An awesome collection of facts about the Formula 1 championship from 1950 to the present, including all your favorite drivers, from Moss, Fangio and Hawthorn to Hamilton, Verstappen and Vettel, and Stewart, Clark, Lauda, Schumacher, Senna, Mario, plus hundreds of others. A little bit of everything, such as year-by-year highlights, grids, numbering, sponsors, major failures, major achievements, the Indy 500, unusual fastest laps and pole positions, bad cars, bad engines, long careers, the bad times and the good times. Many fun stories, ideal for anybody who is just learning about the sport now, but also interesting for older fans who might have forgotten or not paid attention to such details. This is not a statistics book – rather, it contextualizes thousands of facts in time, location, period and phases. Guaranteed to give you many hours of enjoyment. Many black and white photographs and sketches prepared by the author.
George Barris is indisputably the “King of the Kustomizers,” the most phenomenal kustom car builder ever.
This book collects the incredible photos of early hot rods and custom cars taken by George Barris in the 1950s to early ’60s.
As a sculptor of cars, George Barris knew well the angles and lighting that would bring out the beauty of these creations, both his own and those of others.
A treasury of images, the photographs in this volume capture the early parts of the kustom culture movement, when people wanted to stylize their cars and make them look more sleek, different, powerful and personal.
Early Hot Rod and Kustom Kulture features hundreds of photos including notable customizers from all over the country, in addition to Barris’ own creations. Many of these unique photographs have never been seen before. Barris also photographed the people and personalities of this iconic time, capturing builders and owners, as well as pinups and models.
George captured all the styles of the early era of customs and hot rods, both East Coast and West Coast, reflecting the wide range of trends and scenes. A beautiful collection seen through the lens of master customizer George Barris.
Kustom Photography
George Barris began making custom cars in the early 1940s with his brother Sam. George bought a German-made twin lens reflex Rolleiflex camera and began photographing cars as a way to promote his business. It then became a way to educate other kustomizers. George recorded and wrote how-to stories offering information and photos on kustomizing techniques, sharing his work as well as that of other builders from all over the country. George captured thousands upon thousands of moments in time when the beauty, style or sheer outrageousness of an automobile was visible only to a gathered crowd.
George Barris’ artful documentation of early car culture serves as an important chronicle of custom car history, capturing the best the best of burgeoning hot rod and kustom kulture.
His first work to appear in print was virtually concurrent with the beginning of auto enthusiast magazines known as “little pages” such as Hot Rod, Car Craft, Custom Cars, Hop up, Rod & Custom, Motor Life, Spotlite and others. Although much of his fame surrounds the incredible kustom cars he built, George’s endeavors as a photographer are just as important as any other facet of his life.
Learn how to maximize your profits and savings when buying and selling collector cars!
The dealership model is an American institution, and auction houses can trace their roots back to the days of dusty cattle sales. Both have remained unchanged. Since the early 2000s, the internet has shaken up these legacy methods of finding, buying, and selling vintage cars, as a global online marketplace that is open to anyone.
CarTech, in conjunction with Patrick Krook of REV! Muscle Cars, introduces a proven process drawn from 20 years of experience building some of the world’s most significant classic car collections. Whether you are a first-time buyer or an established collector, this book shows you how to locate and buy your dream collector car stress free. Get the car you are expecting every time, creating positive cash flow and keeping the hobby fun for years to come.
Inside this book is an easy-to-follow, heavily illustrated step-by-step method to find, evaluate, negotiate, close, fund, and take delivery of a collector car safely over the internet without leaving your living room. It also includes how to avoid costly purchase mistakes, such as overpaying, fakes, or buying someone else’s headache. Better yet, it delves into details about how to always sell out of advantage, minimizing the overall amount you invest as you build your collection over time. Lastly, it provides all the tools you need for buying and selling when you have that person-to-person driveway transaction.
Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on dealership retail markup, auction fees, and failed purchases when you can obtain your dream car, keep more money in your pocket, and spend more quality time enjoying the hobby? How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars takes you from being a novice to a seasoned buyer/seller while you enjoy the adventure of car collecting.
Realize your Ford Coyote engine’s full potential by using this detailed resource as a guide to select the right parts for the street or the strip.
Veteran Ford writer and historian, Jim Smart, explains and highlights all of the latest and greatest options to achieve more horsepower and torque, and of course, faster quarter-mile times in Ford Coyote Engines: How to Build Max Performance-Revised Edition.
