Issue 58

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MUSCLE NEWS

Paul Gover asks the tough questions to Ford’s big wigs about the V8 engine’s future, checks progress on HSV’s smaller car push, and finds another manufacturer racking up big sales of V8s. Meantime, muscle maniac James Cockington checks out the latest auctions and discovers the classic Aussie muscle car Brits now love. He also examines Charger’s place in popular culture.

MUSCLE MAIL

This issue readers: remember Mr XR GT and Rossco; recall their time pit crewing at the 1976 Bathurst 1000; retrace Mad Max’s footsteps; and save a Kingswood. The Kingswood? You’re not taking the Kingswood. I’ve just shampooed the carpets.

JB COLUMN

It’s 26 years since John Bowe made his Bathurst debut. The bearded wonder reflects on the changes to the Great Race over his time competing there.

STUBBER COLUMN

It’s 16 years (give or take a year) since Paul Stubber made his Albany Classic debut. The historic tin-top racer and comic reflects on ‘Blue Lou’ and causing race officials grief. So what’s new, we hear you ask?

CHARGER BIRTH

Luke Brand tracks the origins and development of the 1971 Chrysler Charger, which included the ultimate performance version, the R/T E38. AMC has unearthed some previously unpublished pics of rejected Charger designs. Appropriately, our 40th anniversary special begins on page 38.

CHARGER TESTING

Leo Geoghegan recalls his role developing the first of the Chargers via an old Valiant ute test hack and the Charger prototype. Valiant effort that.

MR HEY CHARGER

Ever wondered who came up with the most famous Aussie automotive advertising catchphrase? AMC did, so James Cockington tracked him down to discover what inspired ‘Hey Charger’. We give him a two-fingered salute – in the nicest possible way. Gruen Transfer eat your heart out.

E38 CHARGER #38

Of the 10 Chrysler Charger R/T E38s that raced in the 1971 Hardie Ferodo 500, just one still turns laps of racetracks today. Appropriately, it’s car #38. This is its story.

THE BRICKIES

We don’t condone street racing here at AMC. Not one iota. We do, however, take great pride in presenting James Cockington’s story on the racing that took place at Homebush long before V8 Supercars annual bash.

MUSCLE MAN

Very little has been written about Rusty French’s racing exploits, despite him holding a competition licence for 45 years. Paul Newby decided it was time to tell his story, which includes many Bathurst campaigns and a Le Mans cameo.

MUSCLE CAR MASTERS

AMC has taken a different approach to covering the annual Australian Muscle Car Masters. Lots of pics like usual, but Bruce Moxon also serves up plenty of mini stories and car profiles, like the tales about the little-raced A9X and Group A VL Commodore that broke cover at the Creek.

MAURICE FABIETTI

Maurice Fabietti and his Monaro terrorise drag racing’s premier sedan category. After making headlines at the Australian Grand Prix, Fabietti was the first to run a pure competition drag racing new-shape Monaro, attracting support from GM Holden, as David Cook outlines.

BACK IN THE DAY

Many cars started the 1978 Rothmans 500, less than half finished. As it turned out, having the Toranas drop like flies was the best thing that could have happened to Holden four months out from Bathurst. We still can’t believe a 222-lap race (actually 600km) was held around Oran Park’s long circuit. Madness.

MODELS

Some models don’t get out of bed for less than $10K a day. Then there are the petit and beautifully formed objects of desire on pages 120 and 121.

OUT OF ACTION

A modified Holden scene on the Thai island of Koh Samui. That’s appears to be the case when you look at the machines a holidaying reader has spotted. The Kingswood? You’re not taking the Kingswood. I’ve just polished the number plate.