Selling the American Muscle Car: Marketing Detroit Iron in the 60s and 70s

Selling the American Muscle Car: Marketing Detroit Iron in the 60s and 70s

How the American public came to love the BIG block monsters!

As the muscle car wars developed in the early 1960s, auto manufacturers scrambled to find catchy marketing campaigns to entice the buying public into their dealerships. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, with all their divisions, as well as AMC and Studebaker, inevitably sank billions of dollars into one-upmanship in an effort to vie for the consumer’s last dollar.

Automotive writer Diego Rosenberg examines the tactics and components used by manufacturers in waging war against one another in the muscle car era. Manufacturers poured millions into racing programs, operating under the principle of “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday.” Cars were given catchy nicknames, such as The GTO Judge, Plymouth Roadrunner, Cobra, and Dodge Super Bee. Entire manufacturer lines were given catchy marketing campaigns, such as Dodge’s Scat Pack, AMC’s Go Package, and Ford’s Total Performance. From racing to commercials to print ads, from dealer showrooms to national auto shows, each manufacturer had its own approach in vying for the buyer’s attention, and gimmicks and tactics ranged from comical to dead serious.

Selling the American Muscle Car: Marketing Detroit Iron in the 60s and 70s takes you back to an era when options were plentiful and performance was cheap. You will relive or be introduced to some of the cleverest marketing campaigns created during a time when America was changing every day.

Isle of Man TT Review 2015 DVD

Isle of Man TT Review 2015 DVD

The Isle of Man TT 2015 fuelled by Monster Energy was a record-breaking affair that had it all: sunshine, drama, excitement and a sensational comeback to rival Mike Hailwood’s.

Anticipation was high before the start of the race with an entry list that was a veritable “Who’s Who” of the World’s elite road racers.

Any of the top ten or so riders were in with a chance of a win in any of the solo classes and there were plenty of quality sidecar crews determined to make an impression on the podium places.

No fans can have left the Isle of Man disappointed with what unfolded – surely TT 2015 proved to be one of the best meetings of the 21st Century, and maybe of all time?

Lap and race records tumbled throughout the week, there were new faces on the podium and some that fans might have thought would never been seen on the top step again.

For once the Isle of Man was blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine for race week and it led to some of the closest racing ever seen on the 37.73 mile public road Mountain Course as heroes of the road like John McGuinness, Ian Hutchinson, Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop got down to business.

All-in-all it was as action-packed as anyone could wish for and throughout it all our cameras were on hand to catch the highlights.

With the best bits of all seven solo and both sidecar races, plus lots of the atmosphere away from the races, this is the comprehensive, indispensable Official Review of the Isle of Man TT 2015.

Isle of Man TT Review 2015  Blu Ray

Isle of Man TT Review 2015 Blu Ray

The Isle of Man TT 2015 fuelled by Monster Energy was a record-breaking affair that had it all: sunshine, drama, excitement and a sensational comeback to rival Mike Hailwood’s.

Anticipation was high before the start of the race with an entry list that was a veritable “Who’s Who” of the World’s elite road racers.

Any of the top ten or so riders were in with a chance of a win in any of the solo classes and there were plenty of quality sidecar crews determined to make an impression on the podium places.

No fans can have left the Isle of Man disappointed with what unfolded – surely TT 2015 proved to be one of the best meetings of the 21st Century, and maybe of all time?

Lap and race records tumbled throughout the week, there were new faces on the podium and some that fans might have thought would never been seen on the top step again.

For once the Isle of Man was blessed with wall-to-wall sunshine for race week and it led to some of the closest racing ever seen on the 37.73 mile public road Mountain Course as heroes of the road like John McGuinness, Ian Hutchinson, Guy Martin and Michael Dunlop got down to business.

All-in-all it was as action-packed as anyone could wish for and throughout it all our cameras were on hand to catch the highlights.

With the best bits of all seven solo and both sidecar races, plus lots of the atmosphere away from the races, this is the comprehensive, indispensable Official Review of the Isle of Man TT 2015.

Harlistas Cubanos

Harlistas Cubanos

This eye-catching collection of gorgeous photography dives deep into the unique culture and brotherhood of the Harlistas–a group of Harley enthusiasts unlike any other on earth. Harley-Davidson motorcycles were a common sight in mid 20th-century Cuba. Today there are probably slightly more than 100 of them still running some 50 years after Havana’s Harley Dealership closed and spare parts became unavailable. We’re all familiar with the now-legendary American cars of the 1940s and 1950s that still run and look good in Cuba. The Harlistas, innovative and inventive Cuban mechanics and enthusiasts, have managed to do the same with the island’s vintage Harley motorcycles. Photos by Tony Gaye, Kurt Zubler, Gunther Maier, Adolfo Reinaldo Prieto Rosell, and Jorge Luis Gonzales Garciandia Text by Stuart A. Ashman

The Last Open Road

The Last Open Road

SIGNED

The cult classic original. A coming of age story about a 19-year old New Jersey gas station mechanic learning about life, love and the joys and perils of motor racing in the Eisenhower fifties. The flat-out fastest, funniest , most true-to-life racing story ever written.  “Recalls to mind Catcher in the Rye and Holden Caulfield”.

