Start Hunting Flea Markets, Garage Sales And Old Bookstores For Some Muscle Car History.

Collectibles: Fact-filled book captures muscle cars and the era

By Don Hammonds, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Any trip to a local bookstore will yield a treasure trove of books on muscle cars. You really have to look long and hard, though, for good books on the subject. Usually, the authors of these books go on and on with pages of technical details outlining every tiny change made annually. Some books overlook important models -- or even give inaccurate information.

You'll find none of those flaws in "Muscle: America's Legendary Performance Cars" by Randy Leffingwell and Darwin Holmstrom.

Published by MBI Publishing Co. and Motorbooks, "Muscle" is a must-read because it not only deals with histories, anecdotes and trivia about the individual cars, but delves into the bigger picture: the social forces and automobile industry climate that will help readers understand what gave rise to muscle cars.

For instance, it explains how Ford went from a company that emphasized safety and conservatism to one that made some of the hottest products of the age, including the Mustang. You learn about the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to the development of the legendary Pontiac GTO. And you also learn about the products of the 1950s that gave rise to the high-performance muscle car era.

The authors also explore the thinking that went into the marketing of these cars to America's young baby boomers, who were the primary targets of the car companies.

Sadly, too, "Muscle" discusses the demise of the muscle car era, allowing readers to once more experience the pain that enthusiasts felt as high insurance costs and other factors led to the "dumbing down" and eventual disappearance of muscle cars.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel as the high performance muscle cars of the past few years get their turn in the book's spotlight.

The photography is fabulous, too, with a large number of muscle car examples that have not been seen over and over again in other books on the genre.

It's a hefty coffee table-style book that costs $50, but it's worth every penny for any car enthusiast.

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