade, but it seems to have been completely forgotten about.

While it may have had all of the right looks, unfortunately, it left a lot to be desired when you opened up the hood. Many critics and Pontiac fans called this car “underpowered,” and the manufacturer decided to go back to the drawing board. If you have one of these originals, however, you’ve got a real hidden gem.

Hear us out with this one… We know it’s quite possibly one of the worst looking muscle cars on our list, but it had some kind of charm about it.

There’s no way you’d be turning heads driving this around until you put your foot down to the floor. This Mid-90s Chevy Impala had all of the power you’d expect from a Chevy, but with none of the looks. This meant sales plummeted and it’s very rare you’ll find one of these on the road today.

Not a muscle car, right? Wrong. They called the Dodge Magnum an “American muscle wagon,” which kind of makes sense when you see the size of it.

With a total of 425-horsepower and the sort of acceleration that would blow your wig off if it was a convertible, Dodge didn’t let us down with this one. Unfortunately, people just couldn’t get over the fact it looked like something you’d take the kids to soccer practice in. It’s a shame, as this could burn some serious rubber!

So far, we’ve seen family sedans, wagons, and some strange pickup truck combination. Now, it’s time to meet the GMC Syclone.

Yep, it’s another truck that packs some serious power. If you wanted to get from 0-60mph in under six seconds, then this would have been the car for you. Yet again, however, people couldn’t get past the whole combining of two vehicles to make one. So, this didn’t do so well – but it’s still one heck of a truck if you can get your hands on one.

Back in the early ’60s, Mercury added this beauty of a car to their Comet collection. With a 210-horsepower engine to its name, the Cyclone had all the makings of a ’60s classic.

It even had its very own “dress-up kit” where owners could chrome up various parts of the vehicle, including wheels and engine accessories. Seeing that the Cyclone was supposed to be part of Edsel Motor Company, which folded in 1960, the car became a part of Mercury.

Having survived over a decade and three generations of production, the Ford Falcon was certainly a hit. However, this 1970 Cobra Jet was fairly short-lived. This two-door coupe had a variety of redeeming qualities, such as it’s 302 and 351 V8s, as well as a six-cylinder engine.

Ultimately though, this would be the last edition in the Ford Falcon’s run. Failure to meet safety standards and a decline in sales brought this era to a glorious, albeit abrupt, end.

This particular car might be the prettiest one on this list. However, its place in automobile history is definitely noteworthy.

First being unveiled in the early 1990s, the 1992 Dodge Daytona was best known for having a K chassis, a feature that had a big part to play in keeping Chrysler on the map. Although it hasn’t aged well, its sheer power is worth mentioning. It packed as much of punch as a Mustang while being a cheaper option.

With a V8 engine to its name, as well as two doors and a rear wheel, the 1990 Chevrolet 454 SS is a muscle car that has been forgotten over the years.

The car managed to produce 230 horsepower with its engine, which was very powerful at the time. It might not have been as quick as the Syclone or the Typhoon, but it definitely packed a punch. In an era when pickup trucks are over-the-top in design, the subtleness of this 1990 classic is quite refreshing.

In case you were wondering what CJ actually stands for after all these years, then look no further. It stands for Cobra Jetand. This is because of the motor underneath this forgotten car’s hood. It was added to the Cyclone line-up by Mercury back in 1969 and impressed early on with it’s 335-horsepower potential.

However, the car didn’t manage to last too long in the market due to lackluster sales. But you can’t deny the car’s awesome performance.

Most of the first generation of Mazda RX-7s, amounting to close to half a million cars, were sold in the U.S., so you can still find some of these around. It’s got rear-wheel drive, pop-up headlights, and an awesome design.

The engine was a 1.1 to 1.3 liter Wankel rotary that gave the light car up to 135 horsepower. Despite this being a very cool feature, it is hard to find replacement parts because Wankel engines are uncommon. You can find bargains on these as low as $2,000.

The Ford Mustang SVT Cobra was inspired by the SVT Cobra Rs from the 1990s and represented a first for Mustang, rolling off the assembly line in 2003 with a factory supercharged engine and independent suspension.

Managing to reach from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 4.7 seconds, this car is a drag racer’s dream. You should be able to find one in perfect condition for $20,000. Although they’re not too expensive at the moment, these will likely skyrocket in value in the decades to come.

Triumph has been defunct for years, but that only means that its TR6 is a collector’s item. There’s a 2.5-liter engine that gives the car 150 horsepower, which makes it a delight to take a joyride in.

The vehicle handles and drives great, so the price tag of between $10-20 thousand isn’t too bad for this real beauty. It’s got a sleek design that always manages to turn heads! Finding replacement parts shouldn’t be too hard, as most of the 90,000 units the company produced found their way stateside.

The Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit GTI Mk1 was possibly the most influential and popular “hot hatch,” a nickname for high-performance hatch-back cars. When it came out in 1976, 90 horsepower out of a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine was pretty impressive.

Although zero to 60 miles per hour in nine seconds isn’t something to write home about, back then that was a lot for a compact economy car. Convertible models might set you back a bit more, but you shouldn’t have to spend more than $10,000 to buy one of these.

The Chevrolet Corvette C4 is another classic car, this time from the ’80s, that shouldn’t set you back more than $10,000. It’s an awesome car whose chassis is still used in modified form in the current C7 generation. Why the low price?

At this point, the Corvette didn’t boast the power it could in the 1990s when it came out with the ZR-1, but that’s around twice the price. Back in 1984, the C4 saved the Corvette from almost certain doom because the C3 had been terrible.

The Datsun 240Z was among the early sports cars from Japan that made waves in America. They were comfortable, cool, dependable, and handled great.

It went from zero to 60 miles per hour in 7.8 seconds, and its top speed was faster than a Porsche 911T or Jaguar E-Type when the Z was in production from 1970 to 1973. They have a gorgeous design, come in sweet colors, and are quite cheap, too — you can find them low priced, even less than $15,000.

SAAB 900 Turbos are classic cars that used to be all over the roads if you remember, and back in the late ’70s when they came out they were hot, hot, hot. Turbocharging was fairly new, and this was for a short period the only non-sports car with this feature.

In the beginning, the 2.0 cylinder got up to 143 horsepower with forced induction in the four cylinders giving the engine an extra boost, but this reached 185 horsepower with improvements after several years.

Pontiacs were a proud brand for years before going out of business. One of the premier muscle cars, the successful GTO is what prompted other carmakers to make similar vehicles. It was designed with the help of the legendary John Delorian and was released in 1964.

By 1973 sales had dropped and it ceased to be a muscle car. Despite being redesigned as a compact car, it didn’t sell and the original line was discontinued. This 360 horse-powered beast can be found for under $30,000.

Toyota’s MR2 can speed up to 60 miles per hour in seven seconds, which was a lot for a mid-engine sports car when the Japanese car manufacturer released it in 1984.

A 1.5 or 1.6-liter engine was mounted behind the driver so it could power the car from between the cabin and rear axle, giving the car great handling. A supercharged (SC) version was also released with a 1.6-liter engine that unleashed 145 horsepower and 140 pounds-per-feet of torque.

Subaru later renamed its SVX the Alcyone SVX, which is the brightest star in the Pleiades constellation (the company’s logo). Notably, its sleek, curved design was a marked difference from the angular XT, which the company stopped producing in 1991, the same year it came out with the SVX.

There was also a prototype station wagon that was never released but displayed. Although this isn’t the most desired vintage car to own, this vehicle has a cult following.

You might think a Maserati is on this list by mistake, but the BiTurbo they introduced in 1981 and stopped producing in 1994 go for as low as $10,000 nowadays. There’s actually a pretty good reason for this, as most of the 40,000 produced aren’t on the road.

Despite the turbocharged engine that provided 270 horsepower in later years and the luxurious interior, it was intended to be an entry-level Maserati that would be affordable, but the finished product is prone to mechanical issues and isn’t very dependable.

The Porsche 914 isn’t the 911, which is what you’d expect out of a car that says Porsche and looks like the 914 does. Even though it’s not as good of a car, that hardly means it’s not an awesome, fun car to drive around in.

Porsche released it in 1969 and discontinued it in 1974, seeing as it wasn’t selling that well at the end of its run. The best part? You can snag one cheap from anywhere around $8,000 to $12,000.

Over 2.2 million E30s were produced by BMW between the years 1982 and 1992. These cars were small and had rear-wheel drive, which is a trend you can see is popular to this day. It came with both four- and six-cylinder engines, but it’s the six you want.

In those models, the engine gives the vehicle 170 horsepower and the handling is phenomenal. The replacement parts are fairly common, so upkeep shouldn’t set you back too much. You can definitely buy these cheap, and their price will only increase in value in years to come.

As far as classic Volkswagens go, most people are familiar with the Beetle and the Bus, but sadly the Karmann Ghia was forgotten. Available as both a two-plus-two coupe and a two-plus-two convertible, it’s definitely one of the better-looking cars they’ve produced.

These beauties were in production from 1955 to 1974. Throughout these years, the model remained practically the same, which is quite a rarity. While this car was based on the Beetle, its successor, the Scirocco, was based on the Golf.

Ford introduced its Ranchero in 1957 and didn’t stop the production line until 1979, as the company correctly assumed that consumers would want a truck that’s more car-like.

