Index
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Very special thanks to a great collaborator, my editor Wes Eisenschenk. His guidance, excellent suggestions, and contacts made this book possible. CarTech supported this book through multiple changes of direction, which also tested the patience of design and copyeditors faced with last-minute layout juggling. Thank you!
Special thanks to my mother, for developing my reading, writing, and art. Thanks to my dad, for my first camera. Liddel Lisa Minella solved an avalanche of crazy computer issues.
Bob McClurg provided access to his archive of excellent photos, including this book’s main cover image.
George Pappas turned this book around at a critical point with a treasure trove of intriguing photos and stories, and great encouragement.
Don Reynolds took time from running his busy dealership to assist in any way he could.
Father Jim Perkl provided a motherlode of vintage images. He also blessed my car for my road trip!
Nancy Gibb went above and beyond to ensure this book had a wonderful array of images from her family’s dealership.
Living in your car gets tedious! Hosts on the road included Mark and Ginnie Hassett; Bill and Sue Liddy; Derek, Tara, and Pearl McCulloch; Liddel Lisa, Javen, and Devin Minella; Bill and Patti Nawrot; and Jim Wangers.
Thanks to Richard Adair, Gene Adams, Alameda County Courthouse, Alameda Public Library, Bob Allen, Joel Altman, Dave Anderson, Rod Arnzen, Jason Ball, Ken Barnhart, Dave Beem, Bellingham Public Library, Robert “442” Bescott, Thomas Bettencourt, Billy Bissonet, Allen Booth, Mark Brailey, Adam Brandes, Tim Brown, Mel Browning, Tim Burgess, Robert Carrothers, Tom Carter, Jim Cecil, Chicago Public Library, Rob Clary and Tom Clary, Patrick Comey, Pat Conroy, Tim Costello at MCA, Garth “Maximus” Cox, Laurie Craig, Dennis Cumby, Scott Dahlberg, Dean and Helen Darnell, Roger Day, Terry Denomme at Bone Stock, Detroit Public Library, Dave Fillion, David Garton, Bill Glowacki, Google Earth, Dave Govett, Cam Grant, Merle Green Jr., D. Hardy, Mark Hassett, Mark Hassett Jr., Historical Society of Seattle and King County, Bob Hoogstra Van Hurst, Cam Hutchins and Paul Hutchins, Iliana at Milwaukee County Historical, Frank Isaak, Jamie Jarvis, Jill at The Winking Judge Pub, Tim Johnson, Don Keefe, Mr. Norm Kraus, David Lambdin, Al Leibof, Library of Congress, Los Angeles Public Library, Spence Lyon, Manhattan Beach Public Library, Kathleen Marks, Bob McClurg, Tom McEwan, Mecum Auto Auctions, Andy Meyer and Dick Meyer, Douglas Morton, Skip Murphy, Annie and Rick Nelson, Newspapers.com, Dave Nicholas, Oakland Public Library, Oakland City Hall, Olympia Public Library, Rollie and Cheryl Paulsgrove, Bob Peck, John Politzer, Portland Public Library, Don Powell, Hayden Proffitt, John Quesnel, Rachel at Missouri State Historical Society, R. E. Olds Transportation Museum, Carlos Rivera, Michelle Roberts, Al Rogers, San Francisco Public Library, Denny Sanders, Dave Savage, Pat Sawyer Family, Dr. Eric M. Schiffer, Ken and Becky Schoentaler, Milt Schornack, Marty Schorr, Seattle Public Library, Keith Seymore, J Scott Shannon of Covina Past blog, Greg Sharp, Wayne and Shiela at NHRA Museum, Russell Small, Russell Stidham, Steve Strand, Mike Strickler, UCLA Library Special Collections copyright law specialists, Sandy Vandeberg, Mike Vercheak, Jim Wangers, Washington State Historical Society, Washington State Library, Jeanne Weise, Michael White, Todd R. Wingerter, and Robert Yeakel.
INTRODUCTION
The years 1964 to 1970 are considered to be the golden era of high-volume domestic muscle cars. A majority of dealerships in the 1960s reluctantly sold muscle cars, and many of them shied away from even a whiff of performance. However, there were many dealerships that embraced the factory muscle car marketing and amped it to the tune of squealing tires, no-holds-barred thrills, speed, and raw savage power. Some dealerships even usurped the factory limits with engine swaps and high-performance enhancements. Other dealers may not have produced their own dealer specials, but they sold a lot of muscle cars because they were passionate about them. They offered dyno tune-ups, car club meeting spots, and speed parts.
A ridiculous number of V-8 big-block cars were sold as muscle car mania gripped nearly everyone below the age of 30 (and a lot of people over 30). Car dealers today still sell some muscle cars but not like the 1960s’ tsunami of horsepower that was hitting the streets. In our small, modern muscle market, the high-volume muscle dealers that survive have shrunk back to regular dealerships and are now just as “lost” as the dealers that are physically wiped out of existence without any trace. Many former muscle car dealers now sell SUVs and trucks only.
Writing this book involved a lot of talking, research, and endless nights roaming through dozens of cities trying to follow the ghosts of cruising and street racing. Not much was left to find. The remnants of glorious old steel and glass dealerships have been mostly replaced by fast-food places.