In this book the author relies on the memoirs of Ford engineers and stylists to help explain the marvel of the 1932- 1948 Ford flathead V8s - introduced during tough times to become one of America's legendary series of cars.

It is the story of Henry Ford, on the one hand making the daring decision to mass-produce the first low-priced V8s, and on the other hand being indifferent and obstructive as his brilliant son Edsel and designer Bob Gregorie teamed to create some of the most popular car styling in automotive history. Hundreds of original photographs from such places as Houston and Salt Lake City give us a fresh new look at those quick and classy early Ford and Mercury V8s when they were new - how they were enjoyed - and what made them so famous.

When you think of "Woodies", you think of the 1929 to 1951 Fords. Always the most popular, with their sporty wood-paneled bodies, they were the ones that met the trains in old movies, the ones California surfers and The Beach Boys made so famous, and the ones most often sighted on the road today. "They are to cars," says Architectural Digest, referring to their gleaming maple craftsmanship, "what Chippendale is to furniture." Now some of the hottest collector cars of all time, these unique American auto legends are rediscovered here for new fans and old, by veteran Ford historian Lorin Sorensen.

Also available in
Limited Special Edition and
Limited Birdseye Edition

In this book, his first volume in the Famous Ford Series, Lorin Sorensen takes you back to the "Golden Fifties" with the actual publicity photos and press releases as some of the most desirable and unforgettable Ford cars of all time were introduced.

It was a time when auto mania was at its zenith and Ford Motor Company, led by young Henry Ford II, was in a fierce competition to beat Chevrolet in the sales race. Out of this rivalry came such automobile legends of that decade as the beautiful new Ford, Mercury and Lincoln convertibles; the youthful Hardtop Victorias and "glass top" Skyliners and Sun Valleys; the sporty 2 - seat Thunderbirds that became classics in their own time; the stunning Continental Mark II's, and such sensations as the Retractable Hardtops and Rancheros.

Here's all the best of Ford's Golden Fifties, just as the cars we remember so well rolled off the assembly lines and into the showrooms and hearts of America!