Peter Palmer: Automoblog Book Garage: Muscle Car Source Book

It’s interesting to watch the automotive landscape change, especially with the dawn of new technology. The biggest theme today is the driverless world; a place where are cars are autonomous and as a result, our roads will be safer and our time behind the wheel more productive.

These visions and the technology behind them are promising, but sometimes, there is no substitute for the rawness that is American muscle. While autonomous vehicles may rule in the name of safety, there is no replacement for cars that rule in the name of performance.

Authority Figure

This latest story on the Book Garage shelf begins in 1963, and spans until the mid 1970s. Muscle Car Source Book presents this incredible era in a manner representative of its name: as a source book. From Ford, Chevrolet, and Pontiac, to Buick, AMC, and Dodge, all of the performance data for each car is displayed on tables. The essential specs, from horsepower and torque, to curb weight, fuel tank capacity, and tire sizes are laid out.

Muscle Car Source Book also touches on the major performance options available for each car, including engine options, comfort features, gauge packages, and wheel-and-tire configurations.

This book is perfect if you grew up during this time, or if you had, or currently own, a muscle car. It’s really enjoyable to read through all the different specifications and the wealth of photos doesn’t hurt either. Muscle Car Source Book is exactly like the cars within its pages: what you see is what you get.

Author

Mike Mueller has worked as a freelance automotive photojournalist since 1991. A lifetime car enthusiast, Mueller has written and photographed more than 25 automotive and truck history books and contributed photography to dozens more. Among his long list of titles are Motorbooks’ Chevy Chevelle 50 Years, The Complete Book of Corvette, and The Complete Book of Classic Dodge and Plymouth Muscle.

Muscle Car Source Book: All the Facts, Figures, Statistics, and Production Numbers is available through Amazon and Motorbooks.