People needed a car that could carry cargo, but when there wasn’t a need for a full-size truck to do the job, that’s where the Ranchero stepped in. Ford cut up a full-size passenger car, gave it a truck bed, and voila! It still had enough power to do some towing, and there was always the option to upgrade to a V8 engine.

The Mercury Cougar is the forgotten little sibling of the Mustang, as its first two generations were quite heavily based on the Mustang. It only lasted as a pony car from 1967 to 1973, so watch out which generation it is because in later generations it was definitely not a Mustang.

Mercury later transformed the pony car to a personal luxury car, a midsize car, and finally a sports compact by the time it stopped production in 2002.

The Honda CRX was built between 1983 to 1991 and was based on the Civic, but had lower seats and only two of them. It had front-wheel drive and gave 140 horsepower, which isn’t a lot until you consider the car only weighed 1,800 pounds.

The only real downside is that it’s not the safest car, so don’t get into an accident! The handling is very good (it is said it matches sports cars of the same era) and it doesn’t take up too much fuel.

The Fiat 500 is the classic star, but that doesn’t mean the 600, its forgotten brother, isn’t as deserving of reverence. It’s bigger so it’s not as cute nor does it look that awesome in today’s optics, yet the design was very fresh when it came out in 1955.

It was in production until 1969, spawning a lot of variants, such as the 600 Multipla, the 600 Jolly, and the Abarth 750. These models are even better-looking.

The Jeep Gladiator is based on the Willys Jeep Pickup and debuted in 1963. Very quickly, it became evident it had no equal when it came to off-road vehicles. The Gladiator is the first truck to feature independent front suspension and a four-by-four drivetrain.

Even the U.S. Army used versions of it. The six-cylinder V8 engines were strong enough for any off-roading that needed to be done. For the first time, the average car customer had the option of driving such a beast off the road.

The Studebaker could never compete with the “Big Three” that dominated U.S. automakers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors), so it eventually failed. Before it did, though, it offered some interesting models for customers. The Lark was one such car that the company released from 1959 to 1966.

While it sold a lot earlier on, the company was unable to compete with the other companies rolling out cars in Detroit. Soon, other companies’ compact cars overtook the Lark and sales plummeted.

The Ford Taurus became the best-selling car in America after it was introduced in the mid-’80s. The innovative front-wheel design helped save Ford from bankruptcy after a slump.

When you see a price tag of under $2,000 for a car, you’d think that something’s wrong with it, but don’t forget that there were over two million first-generation Tauruses that were sold. In 1989, they introduced their Taurus SHO (super high output), which took a good design and made it an even better car with a Yamaha engine. This goes for about a thousand more.

Definitions of vintage cars vary depending on where you are, but the Pontiac G8 GXP definitely isn’t old enough to be one. It’ll set you back over $20,000, but we still have to include it for the following reasons. Firstly, it was the last of the great Pontiacs before they were discontinued.

The GXP was the top-of-the-line version of the G8, which GM realized was a mistake to let go of and now sells the similar Chevrolet SS. They sold less than 2,000 GXPs, so they’re quite rare.

Jaguar was acquired by Ford in 1990, and it was thought that they could turn around the car’s reputation for being unreliable. It’s gorgeous, but it probably deserved a bad reputation due to numerous problems that you shouldn’t need to deal with after buying an expensive car.

However, now you buy one of these for under $2,000 and for the performance that the XJ6 offers (370 horsepower from a supercharged V8 engine), it’s well worth it to give it the routine maintenance needed to ensure this car is in driving condition.

In 1985, Mercedes-Benz broke into the U.S. small sport sedan market that had been dominated by BMW. The 190E was the result of billions invested in research and development that went on for years.

When the finished product rolled off, it was a legitimate contender that was a match for its competitor, although the BMW 3-Series is more widely raved about today. The 190E doesn’t get enough love and you can have your own for under $5,000 if you look hard enough.

Chrysler gobbled up American Motors in 1988, signaling the end of the independent auto era in America. In the years leading up to the merger, they had some pretty creative solutions to deal with their constant financial issues.

The Eagle was the company’s swan song, as it was a hit as a conventional four-wheel-drive that was available as a station wagon as well. But it went down with the ship, in production from 1980 to 1987, AMC’s last year. Nowadays, it’s perhaps started to gain some recognition, though you can find a fixer-upper for under $2,000.

Toyota Cressidas enjoy far less fame than other models, but the Cressida’s legacy speaks for itself. When it was introduced to the U.S. market in 1978, it proved to be a worthy competitor to American full-sized sedans.

