(UPDATED FROM 4/18/2024) The most valuable books I have bought in recent years have been J. “Kelly” Flory Jr.’s American Cars reference guides. This multi-volume set provides wide-ranging information on U.S.-made cars during the postwar […]
(EXPANDED FROM 4/26/2013) Last weekend I made the trek to my favorite bookstore — Powell’s in Portland, Oregon. There I found a 1993 edition of the Encyclopedia of American Cars for $25. That struck me […]
(EXPANDED FROM 1/10/2022) Now that we’re once again hitting the peak of gift-giving season, let’s take a look at one of the more popular automotive books. My Dad Had That Car ranks among the top-15 […]
The Standard Catalog folks offer a nice-looking book about muscle cars. Alas, the reference guide’s credibility is hurt by incorrect photos. The format for the Standard Catalog of American Muscle Cars: 1960-1972 has a lot […]
This is another oversized coffee table book by Consumer Guide that emphasizes color photos and brief analysis. The editorial tone can at times be quite critical of the American automakers, as the quote below about […]
Laugh if you will at the amateurish layout, but the American Car Spotter’s Bible: 1940-1980 is a useful reference. With this book you too can learn to name the make, model and year of every […]
(UPDATED 12/6/2022) Like the other three Cars of books by Consumer Guide, this one is an oversized, hard-cover book that includes large color pictures and has fairly minimal background narrative. The layout has a bit less text than Cars of the […]
The first of a four-book Cars series places a greater emphasis on reproductions of advertising. The quality of proofing is better than the Cars of the Sizzling ’60s (auto editors of Consumer Guide, 2002). Like the other three Cars of […]
I probably use this 1,000-page reference guide more frequently than any other book in my automotive library. This is the second in a three-part series on American cars (see 1805-1942 and 1976-1999). As with most other Standard […]
This is the last of the four-part Cars of series, which cover the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. As as with the others, this is an oversized hard-cover book that emphasizes color photographs but includes some advertisements. Minimal text […]
Copyright © 2022 Olympia, Earth Media, LLC | All rights reserved