Ultimate Car Collector Guide
by James J. Schild
“Everything you want to know about car collecting but were afraid to ask!” Or, in the case of the novice hobbyist, didn’t know to ask.
After more than half a century of amateur and professional involvement in the classic car movement, and possessed of a desire to share his knowledge (27 books to date!), the author presents here a bird’s eye view of pretty much everything in the collector car world: history of the hobby/clubs, body and engine types, how to identify cars, basic auto operating principles, 738-item glossary, who’s who, resources, and restoration info—to highlight just a few topics.
While this self-published book may be Spartan in appearance it is anything but in terms of wideness of its scope, which is not to be confused, and rarely compatible, with depth—lest one writes an encyclopedia. Therein lies no criticism, merely a qualifier to the prospective buyer to accept that this book neither claims nor aspires to be the final word on the myriad topics it covers. It is meant as a first not the last stop and to lay a good foundation from which to embark on further discourse.
Possibly only someone who has compiled data and weighed what to keep and what to toss can fully appreciate the compromises an author of a book such as this must make. It is important to remember this when it comes to the many lists (museums, libraries, clubs, events) to prevent exasperation at the selection criteria; cf. an entry for the Morgan Sports Car Club of Austria seems of rather limited use when there is none for the incalculably more important VSCC. But don’t get hung up on this—the book fulfils its purpose, and there’s no other quite like it.
Schild is a member of numerous local and national automotive clubs and organizations and has served on the boards of the Society of Automotive Historians, technician and regional editor for the Cadillac LaSalle Club (where he received a Maurice Hendry Award for excellence in journalistic contributions), and is a Master Judge of the Classic Car Club of America.
Copyright 2013, Sabu Advani (speedreaders.info).
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