The automobile is, undeniably, the backbone of the last 100years of American society. The likes of Ford, Plymouth, and Chevrolet, defined anew era for the United States, from transcontinental travel to suburban familytransportation. From the mass production of the Model T all the way through tothe electric age of the Tesla, the automobile has been a staple in Americanculture for generations.<br /> But these cars were not just practicalmachines. For many they projected an image of cool, represented a way of life,or was a means to make a living. The great American road trip was born behind awheel, the Dodge Challenger ripped up the screen in Vanishing Point, and thecity of Detroit rose and fell dramatically off the back of the Americanautomobile industry.<br /> The Americans - Beautiful Machines celebratesthe likes of the Mustang, Gran Torino, Corvette, and many of the other classicmodels that put American automobiles firmly into the 20th Century Americanzeitgeist. It tells the story of the most iconic cars, their makers, and theirera.The book also touches upon the art deco elegance of the Cord, post waroptimism, the surf and muscle era, and much more, celebrating the mostemblematic, visionary, and iconic automobiles in the history of United Statesmanufacturing.