A breed unlike any seen before or since, the powerful, stylish American muscle car defined an era in automotive history. This history traces the rise and fall of these great performance cars from their precursors in the 1950s through the seminal appearance of the Pontiac GTO in 1964 and then year by year to the end in the 1970s. Approachable and nontechnical yet deeply informative, it puts the bygone muscle car in its cultural and aesthetic contexts, describes developments in styling, performance and marketing, and revels in the joys of muscle car ownership in the 21st century.

A former history teacher, Clay Fees is a frequent contributor of car or history-based writings to local publications, and serves as a Judge Advocate in the Oklahoma National Guard. He lives in Sapulpa, Oklahoma.

Clay Fees
Forewords by John Kraman and Diego Rosenberg
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 412
Bibliographic Info: 222 photos (42 in color), bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7814-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4245-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Foreword by John Kraman 1
Foreword by Diego Rosenberg 3
Author’s Note 5
Introduction 7
1. A Look at the World of the American Muscle Car 19
2. Genesis: The Genealogy of the American Muscle Car 37
3. Opening Salvo: Pontiac’s Rebellion and Wild Horses 51
4. Rolling Thunder: Pontiac Dominates and Detroit Responds 69
5. The Other Escalation of 1966: Chevrolet Awakens and the Coming of the Hemi 87
6. Summer of Love: The American Muscle Car Comes of Age 112
Between pages 140 and 141 are 16 color plates containing 42 photographs
7. Revolution: America Burns and Plymouth Goes Back to Basics 141
8. Moon Shot: The Acceleration of the Muscle Car Wars 181
9. Wild Life: The Zenith of the American Muscle Car 231
10. Swan Song: The Last Stand of the American Muscle Car 284
11. A Stroll Among the Ruins: What Goes Up Must Come Down 321
12. Autopsy of an Era: The Death and Rebirth of the American Muscle Car 341
Epilogue 365
Bibliography 373
Index 381

“[This volume] draws in readers through its 12 engaging chapter titles, suggesting a crescendo, a climax, and an inevitable decline: first ‘Genesis—The Genealogy of the American Muscle Car,’ then ‘Rolling Thunder—Pontiac Dominates and Detroit Responds,’ and finally ‘Swan Song—the Last Stand of the American Muscle Car.’…Details abound, and all muscle car manufacturers are represented…. numerous images capturing full-size cars and minutiae of badging or decals. A 16-page color plates insert captures many of the cars at their best…this volume can be opened to any page and enjoyed—perhaps by both grandparents and grandchildren…recommended”—Choice