The Complete Book of Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars
Every Model from 1960 to Today
by Mike Mueller
Depending upon how long you’ve been immersed in the old-car hobby and especially if you’ve a strong attraction to Dodge and/or Plymouth muscle cars, there’s a possibility you might have the original version of this book in your library as Mike Mueller first wrote and photographed it with Motorbooks publishing it in 2009.
The book’s original editor, Zack Miller, is still with Motorbooks. He contacted Mueller asking if he might be interested in doing an update. Mueller, having fully retired, declined but did write a new Acknowledgments page. Miller turned to another veteran journalist/photographer, Tom Glatch, who had grown up in the muscle car era. In fact, Glatch’s first car had been a 1970 Plymouth Duster 340.
If this is your first exposure to this book, a look at the Table of Contents will show you how it is organized. Bear in mind this is neither a technical book nor is it a complete history of Chrysler Corporation’s offerings during those years it has been creating, producing and selling them—right up to current day. It is more of an overview and celebration of these cars. Those concluding two chapters that are new to this updated, expanded edition are the ones added by Tom Glatch.
With each different model presented the opening pages contain a chart with that vehicle’s statistics.
With each different make/model iteration presented—there are 75 in all—its pages begin with a 21-item specifications chart about that car. There are a few paragraphs of general discussion about each that might include media observations or comments from the public when each was first introduced. If options were available, there is discussion of them. Best of all, are the generous photos, lots and lots of photos often of four or more different cars of whatever make/model is being presented. In all, the book is illustrated with 570 images.
The majority of the images are credited to Mueller except for the historical images that were provided courtesy of Chrysler’s Corporate Historical Collection. Mueller had a good eye and shot creatively with, nearly exclusively, his Hasselblads. Film, real film, remember? The results are clear and sharp and printed large showing off to their best each car and its details.
Of course, the predominant photo credits of the images in the last two (new) chapters are Tom & Kelly Glatch augmented with a few additional images credited to stock houses such as Getty, Alamy, and Kimball.
So, there is plenty to look at—accompanied by fun and interesting words to read.
If you have the 2009 version, don’t rush to retire it because that interactive front cover with the spinning wheel of Mopars (right) is not something you’re likely to find—on any book—nowadays.
Copyright 2024 Helen V Hutchings (speedreaders.info)
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