Design Notes
A curve from nowhere
The Jeep CJ may have one of the boxiest automotive bodies ever produced, but its front end is visually dominated by curves. Note how the rounded fender edge emerges from an exposed gap between two pieces […]
1980s
Readings
Saab Cars: The Complete Story
Information is hard to find for minor imported brands such as Saab. Thus, any book on this automaker is helpful. Saab Cars is an oversized hard-cover book with a nice balance between text and large, full-color […]
Readings
The Complete Book of Mustang: Every Model Since 1964 1/2
This is an oversized soft-cover book that covers the Ford Mustang’s history through the 2011 model year. The Complete Book places an emphasis on large, mostly color pictures accompanied by product specifications. However, author Mike Mueller […]
Readings
Over 100 Years: The American Auto
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 […]
Readings
Standard Catalog of Jaguar, 1946-2005
This 224-page paperback book by John Gunnell is useful if you need specific product information or annual sales data, organized by year. Nestled amidst the full-color photos and data are short bursts of analysis. Standard […]
Readings
‘Car Spotter’s Bible’ a simple but useful reference
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 […]
Readings
The Lincoln Story: The Postwar Years
To a degree this is an extension of The Lincoln Motorcar: Sixty Years of Excellence (1981), but with a restructured narrative and less emphasis on photographs. The time span covered is 1946 to 2000. As with most other automotive histories […]
Readings
Standard Catalog of Volkswagen, 1946-2004
The focus of this book series is product information, organized by year. U.S. sales figures are provided, but often aren’t broken out by model. Standard Catalog of Volkswagen, 1946-2004 John Gunnell; 2004 KP Books, Iola, WI “The […]
Readings
High and Mighty: SUVs — The World’s Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got that Way
Although written by a former Detroit bureau chief of The New York Times, this book uses high-octane rhetoric to challenge the value of sport utility vehicles when they were just beginning to reach the peak of […]
Readings
Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1976-1999
This 975-page paperback reference guide is the last in a three-volume series focused on American cars. As with most Standard catalogs, this one is a utilitarian book dominated by small text and black-and-white photos on non-glossy paper […]