The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Muscle Cars

Description

Get an up-close-and-personal view of Chrysler's muscle cars with stunning studio portraits by Tom Loeser. 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 led to the creation of some of the most collectible cars ever built in the United States. Chrysler didn't invent the muscle-car genre-that honour is universally given to Pontiac's John Z. Delorean and his crew of hot rodders, hooligans, and hucksters. But Chrysler certainly could have invented the genre because by the time Pontiac sprang the GTO on the world, Chrysler had been building cars to the muscle-car formula for over a decade. Ever since Chrysler introduced the Firepower hemi V-8 engine for the 1951 model year, it had the most powerful engines on the market, and because the company pioneered the use of lightweight unibody technology, it was soon putting the most powerful engines in the lightest cars. The end result was utter and complete domination in all forms of racing. Featuring cars from the incomprable Brothers' Collection, The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Muscle Cars celebrates these cars in studio portraits using the light-painting process perfected by Tom Loeser. It is the ultimate portrayal of the ultimate muscle cars.

Since 1983, Tom Glatch has contributed hundreds of stories and photographs to major collector, Corvette, Mustang, muscle car, and Mopar magazines. Tom grew up during the muscle car era, and his first car was a very quick 1970 Plymouth Duster 340. Tom and his wife Kelly have contributed photographs to books by other Motorbooks authors, as well as Motorbooks' Corvette calendars. When not pursuing old muscle cars, Tom works for a Fortune 500 corporation as a data and systems analyst and developer. He lives in southeastern Wisconsin with his wife and two children, daughter Keara and son Sean. Tom Loeser has worked as a Firefighter for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (now known as CAL Fire), as a graphic designer and photographer, and as chief photographer for the Long Beach Grand Prix. Since 2012 he has worked full-time as a book photographer provided images for Motorbooks titles Art of the Corvette, Art of the Mustang, Wide-Open Muscle, and Classic Motorcycles: Art of the Speed. His next book, The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars, is in production.

"The history Glatch does recount, however, does strike a nice balance between succinct and to-the-point; yet detailed, with period anecdotes. The writing carries you along, but it's hard for it to compete for your attention with the art adjacent to it." * AutoFocus.ca * "This 224-page hardcover is a thing of beauty and a solid effort from start to finish, and it represents a bargain for the price." * Hemmings Muscle Machines *