American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines [Hardcover]

Mike Mueller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2006

At the heart of every great car, there lies a great engine. The high-performance muscle car; the high-mileage family car; the high-speed race car: no matter the vintage or voltage, the torque or the task, the car with the power to move Americans—and the world—boasts an engine of remarkable ingenuity, dependability, and power. American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines pays tribute to 25 outstanding American-made engines valued for their raw horsepower or their design simplicity, their longevity or their design innovation—or, in rare instances, all of the above. Bringing an auto enthusiast’s touch to the subject, author and photographer Mike Mueller details each engine’s conception, creators, specifications, performance records, and more. His knowledgeable, accessible text, accompanied by historical images, crisp detail shots, and studio-quality photographs, conveys with precision and unfailing interest the driving power of the great American engine.

 

Editorial Reviews

Review

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jan. 11, 2007

“Discussing car engines can, of course, be a yawner for many people – even ardent car enthusiasts. This book refrains from going overboard, and even technical information is presented in an easy-to-understand and often colorful way … This is a terrific book, and I’m hoping the author will find other engines to write about so that we can enjoy a second volume.”

                              

Hemmings Muscle Machines, March 2007

“Took a different approach to this entertaining book.”

From the Inside Flap

Fresh, exciting engines are everywhere you look today, and out-of-this-world experiments just keep coming, too. Nowadays, all vehicles are electronically injected, and many feature overhead cams and aluminum construction. But some carryovers remain. Chrysler recently revived its Hemi V-8, and Cadillac showed off a new V-16 concept—both engines proving without a doubt that everything old can be new again.

This book profiles 25 great American engines. From Henry Ford’s simple four-cylinder to Chrysler’s legendary Hemi V-8, American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines traces the evolution of America’s automotive fascination and the underlying appeal of our favorite cars—horsepower.

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; First edition (November 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760323275
• ISBN-13: 978-0760323274
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,144,317 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Professional & Technical > Automotive > Mechanics > Engine

More About the Author

Mike Mueller is the author of many books, including The Complete Book of Classic GM Muscle, The Complete Book of Mustang: Every Model Since 1964, and The Complete Book of Corvette: Every Model Since 1953, all published by Motorbooks.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars American Horsepower, January 17, 2008

By 

James D. Crank "Car Historian" (Redwood City, California United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines (Hardcover)

While a good book in general, there are serious omissions that should have been caught by the editor.
While the Model A and X Duesenbergs were well described, the much more dramatic J and SJ have no photos of these engines. Why? If there ever was a spectacular American engine these were certainly it.
Photos are all over the place for both of them and easily obtained, from the ACD Museum for one source.

Leaving out the Marmon V-16 is a bad omission.

Poor decisions by either the author or the editor.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I want a Sequel, December 31, 2008

By 

Richard T. Hupp (HOWELL, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines (Hardcover)

This is a great book with good color pictures, and in depth description of each engine. I agree with the previous reviewer the Duesenberg J&SJ engines and the Marmon V16 deserve to be in there too, along with many great other engines. I only hope the author is considering a sequel, as there are more than enough engines that deserve coverage.