Automotive Atrocities: The Cars We Love to Hate: Peters, Eric: 9780760317877: Amazon.com: Books

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author. Eric Peters

Automotive Atrocities: The Cars We Love to Hate Hardcover – January 1, 2004

by Eric Peters (Author)

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The bathtub-like AMC Pacer. The operationally challenged Yugo GV. The supremely unsavory Chrysler TC by Maserati. These wheeled nightmares and many more are gleefully trashed by author Eric Peters. If the eyesores like the decal powered 1978 Ford Mustang II King Cobra don't make you howl, well, consider this the used car buying guide of your dreams. - "Fright Club" Motor Trend, November 2004Automakers have foisted plenty of bad and even laughable cars upon an unsuspecting public over the years. Millions of people have been duped into buying mistakes-on-wheels, while millions more have been subjected to these cars after the new-car smell is gone, revealing only vehicular inadequacy.Automotive Atrocities: The Cars We Love to Hate is a truly distasteful collection of fake muscle cars, clown-car compacts, faux "luxury" cars, sales disasters, and other truly ugly and ill-conceived four-wheeled follies. Written for anyone who either unwisely decided or was forced against their will to drive an automotive atrocity, this book gives the motoring public the last laugh as everyone's least-favorite cars are skewered in book form for the first time.

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Print length

128 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Motorbooks Intl
Publication date

January 1, 2004
Dimensions

9 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

0760317879
ISBN-13

978-0760317877
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an entertaining look at vehicles that probably cost some optimistic automotive designer his career...an excellent gift." -- Sports Car, July 2005

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Motorbooks Intl; First Edition (January 1, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0760317879
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0760317877
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.8 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 0.75 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,532,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews:
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author. Eric Peters

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

23 global ratings

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The book dishonoring the bombs of the seventies and eighties

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2006

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I got this book for the pure joy of entertainment, and really this book is a must for any car nut. The really interesting thing is i owned three of the Automotive Atrocites mentioned in the book, and agree with everything that was said about them ( The Mustang II, Dodge Omni, and Plymouth Reliant). Another car mentioned, my oldest sister owned,( The dreadful Chevy Vega) and needless to say, she would relate as well. What a laugh ad a half. The only thing is, he left out some truly hideous cars out such as the Edsel and the Corvair. However, for those of you who hated the book, get over it. I think it is funny, and will really bring back the memories, or have you relive your nightmares of one of those lemons, whichever comes first.

One person found this helpful

An amusing read, in amongst the bile.

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2016

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Since this is based mostly on the author's opinion, rather than cold, hard facts, you may disagree with the list presented.
It seemed like the articles were overly vitriolic toward some of the cars listed, Mr. Peters seems to have an especially dim view of American Motors.
My father (and I) owned several AMC vehicles; he owned a 1974 Ambassador and it was a fine car, yet it is presented here as an "atrocity".
Several pages have an art style that makes reading the text difficult, reducing enjoyment of the book.
Much of the "humor" is forced and, due to the book being published about a dozen years ago, out-of-date for contemporary readers.
I'll have to admit, there are a few models here I hadn't heard of despite the fact they were offered during my driving adulthood.
An at least mildly amusing read; though, to coin a phrase, your mileage may vary.

One person found this helpful

Edward A. Del Castillo

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018

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Great Research Book.

This book was exactly what I wanted!

Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2020

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Have wanted this book for years. I am now enjoying this book. Would recommend this book for anyone to enjoy.

David J. Lee-Pethel

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2006

Overall, the book was interesting in spite of the heavy-handed attempts at humor. Peters shows some knowledge of the cars but obviously lacks first-hand experience of them. I could not give the book more than 3 stars because of the layout editor's idiot use of different color type over varying colored backgrounds. Makes the book difficult to read and detracts quite a bit.

6 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2011

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This book is great I loved it, and the guy I bought it for loved it as well. For anyone that has a grease monkey in the family this is a great book because it makes them smile.