The company had the wisdom to see that there would be a shift to European models for classy cars, and Toyota restyled the Cressida to compete better with German luxury vehicles. The Lexus was the next step in Toyota’s bid for the market and the Cressida was forgotten, discontinued in 1992. Watch for deals as low as $1,000!

The Cadillac Eldorado was a trailblazer when it came out with a redesign for its eighth generation in 1967. It was the second front-wheel drive to be produced by GM and began a trend of sleek personal luxury coupés that could be seen with other competitors like the Lincoln Mark III or Chevy Monte Carlo.

This generation ended in 1970, so there are only so many of these around despite selling relatively many units for the company. They can be found for lower than $15,000.

The British Motor Company created the MGB GT, which have become some of the U.K.’s most popular vintage cars that were produced until 1980. You can buy a good model for less than $5,000, though some of the different variations, such as the Roadster, will cost you quite a lot more and may be an investment of tens of thousands.

In addition, it’s worthwhile to note that U.S. versions from 1975 on had diminished performance because emissions standards required them to be de-tuned in subsequent years.

Studebaker’s Avanti was a star in the ’60s, with a top speed of 168 miles an hour in the supercharged model. This car was so beloved that Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, would have it shipped to wherever he was going so he could drive his awesome Studebaker around the world.

The maker is defunct and having one of these will draw the kind of attention you want. You can buy one for as low as $14,000.

The Porsche 928 was intended to replace the flagship 911. Sales were slumping in the mid-’70s and Porsche thought that the 928’s larger size as a luxury grand tourer would offset some issues with the 911. The 911 continues to be popular, though.

This was Porsche’s first attempt at a V-8 engine, and is the only coupé they’ve made with this engine powering a front-wheel drive. The older design might look funny and the glamor of the 911 makes the 928 less desirable, perhaps, but it can be found for under $10,000.

We’ve spent all this time talking about American muscle cars, but did you know the Brits tried their hand at some beasts in their time too? The Jensen Interceptor is a prime example of what British car manufacturers could do when they put their minds to it.

However, because it wasn’t made in America, very few people took to it. Brits didn’t want a muscle car, and the Americans didn’t want a British car. If you step foot in this, though, you’ll never want to get out.

This is one of the most beautiful muscle cars of all time and looks a little bit like it could be related to the Trans Am.

So, why didn’t it do very well in the market at the time? Well, people weren’t buying muscle cars when Pontiac released their Firebird 400, and so sales were at an all-time low. Because of this, very few people actually got their hands on one of these, making it one of the rarest (and most stunning) muscle cars out there.

Audi isn’t the kind of car manufacturer you’d even hear in the same sentence as the word ‘muscle car,’ but that didn’t stop them trying their hand at making one.

The 1994 Audi Avant may not ooze the class and sophistication as some of the other cars on this list, but it’s still underappreciated in our eyes. It could definitely do with some more features, but the 311 horsepower was quite a big deal in ‘94. It just about makes our list!

So, you want a muscle car, but you also want to impress your clients when you turn up for business meetings? If this sounds like you, you probably need a Jaguar S-Type in your life – complete with a driver, of course.

This was a real muscle car thanks to the sheer amount of power under the hood, but it has all of the elegance of a First Class Business Lounge at LAX. 420 horsepower just finishes it off nicely, too.

This may look like your regular Mercedes Benz, but it had a deep, dark secret under the hood. This baby was upgraded with a whopping 5.0 liter V8 that meant it could burn some serious rubber on the highway.

Unfortunately, it didn’t sell as many as Mercedes were hoping – not compared to the kind of numbers their cars reach now. So, it ended up in the ‘lost and forgotten about’ pile, until we brought it back!

Remember when you would beg your mom or dad to go to McDonald’s? It always seemed like a treat. Plus, there were cool toys. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and see how much of that nostalgia we can stir up.

How cute is this? Everyone thought the same thing about McDonald’s food-shaped seats until they realized how uncomfortable they were. And though they may look like they would twirl, not all of them did. They then began building McDonald’s with chairs with backs.

Transformers toys from McDonald’s just did not have the same wow factor as the real thing. However, we still rushed to the restaurant to pick up a drink that became a pink dinosaur and the McNuggets that became a crocodile. McDonald’s just kept reintroducing this concept over and over until finally transforming food became a thing of the past.

Before there was the indoor playground of the McDonald’s of the late ’90s, there was the awesome (and now that we look at them, slightly disturbing) playgrounds of the ’80s. Sometimes, the food was secondary, and all you wanted to do was shovel it in so your parents would let you go play on the hot plastic playground. As kids, this playground equipment looked like so much fun…until you slid down that slide in shorts on a hot day. Then, it was not such a good time.

