Road Hogs

"A guaranteed conversation starter among baby boomers, especially
those who learned how to parallel park in one of these mile-long
cruisers." — Library Journal

Library Journal November 15, 2011

This tribute to the wretched automotive excesses of the 1960s and 1970s takes an affectionate look at the land yachts and whale-sized station wagons then produced by Detroit automakers. Every page contains full-color photos—many from ads and sales brochures—showing Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, and Lincolns of the era. Automotive journalist Peters (Automotive Atrocities) delivers an amusing and somewhat snarky narrative, pausing to snicker over the behemoths of the highways while sharing stories with readers. With fins galore and enough chrome to blind oncoming drivers, these massive luxury cruisers featured sumptuous interiors with Tiffany clocks and fine Corinthian leather. With gas under a dollar a gallon and no worries about global warming, who cared whether the miles-per-gallon hovered around ten? These were the vehicles of Elvis and Frank Sinatra, a dream for the average worker bee. VERDICT A must-have for fans of big Detroit iron, and a fun choice to bring to family gatherings—“Didn’t grandpa have one of those?” A guaranteed conversation starter among baby boomers, especially those who learned how to parallel park in one of these mile-long cruisers.—Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

This tribute to the wretched automotive excesses of the 1960s and 1970s takes an affectionate look at the land yachts and whale-sized station wagons then produced by Detroit automakers. Every page contains full-color photos—many from ads and sales brochures—showing Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles, and Lincolns of the era. Automotive journalist Peters (Automotive Atrocities) delivers an amusing and somewhat snarky narrative, pausing to snicker over the behemoths of the highways while sharing stories with readers. With fins galore and enough chrome to blind oncoming drivers, these massive luxury cruisers featured sumptuous interiors with Tiffany clocks and fine Corinthian leather. With gas under a dollar a gallon and no worries about global warming, who cared whether the miles-per-gallon hovered around ten? These were the vehicles of Elvis and Frank Sinatra, a dream for the average worker bee. VERDICT A must-have for fans of big Detroit iron, and a fun choice to bring to family gatherings—“Didn’t grandpa have one of those?” A guaranteed conversation starter among baby boomers, especially those who learned how to parallel park in one of these mile-long cruisers. - Library Journal Xpress