The 1970s were a decade of changing tastes and new directions in automobile design, with the advent of the economy-driven, compact family car and the development of the muscle car. The era is famous for great-value cars such as the Datsun 240Z as well as the powerful and extravagant Ford Mustang and Pontiac Firebird. Hot Cars of the '70s celebrates the best cars of the decade, providing a detailed look at more than sixty of the greatest and most stylish automobiles from around the world. All the great names are covered, including Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Citroen, Datsun, Dodge, Ford, Jaguar, Lotus, Pontiac, Porsche, and Triumph. Illustrated with specially commissioned photography, each car is examined from all angles in close-up detail. Specifications are provided for each machine, including performance statistics, engine type, transmission, special features, running gear, and dimensions. The book also takes a close look under the hood, examining the chassis and suspension as well as the design of the engine. Finally, the book tracks the production milestones of each car and marks refinements and developments in styling and performance. Packed with information and great photos, this volume is a must for all lovers of the classic and stylish machines of the 1970s. Book jacket.

The 1950s saw the automobile come of age, with some of the most imaginative developments in car design asserting a new confidence in the car as an accessible symbol of freedom. One of the great eras of automobile production, the '50s saw cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Thunderbird, and Jaguar XK120 hit the roads, as well as the more glamorous MGA, Mercedes 190SL, and the Triumph TR3. Hot Cars of the '50s celebrates the best cars of the decade, providing a detailed look at more than sixty of the greatest and most stylish automobiles from around the world. All the great names are covered, including Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Fiat, Jaguar, MG, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Rolls-Royce. Illustrated with specially commissioned photography, each car is examined from all angles in close-up detail. Specifications are provided for each machine, including performance statistics, engine type, transmission, special features, running gear, and dimensions. The book also takes a close look under the hood, examining the chassis and suspension as well as the design of the engine. Finally, the book tracks the production milestones of each car and marks refinements and developments in styling and performance. Packed with information and great photos, this volume is a must for all lovers of the classic and stylish machines of the 1950s. Book jacket.

Pack you 8-tracks and platform shoes and hustle back to a decade when muscle cars died, economy cars were born, and disco was the dance. Award-winning author Patrick Foster guides readers on a trip through a tumultuous decade in automotive history. Witness the demise of big block gas-guzzlers and convertibles and the near-demise of the Chrysler Corporation. Relive the birth of the American subcompact, custom vans, t-tops and a new aesthetic. Remember Pintos, Pacers, Vegas, X-bodies, and the proliferation of front-wheel drive -- hallmarks of the '70s auto-evolution. Foster doesn't stop with the hot cars. To pull it all into perspective, he stops along the way to sample the music, movies and manias that made the 70s sensational.

Growing up as a child in the ''80s had its ups and downs - it's perhaps the one decade that, more than any other, begets groans of, ''oh, what were you thinking?'' Those 10 years saw some huge changes - pop music went electronic, yuppies ruled the financial world, and fashion was never the same again. Neither was the car. Yes, despite some four-wheeled disasters, the ''80s still had plenty of cool cars. The petrol heads of the time lusted after Magnum P.I.''s Ferrari 308; they salivated over the Ferrari Daytona and Testarossa from Miami Vice, they watched ''Back to the Future'' in cinemas across the country, mesmerised at the sight of the Doc''s De Lorean (surely the ultimate in customisation?). Other 80s supercars included Porsche''s peerless 911, the original Audi Quattro (a car resurrected on current U.K. television in the show Ashes to Ashes) and the Ford Capri SLE 71R driven by Terry McCann in Minder... the list goes on. Now, 'The Best of Car' takes you back to the days when cars were flash, angular and mean. It''s time to don the shades and head out for a cool cruise down the strip. Flick through the glossy pages of what became the bible for aspiring car enthusiasts in the 80s - the only motoring magazine that reflected the true age of excess, and relive those long-forgotten dreams.

This book describes American cars of the 1970s, such as the Chevrolet Camaro SS396, the Dodge Coronet Super Bee, the Ford Mustang Mach 1, the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, the Pontiac Trans Am SD455, and others.

Photographs of all models; production dates and numbers; specifications and body types; descriptions and recognition features; historical notes on all makes.