WHEELS
Just in time for the holidays, here’s a peek at the newest automotive books at your local bookstore.
•“Lauren Fix’s Guide to Loving Your Car” by Lauren Fix; St. Martin’s Press, 320 pages ($16.95)
Calling herself “The Car Coach,” author Lauren Fix, spokesperson for autotrader.com, has put together a manual that takes the reader through all aspects of car ownership, from choosing the proper vehicle to finding the right insurance.
She gives tips on what to consider if you’re buying a car for your teenager. The book also offers advice on a trunk emergency kit, safe driving practices and the steps to take if involved in an accident.
And many readers will find the section on choosing a good mechanic and the automotive repair vocabulary particularly helpful.
•“Teardrops and Tiny Trailers” by Douglas Keister; Gibbs Smith, 160 pages, ($19.95)
Today’s RVs have reached an incredible level of refinement and luxury. “Teardrops and Tiny Trailers” takes the reader back to a time when travelers’ expectations, not to mention their RVs, weren’t as large.
Just as with vintage cars, vintage trailers have attracted their own following of collectors. Indeed, it’s unusual for a vintage car collector to also own a vintage trailer.
The color photos are so inviting, and the retro kitsch so appealing, you’ll want to hitch one up and hit the highway.
•“Tinplate Toy Cars of the 1950s and 1960s” by Andrew Ralston; Veloce, 160 pages ($49.95)
Many baby boomers probably remember playing with tin toy cars when they were young. The toys captured the dazzling designs of the vehicles that roamed the cul-de-sacs of the era. The toys, once seen as disposable, now are coveted by those who once played with them.
The Japanese domination of U.S. manufacturing started just after World War II when toymakers from the island nation built realistic re-creations of Buicks, Cadillacs, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles and Packards.
Built by Marusan, Bandai, Yonezawa and Alps among others, tin toys grew in popularity until the early 1960s, when the growing awareness of the danger of sharp metal edges and the growth in plastic toys rendered tin toys old-fashioned.
Virginian-Pilot