Okay, nice try, McDonald’s, but you are not a pizza joint and never should have been. In the ’80s, McDonald’s tried to take out their competition – Pizza Hut and Dominos – by offering McDonald’s Pizza. It wasn’t bad, but because of the iconic nature of their burger empire, it did not go very well. This is kind of one of those things that was there and gone faster than you could say “free if not delivered in thirty minutes.”

Familiarity may be one of the reasons most ’80s and ’90s kids keep returning to the fast-food restaurant despite knowing it just isn’t that great for you. Everyone knows that their McDonald’s will look the same, smell the same, and for the most part, taste the same. The company even went so far as to give every store in the ’90s these same floor tiles and patterns. This way, no matter where you looked, you knew you were at McDonald’s.

Who doesn’t want chicken nuggets dressed up in your favorite Halloween costumes? No one. That’s why these cute and collectible Halloween Happy Meal toys were such a hit. But the Ghost that seems to miss the iconic branding looks a little strange! Anyway, no one cared, it was all about using the soft plastic toys as water guns, right? Just us? The little valve in the bottom was perfect for sucking up liquids.

In the ’90s, McDonald’s decided to up their healthy options game, but they had to make it fun, right? Enter the McSalad Shaker. These fun salads were put in a milkshake cup, and then you poured the salad dressing in, shook the cup, and voila – a perfectly dressed salad. At least, that was the concept. They didn’t last long because honestly, they didn’t work all that well unless you knew the trick. Put only half of the dressing in, shake, eat some of it and then put the other half of the dressing in and repeat the process. It was a lot of work for a salad!

The animal crackers came in all these little boxes, and somehow, because they were in the shape of the Hamburglar or Grimace, they tasted so much better than the traditional ones. We all had our favorite box, right? There were even some people that thought the cookies tasted different, and that’s how they determined their favorite. We think it was more about the character, though. Some people were just Hamburglar or Birdie kind of people.

With the world climate the way it is, more and more fast-food joints are switching to eco-friendly packaging. This is a far cry from the styrofoam packaging that McDonald’s used throughout the ’80s and ’90s. There was less mess, as no fluids could escape the packaging, but there was no way you were going to be able to just pop it in the microwave and reheat it. Be honest, how many of you made that mistake?

There were so many great collaborations between McDonald’s and Hollywood. One of the coolest was the Batman Forever mug. The etched glass images of the main characters allowed every superhero fan to drink their morning cup of OJ staring at the Caped Crusader. The ’80s and ’90s saw a resurgence of interest in comic book heroes, and Batman Forever was a great movie. McDonald’s sure knew how to pick a movie to support, if only they still made glasses like these.

Ah, beanie babies. The mad obsession grasped the world in its clutches and seemed like it was never going to let go. The ’90s brought with them so many variations that these toys have become quite the collectible item. McDonald’s seemed to understand this and released their mini babies. We all rushed out to collect these toys just like many other Happy Meal toys.

Truthfully, did anyone ever really know what this soon was for? Some would use it in coffee, others would use it in their cokes or teas. The length of this spoon was a little too long for one and not long enough for the other. Sometime in the ’80s, the company found out that the spoon was being used for questionable acts and they discontinued them. Even with the discontinuation, some more resourceful collectors have found a few lying around.

The ’80s were a simpler time for sure. You can tell that by the toys that McDonald’s thought kids would like to play with. Things like this hand puppet were made of very thin plastic. Even though it seems like a kind of lame toy now, we were all about it when we unfolded that hand puppet. Then, it was about playing Ronald McDonald and his friends. Just don’t play too rough or the puppet would end up with a hole, and no one wanted that.

Remember when you were a kid and all you wanted was to have that epic birthday party that all the kids would talk about at school? That feeling never really goes away even when you get older, but when you were a kid, one of the most amazing parties you could throw was at McDonald’s. You would get the bibs and the cake, and sometimes, the man himself would show up. If you were lucky enough to get a party like that, you were golden for the next two grades.

Remember the ’80s hand puppet? Well, in the ’90s, McDonald’s gave it a cool upgrade. After all, what is cooler than a dinosaur? Another collaboration with a movie gave us these amazing puppets from the movie Dinosaur. How many parents got tired of hearing roaring and quotes from the movie because of these? Probably a good amount, that’s for sure. Your hands did get a little sweaty in them after a little while, and then your hands smelled like plastic until you washed them. Good times.

Both in the ’80s and the ’90s, McDonald’s was king of collectible glasses. Every mom and young kid would wait for the new ones to come out. They did glasses for everything, including the Muppets. In the ’80s especially, the Muppets were every kid’s favorite. Just like with everything else, you always had your favorite character. Whether you loved the corny jokes of Fozzie or the sassiness of Miss Piggy, Mickey D’s had you covered.