In this Revised Edition, now covering Generation III engines as well as Generation I & II, upgrades included are engine building techniques, cold-air induction kits, supercharger and pulley kits, better exhaust headers, fuel system and ECU tuning upgrades, and more. Both Ford and the aftermarket have produced an array of parts to squeeze even more power out of your Coyote.
Ford introduced its first “clean slate design” V-8 engines in the early 1990s in Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models. Known as the “Modular” engine family, the 4.6L engines employed new overhead cams, multi-valve performance, distributorless ignition, and more. This engine had new technology for its time, and it proved to be an extremely durable workhorse that logged hundreds of thousands of miles in police and taxi applications as well as light-duty trucks. And, of course, hotter versions, and even supercharged versions, found their way into performance applications such as Mustang GTs and Cobras.
By 2011, Ford wanted something hotter and more current, especially for its flagship Mustang GT and GT350 models, which were suddenly competing with new 6.2L LS3 engines in Camaros and 6.4L Hemi engines in Challengers. Enter Ford’s new 5.0L “Coyote” engine with Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT); it was an evolution of the earlier 4.6L and 5.4L Modular designs. Although the new Coyote engine had increased displacement, it still had far fewer cubes than the competition. Despite less displacement, the Coyote could hold its own against bigger Chevy and Chrysler mills thanks to advanced technology, such as 4V heads with better port and valvetrain geometry. The Coyote is also Ford’s first foray into technology that includes Ti-VCT and cam-torque-actuated (CTA) function, which is a fancy way of saying variable cam timing for an incredible power curve over a broader RPM range. Now, in Generation III, Ford has implement a system using both Port and Direct Fuel Injection, taking advantage of the benefits of both systems in a single application.
Even with all of this new technology, there is always room for improvement. If you are looking for even more power from your new Coyote, look no further than this volume.
Paul Frère – Le Mans winner, Grand Prix driver, and Road & Track magazine’s European editor – has prepared a new edition of his classic, Sports Car and Competition Driving. First published in 1963, Sports Car and Competition Driving sold tens of thousands of copies, establishing it as a standard reference on driving. In his revised edition, Frère builds on the strengths of the original by explaining how to meet the new challenges posed by radical new developments in automotive technology. What separates Frère’s book from other driving texts is his unique blend of theory and practice, based on a career as racer and trained engineer: Memorable observations on how to go faster combined with sophisticated discussions of the physics that govern a car. With 78 photographs and illustrations, Sports Car and Competition Driving is required reading for all those interested in racing or in becoming a more masterful road driver.
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride: Decade of Dapper documents and celebrates 10 years of raising funds and awareness for men’s health initiatives with engaging stories and gorgeous photography. Starting from the simple, joyous act of riding a motorcycle, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) has united hundreds of thousands of smartly dressed gentlefolk around the world on classic and vintage-style motorcycles to raise
over $35 million for prostate cancer and men’s mental health initiatives. The annual event has attracted the world’s attention and created some truly amazing stories (and thousands of great images) along the way.
The success of the DGR has seen it become so much more than just a charity event. It’s now a kind of global moto family that’s made up of thousands of incredible stories, characters, cities, and ambassadors that are all wrapped up in a kind of motorcycling fashion renaissance. It’s as much about the amazing people that make it happen as it is about the bikes.
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride is filled with:
- Engaging stories about the riders and what motivates them
- Dapper fashion and stunning images from dozens of celebrated moto photographers in some of the world’s most iconic locations
- Personal contributions from the likes of actor and TV presenter Charley Boorman, MotoGP world champion Freddy Spencer, and actor Jai Courtney
As a lasting record of the hundreds of stories of triumph and heartbreak from the DGR family, this book brings to life the positive, global impact that motorcyclists have made on men’s health.
Journallist and broadcaster Andrew Marriott writes with a light and humorous touch about a multi-faceted career covering some six decades.
He reckons he was the youngest ever person to report a Formula 1 race for a national publication and now the oldest person to regularly report from the pit lanes of Le Mans, Daytona and Silverstone.
He has covered every aspect of car and bike racing from Formula 1 to NASCAR as well as World Championship motorcycle racing plus inshore and offshore powerboat racing. Along the way he has interviewed thousands of competitors and, indeed, show business personalities . He says that he has interviewed or worked with every Formula 1 World Champion bar Farina, Ascari and Hawthorn.
