Books

Writing books is the closest men ever come to childbearing.

Norman Mailer

I began contributing photographs to Motorbooks publications in 1991. Over the years we have contributed photos to a number of Mike Mueller’s books, created two Bloomington Gold Corvette calendars, and a 365-day Corvette calendar. But our crowning achievement are the four (soon to be six) award-winning coffee table books Kelly and I have published with Quarto/Motorbooks.

Our books are available at Amazon⎘, Barnes & Noble⎘, Motorbooks⎘, and independent booksellers everywhere.

Book signing at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals (MCACN) 2017

The Complete Book of American Muscle Supercars

ISBN: 978-0-7603-5006-5

We published our first book, The Complete Book of American Muscle Supercars, on October 17, 2016.

Winner International Automotive Media Competition Gold Award 2017

Uncover the captivating history of the highest-performace cars in America, illustrated with beautiful photography. The American muscle car began not in the factories of the big three automakers, but in the garages and dealerships of a hot-rod subculture bent on making the hottest, highest-performance cars on the street. The Complete Book of American Muscle Supercarscatalogs these amazing cars, along with the builders who unleashed them on the American scene. From Michigan’s Royal Pontiac dealership and the souped-up Royal Pontiac Bobcats they built and sold, to the new cars from such fabled names as Carroll Shelby, Mr. Norm’s Grand Spaulding Dodge, Nickey Chevrolet, Don Yenko, George Hurst, Baldwin-Motion, Calloway, SLP, and Steve Saleen. This gorgeously illustrated book chronicles the outstanding contribution of the tuner/builder to American automotive history through the amazing machines they created. From the oldest of these muscle tuners commanding top dollar at today’s classic-car auctions, to the latest vehicles by Ford and Chrysler, with their SVT and SRT divisions, this book gives readers a full and fascinating look at American high-performance in its purest form. Maxim wrote:

Who knows, maybe this book could cure your Ferrari fetish once and for all…

Maxim, July 26, 2016

The Art of Mopar

ISBN: 978-0-7603-5249-6

Our second book for Motorbooks/Quarto, The Art of Mopar, was published August 8, 2017. Tom Loesser supplied the photography in his unique “painting with light style”. It has been our most popular book!

The Art of Mopar: Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth Muscle Cars is the ultimate portrayal of history’s ultimate muscle cars.

From the moment Chrysler unleashed the Firepower hemi V-8 engine on the world for the 1951 model year, they had been cranking out the most powerful engines on the market. Because the company pioneered the use of lightweight unibody technology, it had the stiffest, lightest bodies in which to put those most powerful engines, and that is the basic muscle-car formula: add one powerful engine to one light car.

When the muscle car era exploded onto the scene, Chrysler unleashed the mighty Mopar muscle cars, the Dodges and Plymouths that defined the era. Fabled nameplates like Charger, Road Runner, Super Bee, ‘Cuda, and Challenger defined the era and rank among the most valuable collector cars ever produced by an American automaker. Automoblog wrote:

Art of Mopar est également disponible en français

Art of Mopar gibt es auch auf deutsch.


Pontiac Trans Am: 50 Years

ISBN: 978-0-7603-5766-8

Our third book for Motorbooks/Quarto, Pontiac Trans Am: 50 Years, was published on June 5, 2018. 

Pontiac Trans Am shows this dominating machine’s full history, from early days burning up both race tracks and Hollywood to its final days as the most potent muscle car made. Pontiac attained success with its original muscle car, the GTO, but as successful as the GTO was, it was handily outsold by Ford’s grand-slam home-run pony car, the Mustang. In response, Pontiac entered the pony car market in 1967 with its new Firebird, a model that became one of the most iconic cars of the classic muscle-car era. Introduced for 1969, the Trans Am version of the Firebird became the standard bearer for automotive performance in the U.S. market and kept the muscle car flame alive throughout the dark years of the 1970s and led the charge when performance reemerged in the 1980s. When muscle cars became dormant for a generation it was once again the classic pony cars that jump started American performance. The battle that raged between Firebird, Camaro, and Mustang in the 1980s rejuvenated the U.S. auto industry’s interest in high-performance muscle cars and the Trans Am remained the most potent car of the lot until the bitter end.

