PAOLO TUMMINELLI

Car Design America is second in a series on world automotive history. From the streamliner to the show cars of the 50s and 60s, American car designs influence on international style is reflected in Cadillacs slogan, the standard of the world. The bombastic Harley Earl and the extravagant Raymond Loewy created iconic designs, and the mythical Corvette, Mustang, and Thunderbird were born. Whether the Cadillac fins of the 1950s, the Muscle Cars of the 1970s or the Sport Utility Vehicles that marked the beginning of the 21st century, American car design is primarily known for its excesses. However, from a broader perspective, a different picture emerges. America was the first to recognize the creative and strategic potential of design and to create a system of brands, models and versions that set global standards. In this second volume of his series on the global automotive history, Paolo Tumminelli tells the story of American car design as cultural historyfrom the Streamliner experiments of the 1930s up to the recent resurgence of the American automobile industrydrawing intriguing parallels with the social developments of the time. Without forgetting retro and the most recent designs, this book traces the evolution of American automobile culture through the decadesboth all-time classics as well as unique models. With over 400 original images from the manufacturers archives, Car Design America is an indispensable reference work for every car enthusiast.

This history of boat design and culture since the beginning of the 20th century covers speedy mass-produced, motor-propelled motorboats and yachts. Design enthusiasts will find information on types, forms, materials and colors. The focus is on American and Italian models from the end of the Second World War through the present day. Top boat manufacturers and designers such as Christopher Columbus Smith, Carlo Riva and Sonny Levi feature prominently. This lavishly illustrated compendium contains many photographs sure to spur your own dreams of hitting the high seas, or dropping anchor in a secluded cove! (...)

The automobile has always been as much about style as engineering, not simply a means of transportation but a status symbol meant to impress others and project the success of its owner. Car Design is a comprehensive collection of photographs from European, Japanese, and American automobile advertising campaigns of the last fifty years. Lavishly illustrated with over 400 color and black and white photos of distinctively designed automobiles, this compendium can be viewed as a decade-by-decade chronicle of consumer culture since World War II or as an amusing look at car culture for enthusiasts.