Mopar Muscle

Now in paperback, this book covers Chrysler's incredible series of muscle cars. In 1955 Chrysler introduced the first of its famed 300 "letter series" cars. The company designed a stylish, sporty car, stuffed in one of its potent Hemi engines, and gave birth to the American muscle car. The C-300's combination of style and performance put the Mopar brand ahead of its competitors in the postwar performance race. When the Detroit performance wars began in earnest during the 1960s, Chrysler was well positioned to build the most outragous, bodacious cars of an outrageous, bodacious era, cars like the famed Charger, Hemi Cuda, Road Runner, Superbird, and Challenger T/A. These cars dominated the dragstrips as well as the NASCAR ovals, and with color combinations guaranteed to burn out the corneas of your eyes if you stared at them directly, they ruled the streets of America; they ruled not just the streets, bu the drive ins and parking lots. Nothing was cooler than Mopar muscle. Over the years these legendary Mopar muscle cars were the fastest, baddest assed, most outrageous machines to rip up American pavement. "This lavishly produced book is definitely a feast for all fans of this line of cars: the photography (by David Newhardt) is absolutely stunning. Not only are the pictures big, and of the highest quality, but the thought that has gone into their composition is plain for all to see. It could be argued that given the striking nature of these cars, and the wonderful backdrops, it would be hard to go wrong, but Newhardt went the extra mile here, and it shows. The story is also very comprehensive, listing all of the cars from the line, and taking time to tell the story in a well-researched, yet caring way. It is obvious that Robert Genat knows the subject well and loves it even more. . . . This book is a must-have for all lovers of American muscle, and thanks to the sheer depth of its coverage and drop-dead-gorgeous photography, the asking price of £34.99 is something of a bargain." - Classic Car Weekly (UK)

Chrysler unleashed the hemi in 1951, redefining performance. Featuring cars from the Brothers' Collection, The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Muscle Cars celebrates Chrysler muscle in studio portraits.

Chrysler entered the pony-car market with the capable but unlovely Barracuda in the early 1960s. The car was refined over the years, becoming a true muscle car, and a rather handsome one at that, but it wasn’t until the advent of the E-body pony cars from 1970-1974—Barracudas, the Dodge Challenger, and Plymouth ‘Cuda—that Chrysler became a true player in the pony-car market. This book tells the story of Chrysler’s pony car series, from the advent of the original Barracuda in 1964 to the final days of the smog-motored Challengers and ‘Cudas of the mid-1970s, focusing on the series’ heyday in the early 1970s.

Take a roaring ride through every year of Chrysler performance-car history led by stunning photography, lively commentary, and detailed specification tables for every model. Expanded and updated, The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars details all of the classic Mopar muscle cars from 1960 to today in one handsomely designed book. Explore every aspect of the: Early 1960s factory lightweights Boulevard brawlers like the Road Runner, GTX, and Super Bee Super collector cars like Hemi-powered ’Cudas, Challengers, and Superbirds 21st century Charger (2006–2023) and Challenger (2008–2023) performance cars Over nearly 75 years, Chrysler’s Dodge and Plymouth brands have offered some of the most memorable and exciting muscle cars ever loosed on the motoring public. Arguably, it all began with the 1951 release of the vaunted V-8 Hemi engine. This legendary beast passed through a handful of displacements until finally morphing into the all-conquering 426. Chrysler’s V-8 prowess shone in early 1960s factory-lightweight drag cars then moved to muscle-era classics like the Charger, Roadrunner, GTX, Super Bee, and Superbird. But it wasn’t just about Hemis; Chrysler offered a variety of V-8 engines including 340, 383, and 440 displacements fitted to other top-flight cars like the Barracuda, Challenger, ’Cuda, and Duster. No other Detroit automaker offered a wider variety of performance cars in the 1960 and early ’70s. Emissions requirements and ever-increasing insurance tabs put the squeeze on performance cars beginning in the mid-1970s, and Mopar performance declined for decades. But it returned with a vengeance in the 21st century, first in the guise of a new Charger (4-door!) and then the beloved retro-design Challenger. Both of these iconic models were put to rest in 2023, but not before unleashing the wild 807-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye and the outrageous 1,025-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. Power to the people, indeed! The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars is a must-have reference for all Mopar muscle fans.

For 50 years Mopar has been synonymous with performance and style. Mopar Muscle is a gorgeously illustrated tribute to these cars. It is studded with color photographs of these amazing machines and their evolution from two-and-one-half-ton behemoths into nimble, high-performance sport compacts. Full of rich detail and stories of the personalities behind the automobiles, Mopar Muscle is a must-have for all muscle car fans.In 1955, Chrysler introduced the first of its famed 300 "letter series" cars. Into this stylish car they stuffed a dual-quad equipped Hemi engine rated at 300 horsepower-giving birth to the American muscle car. The 1955 C-300 created the performance wave that manufacturers would attempt to ride throughout the 1950s. When the Detroit performance wars began in earnest during the 1960s, Chrysler was ready with Max Wedge and Hemi cars that dominated the drag strips and NASCAR high banks. Throughout the 1960s, Chrysler gave its customers Road Runners, 'Cudas, R/Ts, and Charger nameplates backed by legendary Hemi and Six Pack engines. Adding to the car's muscular image were vibrant colors, functional hood scoops, and bold stripes. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, these cars attracted crowds at drive-ins and embarrassed the competition on the streets. Mopars were the baddest cars on the boulevard and have become enduring icons of the muscle car era. In the 1990s, Chrysler rekindled its muscle car fire by producing the red hot Viper. Then they stoked that fire with the sizzling Neon SRT-4 and Viper powered Ram SRT-10. After introducing the exciting new Crossfire sports car, Chrysler created an SRT-6 performance version. Chrysler then introduced the modern American muscle car with the release of its new Hemi engine packaged in the stunning 2005 Chrysler 300C and Dodge Magnum RT. In incredible photos and informative text, the entire legacy of Mopar is chronicled in this beautiful coffee table book.