That's the question Trenton New Jersey's Sean Rich asked, as he set upon his 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle. He was already half-way there; the early '70s marked Detroit's most sinister-looking half-decade, with the Chevelle sharing its ominous styling with dead-mobster rides like the Lincoln Continental MkIV, Buick Boattail Rivera and Chrysler Newport.


As Mike Musto found — in the season finale of Big Muscle — Rich nailed the look he was after, adding massive tires and iron-gray paint to bring out the evil in Chevelle's aggressive lines. Chevy's A-Body variant wasn't a bad platform for its sad period, having been the product of a John Z. DeLorean mandate for a stiffer frame and better handling. Rich's worked-over 350ci V8 completes the ensamble like a Tommy Gun under a pinstripe gangster suit.

Malaise decade? Ask the tellers at Manufacturers Hanover.