He has been driven across Buenos Aires by Fangio, starred in a hilarious TV blooper episode with Mario Andretti, judged competitions with James Hunt, provided a flat floor for Jody Scheckter to sleep on, played charades with Jochen Rindt, persuaded Denny Hulme to go truck racing, covered up for Alan Jones after an altercation with a van driver and door-stepped Alain Prost as he came out of a Monaco portaloo. Ayrton Senna secretly signed his Lotus contract in front of Andrew but subsequently stood him up when the Brazilian decided that taking a ride in F16 jet was a better option than a Marriott interview.
Add to that ghosting road tests and much more from motor cycle world champion Barry Sheene, working with George Harrison on a sponsorship deal and for 25 years interviewing the Le Mans 24 Hour winners at the end of the great race. He says he is not sure how many times he has covered the French classic but at least 50 and he has worked at over 130 different race tracks. He came up with the idea of a feature film about Steve McQueen which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is currently working on a follow-up.
Add to this a career in sports management and sponsorship embracing such events as the Hong Kong-Beijing Rally, various major Truck Races and the Birmingham Superprix. He has launched racing cars everywhere from London’s Albert Hall to a former carpet warehouse in Didcot. Add to that a brief career as a rally co-driver which included winning internationals in South Africa and the UK and finishing up stuck in a mud hole in Paraguay.
So he has plenty to write about and he says he has enjoyed nearly all of it all but as the title suggests – Is There Much More of This?
An intimate insight into a racing life
Mike Hailwood is a legend. Arguably the world’s greatest ever motorcycle racer, he transcended eras and generations. His two-wheeled racing career began – and he initially made his name – aboard big, British single cylinder machines, then he took to Japanese and Italian four-stroke multis, before finishing on booming V-twins and two-strokes.
He went from the black-and-white era, from one-colour dark leathers and pudding basin crash helmets, to the multicoloured, full-face helmeted, sponsorship driven days of the late 1970s. He found time to do some car racing too, recording a third at Le Mans in 1969 driving a Ford GT40, winning the 1972 Formula 2 European Championship and competing in 50 F1 Grands Prix, his debut in 1963, his last in 1974.
Though the car stats are impressive, the motorcycle ones are astonishing – nine world championships, 76 GP wins, 14 TT victories, his TT victories separated by 18 years, the first 1961, the last 1979. On top of this he was awarded the MBE and then the George Medal for his bravery in rescuing fellow F1 driver Clay Regazzoni in 1973.
It is almost impossible to comprehend the tragic irony that the life of this man, who had risked and survived so much, a hero to thousands for his derring-do, was curtailed as he drove the family car to collect a fish and chip takeaway. That his daughter Michelle died alongside him adds an extra layer to the tragedy.
Mike’s son David survived the accident and here has allowed access to the family’s treasure trove of personal artefacts. These range from the mundane to the magnificent but together they tell the incredible story of Mike the Bike.
PINK PIG PORSCHE The Truffle Hunter of Zuffenhausen is a thorough photo narrative of the Pink Pig’s motorsports history which includes over 125 legendary images, many of which are exclusively from the Porsche Archive and from other unpublished photography sources.
Renowned Porsche historian and author Lee Raskin conveys a wonderful tale about the legendary Pink Pig Porsche and its unique livery — which continues to span beyond five decades.
Built especially for the 1971 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, Porsche AG created the special-bodied TYP 917/20-001 that would be uniquely painted pink along with thirteen German butcher-cut names covering its body — that instantly became known as the Le Mans Pink Pig by the motorsports media.
In recent years, tens of thousands of Porsche enthusiasts have visited the Porsche Museum at Stuttgart-Zufenhausen to meet this legendary 917/20 Pink Pig.
Today, Pink Pig memorabilia has become extremely popular — in the form of designer clothing, model racing cars, ‘Piggy’ banks, coffee and beer mugs, cookies, and dynamic Pink Pig posters and collectible art work.
Pehaps the most exciting Pink Pig news of the day is the acquisition and reinvention of the original Porky’s Pig by the renowned motorsports artist, Kelly Telfer…who has created a very unique Pink Pig display for worldwide Porsche-related events, such as the annual Porsche Club of America’s Porsche Parade, and Werks; as well as the famed Amelia Island event.
The complete motorsports story is included in PINK PIG PORSCHE: The Truffle Hunter of Zuffenhausen.
