Great Books That Feature Our Cars

[keithb7]

I was wondering if there are any great Vintage Mopar books that you would recommend. Say 1935 to 1955-ish  era. Coffee table photo books or any other. I am interested in some reading and photos.

Thanks.

Edited March 24, 2018 by keithb7

[Plymouthy Adams]

make your own coffee table book, a photo album with captions of your baby coming home and step by step of raising it to its finished glory...

[Young Ed]

as Tim said if you use some of the photo printing places you can make a nice quality book for 20-40 bucks. 

[keithb7]

Well, I was at a large book store yesterday. They had all these books about Supercars. Or Million dollar cars. Muscle cars. You name it. I glanced through several of them looking for Mopars from my favourite era. No such articles existed.  I had only visited 1 book store, however quickly surmised that maybe there are too few of us old Mopar fans, and we're all here. Not popular enough I guess to publish a coffee table book. 

I then headed over the the large magazine section. Thumbed through the latest Hemmings. In the Chrysler section there were a few listings from our era. Boy those 40's Town & Country convertibles sure attract a high dollar. There were a few ads but not many. I think half the book was Corvette ads.  I then saw a special publication on Vintage American cars. It featured storys from each decade starting in the 1940's. The magazine had over 50 original car ads printed in the book. It was interesting. Inside the cover, the first car ad was a 1954 New Yorker with the original chrome spoke wheels you mentioned to me earlier in the week, @Plymouthy Adams. It was then I realized, you were bang on once again with your knowledge.

 

This post is awfully quiet so I'll assume there are few if any published books of our cars. Maybe someone will put one together some day. Are we a rare breed? A small pocket of the vintage car industry?

 

I like to come here to see the photos and hear the stories of other vintage Mopar owners. My own car? Well I can open the garage door and look at it any time. Looking at other cars is fun too.

 

Edited March 24, 2018 by keithb7

[Plymouthy Adams]

I like a good build story but I cannot and do not read build threads here on this or any forum as they incorporate the remarks and views of readers and not just he builder.  A good build thread to me is the daily or weekly compilation of work done, how he did it and maybe a few pictures to show his technique or end result.  The comments from others detract from the build completely, like a commentator during a sporting event or even a DJ...that is noise I can do without.  I good build thread would be locked from comment, a read only if you will.

[Young Ed]

1 hour ago, keithb7 said:

Well, I was at a large book store yesterday. They had all these books about Supercars. Or Million dollar cars. Muscle cars. You name it. I glanced through several of them looking for Mopars from my favourite era. No such articles existed.  I had only visited 1 book store, however quickly surmised that maybe there are too few of us old Mopar fans, and we're all here. Not popular enough I guess to publish a coffee table book. 

I then headed over the the large magazine section. Thumbed through the latest Hemmings. In the Chrysler section there were a few listings from our era. Boy those 40's Town & Country convertibles sure attract a high dollar. There were a few ads but not many. I think half the book was Corvette ads.  I then saw a special publication on Vintage American cars. It featured storys from each decade starting in the 1940's. The magazine had over 50 original car ads printed in the book. It was interesting. Inside the cover, the first car ad was a 1954 New Yorker with the original chrome spoke wheels you mentioned to me earlier in the week, @Plymouthy Adams. It was then I realized, you were bang on once again with your knowledge.

 

This post is awfully quiet so I'll assume there are few if any published books of our cars. Maybe someone will put one together some day. Are we a rare breed? A small pocket of the vintage car industry?

 

I like to come here to see the photos and hear the stories of other vintage Mopar owners. My own car? Well I can open the garage door and look at it any time. Looking at other cars is fun too.

 

There are some books out there. like this one https://www.amazon.com/Plymouth-1946-1959-Motorbooks-International-American/dp/0879388404

[Andydodge]

I'd recommend John Lee's Standard Catalog Of Chrysler 1924-1990, covers all Plymouth,Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler & Imperial tho no trucks of any sort, published 1991, then theres Thomas A.McPherson's The Dodge Story published 1975 clovers Dodge from 1915 to 1975 incl Dodge trucks and for Australian coverage albeit not as good as it should be theres Gavin Farmers Great Ideas In Motion - A History of Chrysler in Australia 1946-198, published 2010..........way overpriced when new( $140+ Oz) but if you can find a 2nd hand copy might be worth getting..........both the John Lee and McPherson titles have been republished a few times and as they are USA publications should be available for a reasonable cost in the USA........andyd 

[keithb7]

Thanks @Andydodge. I just ordered a couple off Ebay. Looking forward to reading them.

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2243263.Standard_Catalog_of_1950s_Chrysler

 

And: https://books.google.ca/books?id=5vtTAAAAMAAJ&dq=inauthor:"John+Martin+Lee"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2yo_H54jaAhVU62MKHVGgAXoQ6AEINzAD

[mrwrstory]

Had this issue of Automobile for some time.  May be available from their back issue dept.

[Andydodge]

Thats a great issue of Collectible Auto, I've got every issue from #1 thru to the latest...........thoroughly recommend it............andyd

[JerseyHarold]

If anyone is interested, I've got this issue of Collectible Automobile and would sell it reasonably.  Send a PM.

 

Harold

[Thomba48]

Personally - this books series https://www.amazon.com/Cars-Fascinating-40s-Challenges-Changes/dp/0785362746/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522508819&sr=8-1&keywords=Cars+of+the+Fascinating+'40s%3A+A+Decade+of+Challenges+and+Changes functioned as my shopping book before I first went into purchasing a classic car. Every single model of every US car from 1941 to 1949 is included, great pictures, interesting stories. Is also available for the 1930s to 1970s time period.

 

I literally purchased this item to see what I might fancy prior to really knowing next to nothing about vintage US cars.