KEITH J.MACDONALD
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments vi
Foreword by Ro McGonegal 1
Preface 5
Introduction: Michigan Nights 9
1. The Pre-Royal Days 15
2. The Beginning1963 25
3. Lil GTO1964 35
4. Those Royal Bobcats1965 46
5. The Royal Racing Team1966 70
6. Down Shifting the Momentum1967 104
7. Its Not Easy Being Green1968 125
8. Heat on the Street: Woodward Avenues High-Octane Burn1969 143
9. An Era Concludes197071
10. The Truth about Ram Air 178
11. Lil GTO: Redux 183
12. The Return of the Project Cars 192
Index 197
Description
The original muscle car, the Royal Bobcat GTO was the baby of a burgeoning Detroit subculture, one not sanctioned by the big automakers of the early 1960s. In a postWorld War II America hungry for chrome, flash and speed, Royal Pontiac in Royal Oak, Michigan, modified and sold its souped-up versions of GTOs to customers, and in the process created a demand for custom street racers in America. Founded by Ace Wilson, the Royal name became synonymous with speed.
This book outlines the history of the Royal Bobcat GTO, from the peopleincluding Milt Schornack, the mechanic who raced for Royal Pontiac and was responsible for the custom Bobcatsto the fabled midnight test runs on northern Detroits famous Woodward Avenue. Fourteen chapters, illustrated with 25 photographs of vintage GTOs, the infamous Car & Driver road test photos against a Ferrari GTO, and more, chronicle the history of a car that changed the focus of the Detroit auto industry for the next decade. Former editor-in-chief of Hot Rod Magazine Ro McGonegal contributes a foreword.
About the Author
Writer Keith J. MacDonald lives in Culpeper, Virginia. Milt Schornack lives in Macomb, Michigan.
Reviews
Entertaining and worthwhile readingSAH Journal
Well-roundedCulpepper Star Exponent
. entertaining and worthwhile readingSAH Journal; well-roundedCulpepper Star Exponent