Located in an Observer Corps post on the top of a Martello tower on the seafront at Dymchurch in Kent, Mr E.E. Woodland and Mr A.M. Wraight were on duty on the morning of 13 June 1944. Shortly after 04.00 hours they spotted the approach of an object spurting red flames from its rear end and making a noise like ‘a Model-T-Ford going up a hill’. What they were watching was the first V1 flying bomb heading towards the South Coast. A new battle of Britain was about to begin.
The flying bomb that the two men had observed crossed the shoreline and continued northwards. Some ten minutes later it fell to earth with a loud explosion at Swanscombe, near Gravesend. It was the first of more than 10,000 flying bombs launched against Britain that summer, most of which were targeted at London. At its peak, Hitler’s flying bomb campaign saw more than 100 V1s a day being fired.
Much of the UK suddenly found itself back in the frontline of the war. In the weeks and months that followed, thousands of people were killed, many more injured. In this book the author takes the reader through the day by day battle. Accounts from some of those who survived the buzz bomb attacks bring the story to life as people tell about their fears and experiences.
To combat the threat, RAF fighter pilots flew round the clock patrols, desperately trying to shoot the robot rockets down and stop them from reaching their targets, whilst anti-aircraft gunners played their part on the ground. So successful was this joint effort that by the end of March 1945, the combined British defenses were accounting for 72.8% of all the reported V1s that were directed at the United Kingdom. This is the story of how that success was achieved.
Lambretta D/LD 125/150 tells the industrial and technical history of the Lambretta D/LD series, the classic Lambretta par excellence, the model that has represented the purest essence of the scooter “made in Italy,” as told through invaluable archive materials.
The book includes previously unpublished photos and official documents discovered in the Innocenti archives along with accurate texts by Vittorio Tessera, the leading expert on the historic scooter in Italy and the world. With this model, Innocenti proved capable of conquering the national and international markets; exported throughout the world, the D/LD was a great success, loved and appreciated by thousands of users. Chapters dedicated to advertising, to the famous people who fell in love with it and to the marketing of the D and DL series around the world complete this latest title in the series that also includes the volumes Lambretta LUI, Lambretta TV/LI Series I and Lambretta TV/LI Series 3.
Freewaytopia: How Freeways Shaped Los Angeles explores how social, economic, political, and cultural demands created the web of freeways whose very form―futuristic, majestic, and progressive―perfectly exemplifies the City of Angels.
From the Arroyo Seco Parkway, which began construction during the Great Depression, to the Century Freeway, completed in 1993, author Paul Haddad provides an entertaining and thought-provoking history of the 527 miles of roadways that comprise the Los Angeles freeway system.
Each of Los Angeles’s twelve freeways receives its own chapter, and these are supplemented by “Off-Ramps”―sidebars that dish out pithy factoids about Botts’ Dots, SigAlerts, and all matter of freeway lexicon, such as why Southern Californians are the only people in the country who place the word “the” in front of their interstates, as in “the 5,” or “the 101.”
Freewaytopia also explores those routes that never saw the light of day. Imagine superhighways burrowing through Laurel Canyon, tunneling under the Hollywood Sign, or spanning the waters of Santa Monica Bay. With a few more legislative strokes of the pen, you wouldn’t have to imagine them―they’d already exist.
Haddad notably gives voice to those individuals whose lives were inextricably connected―for better or worse―to the city’s freeways: The hundreds of thousands of mostly minority and low-income residents who protested against their displacement as a result of eminent domain. Women engineers who excelled in a man’s field. Elected officials who helped further freeways . . . or stop them dead in their tracks. He pays tribute to the corps of civic and state highway employees whose collective vision, expertise, and dedication created not just the most famous freeway network in the world, but feats of engineering that, at their best, achieve architectural poetry. And let’s not forget the beauty queens―no freeway in Los Angeles ever opened without their royal presence.
Freewaytopia is part colorful lore, part civic and historical critique, and part homage to the most famous freeways in the world.