LOVE OR MONEY Drag Racing 1970 DVD

LOVE OR MONEY Drag Racing 1970 DVD

This made-for-TV special ran on one of the major networks of the time. Drag Racing 1970 the way it was! This film ends all speculation on how the world of drag racing was in the 70’s. Listen to the words in the  opening segment  (its a crackup!) You can tell by watching this film that it was produced on the fly just catching things as they happened. Very well done and very unique.

See the PROMO here!

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook

A Route & Planning Guide to Asia, Africa & Latin America

‘The first thing we did was buy Chris Scott’s ‘Adventure Motorcycling Handbook’ Ewan McGregor, The Long Way Round

In print since 1991 and now in full color, the eighth edition of the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook remains the legendary travel bible for two-wheeled adventurers. Dreaming of taking on the Big Trip? From Kathmandu to Machu Picchu or Mongolia to Patagonia (via Tanzania), AMH8 tells you everything you need to know on how to ride Africa, Asia and Latin America, aka: the Adventure Motorcycling Zone (AMZ). With 448-fact-filled pages including contributions from a team of earth roaming, overlanding experts. When, where and how, essential documentation, two dozen travel bikes rated, pages and pages on adapting and equipping your bike plus Life on the Road: borders, visas, money changing, air freight or shipping, comms and trackers, police trouble, mapping and navigation, off-road riding, troubleshooting and repairs, medical emergencies, wild camping and gear. Trans-Continental Route Outlines give you an idea of the best way to traverse the AMZ; which borders, fuel costs, where to get visas and catch ferries and where not to go.

Ferrari Photo Gallery

Ferrari Photo Gallery

One way of catching up on the exciting history of the Prancing Horse is to look at photographs of the past. This book captures all the magic and tragic Ferrari moments through the splendid pictures by the best car photographers and historians, including Louis Klemantaski, Griffith Borgeson, Peter Vann and many others whose photos are stored in the Automobilia archive and at the Ferrari Records Centre. There are 30 black-and-white and 61 colour photographs.

Hardcover

Automobilia, Italy, 1998

Size: 128 Pages

Take it to the Limit

Take it to the Limit

NEVER BEFORE AVAILABLE ON DVD!

Catch “Motorcycle Fever” as you experience the excitement at the Indianapolis Mile Dirt Track, the Riverside Raceway, the Orange County Drag Strip, and literally around the world, the hard rock soundtrack features the music of Foreigner, Jean Luc Ponty, Arlo Guthrie, and others.

The Harley in the Barn: More Great Tales of Motorcycle Archaeology

The Harley in the Barn: More Great Tales of Motorcycle Archaeology

Driving down a country road, a flash of chrome catches your eye as you pass an old farmstead. Next time you roll by, you slow down and focus on a shed behind the house. Could that be? Good lord, it is! Hard on the brakes, quick reverse, and pull in the drive. Yep, it’s a vintage Triumph Bonneville peering forlornly from beneath a tattered cover. You’ve just begun the journey that fuels the dreams of every motorcycle collector: the long-forgotten machine, re-discovered.

The Harley in the Barn offers 40-plus tales of lost Nortons, hidden Hondas, dormant Indians, and busted BSAs, all squirreled away from prying eyes but found by lucky collectors just like you. Author Tom Cotter is not only a barn-find master, he’s also master of discovering the collectors with the best stories and the most outlandish finds.

If you can’t pass a padlocked garage without wondering if there’s a great old bike stashed inside, this is your book. Hell, this is your life.

The Stainless Steel Carrot

The Stainless Steel Carrot

SOLD OUT

In 1970, Sylvia Wilkinson was a writer in the category known as ‘young Southern Woman Novelist’. While her novels and teaching paid the bills she had a passion for motorsports that led her to write The Stainless Steel Carrot: An Auto Racing Odyssey. The book profiled young up-and-coming road racer John Morton as he raced the BRE Datsun 510 in the 1971 and 1972 SCCA Trans-Am 2.5 Challenge. John won the championships and continued on a road-racing career that saw dozens of championship level victories around the country and abroad. The book, well regarded among both racers and general audience readers, has been out of print since 1973. Original copies often sell for over $100 online and at collectors events. Now, thanks to years of requests from fans, and Sylvia s interest in animals, the book is republished with additional material. The 2012 Brown Fox edition includes additional photography from both the 1971-72 timeframe as well as throughout John’s career. Forwards from both Dan Gurney and Parnelli Jones introduce the new book.

