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Muscle Car Confidential

Confessions of a Muscle Car Test Driver

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Author:

Joe Oldham

Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages

Item: 144244

ISBN: 9780760328316

Publisher: Motorbooks

Specs

Illustrations: 49 Color & 251 B&W Photos

Size: 9.25 x 10.875 x .5

Weight: 2.625 lb.

Edition: First

Published: May 15th 2007

DC: AP

List Price: $34.95 $26.21

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Description The Author Reviews Reader Reviews TOC

Today, a 1970 Hemi Cuda can change hands for as much as a quarter of a million dollars. But when it was introduced, the Barracuda was just a car, and it was Joe Oldhams job to beat the daylights out of it. A tell-all from the man who tested the best, this book delves into the notes Oldham made on the cars he vetted for some of the top car magazines.

Here are the photos (including outtakes) and the hard cold facts on muscle cars from the 1964 GTO to the 1976 Trans Am 455 HO--twenty-four in all. The 1970 Buick Gran Sport GSX, Oldham notes, was "the best handling muscle car we ever tested." The 1968 Plymouth Road Runner, on the other hand, was "just a car that didnt run very well"--despite its 426 Hemi.

Today, people might know the articles Oldham wrote, and they might know the performance numbers he got. But how he did those things was an untold story. This behind-the-scenes book is a close-up look at what it was like to live in the muscle car era and to help create the myth that still lives on today.

The list of reviewed cars includes:
1962 421 Super Duty Pontiac Catalina
1963 409 Chevrolet Biscayne
1968 Pontiac Firebird Sprint Turismo
1969 Baldwin-Motion SS-427 Camaro
1969 440 Plymouth Barracuda
1969 Firebird 400 Ram Air IV
1969 426 Hemi Road Runner
1969 440 Plymouth GTX
1969 440 6-BBL Plymouth Road Runner
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge
1969 428 Cobra Jet Mustang Mach 1
1970 426 Hemi Barracuda Convertible
1970 Buick GSX 455 Stage 1
1970 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV
1971 429SCJ Ford Torino Cobra
1971 American Motors 401 AMX
1972 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30
1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1976 455 Pontiac Trans Am

The author of several books on muscle cars, Joe Oldham began his career in journalism in 1964 as a writer/editor for Magnum-Royal Publications, where he road-tested every muscle car for magazines such as Hi-Performance Cars, Speed & Supercar and Supercars Annual until 1976. He then spent the next thirty-two years at The Hearst Corporation, the last nineteen as editor-in-chief of Popular Mechanics. He currently resides in La Quinta, California with his wife, Nina.

The New York Times, Dec. 16, 2007

“Book that keeps burning rubber right to the end.”

Super Chevy, November 2007

“It’s worth the price of admission just for his tales about hard-core New York street racing. You’ll read it over and over again.”

Hemmings Muscle Machines, May 2007

“Oldham does a good job of discussing muscle car elements often overlooked today, like fit and finish, interior comfort, and even handling, both on closed courses and the road. If you like these cars, you’ll love this book.”

Classic & Sports Car (UK), July 2007

“The text is light-hearted, the layouts lavish yet logical and the pictures are good … Recommended to any muscle fan.”

Camaro Performers, August 2007

“Joe Oldham takes readers on the ride of their lives, recounting what really happened behind the scenes … A must-have for any automotive enthusiast who wants to know the truth about muscle cars.”

Crash.net, Oct. 22, 2007

“For fans of this particular branch of motoring history Muscle Car Confidential is a fascinating insight into the industry and its product from a highly qualified and adept storyteller. Likewise, for novices who are interested in discovering what was happening overseas while the majority of us were pootling around in Austin Maxis and settling down to the decade of Maggie, it’s an educational read.”

Virginian Pilot, Dec. 14, 2007

“A look back at life as an auto journalist during the muscle car era of the late 1960s and early '70s. Author Joe Oldham brings a refreshing honesty to a chapter in automotive history that lacks it.”

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Contents

1. The Cast of Characters

2. Street Racing in New York City

3. 1962 421 Super Duty Pontiac Catalina

4. 1963 409 Chevrolet Biscayne

5. 1968 Pontiac Firebird Sprint Turismo

6. 1969 Baldwin-Motion SS-427 Camaro

7. 1969 440 Plymouth Barracuda

8. 1969 Firebird 400 Ram Air IV

9. 1969 426 Hemi Road Runner

10. 1969 440 Plymouth GTX

11. 1969 440 6-BBL Plymouth Road Runner

12. 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge

13. 1969 428 Cobra Jet Mustang Mach I

14. 1969 Boss 429 Mustang

15. 1970 426 Hemi Barracuda Convertible

16. 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1

17. 1970 Pontiac GTO Ram Air IV

18. 1971 429SCJ Ford Torino Cobra

19. 1971 American Motors 401 Javelin/AMX

20. 1972 Oldsmobile W-30 442

21. 1973 Chevrolet Camaro Z28

22. 1976 455 Pontiac Trans Am

Transportation / Cars & Trucks / Muscle Cars

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