1 of 1 Muscle Cars: Stories of Detroit’s Rarest Iron

Learn about the rarest muscle cars ever produced with this new book.

In the world of muscle cars, many were produced and sold in large enough quantities that they would be considered special but not particularly rare at the time of production. The Boss 429 and Plymouth Superbird were produced for racing homologation reasons, and since they were very expensive to produce, the manufacturers ensured that they would be rare. However, there is rare, and then there is rare.

Prototypes and special factory builds, factory production cars, and super car tuners and builders are all covered in this new book by muscle-car historian Wes Eisenschenk. Some are single examples, some are very close to being the last remaining example, and all are extremely rare. Some have no surviving example known to exist. Featured cars include a Boss 429 Cougar, a 1971 Pontiac Ventura II Sprint 455, a 1965 Chevelle 300 COPO car with the L78 option, and a 1970 FK5 Deep Burnt Orange Metallic Superbird. Dealer promotional specials include a 1968 AMC AMX Von Piranha, a 1970 Dick Harrell LS6 454 Camaro, and a 1973 Nickey Chevrolet 427 Nova.

These are cars that you will read about but likely never see. For a fun ride through muscle-car history and great stories of the rarest muscle cars ever produced, add this book to your automotive library today.

From the Publisher

Prototypes and special factory builds, factory production cars, and super car tuners and builders are all covered in this new book by muscle-car historian Wes Eisenschenk. Some are single examples, some are very close to being the last remaining example, and all are extremely rare. Some have no surviving example known to exist. Featured cars include a Boss 429 Cougar, a 1971 Pontiac Ventura II Sprint 455, a 1965 Chevelle 300 COPO car with the L78 option, and a 1970 FK5 Deep Burnt Orange Metallic Superbird. Dealer promotional specials include a 1968 AMC AMX Von Piranha, a 1970 Dick Harrell LS6 454 Camaro, and a 1973 Nickey Chevrolet 427 Nova.

1969 Pontiac Trans Am Prototype

From the rear, the 1969 Trans Am looked like a boulevard bruiser. It would be interesting to see how sales could have been affected had the car been offered in silver, as opposed to white with blue stripes. (Photo Courtesy General Motors)

1970 Ford Boss Maverick Prorotype

The Boss 302 Maverick poses for internal photos at Ford. With its chin spoiler, custom C stripe, and domed hood, the Maverick had quite a different presence compared to its Mustang stablemate. (Photo Courtesy Ford Motor Company)

1971 AMC AMX Von Piranha

A handful of AMC dealerships and zones took on the task of creating customized, warrantied cars. Few AMCs were this flamboyant. (Photo Courtesy Scott Lachenauer)

1969 Mercury Cougar Boss 429

Kar-Kraft employees pose for staged photos inside the Merriman location. Centered in this frame is the 1969 Boss 429 Cougar XR-7 prototype with the distinctive air cleaner snorkel. (Photo Courtesy Fran Hernandez Family Archives)

1968 Z/28 Pete Estes Convertible

Chevrolet President Pete Estes was believed to have liked convertibles. Designer life becomes much easier when you can homologate parts and create something nice for the boss. (Photo Courtesy David Newhardt/Mecum Auctions)

1970 Dick Harrell Camaro

A set of Kelsey-Hayes Stripper 15x7s rotate with original Firestone Wide Oval rubber on them. Dick capped off the conversion by whitening out the hood and using the patent side stripe he used on his 1969 Camaros. (Photo Courtesy Eric English)

1972 Plymouth Road Runner 440-6

The optional Air Grabber hood was still available for the 1972 Plymouth Road Runner. (Photo Courtesy Arvid Svendsen)

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CarTech (January 22, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1613258003
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1613258002
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches