6 New Automotive History Books to Read This Summer
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Love cars? Looking for something new and interesting to read this summer as you relax at the beach or stretch out in your hammock? Whether you’re interested in auto racing, vehicle design, or the cultural impact of cars, you’re likely to be intrigued by these six recently published automotive history books.
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The Age of the Muscle Car by Clay Fees
Product Details: 412 pages (paperback)
Publication Date: Jan. 31, 2022
Publisher: McFarland
Few vehicles are more iconic than the classic American muscle cars of the 1960s and 1970s. This well-illustrated book takes an in-depth look at how these models were developed and driven, how they fit into the surrounding culture, and what their role is in today’s modern world.
Auto Racing Comes of Age: A Transatlantic View of the Cars, Drivers, and Speedways, 1900-1925 by Robert Dick
Product Details: 312 pages (paperback)
Publication Date: May 21, 2020
Publisher: McFarland
Auto racing grew by leaps and bounds during the first 25 years of the 20th century. Robert Dick’s book traces the story of how the sport incorporated new technologies, professionalized its standards, and exploded in popularity.
The Big Book of Tiny Cars: A Century of Diminutive Automotive Oddities by Russell Hayes
Product Details: 176 pages (hardcover)
Publication Date: Dec. 21, 2021
Publisher: Motorbooks
With the growing dominance of hulking trucks and SUVs, it’s easy to forget that the automotive industry has a rich heritage of selling smaller vehicles as well. This book explores the best, the worst, and the weirdest of the world’s pint-sized autos.
Bond Cars: The Definitive History by Jason Barlow
Product Details: 336 pages (hardcover)
Publication Date: March 1, 2021
Publisher: BBC Books
From Dr. No to the Daniel Craig era, this beautifully designed and exhaustively researched book unearths fascinating stories and forgotten details about all the cars driven in James Bond movies.
Detroit Steel Artists: How Edsel Ford, Ray Dietrich, Tom Hibbard, and Ralph Roberts Turned Motor City Into a Styling Mecca Before Harley Earl by Matthew Kilkenny
Product Details: 304 pages (hardcover)
Publication Date: March 23, 2022
Publisher: Beaver’s Pond Press
The 1920s were an incredible decade for experimental modernist car design, and this lavishly illustrated, deeply researched book delves into the designers and stories behind the era’s most striking custom vehicles.
When Trolleys Ruled the Earth: A Photographic History of Streetcars, Cable Cars, and Classic Trams by Mark Bussler
Product Details: 130 pages (hardcover and paperback)
Publication Date: March 28, 2022
Publisher: CGR Publishing
Motor vehicles dominate the streets of America now, but that hasn’t always been the case. This book explores a bygone era when trolleys and streetcars were the primary transportation option in cities and towns across the country.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.