The finest automobiles the world has ever seen were produced during the 1920s and early 1930s. For one thing, the choice of truly fine cars was much greater than at any time since. There were a dozen fine chassis being built in America, and those who wished could select from at least another dozen from abroad. The best of these were fitted with coachwork form a number of fine body builders here or in Europe. Competition led not only to improvement in design but to the development of quality to the highest standards.
There were a number of small to medium sized manufacturers of both chassis and bodies, staffed by master craftsmen, who were dedicated to the ideal of building the best rather than simply the most. Most custom car building businesses have long since been out of business, and their records have been lost or destroyed.
Although the pictures (which are mostly black and white) do not do the cars justice, the totality of the book is outstanding. Having been intimately involved in the industry during the custom era, the author's depth of knowledge was immense, and he relayed it in such a clear manner that it provided a real insight into how the whole process worked back then. Reading his personal recollections of not only the designers, but of the enumerable companies that constructed these cars almost made me feel as if I were sitting next to him.
