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Despite its recent woes, thanks to these classics, GM will always be considered one of the greatest automakers ever.

General Motors has had a rough time in the 21st century. A poor economic climate, a rise in demand from both local and foreign automakers, and poor sales left the company staring down the barrel of bankruptcy and eventually forced it to kill popular brands like Saturn and Pontiac.

RELATED: The 10 Rarest GM Cars Ever Made

However, despite its recent woes, GM will always be considered to be among the greatest automakers ever, largely thanks to the iconic models it built throughout the 20th century. This article explores ten of the greatest GM classic cars ever made.

The third-generation Corvette is considered by many to be the worst, as most of its production run was during the malaise era. However, before the third-generation Corvette lost its power, Chevy built one special model that could outrun almost every other sports car on the face of the earth - the 1969 ZL1.

The 1969 ZL1 was an optional package that equipped the Corvette with an all-aluminum version of the powerful V8 in the 1967 L88 Corvette and other performance upgrades. However, since it cost $4,700 above the Corvette's price, only two ZL1s were ever built, making it one of the rarest American cars ever.

Buick doesn't build many performance cars, as it's known more for boring everyday cars. However, in the '80s, Buick showed it could build a proper performance car when it introduced the fantastic GNX - a high-performance version of the Grand National.

Buick collaborated with McLaren on the GNX project, who upgraded its V6 engine and added a turbocharger to create around 300 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. Only 547 examples left the production floor, which is why the GNX can be expensive at auctions.

Pontiac is sadly gone, but we'll always remember the brand for building one of the best muscle cars ever - the GTO. Developed under the leadership of John DeLorean, the GTO provided the perfect muscle car template that many other automakers copied.

RELATED: These Are The 5 Best Pontiacs Ever Made (And The 5 Worst)

Of all the GTOs you can buy, the Judge is the most desirable. The GTO Judge had a gorgeous design with unique features not found in other GTOs and the most powerful engine as well.

The first-generation Corvette was a huge hit when it came out. Everyone had high expectations when Chevy announced that it would build a second-generation model, and when the Sting Ray debuted in 1963, every gearhead was left in awe.

The best thing about the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray was its shark-inspired design featuring the iconic rear split-window design. To this day, it's still considered to be one of the best-looking cars ever made. The Sting Ray was also quicker than its predecessor, as it had up to 356 hp to play with.

The Camaro is one of the few muscle car models still in production today, which shows how much gearheads adore it. Over the years, Chevrolet has built multiple generations, model years, and special versions of the Camaro, and the 1969 ZL1 is among the most desirable.

The 1969 Camaro ZL1 was a special package available only through Chevrolet's COPO program. It was equipped with a powerful all-aluminum V8 engine developed for racing, allowing it to dominate the drag strip.

The Corvette was a game-changer for Chevy when it debuted in the early '50s. However, many felt that it was quite slow compared to other top sports cars, which is why Oldsmobile developed the F-88.

The F-88 was based on the Corvette, but instead of a weak six-cylinder engine, it had a 5.3-liter V8 engine making 246 hp - almost 100 hp more than the Corvette. Unfortunately, the F-88 project was abandoned and Oldsmobile ended up building only two examples.

Like all other muscle car models, the Pontiac Firebird had a rough time in the '70s. The new emission regulations had left the popular muscle car seriously lacking in the power department. However, not all Firebirds of the '70s were that bad.

In fact, we adore the 1977 Firebird Trans AM. There's a lot to love about it, starting with its superb design featuring the iconic Screaming Chicken logo under the hood. The 1977 Firebird Trans AM also made over 200 hp, which was decent at the time. The best thing about this car, though, is its legendary role in the film Smokey and the Bandit.

When the muscle car market started heating up in the mid-60s, Oldsmobile responded by introducing an option for the Cutlass known as the 442. The 442 became so popular that Oldsmobile made it a separate model in 1968.

RELATED: Ranking The Fastest Oldsmobiles Ever Made

It even got better for the 442 when GM lifted a ban that had prevented Oldsmobile from using the best engines in the 442. Oldsmobile promptly installed a 455cid V8 engine making up to 370 jp with the W30 package and a crazy 500 lb-ft of torque.

Chevy's most popular muscle car has always been the Camaro, but the company has built other muscle cars in the past, some of which were even better than the Camaro. The Chevelle SS 454 is one of them.

The Chevelle debuted in the early '60s but was largely overlooked since it didn't have much power. However, that changed in 1970 when Chevy dropped a fire-breathing 454cid V8 into the Chevelle's engine bay, creating the legendary Chevelle SS 454.

The first thing that comes to most gearheads' minds when they hear the word 'Impala' is Chevy's feared muscle car. However, before 1963, the Impala was just another slow and boring four-door sedan making the daily commute. That all changed when the RPO Z11 debuted in 1963.

The RPO Z11 was a special package that equipped the 1963 Impala with a monstrous 7.0-liter V8 engine blurting out over 430 hp. The Z11 was among the most feared drag racing muscle cars of its day.

Martin is a seasoned content creator who has been writing about cars for over a decade, and has been in love with them for even longer. Growing up, Martin was surrounded by gearheads who instilled a deep love and understanding for cars in him at a young age. He loves to learn and write about all the developments happening in the auto industry - especially in the EV space. When he's not writing about cars, he likes to spend quality time with his wife, kids, and fur baby.