This book was too much fun!

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2004

Most automotive books I review are serious...mainly they're historical or technical. What we all need, sometimes, is humor and that's where <u>Automotive Atrocities</u>: The Cars We Love to Hate comes in.

Automakers have flimflammed an unsuspecting public with plenty of bad and/or laughable cars over the years. Millions have been sucked into buying mistakes-on-wheels. Millions more have drive these cars, which, after the new-car smell is gone, reveal themselves to be truly atrocious automobiles.

<u>Automotive Atrocities</u> is a totally awful collection of fake muscle cars, clown-car compacts, faux "luxury" cars, sales disasters and other truly disgusting and/or ill-conceived four-wheeled follies. This book gives the motoring public the last laugh as everyone's (well..almost everyone's) least-favorite cars are skewered, big-time.

Indeed, just about every car in this book is one we love to hate but most of them are, also, cars we all have joked about and the others are just pathetic or weird. I mean...who can keep a straight face while reading about Yugos, Renault Fuegos, Daihatsu Charades, Ford Mustang II King Cobras or AMC Pacers. Then there are (pathetic) Camaros with four-cylinder engines and (weird) Zil limousines.

Courtesy of Eric Peters, who's written about cars for 11 years and, currently, is an automotive correspondent for America OnLine, Netscape and CompuServe, we get the stupidest, funniest, most ridiculous and the most atrocious cars of all time. Peters mixes an often sarcastic, humorous style with some history, not too much techie talk and some good fun and comes up with a book that is both amusing and educational.

At times, <u>Automotive Atrocities</u> is even provoking. For example, Peters claims the California-only, 1980 Corvette 305 is an "automotive atrocity". While I like this book, I am in complete disagreement on this issue. Clearly, Mr. Peters knows enough about Vettes to be dangerous...or maybe a Porsche marketing guy. Peters claims the Vette with the 305 is an atrocity because it was a poor performer...which it was. But, there are mitigating circumstances. First, all cars of that period, performance or otherwise, were slugs. Author Peters, an admitted third generation Pontiac Firebird owner (I mean, hey, the guy owns a car with a big freakin' chicken on the hood), was unaware that 1980 Corvette LG4 was actually an automative milestone, not an atrocity. It was the first production GM car to have digital engine controls and those controls gave this car's 305 (which existed solely because of California is the land of environmental whackos) only 10 less horsepower than the engine used elsewhere in the U.S. which was 45 cubic inches larger. This car began the EFI revolution in performance automobiles which made performance cars of today, such as the Z06, possible.

Another car Eric Peters incorrectly terms atrocious is the Chevy Cosworth Vega. Yeah, the Vega's aluminum block/iron head engine had a lot of durability problems....but mainly if it was not cared-for properly. Overheat those Vega motors and they became wheezing, oil-burning clunkers. The most interesting thing about the "Cos Vega" is that it was the first GM car and the first modern American car to have electronic fuel injection. Yep, a vast majority of the cars on the road in America, today, use port fuel injection which is similar in design and operating principle to what was first introduced on the 1975 Cosworth Vega. Some of Peter's comments about the engine's durability might be a tiny bit exaggerated and his irrelevant statement that the engine put out 30-hp less than a modern economy car must have been made while under the influence of a mind-altering substance. So what if it only made 110-hp. Back then, that was a ton of power for a two-liter engine. Economy cars of that era were lucky to make 75.

Uh, ok...I know I'm ranting. Ok back to the review.

Actually, I had a heck of a good time reading this book, even if I think a few of Peters' choices suck. <u>Automotive Atrocities</u> has a place of honor on my coffee table. Guests pick up the book asking, "What the hell is this?" but then, as they begin to read it they chuckle, then break out in laughter.

13 people found this helpful

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2014

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Opinions galore but a fun book to read.

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2015

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Fun book, great price!

VE

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2014

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Nice

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