The Illustrated Directory Of Muscle Cars

The American public's love for speed and power has inspired generations of muscle cars. The rising popularity of street racing, stock-car races, and quarter-mile drag races in the pre-war years led to the formation of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing in 1947 and the National Hot Rod Association in 1951. These organizations and the growing plethora of specialist auto magazines (including Hot Rod and Motor Trend) stimulated America's fascination with speed and performance. In turn, this resulted in the development of the first production muscle cars. These powerful models took their heritage from the street racers of earlier days, with small bodies equipped with large and potent engines. The Illustrated Directory of Muscle Cars celebrates the complete history of the muscle car, from its earliest inception through to the sophisticated beasts of today. Beautifully illustrated throughout in full color, this book includes full technical specifications for each car featured.

A muscle car is not a piece of Italian exotica, a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, cars which are just too complex and too specialized; nor is it a German Porsche, which is too efficient and too clever by half; nor yet a classic British sports car, a Morgan, TVR or Jaguar, which could never be regarded as fitting the bill. Sports cars, by and large, are not muscle cars, with two notable exceptions: the legendary AC Cobra of the 1960s, and the Dodge Viper of the 1990s. These followed the muscle car creed of back-to basics raw power. In effect, muscle cars always were, and always will be, a quintessentially North American phenomenon. The basic concept is something like this: take a mid-sized American sedan, nothing complex, upmarket or fancy, in fact the son of car one would use to collect the groceries in any American town on any day of the week; add the biggest, raunchiest V8 that it is possible to squeeze under the hood; and there it is. The muscle car concept really is as simple as that.

Get the facts on 75 of America's greatest muscle cars, from the classic 1960s Pontiac GTO to the Ford Mustang Cobra.

Find them all in one place! This fabulously illustrated volume is filled with hundreds of nostalgic color images and thousands of motoring facts today's enthusiasts demand. Complete with development histories, technical specifications, performance data, and racing highlights, this encyclopedic work speaks volumes about the Corvettes, Ferraris, Jaguars and MGs that are worshipped by today's information-seeking sports car enthusiasts. From Lamborghinis to Thunderbirds, this book's got 'em all!

Get the full history of the American muscle car in The All-American Muscle Car, from it's origin as an act of descent, to where it sits now.

International in coverage, this A-Z volume of every major sports car built includes: developmental history, technical specifications, performance data, and racing prowess. The illustrations include colour photographs of the major sport car marques, cars on the road and detailed colour artworks.

From 1963 to 1974, muscle cars were the kings of the road--no other American automobiles have ever inspired as much passion as these classic performance cars. Muscle Car Source Book is a one-stop resource for muscle car fans. Heavily illustrated with vivid color photography of all the muscle cars from the classic era (1963-1974) and chock full of data and historical facts, this is a reference book you will not want to put down! All of the manufacturers--Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick AMC, Dodge, and Plymouth--are covered, and so are the cars, including the Camaro, Mustang, Charger, GTO, and many more! Statistics: All the performance data available for each car is presented in easily read tables. Specifications: Detailed specifications, including horsepower and torque ratings, curb weight, fuel capacity, stock wheel and tire sizes, and other key technical data unique to each model is given. Production numbers: Production information is broken down across all the performance variants and major features. Options: Major performance options available for each car including engine options, comfort features, gauge packages, and wheel-and-tire options are all outlined.