Customer Reviews

A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is understood that to better appreciate anything in our modern life we need to go back to its origins. Authors Lamm and Holls did that quite adeptly with a wonderfully organized automotive chronology...with the pages beautifully arranged. Most striking is the contrast and resolution of the black and white photographs, which, as the professional photographer already knows, are often preferred over color for those very reasons. Beginning with a light treatise on shipbuilding as a starting point, our authors lead us on a journey through coachbuilding, the "Nuts and Bolts of Early Automotive Fashion" (Chapter 2) and styling designs of the Big Three Automakers: Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.

This book is not, however, simply an encyclopedia or recalling of events. It analyzes the overall effect that the lives of the designers themselves, and their families, had on our own modern culture. These insights are precisely what sets this book apart from a simple narrative with pictures. Consequently, we can then appreciate how much work is actually instilled into what we drive today. This book basically teaches us that automotive design is at the very foundation of our modern heritage.

Covering 306 pages over fourteen chapters, highly illustrated and perfectly indexed, "A Century of Automotive Style" is practically an education by itself, or more specifically, that of the social and economic impacts of automobile styling on our American culture. Knowledgeable, well-written and extremely detailed, this excellent work is clearly indicative of our author's background at GM's advanced design facility and formal schooling in industrial design. ... My top recommendation for all readers.

This is the best book available about the history and evolution of automotive styling in America. It contains more information than any ten other books on the topic. Well organized and well written.

Like sweets in a hiding spot, you'll keep coming back just to sample. Open it to any page, and you're immediately swept into the world of car design as you've never seen it presented before - the faces and names behind the cars, the corporate struggles, the hits, misses, and might-have-beens. Peppered with fabulous design sketches and factory photos, there's enough eye candy here to guarantee that even the least auto-savvy among us will never look at a parking lot the same way again. For any kid who drew on the back of his or her notebook, wondered where fins came from, (Not Finland - sorry), or got giddy over riding in the front seat, this is wonderful - heck, required - reading.

This book first came to my attention while browsing my local library and I came across it, I ended up waiting for the right time for it to pop up on amazon for a good Price(In my case Close to $60! used but like new H/C). And I am very happy now that I own It, Majority of the book is Black and white, Although there is Color. All the Popular Designers are represented well, Including My Favorite GM Designers. Book is excellent for true car aficionados.

What Mike Lamm and Dave Holls have done is a truly monumental task . . . to take the history of automotive styling over the last 100 years and compile it into a readable resource that you can (and will) pick up and put down as you move from era to era, manufacturer to manufacturer, and personality to personality. The numerous "sidebars" offer much-needed insights into the people, places and processes that have produced the "look" of what is argueably the most important invention of the century - the car. This is not a book for an evening's diversion, or a straight-through read. It is best digested in small ( say, one-hour ) doses, over a long period of time. The serious reader will no doubt be led by these doses to other books in his library for more in-depth research, and then tomorrow night return for another dose. There will be only one disappointment when you are finished . . and that is the fact that you ARE finished. So put on the tea kettle, mount the La-Z-Boy, and spend some sustained "quality time" with the great cars and their designers. I thought I had a pretty thorough body of knowledge concerning automotive styling, but I learned a lot . . . you will, too. If you consider yourself a serious student of things automotive, you must have this book.

Beautifully put across anthology of the evolution of the profession and technology of automotive styling as a major weapon in the competitive battles for the market-place.

Lamm and Holls have hit a home run! This book will provide any car lover with many hours of informative and pleasurable reading.