{"product_id":"detroit-steel-artists-how-edsel-ford-ray-dietrich-tom-hibbard-and-ralph-roberts-turned-motor-city-into-a-styling-mecca-before-harley-earl-9781643437521","title":"Detroit Steel Artists: How Edsel Ford, Ray Dietrich, Tom Hibbard, and Ralph Roberts Turned Motor City Into a Styling Mecca Before Harley Earl","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"[Detroit Steel Artists]\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e is illustrated with sumptuous photos of period cars shot by pros. . . . Woven through the images is a detailed and well-constructed narrative, one that uncovers unsung heroes of the time period.\" -- \u003ci\u003eCar and Driver Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrinted in a large 12″ x 12″ format with 296 hardbound pages, \u003ci\u003eDetroit Steel Artists\u003c\/i\u003e is the first comprehensive story of the avant-garde artists of the automotive business--the outcasts who changed Motor City forever and made styling a selling point in the early 1920s. \u003ci\u003eDriving\u003c\/i\u003e calls it \"an almost essential addition to the library of any pre-war American Classic Car Enthusiasts.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book details how societal changes, including the modernization of business and the women's movement, were powerful factors for styling's rise in significance. The forward-looking semi-custom car designs, from companies such as Le Baron and Dietrich, became a key strategy for styling's acceptance in Detroit for production cars--before Harley Earl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInspired by Edsel Ford's vision, Ray Dietrich, Tom Hibbard, and Ralph Roberts battled with engineers and executives in drafting rooms and board rooms over design. Packed with lively first-person stories supported by extensive research, \u003ci\u003eDetroit Steel Artists\u003c\/i\u003e relates the successes and failures of these pioneering steel artists. With more than a hundred period and modern images, \u003ci\u003eDetroit Steel Artists\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers on a panoramic tour of some of the most beautiful cars of the Classic Car Era.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the author . . . \u003c\/b\u003eMatthew Kilkenny holds degrees from San Jose State University and has a Deming Scholars MBA from Fordham University in New York. A Bay Area native, he's spent his career in engineering and management roles in Silicon Valley, is a judge for the Packard Open Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and is a member of the Classic Car Club of America, The Packard Club, and the Society of Automotive Historians.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Beaver's Pond Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50725777146130,"sku":"9781643437521","price":68.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_24575db5-71d2-44f2-83a1-486a7deacd5d.jpg?v=1734844306","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/detroit-steel-artists-how-edsel-ford-ray-dietrich-tom-hibbard-and-ralph-roberts-turned-motor-city-into-a-styling-mecca-before-harley-earl-9781643437521","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}