American Cars 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year [Hardcover]

J. Kelly " (Author), Flory" (Author), Jr. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786432292 | ISBN-13: 978-0786432295 | Publication Date: July 3, 2008

From the resumption of automobile production at the close of World War II through the 1950s, the American auto industry would see the births and deaths of several manufacturers, great technological advances, and an era of dramatic styling as a prospering nation asserted its growing mobility. Cars of this period are among the most iconic vehicles ever built in the United States: the 1949 Ford, the remarkable Studebaker designs of 1950 and 1953, the 1955-1957 Chevrolets, the "Forward Look" Chrysler products, the ill-fated Edsel and many others.

This comprehensive reference book details every model from each of the major manufacturers (including independents such as Kaiser-Frazer and Crosley but excluding very low-volume marques such as Tucker) from model years 1946 through 1959. Year by year, it provides an overview of the industry and market, followed by an individual report on each company: its main news for the year (introductions or cancellations of models, new engines and transmissions, advertising themes, sales trends etc.); its production figures and market status; and its powertrain offerings, paint colors and major options. The company's models are then detailed individually with such information as body styles, prices, dimensions and weights, standard equipment and production figures. Nearly 1,000 photographs are included.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In a volume similar in form to his American Cars, 1960–1972 (2004), author Flory provides commentary and data on “all cars offered for sale in the United States by major American manufacturers in model years 1946 through 1959.” Just over 25 makes (e.g., Chevrolet, Ford, Packard, Studebaker) are covered in detail along with additional information on minor makes and 1950s dream cars. Trucks are excluded. Arrangement is by year. Each year begins with an essay on the state of the auto industry that can be up to three pages long. Essays are then followed by makes organized alphabetically. Each make is broken down by that year’s models, from least to most expensive. For example, the 1946 section on Buick lists three makes—the Special, Super, and Roadmaster. Each make begins with yearly highlights, then moves to general data on production, introduction dates, prices, market share, assembly plants, serial numbers, power trains, major options, and paint colors. Model information includes percentage of division’s sales, notable changes (e.g., trim and detail changes), major standard equipment, measurements, models, price, shipping weight, and other information. Advertising slogans and small black-and-white illustrations (mostly exteriors) are included. Appendix 1 provides background on five minor makes, while appendixes 2–5 cover transmissions, engines, dream cars, and milestones (i.e., anniversaries and a list of classic cars). The volume ends with a short bibliography and an index. While Ron Kowalke’s Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946–1975 (Krause, 1976) covers similar ground and provides extensive coverage of alternative cars, Flory’s American Cars gives users added material on measurements, paint colors, competitors, ad slogans, the automotive industry, and automotive milestones. This useful, moderately priced resource makes a nice addition to public libraries. --Stephen Fadel

About the Author

J. "Kelly" Flory, Jr., is a technical accounting specialist and longtime car enthusiast. Also the author of American Cars, 1960-1972 (2004), he lives in Lenexa, Kansas.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1047 pages
• Publisher: McFarland (July 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786432292
• ISBN-13: 978-0786432295
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.8 x 2.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for what it is, but not for me, May 28, 2009

By 

kt "kxkx" (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Cars 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year (Hardcover)

I purchased a copy of this book, but ended up deciding to send it back, even though I had to pay for the return shipping.

It's a book that I'm glad someone put together - it belongs in your local public library. But for my own personal library, no, it's not worth the price.

It's over 1000 pages, so it's printed on fairly cheap paper. The very few photos that are included are tiny and only black-and-white. (I don't have it in front of me, so I can't actually measure them, but I'd say the photos were about 1 in x 2 in.) Visually, the cover is the best thing about the book - don't expect anything like that inside.

The write-ups about each car only take up about as much space as the tables of data for each car. The data is apparently taken from brochures and dealer handbooks - some of the data is interesting, some is much beyond what I care about. For example, you can find not only the names of the available colors for a car (which sometimes don't give you a clue as to what the colors actually looked like), but also the codes for the colors the dealers would use when ordering a car. Again, it's data I'm glad someone collected so you can go to the library and look it up, but it's not really anything I need.

There are two other books that I own which cover this era much better for the armchair enthusiast: "Cars of the Fascinating 40s" and "Cars of the Fabulous 50s," from the Consumer Guide people. They are both ordered by year, and then by make within each year. They full of full-color photos and have good write-ups about what was happening with each make each year. Minor makes are included along with the major ones.

Anyway, for the right person Flory's book would be invaluable, but if I had seen an actual copy in a bookstore first I never would have bothered ordering it for myself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Cars 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year, June 9, 2009

By 

Postepay "davidozzo" (italy) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: American Cars 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year (Hardcover)

Very good. you can have every kind of information about every car. But it isn't good if you are looking for pitcure

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Definitive Encyclopedia of Car Facts, May 5, 2009

By 

G. Swanson (Capitola,Ca. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Cars 1946-1959: Every Model, Year by Year (Hardcover)

This is a great book for those looking for specific facts about cars produced between 1946 and 1959. If you have a library of all the decade car picture books this book is what you need to make your collection complete. This book will let you know most everything you want to know about every specific car. The models produced, cost, colors,options,engines,specifications etc. This is a must have book for any car lover's library.