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American Cars, Trucks and Motorcycles of World War I:
Illustrated Histories of 225 Manufacturers
by Albert Mroz

Written a year after his book on the American Military Vehicles of World War I Mroz presents here an illustrated history of 225 of the American companies that manufactured cars, trucks, or motorcycles for the civilian market in 1917 and 1918. While the actual number of manufacturers is probably larger, Mroz omitted the ones that had only marginal impact on the consumer market either because their output was too small or never even reached series production. Unlike the earlier book, this topic lends itself to straightforward alphabetical organization. This new book complements the earlier one better than the other way around inasmuch as an integral aspect of the first book was the fact that with few exceptions the vast majority of vehicles that were appropriated for war use were out of necessity initially stock or only slightly modified civilian vehicles. Thus, this book gives background on various items only mentioned in passing in the earlier one. Where there is overlap with military vehicles (be it support or combat) it so noted.

The book’s aim is to give a basic perspective on this specific time period, not to serve as an in-depth model history or to present any one maker’s entire model range. Even with this intended brevity the text consists of fully articulated sentences as opposed to bullet points and is quite detailed.

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Dodge B-Series Trucks: Restorer’s & Collector’s Reference Guide and History
by Don Bunn

There was once a time when pickup trucks were commercial vehicles; workhorses used by businesses small and large to move whatever needed to be moved. These vehicles were simple, rugged, unadorned and dependable. Just as with a tugboat or a locomotive, styling was almost always a secondary consideration to the task at hand and extra options simply took away from the maximum payload the thing could haul.

After World War Two, Ford and Chevrolet dominated the truck market. Dodge was a player, but its trucks were usually priced $25 to $50 higher than the competition, an amount that was enough to lose a sale. In 1948, Dodge introduced its new B-Series that provided more interior room with a bigger cab, tight and precise steering due to an 18-inch steering wheel, and a set-back front axle. Dodge would never match Ford and Chevrolet in sales numbers but the B-Series was an attractive alternative. The B-Series was built between 1948 and 1953 at just one plant in San Leandro, California and was available in light, medium, and heavy duty models.

Don Bunn’s passion for Dodge B-Series trucks was fueled by his purchase in 1973 of a 1952 half-ton pick-up, a vehicle that he still owns. He became a charter member of the Light Commercial Vehicle Association (LCVA) and quickly found that there was little or no information available to someone who wanted to rebuild or restore an old B-Series truck. His search for relevant information about what each vehicle should have looked like as it left the factory is embodied in Dodge B-Series Trucks: Restorer’s & Collector’s Reference Guide and History.

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The Allison Engine Catalog 1915–2007
by John Leonard

As the title suggests, Allison products are arranged chronologically in catalog style, with each product occupying one page. For readers who enjoy engineering excellence, this book is a must. Outside of its own product line, Allison did contract work for numerous customers including the GM Research Laboratory, US Army, US Navy, and US Department of Energy. Their product range covered engines for airships, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, rockets, automobiles, armored vehicles, busses, locomotives, boats, generators, and auxiliary power units. Some were multi-fueled, some burned coal, and one even burned wood and another one was nuclear powered!

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