Classic American Cars

From the turn of the twentieth century through to the present day, the book traces the development of the automobile, reflecting the social change it both brought, and reflected.

Celebrating 60 of America's best-loved automobiles, this full-color car show spotlights the most glamourous cars of the golden era from 1945-1975. The text, by the author of "The Ultimate Classic Car", and more than 680 lavish full-color photos reveal the design flourishes that make each car a classic.

As the 19th century morphed into the 20th, the automobile was still in its infancy, yet more and more manufacturers were entering the burgeoning market. The first National Automobile Show was held in New York City's Madison Square in 1900, with 51 exhibitors showing off their wares to almost 50,000 visitors. But many of these manufacturers dropped by the wayside or were merged into other companies so that by the end of the 1920s the industry was dominated by the Big Three of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. The vehicle that had the biggest impact was the Ford Model T (which arrived in 1908 and more than 15 million had been sold by the time production ceased in 1927), but many other American classics are covered in this publication: legends such as the Ford Mustang and Thunderbird, the Chevrolet Bel Air and Corvette, Cadillac's De Ville and Eldorado, along with names of a bygone era such as Packard, Studebaker, and the unrivaled opulence of Duesenberg.

"Muscle & Chrome: Classic American Cars captures all the wonder and excitement of a truly beloved era in automotive history. Informative profiles of 70 vehicles serve to chronicle the burst of design and engineering innovations that followed the end of World War II, the exuberant styling and the 'horsepower race' of the Fifties, and the rise of the youth market and the muscle car in the Sixties." -- Amazon.com.

"The Complete Book of Classic Chevy Muscle Cars covers the primary muscle and performance cars produced by Chevrolet in the 60s and 70s, such as the Camaro and Malibu"--

As the 19th century morphed into the 20th, the automobile was still in its infancy, yet more and more manufacturers were entering the burgeoning market. The first National Automobile Show was held in New York City’s Madison Square in 1900, with 51 exhibitors showing off their wares to almost 50,000 visitors. Many of these manufacturers dropped by the wayside or were merged into other companies so that by the end of the 1920s the industry was dominated by the Big Three of Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. The vehicle that had the biggest impact was the Ford Model T (which arrived in 1908 and more than 15 million had been sold by the time production ceased in 1927), but many other American classics are covered in this book: legends such as the Ford Mustang and Thunderbird, the Chevrolet Bel Air and Corvette, Cadillac’s De Ville and Eldorado, along with names of a bygone era such as Packard, Studebaker, and the unrivaled opulence of Duesenberg.

Handsome, ready-to-color images, attractively rendered in precise detail, depict the sleek 1950 Mercury two-door sedan, luxurious 1952 Cadillac four-door sedan, 1953 Buick Skylark convertible with wire wheels, 1957 Lincoln Continental Mark II, and 26 other impressive models. Captions. 30 black-and-white illustrations.