Nowadays, it seems like Ronald is rolling solo, but back in the day, he ran with a unique posse. You had the Fry Guys and Hamburglar, as well as Birdie and Grimace. What ever happened to those guys? Sure, the absence of the Hamburglar can be explained. Maybe he finally got caught stealing those delicious hamburgers, but it seems like the rest just up and abandoned the poor clown.

It doesn’t seem like McDonald’s is that into holidays anymore, or maybe they just don’t advertise it. But in the past, they made every holiday fun. Their establishment was the place to go for cool toys and collectibles. One of the best holidays was Halloween. They would do all kinds of fun things, like these collectible Halloween baskets. All you had to do is convince your mom or dad to take you to Mickey D’s and get you a Happy Meal so your trick or treat experience could be so much better.

Who doesn’t love a lazy cat who loves lasagna and is constantly trying to send his owner’s other pet to Abu Dhabi?! In the ’80s, Garfield was everywhere from the newspapers to Saturday morning cartoons. Then, McDonald’s came out with these cool mugs. These mugs had fun and sarcastic sayings and became another great collectible that everyone wanted the full set of. The artwork was all done by Jim Davis and featured both Garfield and his naïve dog companion, Odie.

McDonald’s used to deliver or supply events with that delicious orange drink. It would come in these big yellow dispensers, and you knew that your coach or leader loved you when it showed up. We’re not sure what the actual flavor of the drink was, but it was an orange drink. Nothing can remove the memory of that sweet yet tangy flavor. Ah, good times!

For years, we all loved going up and paying twenty-five cents for the small cone, but when McDonald’s upgraded to the big cone, it was on. Having a swirl cone with both chocolate and vanilla (or specialty flavors that were available in your region of the country/world) that was the size of your cone made every child smile and every parent nervous about the inevitable sugar high.

Disney wasn’t the only one to partner with the hamburger giant. Warner Brothers did their fair share of collaborations with McDonald’s as well. Tiny Toons was one of the biggest cartoons to come to from WB in years, and there was no reason not to capitalize on the popularity. Kids would rush to the table and rip open those paper Happy Meal boxes and dig through them to find the toy to see which one they got. It was the highlight of their day.

Nowadays, the inside of McDonald’s is so boring. In the ’80s and ’90s, the interior was meant to be warm and inviting, and a little fun. Now that we think about it, we can see your game, McDonald’s. Painting the gang of characters on the glass partitions and having them smile and wave seems like a good way to trick us all into enjoying your delicious greasy food. P.S. Now that we look at it, those kids in the window paintings don’t look super thrilled to be surrounded by giant talking animals and a clown that kind of looks like Tim Curry in the old version of IT.

Why did we ever think these playgrounds were cool? The metal was hot, the plastic was hard, and there was a prison in the middle of the whole thing. Look at that! Hamburglar with Bars! McDonald’s was trying to make it so we would never leave. How many parents called that playground toy a prison and smiled as they watched their kids run through the playground with their bellies full of greasy food?

These old benches would be perfect nowadays with the selfie craze. Back in the day, you would have to wait for your mom to wind the camera, and then you were forced to say, “Big Mac!” Nowadays, you could just sit down next to this sort of creepy looking statue and take your photo with the push of a button. Wouldn’t it be better if the entire bench were free for your customers, though?

In the ’90s, the playground moved indoors, and ever since, it seems like McDonald’s has left it in the same condition as when it was open for its grand opening. There are many McDonald’s that have that old sentimental playground. We guess that “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” is what is being applied here. Just slap a fresh coat of paint on it, and it is all good.

Ask for a high chair today and it is so plain, but back in the ’80s, it was a beautiful branded masterpiece. The chairs were so bright they would keep any toddler entertained for hours (that was, until they saw the Happy Meal toy or the playground). It seems to us that McDonald’s has lost a little of the fun factor. Maybe they should bring it back…you know nostalgia is in right now!

Many young kids may not even know what this is, and that is a good thing, but if you’re a child of the ’80s and ’90s, you will be familiar with the McDonald’s ashtray. These were on every table and walked out in a lot of purses. Today, McDonald’s is smoke-free, and in some states, you have to go 10 feet away from the building before you can get your nicotine fix. This is a good thing, but this ashtray definitely brings back some memories.

In the ’90s, Disney began opening their vaults and releasing a VHS tape series called the Masterpiece Collection. In conjunction with this, they partnered with McDonald’s and brought you the Happy Meal toys to match. They would come in cute little replicas of the box that the videos came in. How many copies of the actual movies were sold because some parents didn’t have time to cook and stopped by McDonald’s on the way home? We imagine quite a few. Well played, McDonald’s, and Disney – you tricky corporation you!

