Top Muscle: The Rarest Cars from America's Fastest Decade

by Darwin Holmstrom, Randy Leffingwell (Photographer)

Overview

A muscle-car book unlike any other, featuring the rarest vehicles on Earth. In the 1960s, something explosive happened in the automotive world: the United States’ evolving V-8 engine technology was met by 75 million baby boomers, all with an extreme need for speed and all entering the auto market at the same time. The result was the golden era of factory muscle cars, brutish machines that were unlike any the world had ever seen or will likely ever see again—they truly embodied the “sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll” generation. But for some, even a factory muscle car wasn’t enough. Detroit automakers responded, secretly building outrageous muscle cars behind their superiors’ backs and ultimately creating some of the most powerful vehicles ever sold to the public. In Top Muscle, author Darwin Holmstrom chronicles the ultimate collection of these super-rare high-performance beasts. Captured by the lens of renowned auto photographer Randy Leffingwell, these cars represent the absolute zenith of the most valuable collector cars in existence, with fascinating histories that illuminate the wildest age in American automotive history. The Brothers Collection features over 600 cars, including such rarities as:- The very first Chevelle Z16 ever built, which was also the very first muscle car that Chevrolet ever built- The very first Chevelle SS454 LS6 off the assembly line- The only 1969 Mach I Mustang ever built with a factory sunroof- The very first A12 (440-6) Roadrunner ever built- The very last Hemi ’Cuda convertible Plymouth producedvOne of the eight convertible Trans Am Ram Air III Firebirds that Pontiac built in 1969

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781627881555
Publisher:	Motorbooks
Publication date:	05/15/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	75 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Darwin Holmstrom has written, co-written, or contributed to more than thirty books on subjects ranging from motorcycles and muscle cars to Gibson Les Paul guitars, including Indian Motorcycles, GTO: Fifty Years, Let's Ride: Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcyclying, Top Muscle: The Rarest Cars from America's Fastest Decade, BMW Motorcycles, The Life Harley-Davidson, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles. Darwin is a former senior editor at Motorbooks and former Midwestern editor for Motorcyclist magazine.

Randy Leffingwell wrote his first book, American Muscle, while still on staff at the Los Angeles Times. The book examined Times’ publisher Otis Chandler’s growing collection of muscle cars. American Muscle published in September 1990, jump-started a love of book creation that ultimately led Leffingwell to leave the Times in 1995. By then, he and Motorbooks had published Porsche Legends, and six other books.
 
Since 1990, Leffingwell has authored more than 60 titles, most of them automotive-oriented. Over 30-plus years, these include a dozen Porsche titles ranging from general overviews—Porsche 75 Years: Expect the Unexpected, and The Complete Book of Porsche 911—to deeper explorations in Porsche Turbo and Porsche 911: 50 Years. During this time, he has regularly traveled to Germany to continue his research regarding Porsche’s history. To date, Leffingwell has interviewed more than 200 Porsche engineers, stylists, model makers, racers, and managers.
 
While he has tackled other subjects including John Deere tractors, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and West Coast lighthouses, Leffingwell admits he is almost addicted to the Porsche story. In addition to his book work, he is historical editor for 000 magazine and PorschePanorama. And for the past decade he has been researching and writing an encyclopedic history of Porsche’s motorsports endeavors.
 
Leffingwell lives near Santa Barbara, California.

Darwin Holmstrom has written, co-written, or contributed to more than thirty books on subjects ranging from motorcycles and muscle cars to Gibson Les Paul guitars, including Indian Motorcycles, GTO: Fifty Years, Let's Ride: Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcyclying, Top Muscle: The Rarest Cars from America's Fastest Decade, BMW Motorcycles, The Life Harley-Davidson, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles. Darwin is a former senior editor at Motorbooks and former Midwestern editor for Motorcyclist magazine.
Randy Leffingwell wrote his first book, American Muscle, while still on staff at the Los Angeles Times. The book examined Times' publisher Otis Chandler's growing collection of muscle cars. American Muscle published in September 1990, jump-started a love of book creation that ultimately led Leffingwell to leave the Times in 1995. By then, he and Motorbooks had published Porsche Legends, and six other books.   Since 1990, Leffingwell has authored more than 60 titles, most of them automotive-oriented. Over 30-plus years, these include a dozen Porsche titles ranging from general overviews—Porsche 75 Years: Expect the Unexpected, and The Complete Book of Porsche 911—to deeper explorations in Porsche Turbo and Porsche 911: 50 Years. During this time, he has regularly traveled to Germany to continue his research regarding Porsche's history. To date, Leffingwell has interviewed more than 200 Porsche engineers, stylists, model makers, racers, and managers.   While he has tackled other subjects including John Deere tractors, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and West Coast lighthouses, Leffingwell admits he is almost addicted to the Porsche story. In addition to his book work, he is historical editor for 000 magazine and PorschePanorama. And for the past decade he has been researching and writing an encyclopedic history of Porsche's motorsports endeavors.   Leffingwell lives near Santa Barbara, California.

Editorial Reviews

"When Top Muscle says it focuses on the rarest of the rare, it really means it. Top Muscle follows a simple and undeniably effective formula." - AutoWeek

"Car enthusiasts today have access to an ever-broadening selection of muscle car books. This particular work was written by Darwin Holmstrom to highlight some of the most sought-after cars of the era. The cars selected are often intriguing, not simply because they have rare drivetrains, but because of particular attributes or histories. Randy Leffingwell created alluring images using unconventional light "painting" techniques. The results appear as painstakingly studio-lit works, when they were actually taken in the collection's storage facility. It's attractive and interesting, and includes a number of cars we've not seen previously. We just can't help wanting to know more about them." - Hemmings Muscle Machines

"(Leffingwell) is able to give the vehicles a sort of inner radiance that invites readers to treat the images as works of art. Yeah, I know that sounds a little pretentious, but remember, these are classic muscle cars that wear some of the most expressive and extreme designs ever seen on the road and Leffingwell's approach to lighting brings out every dramatic curve and angle. Finally, while the big deal here is no doubt the photography, Holmstrom's copy is very engaging, and while his enthusiasm for the cars is obvious, he doesn't gush over them. He also does a good job at providing background and context for the original muscle-car era, right down to the inclusion of vintage print ads." - AutoSavant.com

'Stunning… recommended reading.'

From the Publisher