| The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975 is | | | | Pontiac produced that year, with a summary of what |
| one of my favorite classic car books. I actually have | | | | was new and what stayed the same, plus detailed |
| two copies, one at home and at work! If you are | | | | specs split out by body style on the MSRP, shipping |
| interested in classic cars, especially American muscle | | | | weight, and production numbers for each style. |
| cars, this is one reference manual that you need to | | | | Looking further, you can find out what engines and |
| have on your bookshelf. I work for a company that | | | | transmissions were offered in each model, along with |
| supplies specialty parts for the muscle car industry, | | | | horsepower and torque ratings, carburetion type, |
| so I have a number of muscle car books, and rarely | | | | wheelbase, height, width, tire size, available options |
| a week goes by that I don't get this one out to look | | | | (and their cost), etc. The book gives you ID numbers |
| up some minuscule detail about a car from the 1960s | | | | that help you to decode the VIN information, too. |
| or early 1970s. | | | | Towards the back of the book, it has a section on |
| The Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975 is | | | | Alternative Cars, where it covers the lesser-known, |
| part of a series of automotive reference books | | | | smaller marques. In the very back, it has a classic car |
| published by Krause Books, and I own eight different | | | | price guide that lists the prices that collectors were |
| books from this series. This one is my personal | | | | paying at the time of publication for six different |
| favorite of the series because of the time period it | | | | condition levels of each model car. |
| covers. The book separates the cars by make in | | | | The book has lots of photos of the cars, and |
| alphabetical order, and then by year, making it very | | | | discusses the year-to-year changes that were made, |
| easy to find information on the particular car you are | | | | as well as the history of each car make and model. I |
| wanting to learn about. For instance, if you are | | | | really cannot recommend this classic car book highly |
| looking for information on a 1952 Pontiac, you will find | | | | enough. If you are interested in classic post-war cars |
| the "Pontiac" section of the book, and then you will | | | | or muscle cars, the Standard Catalog of American |
| flip to 1952, where it will list all of the models that | | | | Cars, 1946-1975 really is a worthwhile purchase. |