Car Guys vs. Bean Counters (Book Review)

Car Guys vs Bean Counters book review

Former GM vice-chairman offers an insider’s look at a once proud industry. Bob Lutz is one of the most colorful, if not controversial figures in the automotive industry today. Although he officially retired from General Motors in 2010, ending a 47-year automotive career that also began with GM and included … Read more

Mustang by Design (Book Review)

Mustang by Design book review

Nearly everyone knows something about the Ford Mustang, the iconic sports coupe that’s been part of American automotive lore for more than a half-century. Formally introduced at the New York World’s Fair on April 17, 1964, this steed on wheels has captured the hearts of millions of drivers and remains … Read more

Fiat 500: The Design Book (Book Review)

Fiat 500 the Design Book

The Fiat 500 is one of the most easily recognized vehicles on the road. It is petite, stylish, and colorful, hallmarks of basic transportation with a distinct design flair. Launched in 1957, the Fiat 500 was dubbed a “city car,” yielding coupe, semi-convertible, hatchback, and panel van variants. The original … Read more

The Complete Book of Classic Volkswagens (Book Review)

Complete Book of Classic Volkswagens

All about classic Volkswagens! How much do you know about Volkswagen? Perhaps a better question is this one: how much do you think you know about an automotive brand founded during Germany’s darkest years, specifically the 1930s? Volkswagen translates to “people’s car” from German, a vehicle authorized by Adolf Hitler … Read more

Porsche: A History of Excellence (Book Review)

Porsche a History of Excellence book review

Automotive history books offer fascinating looks at the evolution of the ever important automobile. Books focusing on a single manufacturer show the design changes throughout the years, and each progressive generation demonstrates an improvement in refinement and looks. A book tracing the history of the Ford Motor Company, for instance, … Read more

Dream Garages International (Book Review)

Dream Garages International book review

Many of us know one person who goes well beyond being the atypical weekend mechanic. This individual not only works on cars, but lives them, eagerly finding and passionately restoring a classic car to its former glory or maintaining at least one such model. His main ride may be something newer, … Read more

The Hot Rod Reader (Book Review)

Hot Rod Reader book review

America’s purely original art forms are rather limited. While American poets, play writes and painters have left their marks on art and society, their crafts were not of purely American invention. America’s greatest contributions to popular culture and art are undoubtedly film, jazz and the automobile. Jazz of course, is … Read more

NASCAR: Then and Now (Book Review)

NASCAR Then and Now book review

Very much a rags to riches story, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing went from a few dirt tracks to big time business in less than half a century. Given the rather long name, it’s no wonder the acronym, NASCAR, now describes the league, the cars and a … Read more

Life Is a Highway (Book Review)

Life is a Highway book review

I am not the biggest fan of books comprised merely of compilations of short stories written by different authors. Most of these books seem to offer a mishmash of writing styles and story ideas, taking the reader all over the place. But, that is precisely the charm found in “Life … Read more

The Allure of the Automobile (Book Review)

Allure of the Automobile book review

Automotive design has had its shining moments, something we still see today in select Italian sports cars, German luxury sedans and, if I daresay, in America’s current drove of pony cars. There was a season from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, when most cars were predictable and uninspiring, … Read more