Art of the Classic Car
"Peter Harholdt has beautifully shot each car… a glossy mini-concours…" -AutoWeekFor folks who enjoy the automobile as art, here is another sumptuous coffee-table book from Motorbooks. Photographer Harholdt (The Allure of the Automobile: Driving in Style, 1930-1965) gives classic cars the full treatment, with an oversize spread shot of each automobile and smaller photos of the engine, the interior and upholstery, and any other attractive parts, such as the hood ornaments. The classic cars included range from a 1911 Mercer 351L Runabout to the 1941 Chrysler Town & Country, with the rest of the cars from the 1920s and 1930s. ­Duesenbergs, Delahayes, and other rare vehicles only seen in museums or at prestigious car shows star on these pages. There is minimal text by Bodensteiner (founder, Stance & Speed Pub.), just enough to identify the car, a few specifications, and sometimes a tidbit of interest—the book explains that the 1934 Packard Twelve Runabout Speedster photographed here was a gift from actress Carole Lombard to her husband Clark Gable. ­VERDICT The images have such a luxurious feel that the reader almost suffers guilt just paging through the volume. Lovers of classics cars will want to have this in their collection, and libraries will find this a worthy addition to collections on automotive history and design.- Library Journal