Cars (1940s and 1950s): Books - History

Lost Cars of the 1940s and '50s

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Presenting sixty distinct automobiles, each accompanied by a compelling narrative, diverse specifications, and a shared characteristic: they exist as overlooked, disregarded, or misunderstood classics.
The 1940s and 1950s witnessed a transformation in the realm of motoring, transitioning from the post-war period of austerity to the prosperity of the 'you've never had it so good' era.

During this time, engines experienced significant power enhancements, suspensions provided enhanced comfort, traditional chassis frames became obsolete, and design aesthetics drew inspiration from jet fighters and subsequently, space rockets. While several cars achieved global acclaim, a multitude remained obscure, fading into obscurity almost as quickly as they emerged.

In 'Lost Cars of the 1940s and '50s,' Giles Chapman, an acclaimed author, unveils a fresh collection of these enigmatic automotive curiosities. This book reintroduces rarely-seen archival and contemporary imagery, reviving audacious designs, economical models, and the realm of extraordinary luxury vehicles - providing a second chance for these machines to capture our collective imagination, even if their initial spark faltered.

Information

Author:	Giles Chapman
Details:	160 pages, 21 x 21.5 cm / 8.25 x 8.5 in, paperback
Illustrations:	profusely illustrated
Publisher:	The History Press Ltd (GB, 2023)
ISBN:	9780750999458

A-Z of Cars 1945-1970 (Classic and Sports Car Magazine)

From Abarth to Zaporozhets, this is the illustrated encyclopaedia of every make of British and European car sold in Britain from the end of the Second World War to 1970. More than 1000 models were on sale in Britain in the period, and every one of them is described and illustrated, while brief histories of their makes provide background.

Firmly established as the most comprehensive illustrated reference works available on the subject, the books in the Classic and Sports Car A-Z series provide unique individual coverage and analysis of every make and model of car sold in Britain, with:
- Photographs of all models
- Production dates and numbers
- Specifications and body types
- Descriptions and recognition features
- Historical notes on all makes.

Information

Author:	Michael Sedgwick, Mark Gillies
Details:	232 pages, 26 x 19 x 1.7 cm / 10.25 x 7.5 x 0.67 in, paperback
Illustrations:	1000 b&w photos
Publisher:	Herridge & Sons Ltd (GB, 2010)
ISBN:	9781906133269

American Cars, 1946-1959 - Every Model, Year by Year

From the resumption of automobile production at the close of World War II through the 1950s, the American auto industry would see the births and deaths of several manufacturers, great technological advances, and an era of dramatic styling as a prospering nation asserted its growing mobility. Cars of this period are among the most iconic vehicles ever built in the United States: the 1949 Ford, the remarkable Studebaker designs of 1950 and 1953, the 1955-1957 Chevrolets, the "Forward Look" Chrysler products, the ill-fated Edsel and many others.

This comprehensive reference book details every model from each of the major manufacturers (including independents such as Kaiser-Frazer and Crosley but excluding very low-volume marques such as Tucker) from model years 1946 through 1959. Year by year, it provides an overview of the industry and market, followed by an individual report on each company: its main news for the year (introductions or cancellations of models, new engines and transmissions, advertising themes, sales trends etc.); its production figures and market status; and its powertrain offerings, paint colors and major options. The company's models are then detailed individually with such information as body styles, prices, dimensions and weights, standard equipment and production figures. Nearly 1,000 photographs are included.

Information

Author:	J."Kelly" Flory
Details:	1047 pages, 28 x 21.5 x 6.8 cm / 11 x 8.5 x 2.68 in, hardback
Illustrations:	948 b&w photos
Publisher:	McFarland & Co Inc (USA, 2008)
ISBN:	9780786432295

Voitures françaises 1945-1950

Rediscover the most iconic French vehicles that crisscrossed the roads of our childhood. DS Citroen, Simca Aronde, 4 CV Renault, Peugeot 203 (and so many others), none are missing.
The author tells the story of all these vehicles that rocked our childhood: so many adventures lived in our parents' cars, when we traveled in the back seat, to go to school or to go on vacation. Remember, it was not so long ago...

This collection of books traces in detail the career of all these legendary models, brand by brand, each volume covering a period of five years.
1945-1950: Reconstruction in a France devastated by war, the difficult restart of an industry in full transformation, which concentrated all its efforts on the production of economical and cheap models, shortage obliges...

Information

Author:	Xavier Chauvin
Details:	96 pages, 25 x 19 cm / 9.8 x 7.5 in, paperback
Illustrations:	50 b&w and 100 colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2007)
ISBN:	9782726887219

Ces belles voitures dont a rêvé mon père

The 1950s and 1960s were the golden age of the automobile. They allowed the democratization of this mode of transport through popular cars accessible to a greater number of people.
Buying a car in the 1950s and even at the beginning of the 1960s was a path of suffering because of very long delivery times and the faltering consumer credit. Acquiring a foreign vehicle before the opening of the common market was even worse!

Yesterday as today, some were more of a dream than others. But because of their higher price, their marginality, their origin, their taxation, there were still dream cars. If the driver of the 1950s and 1960s drove a 4 CV or Simca 1000, he dreamed of more emblematic, more sporty, more bourgeois, more elitist and above all more emotional models.

Through "Ces belles voitures dont a rêvé mon père" we invite you to take the wheel of these most passionate cars from the 1950s and 1960s, which made our fathers and grandfathers dream so much. Through the 192 pages of this book, listen to the rustle of the eight-cylinders of the Vedette or the Chambord, the thick rumble of a Traction 15-Six, the deep rattle of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the rumble of a swollen Panhard flat-twin, the quiet hammering of a VW Karmann-Ghia coupe, the meow of a two-stroke DKW, the growl of a Chevrolet Corvair.

Information

Author:	Xavier de Nombel, Patrice Verges
Details:	224 pages, 29 x 24 cm / 11.4 x 9 in, hardback
Illustrations:	300 colour photos
Publisher:	ETAI (F, 2010)
ISBN:	9782726889954