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 Read All About It
“He’ll have fun, fun, fun ’til his mommy takes the
T-Bird away!” That’s the Beach Boys-inspired taunt
my father heard from his friends after my grandmother,
sick of the “piece of junk” sitting in her yard,
called the junkyard to dispose of her son’s lovingly
rebuilt 1957 Ford Thunderbird. All it needed was
a set of spark plugs. He was in high school then,
but the story — and that song — still gets his
blood boiling, some 35 years later.
Classic cars are big business because they inspire
strong emotions. People get a certain faraway look
when they start to talk about their first love, whether
it’s a 1957 T-Bird or a 1969 Trans Am, whether their
mom sold it for scrap or they drove it ’til it fell
apart.
While you may not be able to afford a classic for
your driveway, here are some books that will look
great parked on any car lover’s coffee table.
Million Dollar Muscle Cars
What makes certain muscle cars from the 1960s and
’70s so valuable? The author and collector Colin
Comer tackles that issue, and includes a buyer’s
guide for those whose bank account balances don’t
look like phone numbers. Comer gets the story behind
some high-end transactions, from both the sellers
and the buyers, and goes under the hood of the high-powered
auction and collection industry.
The Hemi in the Barn
It’s the stuff of urban myths. A Duesenberg is parked
in a New York City garage in 1933. And there it sits
for more than a half century until someone tracks
it down. Don’t believe it? Late-night talk show host
Jay Leno found the legendary Duesenberg and offered
to buy it. The Hemi in the Barn features more than
40 tales of classic vehicles found in overgrown hedges
and remote barns. Author Tom Cotter even maps out
20 tips to start your own automotive treasure hunt.
The Complete Book of Mustang: Every Model Since 1964
1/2
This comprehensive resource follows America’s ultimate
muscle car from its heydey to its low points, to
its revival and redesign. The Complete Book of Mustang
features 480 color and 110 black and white photos,
including rare images from Ford’s design archives.
Automotive journalist Mike Mueller explores the original
pony car in depth, providing an appendix with information
on every model since 1965, including price and options.
Camaro: Forty Years
Not to forget Mustang’s first real challenger in
the pony car arena, author Darwin Holmstrom and photographer
David Newhardt explore the strong bond between drivers
and their Camaros. This anniversary tome gets Camaro
aficionados primed for 2009, when the legendary vehicle
makes its long-anticipated comeback.
All four books are available in bookstores everywhere
or through motorbooks.com, a comprehensive source
for books on all things automotive.
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