Selling the American Muscle Car


Book Description

As the muscle car wars developed in the early 1960s, auto manufacturers scrambled to find catchy marketing campaigns to entice the buying public into their dealerships. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, with all their divisions, as well as AMC and Studebaker, inevitably sank billions of dollars into one-upmanship in an effort to vie for the consumer's last dollar. Automotive writer Diego Rosenberg examines the tactics and components used by manufacturers in waging war against one another in the muscle car era. Manufacturers poured millions into racing programs, operating under the principle of "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday." Cars were given catchy nicknames, such as The GTO Judge, Plymouth Roadrunner, Cobra, and Dodge Super Bee. Entire manufacturer lines were given catchy marketing campaigns, such as Dodge's Scat Pack, AMC's Go Package, and Ford's Total Performance. From racing to commercials to print ads, from dealer showrooms to national auto shows, each manufacturer had its own approach in vying for the buyer's attention, and gimmicks and tactics ranged from comical to dead serious. Selling the American Muscle Car: Marketing Detroit Iron in the 60s and 70s takes you back to an era when options were plentiful and performance was cheap. You will relive or be introduced to some of the cleverest marketing campaigns created during a time when America was changing every day.




Classic Muscle Car Advertising


Book Description

Ride along during a historical cruise of muscle car advertising from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Near full size ads paint the history of thundering muscle cars from three tumultuous decades. This valuable reference depicts some of the last remnants of promotional print material containing hard-to-find factory facts and images on muscle car models. More than 160 ads have been restored to their original, vibrant color. Muscle cars from American Motors, Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, General Motors, Mercury, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, and Pontiac are included. Covers popular models such as Javelins, Gremlins, Barracudas, Belvederes, Road Runners, Chargers, Camaros, Corvettes, Novas, and GTOs.




American Muscle Supercars


Book Description




The All-American Muscle Car


Book Description

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.




The Art of the Muscle Car


Book Description

“Just what is a Muscle Car?” Road Test magazine asked in June 1967. The answer: “Exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder’s philosophy of taking a small car and putting a BIG engine in it. . . . The Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking sand in the face of the 98 horsepower weakling.” Unconcerned with such trivial details as comfort and handling, the vintage American muscle car was built for straight-line speed and quickly became the ride of choice for power-hungry racers and serious gearheads. In a country where performance was measured in brute force, a quarter mile at a time, the muscle car was the perfect machine. In the intervening years, these down-and-dirty, high-performing beauties have earned their place in the automotive pantheon. As prized by collectors and aficionados as they are by denizens of garages and drag strips, classic muscle cars now fetch upwards of a million dollars at auctions and feature in any story of America’s automotive glory days. The icons of muscle car art—including Camaro and Chevelle SS, the Hemi and 440-6 ’Cuda, Challenger, Roadrunner, Super Bee, GTX, Super Bird, Daytona Charger, Super Cobra Jet and Boss Mustang, Talladega Torino, Buick GSX and W30 Oldsmobile 442, and AMX Javelin—are all here, on full display in this lavishly illustrated volume, each described in a detailed essay followed by a gallery of portraits and special gatefold presentations that capture the art of the muscle car at its finest.




Top Muscle


Book Description

A muscle-car book unlike any other, featuring the rarest vehicles on Earth. In the 1960s, something explosive happened in the automotive world: the United States’ evolving V-8 engine technology was met by 75 million baby boomers, all with an extreme need for speed and all entering the auto market at the same time. The result was the golden era of factory muscle cars, brutish machines that were unlike any the world had ever seen or will likely ever see again—they truly embodied the “sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll” generation. But for some, even a factory muscle car wasn’t enough. Detroit automakers responded, secretly building outrageous muscle cars behind their superiors’ backs and ultimately creating some of the most powerful vehicles ever sold to the public. In Top Muscle, author Darwin Holmstrom chronicles the ultimate collection of these super-rare high-performance beasts. Captured by the lens of renowned auto photographer Randy Leffingwell, these cars represent the absolute zenith of the most valuable collector cars in existence, with fascinating histories that illuminate the wildest age in American automotive history. The Brothers Collection features over 600 cars, including such rarities as:- The very first Chevelle Z16 ever built, which was also the very first muscle car that Chevrolet ever built- The very first Chevelle SS454 LS6 off the assembly line- The only 1969 Mach I Mustang ever built with a factory sunroof- The very first A12 (440-6) Roadrunner ever built- The very last Hemi ’Cuda convertible Plymouth producedvOne of the eight convertible Trans Am Ram Air III Firebirds that Pontiac built in 1969




Muscle


Book Description




Lost Muscle Cars


Book Description

In the world of archeology nothing compares to the discovery. Whether it’s related to King Tut’s tomb, the Titanic, or Amelia Earhart, the uncovering of an artifact outdoes all the research; work; and blood, sweat, and tears into a singular rush of adrenaline. In the world of the muscle car, some of the greatest creations are still waiting to be discovered. This book is a collection of stories written by enthusiasts about their quest to find these extremely rare and valuable muscle cars. You find four categories (Celebrity, Rare, Race Cars, and Concept/Prototype/Show Cars) within three genres (Missing, Lost History, Recently Discovered) that take you through the search for some of the most sought after muscle cars with names such as Shelby, Yenko, Hurst, and Hemi. Along the way, success stories including finding the first Z/28 Camaro, the 1971 Boss 302, and the 1971 Hemi 'Cuda convertible will make you wonder if you could uncover the next great muscle car find. Lost Muscle Cars includes 45 intriguing stories involving some of the most significant American iron ever created during the celebrated muscle car era. Readers will be armed with the tools to begin the quest to make the next great discovery in automotive archaeology!




Muscle Car Source Book


Book Description

"Muscle Car Source Book is a muscle car buff's encyclopedia that chronicles the how's why's, and when's of American muscle car manufacturers like Dodge, Plymouth, Ford, and more"--




Standard Guide to American Muscle Cars


Book Description

The world's most popular book of the mighty American cars of the 1960s and 70s is back and better than ever. Updated with more specs, more information and more color than ever before. &break;&break;This edition showcases more than 300 of Detroit's tire-twisting cars from Ford, Chevy, Dodge, AMC, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and more. Listings include a historical background, original factory specifications, available options, original pricing information and an updated price guide, with current values in sex condition grades. &break;&break;In this book, readers will find every type of high performance model from early full-size favorites like the 1961 Chevrolet Impala SS to muscle car heyday favorites like the 1968 Shelby Mustang GT 500KR. &break;&break;Muscle cars of the 1970s, 80s, 90s and the toughest cars of the 2000s are also featured in brilliant full color! &break;&break;Features more than 300 muscle cars, including some of the latest releases on the market &break;&break;Manufacturers include American Motors, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, and Studebaker &break;&break;Updated with new, full-color photos