Racing Car Constructors of the 70s is the second of series of books written by Carlos de Paula concerning racing in the 70s. The 542-page book, with almost 150 thousand words, covers over 2400 racing car constructors from 49 countries from all inhabited continents. The reference work provides listings in alphabetical order, identifying the nationality of constructors and the categories in which the cars were raced, covering not only major categories but also local ones. Multiple thousands of race results and entry lists were consulted in over 12 languages, resulting in the most complete work of the type ever written. The book covers single seaters and purpose-built sports cars that raced during the 70s, including 300 rare photographs and sketches prepared by the author, covering a large number of categories such as Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 5000, Champ Cars, Sports Cars, Group 7, Group 5 Silhouette, Formula Atlantic, Formula Vee, Formula Ford, Formula Super Vee, Formula 1430, Formula Easter, Argentine single seater categories, Soviet single seater categories, Formula 100, Formula 1300/1200, Hill Climb Specials, Formula Renault, Formula Bleue, Formula Italia, Formula Monza, Formula 750, Formula 850, Formula 4, Formula Libre, SCCA Classes (A, B, C and D Sports Racers, Formulas A, B and C), Japanese classes, Clubman Formula, Formula 2000, Formula Pacific, etc. An ideal companion to the book Motor Racing in the 70’s., also written by the author.
Motor Racing in the 70s has 242 photographs from a large number of countries and categories, many of them rare and part of private collections. This is a reference book on global motor racing activities in the 1970s which strives to provide much obscure information, analysis and data on single seater, touring car, GT and sports car circuit racing and hill climbs during the decade. In addition to Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 5000, NASCAR, Can-Am, Interserie, World Manufacturers Championship, Lower Formulae, European Touring Car Championship, Formula Indy, IMSA, SCCA, British Club Racing, and much more is covered, including huge lists of venues, drivers and car manufacturers not available elsewhere. The domestic scenes and venues in 85 countries in all inhabited continents are discussed, in addition to a new section on standalone races and short series, providing much surprising information. Truly a must-have for any motor racing fan, thousands of new pieces of information have been added to the 472-page, 180,000 word book. The car maker section has been upgraded, identifying in which countries different brands raced. The list of champions worldwide has also been greatly expanded, making this reference work even more invaluable to the true racing enthusiast than the first edition. Thousands of drivers from over 85 countries are covered. Learn more about Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Richard Petty, Jacky Ickx, Jackie Stewart, Rick Mears, Peter Gregg, Brian Redman, Derek Bell, Henri Pescarolo, Cale Yarborough, Jochen Rindt, Jack Brabham, Mark Donohue, Peter Revson, Denis Hulme, Nelson Piquet. Tons of statistics specific to the decade, an analysis how racing developed from a romantic to an organized activity during the era, incisive commentary on financial issues, sponsors, non-driver personalities, female racers, media, year-by-year highlights. Hundreds of sources have been consulted in over 12 languages, and much of the information covered is available for the first time in English.
- History and Development
- Maintenance and Repair
- Performance Tuning
- Installing Accessories
- Buyer’s Guide
| The E-Class Owners Bible” is an E-class buyers guide, maintenance handbook and technical reference source wrapped into one. It is full of tech tips, service hints and system descriptions, plus lots of insightful information about the W124 E-Class chassis.
This book can help steer you through the purchase of your first Mercedes-Benz, provide the information necessary to maintain your E-Class to factory standards, give you the assurance to speak knowledgeably to your service professional and provide you with the hot setup for better road handling.
Models included in this Mercedes-Benz repair manual:
Gasoline engine:
- 260E
- 300E, 300E 2.6, 300E 2.8, 300E 4MATIC
- 300CE, 300CE cabrio
- 300TE, 300TE 4MATIC
- 400E
- 500E
- E320 sedan, coupe, cabrio and wagon
- E420
- E500
Diesel engine:
- 300D Turbo, 300D 2.5 Turbo, 300TD Turbo, E300 Diesel
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The prospective buyer will also find tips on what to watch out for, why a pre-purchase inspection is important and why one model may be preferred to another. Do-it-yourself owners will discover a huge hands-on maintenance chapter to help keep their E-Class at peak efficiency.
Technical highlights:
- Comprehensive maintenance procedures, including HVAC microfilter replacement, brake pad and rotor replacement and engine oil and fluid change procedures listing the necessary tools, tightening torques and fluid capacities.
- Year-by-year analysis of E-Class technical highlights, including the inspiring 500E sports sedan and when the multi-cam M104 engine replaced the M103 single cam workhorse.
- Buying tips on how to get the best car for the least amount of money, things to look for during the test-drive and how having a prepurchase inspection can potentially save you thousands of dollars.
- Seasoned advice on choosing the right repair shop, be it an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, an independent specialist or an all makes-all models shop.
- Detailed technical information on vehicle systems, including engines, suspension, drivetrain, body and interior features.
