For the closet bogan in all of us that loves a well-done-up muscle car…

My brother is a massive fan of classic Ford muscle cars. He’s got two in his backyard – one of them, a green 351 GT standing proudly in his garage, a transparent balloon-like dome surrounding it for protection. Whenever he takes me for a spin in it, I have to hold my chest since it feels like my heart is going to pop out. Yep, scary and exhilarating all at once.

Ford: The Muscle Car Classics 1969–79 tells the story of the 351 GT – and many muscle beasts like it: magnificent highly-charged machines, from the Falcon XA, XB and GT-HO (pictured below) to the very-’70s-looking Cobra Series. It also takes a good look at the men who made these vehicles fly – from local doer-upperers to internationally-renowned racers.

The book captures the stories from the glory days ’round the Bathurst roads and features over 300 glorious pics, stories and a comprehensive history of some of the country’s best-loved cars, plus a detailed analysis of every Ford muscle car model.

A must-have for Ford fanatics. In fact I think my brother’s heart will pop out of his chest when he gets his hands on a copy.

‘Ford: The Muscle Car Classics 1969–79’ is available through Rockpool Publishing, RRP $29.99.