Okay, in the ’90s, McDonald’s decided to give us even larger portions with the Super-Sized menu. Oh, the days where you could order your fries and get a super-sized portion the size of your head! It was good for sharing. Just kidding, no one shares their delicious McDonald’s French fries. Then, someone did a documentary, and it was all gone in a blink of an eye. That’s okay. It was probably all for the best. No one needs half a pound of fries with their gallon of soda anyway!

There’s nothing like having a birthday party and being able to light up, too! This is just something you would never see in the modern age. Back then, it was perfectly acceptable for the parents to light up while their kids dived into all the fun puzzles that were part of a McDonald’s birthday party. In fairness, if you are dealing with a horde of sugar-amped kids, you may need a nicotine fix. But today’s parents don’t have that option, so what are they to do?

Now you just get a tray liner with marketing, but back in the day, you could be entertained while chowing down on your Happy Meal. You had to be very strategic and make sure to place the ketchup for your fries either on the wrapper or on a spot that didn’t block any of the puzzles. How much do you miss these? Even as teens and adults, it was still fun to keep your mind off the fact that you had just eaten your entire day’s worth of calories in one meal.

The world used to be simpler, and so did the McDonald’s menu. Remember when the menu was only two columns, and none of them had grilled chicken or “healthy choice” written on them? Plus, look at the Happy Meal toy that’s being offered…Bobby’s World! Now, there are so many choices, and to help you make smarter choices, McDonald’s has added a lot of healthier foods. This menu does offer low-fat frozen yogurt, though…must have been towards the end of the ’90s.

When McDonald’s made the move to indoor playgrounds, they had to do something with the old equipment. Some of the more inventive stores just moved them around and made them decorations. This one chose the hamburger prison, and if a kid found their way inside of this one, there would be no parole, as their back would be against a wall, quite literally.

Who put the glad in gladiator? Hercules! Disney collaborated again when they released their animated classic Hercules. This time, it involves a commemorative plate. The plates and fun little sayings featured some of the biggest characters from the movie. Our favorites were the muses and Meg, although Meg’s phrase may be a little disturbing if you are reading it now! Either way, these plates were seen in everyone’s homes at the time of this promotion!

Remember the Hobbits’ abode The Shire from The Lord of the Rings? The wooden structure, the comfy vibes, the peaceful ambiance? The collaboration from McDonald’s and Disney led to something similar, except it had two wheels! You have to love the look of the windows, the hanging cooking pans and laps, the oh-so-familiar McDonald’s logo on the board, and the roof with the sign “Westward Ho”! The chimney is the cherry on top. This little cart is the Shire coming to life!

Have you ever thought you’d get to see a floating McDonald’s? Looking from a far distance with the dominant whites everywhere, this ship may look like a gigantic iceberg. Oh, wait! there’s a McDonald’s logo too. Yes, it’s a grand ship with decks and all. However, the fact that it’s a McDonald’s ship makes it ever so alluring. Although the ship has been left abandoned, we think we speak for everyone when we say that we would love to get on board.

Who else agrees that these crew members from 1978 look like sailors preparing food? While everyone is accustomed to seeing sailors in blue-white striped uniforms in cartoons, McDonald’s brought a change for their food sailors with the red-white accent. The uniform went on to become such an iconic outfit that even celebrities wore it as Halloween costumes. You too can find this uniform on several costume stores and show your love for the Vintage McDonald’s.

This picture here marks the starting of the revolution, which was the introduction of McDonald’s! It’s one of the very first restaurant pictures from the McDonald brothers. Though the picture is in black and white, we can still see the M’s shining through. The outer sitting area, the people, the menu – all of it shows how much McDonald’s had to put in to become the legend that they are now. This legendary model still exists in Pennsylvania. Do pay a visit!

While we all love the present McFlurry with the black McDonald’s logo, this is an older version of the packing of the milkshakes from back when they were first introduced. The cups are rather bigger in size, which means that you would have larger amounts of delicious goodness. It is good that the McFlurry packaging has been changed to incorporate recycled plastic instead of paper. However, we definitely find the old McFlurry container quite nostalgic. We hope the taste remains the same forever, at least.

While we may crave McDonald’s egg muffins in the morning (or any time of the day, for that matter), for a kid in the ’70s, this breakfast set was the ultimate craving. If you look closely, you can see the Blue Ridge Mountain in the background in the middle of a glorious sunrise. Raise your hands if you are still craving for this scrumptious breakfast set on the top of a hill at the break of dawn!

This picture shows the classic mug engraved with a “Good Morning” message from McDonald’s. Isn’t it a sweet gesture? The white and red accent is a callback to McDonald’s brand. Also, who doesn’t recognize the golden arches? Having a mug gifted to you for your birthdays, or simply for a good morning, that too from McDonald’s, is something! If you wish you could have this vintage mug, you’re in luck – these babies are still sold everywhere.

