Description
Book SynopsisLucsko offers a rich and heretofore untold account of the culture and technology of the high-performance automotive aftermarket in the United States, offering a fresh perspective on the history of the automobile in America.
Trade ReviewLucsko does an exceptional job of telling the story of the performance tuning industry's evolution over seven decades. The book is thoroughly researched, including the players, the genesis of the automotive aftermarket industry, and how the business of speed evolved across America. -- Dennis E. Horvath Cruise-In.com 2008 A really informative read. Retro Cars 2009 The Business of Speed is the most extensive study of hot rodding yet published and will be the starting point for future scholars of this multi-billion dollar industry and its associated under-hood cultures. -- Kevin Borg Technology and Culture 2009 Lucsko brings a jeweler's eye to his examination of the history of the automobile aftermarket... In writing about ti, Lucsko is all business, his research is plentiful, and his expository prose is flawless... This is a very valuable contribution to automobile history and culture. Choice 2009 The Business of Speed is clearly written, insightfully argued, and exceptionally successful in explaining the highly technical modifications to stock automobiles... In the hands of an inferior writer, these details could have made the book intellectually inaccessible. -- Christopher W. Wells Journal of American History
Table of ContentsPreface
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Faster Flivvers, 1915–1927
2. Westward Ho, 1928–1942
3. From Hot Rods to Hot Rodding, 1945–1955
4. The California Hot Rod Industry, 1945–1955
5. Factory Muscle, 1955–1970
6. Bolt-on Power, 1955–1970
7. The Speed Equipment Manufacturers Association
8. "Ink-Happy Do-Gooders," 1960–1978
9. "This Dreadful Conspiracy," 1966–1984
10. The Best of Times, the Worst of Times, 1970–1990
Conclusion
Notes
Glossary
Essay on Sources
Index
