(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 Fabulous ’50s (Flammang, 1995), but more attention is given to political issues such as the advent of safety standards.
Despite the glossy format, Cars of the Sizzling ’60s is not a completely reliable car-spotter’s guide because of surprisingly sloppy editing for such a large and expensive book. A caption states that for 1968 the Rambler name was no longer used with Rebel models. Even so, “R-A-M-B-L-E-R” is emblazoned across a pictured Rebel’s hood. Dude, that’s a 1967 (p. 329).
Cars of the Sizzling ’60s: A Decade of Great Rides and Good Vibrations
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide, 2002
- Publications International, Lincolnwood, Ill
(1960) “Built by Dodge and sold mainly by Plymouth, Valiant debuted as its own brand and was quickly recognized as the best engineered — and oddest looking — Big 3 compact. With its unitized body and torsion-bar front suspension, it was the best handler, too.” (p. 26)
(1965) “Although car sales reached another all-time high — 8.8 million units — General Motors was embarrassed during auto-safety hearings in Washington. GM chairman Frederic Donner and president James Roche appeared evasive and uninformed when Senator Robert F. Kennedy and other Congressional questioners accused GM of doing almost nothing to improve the safety of its cars. The hearings helped force GM and the rest of the domestic auto industry to commit massive resources to safety research.” (p. 205)
(1969) “New energy-absorbing frames, front headrests, and side-impact door beams protected consumers’ bodies, while their wallets were cushioned by the new federal Truth-in-Lending law, which for the first time required auto dealers to state costs, terms, and conditions of sale in a uniform manner.” (p. 373)
OTHER REVIEWS:
RE:SOURCES
- Flammang, James M., and the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide; 1995. Cars of the Fabulous ’50s: A Decade of High Style and Good Times. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
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