Pontiac Trams Am: 50 Years chronicles this ultimate version of the Firebird’s rich history, from the early attempts to reach the youth market in the early 1960s, through the potent and turbulent years of the classic muscle car era, the resurgence of muscle in the 1980s, to the car’s continued popularity in both the automotive world and in popular culture today.  Dean’s Garage wrote:

The book quotes many designers and engineers who had something to do with the Trans Am. Norm Inouye drew the famous flaming bird graphic based on a sketch by Pontiac Studio Chief Bill Porter.  After a flaming initial rejection by Bill Michell, it finally became an option beginning in 1973. Porter recently commented, “I think it may have saved the car. In the mid-seventies, everything was going against the Firebird, and I’ll put the case forward that the Trans Am bird saved it.

Dean’s Garage July 9, 2018

The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO

ISBN: 978-0-7603-5994-5

Our latest book for Motorbooks/Quarto, The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO, was published November 13, 2018. 

The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO

When Pontiac created the original muscle car—the GTO—it reshaped the automotive world like a four-inch piston going through a three-inch cylinder bore. Everything changed the moment John Zachery DeLorean and his crew of hot-rodding miscreants bolted a big engine into a smaller car and created the 1964 GTO. Make no mistake: DeLorean and his partners in crime were genuine outlaws. The GTO broke so many of General Motors’ corporate rules that the people responsible should have been fired. And they would have been, except the car was a hit. The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO explores every iteration of the first car created specifically for baby boomers. With rare photography from the archives of Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines, this book is the complete resource for fans of of the world’s first muscle car.  Forward written by the man who brought back the GTO in 2004 and tried his best to save Pontiac, Mr. Bob Lutz. Hot Rod wrote:

A conversation about muscle cars can’t go without the Pontiac GTO, one of the most iconic cars to come out of Detroit. The Complete Book of Pontiac GTO written by Tom Glatch compiles HOT ROD and Motor Trend magazine archival photos with heavily detailed information about every year of the GTO from design, technical information, performance specs, and well-known owner profiles. With a foreword by ex-vice chairman of General Motors Bob Lutz and 250 color images and period advertisements, this book is the one stop you’ll need to learn about these iconic cars.

Hot Rod October 22, 2018

(Coming Soon) The Complete Book of AMC Cars:

American Motors Corporation 1954-1988

I have been asked by Motorbooks to write a new book with esteemed American Motors historian Pat Foster, The Complete Book of AMC Cars: American Motors Corporation 1954-1988. This complete reference covers all of the production cars offered by AMC from its founding in 1954 to its demise in 1988. AMC combined American postwar independent auto manufacturers Nash and Hudson and eventually spawned the Rambler and Metropolitan brands before offering cars under the AMC badge beginning in the mid-1960s. In 1970, in a key strategic move, they acquired Jeep and significantly resuscitated that brand over the next two decades ensuring a success it continues to enjoy today. AMC ceased to exist as a brand after it was acquired by Chrysler in 1987.

Along with writing the majority of the text, I will be photographing American Motors automobiles. This book will be released in conjunction with a six-part documentary on PBS (you may view the trailer here⎘). Publication is slated for later in 2024.

As a life-long AMC enthusiast, creating this book is a great honor!


(Coming Soon) The Complete Book of Classic Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars

I have been asked by Motorbooks to write an update to Mike Mueller’s excellent book “The Complete Book of Classic Dodge and Plymouth Muscle Cars”. Mike’s book covers 1960 to 1974, but so much has happened at Dodge in the 21st century that Motorbooks wanted to add two more chapters on the 2006 to current Dodge Charger and 2008 to current Dodge Challenger. Mike did not want to tackle this project, so they offered it to me. I will also be photographing some of these cars for the book. I’ve admired Mike Mueller’s work for 30 years or more, and I’ve contributed some photos to his books over the years. It will be a challenge to match Mike’s always first-class work, but we both write with a similar “voice” and photograph in a similar style. 2023 is the last year for gasoline-powered Dodge performance cars, so this will a grand finale!

Publication is slated for spring of 2024.


American Muscle Cars: A Full Throttle History

ISBN: 978-0-7603-5013-3

We supplied much of the photography in Darwin Holmstrom’s outstanding book, American Muscle Cars: A Full Throttle History. We selected the best Muscle Car images from our archives of nearly 40 years of photographing these incredible machines.