DAVID NEWHARDT
"Just what is a Muscle Car?" Road Test magazine asked in its June 1967 issue. The answer: "Exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodders 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 hp (73 kW) weakling." Unconcerned with the style or sophistication of its European counterparts, the American muscle car was built for straight-line speed and quickly became the darling of the power-hungry racer and serious gearhead. 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, these cars now fetch millions of dollars at auctions and feature in any story of America's automotive glory days. The icons of muscle car art are on full display in this lavishly illustrated volume, each described in a detailed essay followed by a gallery of photographs that capture the art of the muscle car at its finest.
