"A revelatory new history of the birth of the automobile, ... [a] true tale of invention, competition, and the visionaries, hustlers, and swindlers who came together to transform the world. In 1900, the Automobile Club of America sponsored the nation's first car show in New York's Madison Square Garden. The event was a spectacular success, attracting seventy exhibitors and nearly fifty thousand visitors. Among the spectators was an obscure would-be...

"Among more than two hundred auto companies that tried their luck in the Motor City, just three remain: Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. But many of those lost to history have colorful stories worth telling. For instance, J.J. Cole forgot to put brakes in his new auto, so on the first test run, he had to drive it in circles until it ran out of gas. Brothers John and Horace Dodge often trashed saloons during wild evenings but used their great personal...

"In Corvettes & The Muscle Car Revival, you can read about the success of Chevrolet's iconic Corvette, from the little sports car of 1952 to the new Stingray, which has caught the eye of many automotive enthusiasts. Apart from Chevrolet, America's manufacturers produced other iconic marques ranging from the traditional and classic-looking muscle cars to the development of a new breed of muscle car, including the high-powered hybrid and electric vehicles...

In Pre-Muscle Cars & GTOs, you can read about how the Pontiac GTO was the first true muscle car. It used a relatively large V8 engine crammed into an intermediate body shell, with performance the prime aim. Although there had been plenty of high-performance V8s well before the GTO came along, they did not come into the same big engine/small car category, but performance was certainly part of their appeal. Muscle cars are a world-famous phenomenon,...

In Hemis & Drag Racing Muscle Cars, you can read about the remarkable Hemi engine that was developed by Chrysler. It is quite simply the most powerful production engine of all time, fitted in many models of muscle car throughout its heyday. You will also learn how drag racing as a sport was invented in the United States--a race, involving two cars side by side, following a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance of a...

"[This book] explores every aspect of the development of the automobile from the evolution of the family car to the desire for speed and the need for "green" technology"--P. [4] of cover.