The Complete Book Of Classic Dodge And Plymouth Muscle

From lifelong car enthusiast and photographer Mike Mueller comes the most expansive overview of Chrysler Corporation’s muscle cars ever published. It’s no secret that Dodge and Plymouth have been responsible for some of history’s most iconic muscle cars— a resume including the immortal Road Runner, Dodge Daytona, Hemi ’Cuda, Challenger T/A, Charger, Super Bee, Super Bird, and GTX. These cars, often referred to as “Mopars” (short for “Motor Parts,” Chrysler’s parts division), defined the golden age of the American muscle car. They earned the “Motor” part of the Mopar name by housing the most robust engines of the period: legendary power plants like the original Firepower Hemi, the Max Wedge, the 440 Super Commando, and the famed Street Hemi. Even their small V8s, like the 340 LA-series engine that powered the AAR ’Cuda, are the stuff of motorhead folklore. In The Complete Book of Classic Dodge and Plymouth Muscle, they’re all here: every car and every engine from the classic era. This gorgeously illustrated work takes readers through the fifty-plus-year history of Mopar performance, from the Hemi-powered 300 Series through the last cars produced before rising gas prices, tightened emissions, and outrageous insurance rates brought the curtain down on American muscle car production. Author/photographer Mike Mueller offers an in-depth look at the specialty driving machines that have made Mopar performance an enduring part of American automotive culture for over half a century. With extensive details, specs, and spectacular photographs, Mueller’s book stands alone as the ultimate resource on America’s muscle cars.

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.

Dodge and Plymouth have produced some of the most iconic muscle cars ever built in America. This lavishly illustrated work conducts readers through the fifty-plus-year history of Mopar performance, from the first Hemi V-8 offered to the public in 1951 through today's fire-breathing, world-beating Chargers, Challengers, and Vipers. The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle offers an in-depth look at the specialty packages for street and competition driving that have made Mopar performance a living automotive legend for more than half a century. With extensive details, specs, and spectacular photographs, this book is the ultimate resource on America’s muscle car.

The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Muscle Cars is the ultimate portrayal of history's ultimate muscle cars. This is the ultimate visual history of greatest muscle cars. The history of Chrysler Corporation is, in many ways, a history of a company floundering from one financial crisis to the next. While that has given shareholders fits for nearly a century, it has also motivated the Pentastar company to create some of the most outrageous, and collectible, cars ever built in the United States. From the moment Chrysler unleashed the Firepower hemi V-8 engine on the world for the 1951 model year, they had been cranking out the most powerful engines on the market. Because the company pioneered the use of lightweight unibody technology, it had the stiffest, lightest bodies in which to put those most powerful engines, and that is the basic muscle-car formula: add one powerful engine to one light car. When the muscle car era exploded onto the scene, Chrysler unleashed the mighty Mopar muscle cars, the Dodges and Plymouths that defined the era. Fabled nameplates like Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, 'Cuda, and Challenger defined the era and rank among the most valuable collector cars ever produced by an American automaker.

The complete collector's reference to Mopar muscle cars just got even better with updated information covering the Dart, Demon, and 1980s-era Shelby Dodges, as well as recent sensations like the Dodge Viper and Plymouth Prowler. Of course, this information-packed pocketbook also features production numbers, factory colors, options, specifications, engine codes, serial numbers, and much more for such all-time classics as the Barracuda, Challenger, Charger, Road Runner and Super Bee.

"The Complete Book of Classic Chevy Muscle Cars covers the primary muscle and performance cars produced by Chevrolet in the 60s and 70s, such as the Camaro and Malibu"--

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.