{"product_id":"1970-maximum-muscle-isbn-9780760366783","title":"1970 Maximum Muscle","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn 1970, the American muscle car was as fast and outrageous as it would ever get. But the end was nigh, and \u003ci\u003e1970 Maximum Muscle\u003c\/i\u003e dives head-first into the storm before the calm.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Wherever you mark the beginning of the muscle car era—Oldsmobile’s 1949 Rocket 88, Chrysler’s 1951 FirePower engines, the 1964 Pontiac GTO—one thing is certain: in 1970, the era that had witnessed a parade of gloriously powerful, stylish, and brawny cars apt to make the hearts of even the most dispassionate squares go \u003ci\u003epitter-patter\u003c\/i\u003e was sucking fumes. Gasoline shortages, skyrocketing fuel prices, insurance-industry bean counters, rising ecological concerns, and new, more fuel-efficient imports all conspired to consign the American muscle car to an ugly and unseemly denouement. Yet \u003cb\u003e1970\u003c\/b\u003e saw the actual zenith of the cars themselves, \u003cb\u003ethe year manufacturers pulled out all the stops\u003c\/b\u003e and produced the most powerful and stunning machines the automotive world had ever seen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e1970 Maximum Muscle\u003c\/i\u003e not only \u003cb\u003eexplores the factors that led to the decline of the most exciting era in the American automotive industry\u003c\/b\u003e, it details some of the new models and model options that arguably made 1970 the climax of the muscle car era from engineering, styling, and cultural standpoints. As the war among GM, Ford, Chrysler, and AMC played out at dealerships, dragstrips, and drive-ins, ready-and-willing gearheads drove off dealer lots in potent behemoths like the Buick GSX, Oldsmobile 4-4-2, and Ford Torino Cobra. Muscle car stalwarts like the SS Chevelle, Pontiac GTO, and Plymouth ’Cuda became available with optional LS-6, Stage 1, and Hemi engines, respectively. Manufacturers ratcheted up the advertising hyperbole at the same time, offering performance packages with names like “Six-Pack,” “Ram Air,” and “Cobra Jet,” while spoilers, scoops, hood tachometers, and decal packages were de rigueur. Meanwhile, on the popular SCCA Trans Am circuit, top drivers campaigned more nimble muscle off-the-rack cars like the Camaro Z\/28 and Boss 302 Mustang. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e1970 Maximum Muscle\u003c\/i\u003e is an entertaining and rollicking look at the muscle car's peak year!","brand":"Motorbooks","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44892480667877,"sku":"NP9780760366783","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/1792cb3a-4913-4206-8570-ac03014b6ad1.jpg?v=1767809374","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/1970-maximum-muscle-isbn-9780760366783","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}