Of all of the pioneering custom-car builders to come to prominence in the 1950s--Harry Westergard, George Barris, and Dean Jeffries, among others--one of the most prolific was a young man from Modesto, California, named Gene Winfield. Cutting his teeth in California's hopping postwar hot rod scene, Gene eventually gravitated toward custom cars, becoming one of the medium's preeminent and most-sought-after practitioners. For the first time, Gene's career is examined in this volume fully illustrated with photography from Gene's personal archive. Written by longtime Winfield employee David Grant, The Legendary Hot Rods and Custom Cars of Gene Winfield is culled from hours of interviews with Gene and recounts everything from his early days in Modesto and his first shop in a converted backyard chicken coop, to his role in forming the Century Toppers car club, his involvement in dry lakes and circle-track racing, the formation of Winfield's Custom Shop in 1955, and the impressive string of vehicles that followed. Cars featured include the Ford convertible that graced the second issue of Rod & Custom, the 1950 Solar Scene Mercury Coupe, the 1956 Mercury called Jade Idol, and the Ford King "T" that won the 1963 AMBR award, among dozens of others. Grant also delves into Winfield's involvement with model-maker AMT, movie and TV vehicles for such projects as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Get Smart, and reminisces from Winfield's contemporaries.

"Profiles the work of 14 customizers who are still creating and restoring custom cars."--Publisher's description.

This book will take you back, and maybe you'll want to stay there. -- Ken Gross. Featuring Bertilsson's fantastic photography, this book covers the contemporary hot rods and features the best builders on the West Coast from the past 15 years. Whole chapters are devoted to legendary do-it-yourself builders like Larry Watson and Gene Winfield, plus coverage of shows and custom clubs. Read it, dig the pictures, and see if doesn't make you want to pick up a torch and take three inches out of that too-tall roofline. Packed with color and stunning classic cars.

The history of hot rodding and performance cars has been well chronicled through the years. Books and magazines have covered the cars, builders, pioneers, engineers, early racers, muscle cars, street racers, etc. Most take a nostalgic and fun look at the cars that many have loved their entire lives. Some even cover the lifestyle, the hobby as it involves people, and the effort, time, and commitment people put into it. It is more than just a hobby to most, and to many, a certain wave of nostalgia comes over them when remembering what the car scene was like "back in the day." The local speed shop is an important element of the nostalgic feeling that people have when fondly remembering their hot rodding youth. Speed shops were not just parts stores, they were a communal gathering place for car guys wanting to talk smart, bench race, and catch up on the local scene, as well as to solicit the expert advice from the owner or staff behind the counter. Here, longtime hot rodder and industry veteran Bob McClurg brings you the story of the era and the culture of speed shops as told through individual shop's histories and compelling vintage photography. He covers the birth of the industry, racing versus hot rodding, mail-order, and advertising wars. You learn about the performance boom of the 1960s and 1970s, lost speed shops as well as survivors, and a overview of the giant mail-order speed shops of today.

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.

An illustrated history of Hunt County, Texas, paired with histories of the local companies.

The author masterfully blends intellectual, economic, and military history into a fascinating discussion of a great moral question for generations of Americans: Can some individuals rightly profit during wartime while other sacrifice their lives to protect the nation?