In this Revisited Edition of the classic motor racing book, author Sylvia Wilkinson has added a new 45-page chapter catching up with many of the people who made the BRE team successful and the book so compelling, including John Morton, the team’s number one driver, who went on to race professionally for now close to 40 years. This new 368 page edition includes 32 gloss pages and more than 150 photos — many in color. Numerous photographers have contributed to cover the subject well, though the author and publisher would especially like to thank Stan Sholik for his contribution of photos capturing the BRE team of the early 70’s and the career of John Morton for ensuing years.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: 1964 onwards (all marks) (Owners’ Workshop Manual)

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird: 1964 onwards (all marks) (Owners’ Workshop Manual)

SOLD OUT

Throughout its 34-year Cold War career with the USAF and CIA, the top secret Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane was the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft. Dedicated to strategic reconnaissance, the Blackbird was so fast that no other aircraft could catch it. The co-authors are world authorities on the Blackbird and give rare insights into the secret world of the SR-71, its genesis, construction and anatomy (including its use of stealth technology), and its operation and maintenance in peace and war.

Airstream: The Silver RV

Airstream: The Silver RV

The Airstream is an eye-catching vintage classic. First appearing on American highways in the mid-1930s, these sleek aluminum icons were compact, cozy spaces that could hitched to the family car and taken out on the open road – and nearly a century later, their timeless design has lost none of its appeal, with the Airstream enjoying renewed popularity among celebrities, event planners and young travelers who appreciate its distinctively American blend of functionalism and beauty and air of nostalgia. Born in the California backyard of inventor Wally Byam and inspired by a trailer designed by Hawley Bowlus, the famed chief builder of The Spirit of St. Louis, the Airstream’s modernist aesthetic has remained relatively unchanged in eight decades, and its industrial durability has earned a reputation without peer, with more than 65% of all Airstreams still on the road today. The book features the complete history of the Airstream, tips, cool facts, quotes and fabulous photographs— a fitting tribute to a true American legend.

Details Sports Cars 1965-1969

Details Sports Cars 1965-1969

“Ferrari 330P4, Ford GT40, Chaparral 2D, Porsche 917, Mirage M1, BMW Monti, Abarth, Alpine, Lola, Maserati, Matra, Serenissima – every one of these sports cars and prototypes is a legend today. In the Sixties, they epitomised the frontier of what was technically possible – and what at times proved not to be possible. In the quest for critical tenths of a second, engine power grew to unimagined levels while aerodynamics became the catchword with engineers inventing some formidable tricks in the wind tunnels. At the same time, tubular chassis, monocoques, bodywork and even brake discs were being created from increasingly exotic materials.

The mission was to win the World and European Championships that included famous races like Le Mans and Daytona plus other racing classics at Monza, Spa and the Nürburgring as well as in mountain hill-climbs.

This book delves into the details of sixty exceptional race cars of the period that tackled the World Sports Car Championship and the explosive sprints of the European Hill Climb Championship between 1965 and 1969. From the Abarth OT Sport Spider to the Porsche 917, they all reveal their stories embellished by ca. 350 by now largely unpublished photos. “Details – Legendary sports cars up close” is a declaration of love for these automotive treasures and their extreme technologies that is revealed by taking a very close look under their exotic bodies.

Format: 29 x 29 cm, hardcover in a slipcase

The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated Profile of Every Aircraft, Crew, and Breakthrough of the World’s Fastest Stealth Jet

The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird: The Illustrated Profile of Every Aircraft, Crew, and Breakthrough of the World’s Fastest Stealth Jet

The ultimate SR-71 book which profiles the history, development, manufacture, modification, and active service of all 50 models in the SR-71 program.

At the height of the Cold War in 1964, President Johnson announced a new aircraft dedicated to strategic reconnaissance. The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird spy plane flew more than three-and-a-half times the speed of sound–so fast that no other aircraft could catch it. Above 80,000 feet, its pilots had to wear full-pressure flight suits similar to what was used aboard the space shuttle.

Developed by the renowned Lockheed Skunk Works, the SR-71 was an awesome aircraft in every respect. It was withdrawn from use in 1998, when it was superseded by satellite technology. Twelve of the thirty-two aircraft were destroyed in accidents, but none were ever lost to enemy action.

Throughout its thirty-four-year career, the SR-71 was the world’s fastest and highest-flying operational manned aircraft. It set world records for altitude and speed: an absolute altitude record of 85,069 feet and an absolute speed record of 2,193.2 miles per hour.

The Complete Book of the SR-71 Blackbird covers every aspect of the SR-71’s development, manufacture, modification, and active service from the insider’s perspective of one of its pilots and is lavishly illustrated with more than 400 photos. Former pilot and author Richard Graham also examines each of the fifty planes that came out the SR-71 program (fifteen A-12s; three YF-12s; and thirty-two SR-71s) and tells each plane’s history, its unique specifications, and where each currently resides.