Book Review: Muscle Car – The Art of Power
Review by Russell Purcell
Krause Publications has expanded its growing catalogue of automotive titles with a real gem dedicated to fans of the American muscle car. Muscle Car: The Art of Power takes a look at forty of the most popular, and significant, cars of the Muscle Car Era as determined by author John Gunnell.
The book is a little unconventional, as it is not divided into chapters. Instead, the author has chosen to focus on nine manufacturers – American Motors (AMC), Dodge, Plymouth, Ford, Mercury, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Buick and Oldsmobile- and plow through the best each brand had to offer chronologically before moving on to the next brand. Surprisingly, this was not done alphabetically, but in the order you see listed above.
The first section includes the rarely-seen duo of muscle cars produced by the now-defunct American Motors Corporation. The first car featured is the 1969 AMC SS /AMX. This is a very rare bird, as only 52 of the cars were manufactured in a partnership with Hurst Performance Products in an effort to prepare the cars for drag racing. As a result, this car was only sold to NHRA or AHRA competitors, and as such, was not street legal. The SS/AMX option also meant that the car was sold “as is,” devoid of a warranty! The second AMC offering is the sleek 1974 Javelin 401, so named as it featured the massive 401 cubic-inch V8 under its hood, the most powerful V8 engine ever produced by the company.
Mopar fans have ten cars to drool over, as Dodge and Plymouth were both major players in the muscle car arena. The 1965 Dodge Coronet helped kick off the company’s involvement, followed by better-known models of the Charger, Dart, and Challenger. Hemi power is the common theme here, and the mighty engines also provided the motivation for two of the Plymouth models featured in the book – 1968 Belvedere GTX and the 1971 Hemi ‘Cuda.
Ford’s section features as many Galaxies as Mustangs for a change, as it was this car and its 427 V8 that helped Ford establish its name as a performance brand through its participation in NASCAR. Similarly equipped cars like the 1967 Fairlane XL and the potent homologation special, the 1969 Torino Talladega, are also examined. The two Mustangs are significant to say the least. We learn that Ford hired two of GM’s shining stars (“Bunkie” Knudsen and Larry Shinoda) to create the 1969 Boss 302 in response to the Chevrolet Camaro. The other pony is no less than the ultra-rare 1969 Mustang 428 SCJ. This car’s Super Cobra Jet engine was unmatched when it came to speed for a stock power plant.
Ford’s Mercury division is comprised of a rather bland mix of sedans, crossovers and luxury SUVs at present, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Comet, Cyclone and Cougar gave the brand some sporting flare. John Gunnell’s look at the 1970 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II introduces us to the only long-nose version of the car ever made. This car was tweaked aerodynamically for NASCAR duty, and interestingly, was restored to its current glory after being found in a chicken coop!
General Motors is usually credited as the company that started the whole muscle car phenomenon. As a result, almost half of the cars featured in this book originated from the GM stable. Pontiac’s GTO is a legend, so no fewer than four are examined in detail. The 1969 Trans-Am and 1962 Catalina Super-Duty flesh out this brand.
There is no doubt that the 1972 Buick Skylark GS 455 is a muscle car, but the other model selected to represent the category is the 1966 Riviera Grand Sport. The author does his best to plead its case using performance data and period test results, and this makes for an interesting read.
Oldsmobile’s 4-4-2 muscle car package gave the luxury brand’s mid-size cars stellar performance, and cars like the 1966 F-85 Deluxe and 1969 4-4-2 became popular with enthusiast executives. The odd duck here is the 1967 Toronado, which was the first front-wheel-drive American car to be produced since the 1930s.
John Gunnell has penned several books dedicated to Chevrolet products, so it is not surprising that the largest section is devoted to that company’s long lineage of stunning Chevelle, Nova, and Camaro models. The 1962 Bel Air 409 “bubbletop” that kicks things off looks resplendent in gloss black with red vinyl and SS trim, but it was its lightweight, simple design, and prodigious power that made it the car to have if you wanted to be the king at your local track.
I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on the collection of photos that give this book much of its appeal. Photographer Jerry Heasley was careful to shoot the most notable details of each car, and his careful composition keeps the layout from looking overly cluttered. A nice mix of exterior, interior, and under-the-hood shots help us see why these cars are considered so special.
Muscle Car – The Art of Power is available online at www.krausebooks.com.
Muscle Car- The Art of Power
Author: John Gunnell
http://www.krausebooks.com/
ISBN-13: 978-0-89689-617-8
Price: US$27.99 / CAN$30.99
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