Muscle cars are still talked about with respect and veneration as one of the highlights of the automotive industry. This is especially the case when discussing the cars that dominated drag strips during the 1960s and 1970s. Nameplates such as Chevelle, Mustang, Camaro, Charger, GTO, and RoadRunner are well-known names from that time, but some cars don’t come to mind as easily.Plenty of underrated muscle cars utilized small-block V8 engines, giving drivers plenty of power from smaller engines. In today’s market, these cars are still priced at less than $40,000, making them budget-oriented performance cars.The used car prices provided in this article are sourced from Classic.com (based on the average sale price for models sold in the last five years) as well as Hagerty's valuation tool's good-condition estimates. The cars on this list are sorted by price, from most expensive to cheapest. 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7: $31,350 Quarter Mile: 14.5 Seconds ClassicCars Journal The Mercury brand was the slightly upmarket, premium-level brand of Ford. This made the Cougar a slightly upscale cousin to the Mustang, but the script flipped with Mustang dominance and desirability. This makes a 1968 Mercury Cougar XR-7 much more affordable than a comparable Mustang today, and the Cougar comes with a more comfortable cabin than its Ford cousin.The Mercury Cougar was offered with two small-block V8 engines in 1968. One was a 302 cu-in model, which was more popular, and the other was a 390 cu-in model, which added the Marauder name to the Cougar. This engine delivered the goods with 325 horsepower and 427 lb-ft of torque, which reached the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. With this engine, the Cougar XR-7 could reach a top speed of 131 MPH. 1969 Buick Skylark GS: $36,020 Quarter Mile Time:15.5 Seconds Classic.com The Buick Skylark came with two engine options and three transmissions in 1969. The small-block V8 was the venerable GM 350 engine, which was nearly bulletproof. This gave the Skylark GS the underrated power desired for quiet cruising with a torque-heavy build. Many times, the Skylark is overlooked by buyers in search of flashier models, but this Buick can hold its own.When equipped with the three-speed manual gearbox, the 350 cubic inch V8 produced 280 horsepower and 375 lb-ft of torque, which was sent to the rear wheels. This gave the car enough power for a respectable quarter-mile sprint and a top speed of 121 MPH. These figures were admirable for a 1960s small-block V8-powered car. 1971 AMC Javelin: $33,782 Quarter Mile: 15.7 Seconds MecumMany muscle car enthusiasts forget about AMC when talking about the cars of the Muscle Car Era, but the Javelin is an excellent car with distinctive styling and robust engines to give enthusiasts something unique to drive. Models powered by the 360 cu-in engine are small-block versions, but the Javelin was also offered with a 401 cu-in engine, which crossed the line into big-block territory.The smaller, 360-cu-in V8 engine gave the Javelin 245 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque, which are still respectable numbers for some cars today. When mated to a three-speed manual transmission, the rear wheels were powerful enough to send this car down the strip in a hurry. In addition to the quarter-mile time, the 1971 Javelin posts a top speed of 115 MPH. 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass: $33,523 Quarter Mile: 16.2 Seconds Coyote Classics The Cutlass with the 350 V8 engine is a little underrated, but that might be because this car also came with a much bigger 455 cu-in engine. Still, the 350 engine is the small-block model, and it gives this Oldsmobile plenty of power, despite the car being much less talked about because of the GTO and Chevelle models that also came from GM at the time.You’ll have 200 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque coming out of the GM 350 V8 small-block in the 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass. This engine mates with a four-speed manual transmission in the Hardtop Coupe Rocket version, which can reach 117 MPH when pushed hard. 1964 Chevrolet Nova SS: $31,814 Quarter Mile: 16.2 Seconds Classic.com The Chevrolet Nova might not feel like an underrated car, but it’s often undervalued when compared to the Chevelle. The Nova received a bit of a mired reputation, but it has been proven to be a great compact car with a lightweight platform, which gives it a big-block feel while utilizing small-block V8 engines.The 1964 Chevrolet Nova SS could be had with the 283 Turbo-Fire V8, which gave it good power for the time. This engine produced 195 horsepower and 285 lb-ft of torque, which meant good sprint times for the Nova. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual transmission, and this little Chevy posted a top speed of 112 MPH, which was pretty good for a car that predates the Muscle Car Era. 1972 Plymouth Duster 340: $31,645 Quarter Mile: 15.2 Seconds Motorcar Gallery You’ve heard of the Plymouth Duster, but might not be familiar with this car. It’s an underrated muscle car from the early ‘70s that was lightweight, had an excellent power-to-weight ratio, and was good as a daily driver. This made the Duster a good choice for anyone looking for a car they could drive to work that also looks great.As you would expect from a car that has the engine size in the name, the Duster 340 uses a 340-cu-in V8 engine and three-speed manual transmission to send 240 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. This was enough power to give this car a top speed of 124 MPH, along with an impressive quarter-mile time. The Duster could be had with smaller engines, but this was the performance model. 1973 Ford Maverick Grabber: $18,795 Quarter Mile: 17.1 Seconds Curbside Classic Sometimes an affordable car is just too cheap, and that scares away some shoppers. The Ford Maverick Grabber is a small, light-bodied, and inexpensive car that was often overlooked during its time. This simple, economy-based alternative to muscle cars is still one of the most affordable cars of its era, and it can be a great choice for some driving fun and nostalgic style.The small-block V8 engine powering this small Ford car is a 302 cu-in V8 engine, which is mated with a three-speed manual transmission. This engine was popular in other cars and used in many Fords, making it one of the most common V8s of the time. In the Maverick Grabber, the engine sent 140 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The top speed of this Ford is 113 MPH, which is more than enough for affordable fun from the 1970s.Sources: Hagerty, Classic.com.