Book Review - American Auto Legends: Classics of Style and Design

text by Tracy Powell
photos by Michael Furman

As Americans, we love our cars. We wash them, we wax them, we yell at our children when they mistreat them, and on special occasions, we even take them out to the movies. In American Auto Legends: Classics of Style and Design, author Tracy Powell and photographer Michael Furman pay tribute to the long-lasting love affair between Americans and their automobiles with nearly 300 pages of glossy color photos and entertaining automotive anecdotes. Featuring beautiful photography of impeccable classic cars, American Auto Legends showcases the cream of the crop of American design and engineering, from the obscure, now-vanished Nash Ambassador 8 Sedan, to the prestigious and sporty new Cadillac CTS. Throughout the sizable volume, Powell provides plenty of fun facts and a historical context for each car, effectively weaving a compelling American tale through automobiles.

Also included in the attractive tome is a brief history of the American auto industry and its role as a symbol of the nation's industry and ingenuity. Once a cause for national pride and now a source of our deep collective nostalgia, the classic cars featured in American Auto Legends are more than just aging hunks of metal — they are an important part of our American identity. And for that, we love them.

Reviewed by Nick Winfrey

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