Yes I know that this has NOTHING to do with trucks but as an avid fan of US Musclecars Bglorrylog will not back down! So obviously I'm going to blog on "Dodge Challenger & Plymouth Barracuda - Chrysler's Potent Pony Cars". Published by Veloce at £29.99 in hardback, follows a chronological journey through the development of pony cars from the 1960 Valiant onwards. Fascinating design concepts are also included in the book along with all the sub-series and models. Inside you'll find 375 mainly colour pictures, including fresh new photos of original vehicles and rarely seen archive pictures and period adverts."
Along with the Ford Mustang, the Plymouth Barracuda was often referred to by the colloquial name 'pony car', and although the Mustang went on to outsell the 'Slippery Fish' it was the first incarnation of the Barracuda that was released first on 1 April 1964, beating the Mustang to the dealerships by two clear weeks." Now click through here for how to get a copy of the book - and an easy-peasy pie quiz...
The 196-page hardback which measures 250mm x 207mm book is available now from bookshops or from www.veloce.co.uk.
Dodge Challenger & Plymouth Barracuda - Chrysler's Potent Pony Cars By Peter Grist, Available now UK & USA. ISBN 978-1-845841-05-8. UPC 6-36847-04105-2. £29.99 UK / $59.95 USA.
And I'll certainly be getting a copy as it features some really boss cars that captured the imagination of yours truly in the 1960s and 1970s when they featured as stars of both the big screen and drag strip. And for a pie... A white Dodge Challenger was famously used in what 1971 all-action road movie? I want the title and leading man too!
And for another pie I seem to recall a 70s film with a Dodge Charger starring Peter Fonda and a British actress - what was it called?
Brian
At last a decent bit o' kit on the blog.Film was'Bullitt'starring Steve Mc Queen driving a 1968 Ford Mustang 390 CID Fastback being chased by 2 hoods driving a Tuxedo Black 1968 Dodge Charger RT 440 Magnum made by Renault.The car chase lasted,I think 11 minutes and the filming was such you felt you were going up n down in the car.Daft film really the Charger was actually faster than the Mustang,still seen it loads of times,great movie.Now send me free book as prize.
The Boss
Sorry Boss..you're way of beam with that answer. The Dodge Challenger I have in mind was in a very different film and the Charger I was thinking of was yellow not black as in Bullit. But keep guessing! The clue for the Charger film is that it starred Susan George as well as Peter Fonda.
The movie was Vanishing Point and the star was Barry Newman.I have traveled many times down the highway that the movie was filmed on.Which was U.S. 50 through Colorado,Utah and Nevada.
This Challenger, along with Mustang, Charger, Barracuda, Superbee and countless others out of similar Motown moulds, epitomises the USA during those heady days before it became ashamed of its own natural state, before the OPEC countries first flexed their muscles and the beardy GreenTeam donned their sandals and kaftans and, possibly but not definitely correctly, sent the world on an emissions and resources guilt trip. A time when myriad, budget 150mph-capable super-coupes marauded the open plains of middle America and roads were a blissful, lonely, endless grey ribbon with mercifully regular gas stations! I wish I had been around then, arm out of the window, with a carefree young girl next to me who wanted to experiment with anything and everything, before the new world thought-police lobotomised us all with pale green Prius's at 40mph to attone for our forefathers sins.
Irrelevant today? I dont think so. My classic old, 2000 mile a year, UKP2500-worth of Mercedes 560SEC (and its outrageous, modern Stuttgard offspring), the Ford Capri, Vauxhall Monaro and Ferrari 599 amongst many others, heretic cars to some but seminal nonetheless, all owe their heritage to the simple, mass-produced and cheap front engined, rear wheel drive layout of American muscle car coupes of the 60's - they dont suit or please all by any stroke but to this day they make most people sit up and take notice. That alone must make them different and important. And I missed out.
Saw Vanishing point on dvd for sale in HMV recently, bargain at £3.
What else can I say,Jerry, but AMEN!
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, peut-etre?