GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars of a Cultural Phenomenon [Hardcover]

David Temple (Author), Dennis Adler (Editor), David E. Davis Jr. (Introduction), Chuck Jordan (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2006

In the postwar exuberance of America, General Motors launched their Motorama, an all-out extravaganza that turned the marketing of new cars and designs into a cultural event of national proportions. GM’s Motorama brings this short-lived but unforgettable tradition back to life with words and period photographs that revisit the posh venues, such as the Waldorf Astoria in 1953, where celebrities in Broadway-style shows and phalanxes of glamorous models introduced the public to “Dream Cars” destined to become legends—the GM LeSabre, Cadillac Le Mans, and the Chevrolet Corvette prototype. This book recreates the drama of the eight shows staged between 1949 and 1961, focusing on the cars designed under the leadership of the founder and head of GM Design, Harley Earl. The cars that emerged from the mind of Earl are today among the most desired of the twentieth century. Previously unknown facts about the fate of the Dream Cars—some of which seemingly disappeared—and a glimpse of GM’s recent crop of concept cars are offered in the book’s final two chapters.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Road and Track, May 2007

“Ample captions and fully researched text explain the one-off production, and destruction, of this American studio’s creations. This book would grace the coffee-table in any of today’s uber-chic downtown lofts.”

Car Collector, March 2007

“GM’s Motorama is the best book I have seen on the history of GM’s dream cars and the evolution of their concept. This handsomely designed 10x10 inch book is lavishly illustrated with many never before seen photos, and so well-written you don’t want to put it down … this is about as much book as you could ever hope to get for only $40. This is the summer’s must have car book.”

 

                                                                   

Classic Chevy, June 2007
“...this book [is] a real page-turner....A tour through this remarkable new book on Motorama not only traces the history of these splendid show cars – it brings an important message through [its] final chapter. Temple’s book is a very readable, colorful, exciting, and spontaneous testimony to that heritage.”  
                                                                                                                                                                        
Ol’ Skool Rodz, May 2007

“David Temple (along with the book’s designer, Jennifer Bergstrom) has done a masterful job in presenting the material for this book … This book is a wonderful look back at GM’s days as the world leader in the automotive industry … You should own this book.”
                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                               

TopGear Magazine (UK), July 2007

“David W. Temple’s handsome book recalls the cars and people behind the Motorama shows.”

                                                                                                                                    

Auto Restorer, June 2007 

“It is extensively illustrated with some 200 color and 50 black-and-white photos.”

 

 

Book Description

This book recreates the drama of the eight GM Motoramas staged between 1949 and 1961, focusing on the cars that took center stage and came to define an era of auto styling. In words and period photographs GM’s Motorama revisits the star-studded extravaganzas that introduced the public to “dream cars” destined to become legends—from the 1951 LeSabre and the turbine-powered Firebirds to the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and Corvette prototype.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Motorbooks; 1st edition (December 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760328269
• ISBN-13: 978-0760328262
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece, November 27, 2006

By 

Charles D. Barnette (Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars of a Cultural Phenomenon (Hardcover)

I just finished reading my purchased copy of this book and found it to be the greatest work ever produced on the Motorama Show Cars of General Motors. It is a perfect match of text and pictures (most of which have never been published before)to tell the story of this exciting time in automotive history that probably will never be equaled again by mankind. What a feast for the car lovers of this world and what a triumph for the literary medium! Charles D. Barnette

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!, December 25, 2006

By 

Bettaman "hulabetta" (Colorado Springs, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars of a Cultural Phenomenon (Hardcover)

I bought this for my wife for Christmas and she loves it! Personally I like the futuristic designs of the late 60s and early 70s best but his book is an absolutely outstanding, top quality example of automotive publishing! Everything you could want to know about GM's Motorama cars and the show itself is in here along with outstanding photos and top quality reproduction. If you're a GM styling "nut" like I am (65 thru 67 big Pontiacs...WOW!) you will still recognize the styling cues from the Motorama showcars that ended up on their production cars. This is a must for your automobile library!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GM Motorama, September 18, 2008

By 

Nick (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: GM's Motorama: The Glamorous Show Cars of a Cultural Phenomenon (Hardcover)

An easy book to read, with interesting information about each car. I was also curious to find out what happened to the cars. Dream cars were very popular in the 50's and 60's and this book covers GM's contributions well.