At the dawn of the 1960s, Chrysler Corp introduced a new kind of sophisticated family car called the Valiant. The Plymouth Valiant, and its cousin the Dodge Dart, travelled Detroit’s path from economy car to high-performance machine in style. Snazzier still, were the subsequent Plymouth Barracuda and Dodge Challenger relations that took on all comers in the pony and muscle car wars. By the mid ’70s a change of pace saw Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volaré meet the blend of economy, sports and luxury that buyers wanted. All through the years, and underpinning all models, was Chrysler Corp’s engineering excellence. Such excellence was apparent on racetracks and drag strips across the country, so too were the exploits of racing heroes that became Mopar legends. Through hard times and corporate change, Chrysler returned with the modern Hemi V8 motorvated 300s, Chargers and Challengers. The Demon still lives at Highland Park. Marc Cranswick’s knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject shine through in another unique homage to some of America’s most iconic cars in MOPAR Muscle - Barracuda, Dart & Valiant 1960-1980.

Take a roaring ride through every year of Chrysler performance-car history led by stunning photography, lively commentary, and detailed specification tables for every model. Expanded and updated, The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars details all of the classic Mopar muscle cars from 1960 to today in one handsomely designed book. Explore every aspect of the: Early 1960s factory lightweights Boulevard brawlers like the Road Runner, GTX, and Super Bee Super collector cars like Hemi-powered ’Cudas, Challengers, and Superbirds 21st century Charger (2006–2023) and Challenger (2008–2023) performance cars Over nearly 75 years, Chrysler’s Dodge and Plymouth brands have offered some of the most memorable and exciting muscle cars ever loosed on the motoring public. Arguably, it all began with the 1951 release of the vaunted V-8 Hemi engine. This legendary beast passed through a handful of displacements until finally morphing into the all-conquering 426. Chrysler’s V-8 prowess shone in early 1960s factory-lightweight drag cars then moved to muscle-era classics like the Charger, Roadrunner, GTX, Super Bee, and Superbird. But it wasn’t just about Hemis; Chrysler offered a variety of V-8 engines including 340, 383, and 440 displacements fitted to other top-flight cars like the Barracuda, Challenger, ’Cuda, and Duster. No other Detroit automaker offered a wider variety of performance cars in the 1960 and early ’70s. Emissions requirements and ever-increasing insurance tabs put the squeeze on performance cars beginning in the mid-1970s, and Mopar performance declined for decades. But it returned with a vengeance in the 21st century, first in the guise of a new Charger (4-door!) and then the beloved retro-design Challenger. Both of these iconic models were put to rest in 2023, but not before unleashing the wild 807-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye and the outrageous 1,025-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. Power to the people, indeed! The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars is a must-have reference for all Mopar muscle fans.

In 1964, Chrysler offered an optional V-8 with it's popular Dodge Valiant. Banking on the resulting success of this option package, Chrysler went on to release a decade worth of low-priced, high-performance muscle cars based on the "A-body" Valiant, including the Dodge Dart GT and GTS, the Swinger 340, and the Demon, as well as the Plymouth Duster. Today, these cars' phenomenal sales figures translate to a thriving Dart and Duster enthusiast scene. Color photography of restored and factory-original vehicles, along with archival black-and-white images, are accompanied by an authoritative history examining the development of the cars. In addition to model histories for each, there are in-depth discussions of vehicle design and production, driving impressions, accessories and options, popular performance upgrades of the period, and the cars' successful histories at the drag strip.

The story of Ford’s original, home-grown small cars, the Mustang II and Pinto. Follow their progress through a difficult decade when Henry took on the imports, battled bureaucracy and gave America the economy and sports luxury subcompacts they wanted. This book details the successful design, building and sale of these small American Fords that faced domestic and foreign rivals. Mustang II and Pinto went through many permutations, appearance and performance packages – options that have helped the cars become collectible classics, and are prime examples of the decade the pony car survived. Going beyond stock standard were the customizers and racers that pushed the cars and their designs to the limit. Mustang II and Pinto graced enthusiast car magazine covers, and became stars in TV and films. They were small cars that made a big impact, and kept the Mustang galloping. Marc Cranswick draws on his lifelong passion for iconic American cars and this book delivers another unique insight into these models. His other books include Ford Midsize Muscle – Fairlane, Torino & Ranchero; MOPAR Muscle – Barracuda, Dart & Valiant; and Pontiac Firebird – The Auto-Biography.

The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Muscle Cars is the ultimate portrayal of history's ultimate muscle cars. This is the ultimate visual history of greatest muscle cars. The history of Chrysler Corporation is, in many ways, a history of a company floundering from one financial crisis to the next. While that has given shareholders fits for nearly a century, it has also motivated the Pentastar company to create some of the most outrageous, and collectible, cars ever built in the United States. From the moment Chrysler unleashed the Firepower hemi V-8 engine on the world for the 1951 model year, they had been cranking out the most powerful engines on the market. Because the company pioneered the use of lightweight unibody technology, it had the stiffest, lightest bodies in which to put those most powerful engines, and that is the basic muscle-car formula: add one powerful engine to one light car. When the muscle car era exploded onto the scene, Chrysler unleashed the mighty Mopar muscle cars, the Dodges and Plymouths that defined the era. Fabled nameplates like Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, 'Cuda, and Challenger defined the era and rank among the most valuable collector cars ever produced by an American automaker.

Now 60 years old, your Slant Six could probably use some freshening up. Slant Six engine expert Doug Dutra has produced this volume to walk you through every aspect of disassembly, evaluation, rebuild, and reassembly in an easy-to-read, step-by-step format. The book also covers modifications, showing how to squeeze the most out of your engine. The year 1960 was an important one in auto manufacturing; it was the year all of the Big Three unveiled entrants in a new class of car called the compact. Chrysler's offering, the Plymouth Valiant, was paired with its redesigned 6-cylinder engine entrant, the Slant Six, known by its nickname the "leaning tower of power." This engine powered the Valiants when they swept the top seven positions in the newly christened compact race that precluded the Daytona 500. With its legacy intact, Chrysler's Slant Six powered Mopar automobiles for decades to come in three displacement offerings (170, 198, 225). With millions of Slant Six engines built over the 30-plus years that the engine was produced, it’s always a good idea to have this book handy, as you never know when the next "leaning tower of power" will find its way into your garage! p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial}

What kind of car is that? It looks like a big Beetle! If ever there was a car in search of a context and market, it was the VW Type 4. Volkswagen’s first foray into the upscale sector brought engineering innovation to Wolfsburg. It also tried to convince worldwide buyers that VW still had the right stuff. With design origins in the Porsche consultancy, the signs were hopeful. However, globally, the automarket was rapidly changing. The VW Type 4’s portfolio ran to unitary construction and fuel injection, but had to face fancy competition from Detroit’s European subsidiaries. All the while, VW was searching for its future road, and faced challenging developments. The fuel crisis and Japanese competition in North America kept the pressure on at Wolfsburg. Could the VW 411 and 412’s solid traditional virtues carry the day? Then and now the Type 4’s unbreakable VW quality, and flat out sustainability, appealed to air cooled devotees. The 411 and 412 brought a new dimension in comfort to VW, and its hardware design was utilized by the air cooled clan both on and off road. The Type 4 even had a sports car connection, and never lost the power to surprise.