Open your phone and hashtag muscle car on social media. The same icons of the '60s will fill your screen, providing the TikTok generation with all they need to know about which models were the most important. But we gearheads know differently. Just as the Rolling Stones aren't the only rock band of the '60s, the most well-known muscle cars aren't always the only ones worth knowing. There are the forgotten heroes that Gen Z might zombie scroll past, but that doesn't mean they don't have the rizz. The '60s Muscle Car Scene Is Soooo Predictable Mecum The '60s and early '70s were all about big stars, and the muscle car scene was no different. The Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT fastback in Bullitt was almost as famous as Steve McQueen after the movie, and the Dodge Challenger R/T had its cult status rubber-stamped after Vanishing Point. These cars, along with the Chargers and Cudas of this world, are the flagbearers of this time, and it's hard to hashtag muscle cars on social media in 2026 and not see one of these likely suspects. Which is all great, but isn't it a bit boring after a while? Ironically, there is a lost muscle car that was designed for the '70s version of TikTok (*known as a "magazine"), with features and paintwork designed to jump off the page (*the '70s version of a screen), and not cost a lot of cash (*the '70s version of Bitcoin). This Olds Was Designed For The Youth - But Gen Z Have Never Heard Of It MecumIf a Honda Civic Type-R is TikTok these days, then Oldmobile is Facebook. It's something a lot of young people used to like, but these days it's more something that gen Z would hear their grandparents talk about than actually use. Weirdly, for much of the time that Oldsmobile was actually in business and making cars (up until 2004), the story was much the same. Olds was always trying to shake off its, er, Old, reputation, even going as far as to run advertising campaigns in the '80s announcing that its front-drivers were “not your father’s Oldsmobile”.This battle to be drip, or cool, or whatever, was happening as far back as the '60s. Oldsmobile was known for interesting models that focused on style and luxury, but not so much street racing and skinny-dipping. When muscle cars kicked off, Olds was desperately trying to avoid being square, and generally be a bit more groovy. The Cutlass Rallye 350 epitomized this new approach, a color-drenched canary yellow budget muscle car that leaped out of the pages of magazines and begged young people to buy it. This Lidl Muscle Car Should Have Been A threat To The Big Boys Mecum If muscle cars were about getting attention, the Cutlass Rallye 350, which arrived in 1970, had already won. This was a car that wouldn't so much stop traffic as cause a pile up, with yellow paint (officially called Sebring Yellow) doused on almost every surface. The wheels and the urethane-coated bumpers were yellow, as was the W35 rear spoiler, and the few bits that weren't the same hue as Bart Simpson were painted black. In essence, it was the full option package W-45, which came with a W-25 fiberglass hood, blackwall tires, N34 Custom Sport steering wheel, D35 sport mirrors, FE2 Rallye suspension, and N10 dual exhaust. Power Was Decent, If Not Mindblowing Mecum Power in the Rallye 350 came from a 310 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque 350 L74 engine, with transmission options including the three- and four-speed manuals, plus the Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 three-speed automatic. While that power output may not sound like a lot, this being the early '70s, the huge output muscle cars' days were numbered in the face of an oil crisis and emissions regulations. There was even the option of an “Anti-Spin” limited slip to give the Cutlass Rallye 350 a bit more sporting intent. The 350 was quick enough for daily driving, with 60mph arriving in seven seconds and the quarter mile completed in the low 15-second range. The Olds Cutlass Rallye 350 Didn't Trend MecumThis “junior” Olds muscle car was partly in response to the huge insurance premiums being punched at young people at the tail end of the muscle car Golden Era, with the Cutlass Rallye 350 going up against the likes of the Chevelle Heavy Chevy, Pontiac GT-37, and Dodge Dart Demon 340. It looked like it had everything in its favor, but the truth is that the Cutlass 350 never did go viral. Oldsmobile shifted 3,547 units of the Rallye 350 in 1970, according to Hemmings, whereas Dodge shifted 10,098 Demon 340s in 1971.Rumor has it that one of the things that went against the Cutlass Rallye 350 was the very selling point that was supposed to make it a hit with young people. Dealers apparently found it hard to sell the cars because of the yellow bumpers, switching them out in desperation for chrome items instead. Likewise, the wheels had chrome rings added to hide the yellow dinner plate. Hemmings reports that by 1971 many Cutlass 350s remained unsold, with one expert recalling a sea of yellow unused examples at an East Coast storage facility. Why The Cutlass' Lack Of Screen Time Is Possibly A Good Thing Mecum When the Olds Cutlass Rallye 350 was new it had a sticker price of roughly $3,252, or about $27,000 in today's money. Because of its uncompromising looks, and the fact it was just $100 less than a full-fat 442 muscle car, meant that it didn't really capture the imagination of the bell-bottom-wearing '70s youth. Likewise, today the Cutllass Rallye 350 doesn't really pop up much when it comes to muscle car content, and despite its retina-piercing appearance, it is one that many people tend to forget. Prices in 2026 are healthy but affordable, especially when considering that the Rallye is a pretty rare model in the Golden Era of muscle. The Cutlass Rallye 350 Has An Unlikely Foe On The Used Market Mecum Expect to pay $31,900 for a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Rallye 350 in good condition, says Hagerty Valuation Tools, although to be fair the ones that have come to market are generally more around the $20K mark. The only fly in the ointment, just as when the Rallye was new, is the fact that its full-bodied cousin, the 4-4-2 is around the same price. A 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2, with a 365-horsepower 455 under the hood, will set you back $30,600, although a W-30 version with just five horsepower more comes in at $78,500. While the Rallye is a fun, quirky junior muscle car from the right era, you probably will have to really like yellow paint to go and buy one.Sources: Hagerty.com
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