In the beginning of their journey, McDonald’s didn’t have a classy dining space for all of its ardent customers. This picture is the living proof of that! This was the first ever version of the Drive-Thru service that we now can’t live without. You just had to bring your car or walk down here, place your order, and voila! McGoodies! No other McDonald’s branch is still the same as this model in California.

McDonald’s already had delicious meals to draw customers in. On top of that, they introduced Happy Meals, which sparked the interests of kids even more. Why not? You get a free toy with a great meal, after all. However, having the mask of Ronald McDonald as a free toy looks sort of intimidating! This was a popular toy that kids got back in 1974. No matter how terrifying it is, though, to the kids, a free toy is a free toy!

Well, well, look what we have here! Salty goodness in Speedee packaging. Having a bad day? Need food for a party? Watching a movie? All you need are these thin, crispy, bright golden fries from good old McDonald’s! These tasty treats still serve our untimely cravings with the same taste and look as they did in the ’60s. The only difference is the packaging. The red packaging is much more iconic now. Speaking of which, time to order some McFries!

This vinyl disc here was based on a fun contest from McDonald’s back in 1988. What they did was, they stuck some of these records in newspapers for people to find. To their surprise, some of these people were lucky enough to come upon the McDonald’s menu song, which was worth a million dollars! It’s too bad that vinyl is out of the game now. If McDonald’s decides to pull another promotional stunt like this, it would be all over social media, for sure!

One of the things that the Japanese are best known for is how much they prioritize having healthy food. In 1973, however, McDonald’s took over Japan, and things changed. It looks like McDonald’s was the push they needed! Dietary schedules couldn’t stop the people from craving the fries and chicken! This picture shows a huge crowd of people either savoring the food or waiting in line. The crowds are probably not a problem anymore, as there are now around 3000 McDonald’s outlets in Japan!

Hey, don’t get us wrong! We’re not talking about actual crime here. It’s just the Halloween special gift certificate featuring a cute little burglar holding some scrumptious burgers. This gift certificate is at least 20 years old, and you could probably only get a regular soda with it. However, the Hamburglar in the coupon has always been an iconic character. Many kids even dressed up as this monster on Halloween back in the days!

In this picture, you can see a pretty cool looking red racing car on a racecourse. What’s so special about this car? The huge McDonald’s logo at the front, of course! The logo painted proudly may lead you to think that it’s the race for McDelicacies. However, this was simply a race car that was sponsored by McDonald’s back in the ’90s! Bill Elliott, the car driver, never managed to win a race in this car, but he’s still one of the greats. Was it because of the McDonald’s logo? You decide.

Who doesn’t love the Triple Thick Milkshake from McDonald’s? In 1955, a special multimixer was used in order to produce this drink from heaven. The picture shows how the multimixer is making several milkshake batches at once. We truly believe the milkshakes of McDonald’s wouldn’t be this famous if not for this machine. Who wants some milkshake right now? Everyone, we suppose? These pictures are a major problem for foodies like us!

Remember when it was cool to give gift cards or certificates as gifts, or maybe even in a trick or treat bag? No?! Well, that’s because it has never been, especially when you’re a kid, but you could get a little smile if the toy were the McDonald’s gift certificates of the ’80s. They were cheap to buy and had some great discounts. After all, who doesn’t want French fries for fifty cents or a free ice cream cone!?

You know you have made it when Fisher-Price makes a whole set dedicated to you. In the ’80s, McDonald’s had its own set of plastic food toys that kids could play with in their own homes. These toys were pretty realistic, and for toddlers that may be a problem. All we can hope is that moms and dads kept a close eye on their kids when playing with these yummy looking toys!

The transformation of McDonald’s food continued to expand, including an egg MacGuffin. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day right? These plastic transformer toys of the ’80s would get even fancier in the ’90s, but we have already talked about that. We’re not sure what these transformers were supposed to be, but they sure looked pretty cool when not transformed!

Following the Disney model, Nintendo also partnered with the golden arches. When they released their epic third installment of Super Mario Bros, they released a fun set of Happy Meal toys. We’re not sure a mushroom was a good idea, though. If you ate one in the game, you would get some sort of fun power boost. That might have been a little bit of an oversight, especially since these meals were marketed towards young kids.

The pies have changed, and they no longer have that hot bubbly appearance when you order one. This is tragic because that crispy, flaky pie was the reason a lot of us went to Mickey D’s. You would have to choose between cherry or apple, but we all know the apple pie was the best, right? This is one of the McDonald’s changes that we really wish had not happened.