AMERICA'S WILDEST SHOW RODS BOOK REVIEW BY PAUL A

Another book review, although this one is on a rather unusual subject for me.

America's Wildest Show Rods of the 1960s & 1970s, Scotty Gosson, CarTech, USA, 2013. 159 pages on glossy paper.

Out of print.

Hot Rods and custom cars are not my usual subjects, but the vehicles in this book include many that were used in films and on television, which is a subject I am interested in.

Show Rods are a form of extreme custom, in which the aim is to look stunning, with no regard to practicality - some do not even run, or were terrible to drive. They existed to attract attention, and draw people to car shows.

An introduction gives a history of custom cars and Show Rods, with comments by various famous custom car designers. Then it is on to the cars themselves, which get between one and six pages, a history, and several photographs. Many of these have been made as either die-casts or plastic kits, and some box-tops are shown. 

The book is divided in to sections, one of which is devoted to film and TV cars, such as the Munster cars, TV Batmobile, Monkeemobile, and Pink Panther car. Many of the other vehicles popped up in various films or TV shows, but were not really Star Cars.

Some vehicles clearly remain cars, others resemble a flying saucer, horse-drawn stagecoach, various items of furniture (barber chair, bunk beds, bathtub), old time delivery truck, or some kind of giant insect.

Whether you like this book will depend on your interest in either custom cars, wild Hot Wheels models, or film and TV cars. I find it a useful reference book, filled with great photos.

Paul Adams from New Zealand