- Performance modifications, including a listing of parts needed to upgrade to the Sportline suspension.
- A brief historical overview of Mercedes-Benz, the worlds oldest car company.
To bring you this authoritative volume, Bentley Publishers has teamed up with Stu Ritter, a 25-year independent Mercedes-Benz repair shop owner/technician and current technical editor of The Star (the magazine of the Mercedes-Benz Club of America).
From Motorbooks, the leader in automotive publishing for over 4 decades, comes the most practical car care guide ever produced to help the average car owner maintain and repair his or her vehicle – How to Repair Your Car. In this easy-to-follow guide, author Paul Brand, a nationally known automotive expert, takes you through the steps of auto maintenance and repair—simple steps that could add years to a car’s life and save a driver thousands of dollars in repairs. This is also the only car maintenance and repair guide on the market to contain 50 do-it-yourself projects in full-color, step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow and understand.
Focusing on post-1985 cars (with occasional explanations about earlier models), Brand introduces readers to the rudiments of automotive systems—from electrical, fuel, and cooling to drivetrain, suspension, tires, brakes, and exhaust—and discusses problems that arise in each system. The book includes practical advice for readers with only a passing knowledge of cars, as well as the basics of caring for a car’s exterior and interior.
How to Repair Your Car is a must-have for any car owner who wants to extend the life of his or her car, learn how to perform car maintenance or repair instead of paying a mechanic, diagnose simple noises and knocks, as well as learn tips for knowing exactly what they’re paying for when their car goes to the shop.
A monumentally researched biography of one of the nineteenth century’s wealthiest self-made Americans…Well-written and worthwhile” (The Wall Street Journal) it’s the rags-to-riches frontier tale of an Irish immigrant who outwits, outworks, and outmaneuvers thousands of rivals to take control of Nevada’s Comstock Lode.
Born in 1831, John W. Mackay was a penniless Irish immigrant who came of age in New York City, went to California during the Gold Rush, and mined without much luck for eight years. When he heard of riches found on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1859, Mackay abandoned his claim and walked a hundred miles to the Comstock Lode in Nevada.
Over the course of the next dozen years, Mackay worked his way up from nothing, thwarting the pernicious “Bank Ring” monopoly to seize control of the most concentrated cache of precious metals ever found on earth, the legendary “Big Bonanza,” a stupendously rich body of gold and silver ore discovered 1,500 feet beneath the streets of Virginia City, the ultimate Old West boomtown. But for the ore to be worth anything it had to be found, claimed, and successfully extracted, each step requiring enormous risk and the creation of an entirely new industry.
Now Gregory Crouch tells Mackay’s amazing story—how he extracted the ore from deep underground and used his vast mining fortune to crush the transatlantic telegraph monopoly of the notorious Jay Gould. “No one does a better job than Crouch when he explores the subject of mining, and no one does a better job than he when he describes the hardscrabble lives of miners” (San Francisco Chronicle). Featuring great period photographs and maps, The Bonanza King is a dazzling tour de force, a riveting history of Virginia City, Nevada, the Comstock Lode, and America itself.
Limited Edition Re-Print
AMERICAN CAR CULTURE AT ITS VIBRANT BEST
Wednesday night was “Cruise Night” in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles. The stretch on Van Nuys Boulevard between Ventura Boulevard on the southern end, and well past Sherman Way to the north, teemed with kids and cars from all over Southern California on Wednesday nights. It was a terrific place to both see and be seen, and to show off your ride as well.Gas was cheap, times were great, and the boulevard hummed with life during the evenings. Even the «draft» during the Vietnam War did not dampen the street scene. By 1972, the year Rick McCloskey went to Van Nuys to shoot his series of photographs, the culture on the boulevard had become an amalgamation of divergent lifestyles, automobiles – used and new – and some very different «looks» and styles. There were «tribes» of van kids – surfers mostly – low-riders, muscle cars, street racers, Volkswagen owners, and many more, and of course, thousands of young people. The idea of «retro» had arrived as well, with some young people emulating the look and style of the 1950s. Of course, there were individuals who had to be there for work. In making these images, Rick McCloskey set about portraying the young people, their cars, and the iconic background settings. Today, young people no longer have anything similar to the past boulevard gathering places, where so many people can enjoy «just being there» together. Akin to starlight still trickling in from a long vanished world, these photographic images are what we have left
Hardcover
132 pages,
118 duotone plates with a text by the photographer
