Last week we photographed our first AMC products for our new book, The Complete Book of AMC Cars. Thanks to long-time AMC enthusiasts Mike Spangler and Cheryl Samuel we were able to photograph two one-of-a-kind prototypes, the 1971 AMX concept and the 1974 Gremlin XP concept. We also shot their 1962 Rambler 400 convertible and 1983 Renault Le Car (Renault was the majority owner of AMC). Thank you again Mike and Cheryl!
We just finished photographing a spectacular 40,000 mile 2011 Dodge Challenger R/T for our update of Mike Mueller’s great book, The Complete Book of Dodge & Plymouth Muscle Cars. This R/T features Redline 3 Coat Pearl paint and the 5.7L Hemi producing 372 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. We used one of our favorite locations, the East Troy Railroad Museum in East Troy, Wisconsin. It’s always a joy photographing such an original and immaculate automobile!
My publisher, Quarto/Motorbooks, has asked me to create a new book titled The Complete Book of AMC Cars. I will be co-authoring this book with American Motors authority Pat Foster.
This complete reference will cover all of the production cars offered by AMC from its founding in 1954 to its demise in 1988. AMC combined American postwar independent auto manufacturers Nash and Hudson and eventually spawned the Rambler and Metropolitan brands before offering cars under the AMC badge beginning in the mid-1960s. In 1970, in a key strategic move, they acquired Jeep and significantly resuscitated that brand over the next two decades ensuring a success it continues to enjoy today. AMC ceased to exist as a brand after it was acquired by Chrysler in 1988.
This book will be released next year in conjunction with a six-part documentary covering AMC’s history that Patrick Foster and partners are creating. Maryland Public Television has committed to airing it in the fall of 2024. I’m thrilled to be co-authoring this book about an amazing company and the automobiles they created!
We just photographed our first Dodge Charger, a 2023 SRT Hellcat Jailbreak in F8 Green, for our update of Mike Mueller’s great book, The Complete Book of Dodge & Plymouth Muscle Cars. At 717 horsepower, this “last call” of the Dodge Charger and Challenger is truly going out in style!
I have been asked by Motorbooks to write an update to Mike Mueller’s excellent book “The Complete Book of Classic Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars”. Mike’s book covers 1960 to 1974, but so much has happened at Dodge in the 21st century that Motorbooks wanted to add two more chapters on the 2006 to current Dodge Charger and 2008 to current Dodge Challenger. Mike did not want to tackle this project, so they offered it to me. I will also be photographing some of these cars for the books. I’ve admired Mike Mueller’s work for 30 years or more, and I’ve contributed some photos to his books over the years. It will be a challenge to match Mike’s always first-class work, but we both write with a similar “voice” and photograph in a similar style. This should be fun!
Quite simply, the 1973 — 74 Trans Am Super Duty was the fastest, most powerful automobile from the company that built excitement. Tom Goad, Pontiac legendary Project Manager, said of the Super Duty, “These were by far the strongest-running production Pontiac V8s of all time, even with the low compression ratio required for lower-octane, regular-grade gasoline.” And when you have one, like Broad Arrow auctions did in March, preserved from new with all original equipment (down to the tires), it’s sure to set records.
You can read my review of this auction in the June 2023 issue of Sports Car Market magazine. Selling for $173,600, this was a smashing Super Duty sale.
I was hoping John Maher’s 1969 Corvette ZL1 would set the record for highest Corvette sale at auction. $3 million Ferraris are almost expected at auctions today, yet Corvettes rarely break seven figures, much less $3m. But the 1969 ZL1s are shrouded in mystery — it was known two were built but with Maher’s one-of-a-kind ZL1 automatic convertible the total is clearly three. In the end this Corvette broke the $3m mark but did not set the record, two 1967 L88 Corvettes sold for more in the past, but it is now the highest priced C3 Corvette ever and certainly worth every penny. You can read all about it in the Market Moment I wrote in the May issue of Sports Car Market magazine, which will be published in a few weeks.
In Detroit they call him “Maximum Bob” for a reason. Robert A. “Bob” Lutz had successful careers at BMW, Ford, Chrysler, and GM, and I rank Bob along with John DeLorean as America’s greatest automotive leaders and innovators. At GM Bob had turned the Pontiac division back to profitability and it was quickly becoming “America’s BMW” with an all rear-drive performance-oriented lineup. GM’s bankruptcy killed Pontiac, unfortunately, but Bob’s vision was, as always, spot on.
In 2017 Bob graciously gave me an interview for our fourth book for Motorbooks, The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO. He later wrote the foreword for this book, and I will forever be grateful for his contributions. Today is Bob Lutz’s 91st birthday. Thank you again, and may you have many more birthdays to come!
I was again asked by Broad Arrow Auctions to provide some of the catalog descriptions for their upcoming Amelia Island auction, March 2 – 3, 2023. Every vehicle has a story, and the challenge for me again is to tell that story in an engaging and accurate way in 400 words or less. In its first year, Broad Arrows’ three auctions were very successful — not surprising since the company is loaded with auction industry veterans. For example, Carl Bauer, the Director of Development for Broad Arrow, is an absolute expert on Porsches, and writes most of the texts on those lots. To be included in this group, and to support this important upcoming auction, is a true honor!
Breathtaking! That single word defines the 1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6. In 1990 the owner of an original LS6 gave me a ride. With a self-confessed “need for speed” – his Chicagoland daily driver was a 1987 Buick GNX – he held nothing back on this holeshot. Even on factory tires the LS6 launched as hard as any muscle car I’ve experienced, accompanied by the thunder only a 450hp 454 Big-Block can produce. This is elite performance from the muscle car era!
At the Barrett-Jackson Houston 2022 auction this beautifully restored LS6 coupe sold for $225,500, including buyer’s premium. While not record-setting, this was a high book sale. In general prices and sales of most vehicles have softened from the frenzy of the spring and summer of 2022. For more on this auction analysis, please see the March 2023 issue of Sports Car Market magazine: www.sportscarmarket.com⎘
