January 2023 MBR The Automotive Shelf

The Automotive Shelf

America's Fire Engine
Walter M. P. McCall, author
Alan M. Craig, author
McFarland & Company
PO Box 611, Jefferson NC 28640
https://mcfarlandbooks.com
9781476689203, $49.95, PB, 390pp

https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Fire-Engine-American-LaFrance-1947-1959/dp/1476689202

Synopsis: As World War II drew to a close, America's premier fire apparatus builder (the American-LaFrance Foamite Corp. of Elmira, N.Y.) bet the company's future on its radical new cab-ahead-of-engine 700 Series fire engines. In a spectacular gamble to capture the superheated postwar market, all of the company's existing products were discontinued and its customers were essentially told to "take it or leave it".

This bold gamble paid off and 700 Series rigs soon filled firehouses across the nation, sweeping aside all competitors and ultimately defining the breakthrough 700 as "America's Fire Engine."

"America's Fire Engine: The American-LaFrance 700 Series, 1947-1959" by Walter M. P. McCall and Alan M. Craig is the first comprehensive history of the game-changing 700. Individual chapters detail not only each of the eight major vehicle types but also the origins, design controversies, manufacturing, and marketing of the 700 and short-lived transitional 800 Series.

"America's Fire Engine: The American-LaFrance 700 Series, 1947-1959" also includes a meticulously researched registry of every 700/800 series apparatus delivered, supported by many interpretive tables detailing production, specifications and major fire department fleets.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for readers with a dedicated interest in fire fighting equipment in general, and fire trucks in particular, "America's Fire Engine: The American-LaFrance 700 Series, 1947-1959" is an informatively and profusely illustrated history that is highly recommended as a unique and invaluable addition to personal, community, and academic library American Automotive History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "America's Fire Engine: The American-LaFrance 700 Series, 1947-1959" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $22.49).

Editorial Note #1: Walter M.P. McCall (https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/walter-mccall/362323) is an internationally known fire apparatus historian who has written 22 automotive history books -- 12 of them on fire apparatus. His two encyclopedias on the subject are considered the "bible" of the field. He has also written numerous articles and features for national and regional fire apparatus and emergency vehicle hobby publications.

Editorial Note #2: Growing up a short distance from the Toronto Fire Department's Yorkville Avenue station made Alan M. Craig an early fan of the American-LaFrance 700 Series and launched a half century of fire apparatus photography and his 35-year career in emergency services. As a fire service historian, he has spent four decades documenting not only American-LaFrance but also the Toronto Fire Department's motorized fire apparatus, and the Department's Fire Alarm Telegraph system.

How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars
Patrick Krook
CarTech Inc.
838 Lake Street South, Forest Lake, MN 55025
www.cartechbooks.com
9781613255469, $34.95, PB, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Buy-Sell-Collector-Cars/dp/1613255462

Synopsis: With the publication of "How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars", Patrick Krook shows how to maximize your profits and savings when buying and selling collector cars!

The dealership model is an American institution, and auction houses can trace their roots back to the days of dusty cattle sales. Both have remained unchanged. Since the early 2000s, the internet has shaken up these legacy methods of finding, buying, and selling vintage cars, becoming a global online marketplace open to anyone.

CarTech, in conjunction with Patrick Krook (of REV! Muscle Cars), now introduces a proven process drawn from 20 years of experience building some of the world's most significant classic car collections. Whether you are a first-time buyer or an established collector, this book shows you how to locate and buy your dream collector car stress free. Get the car you are expecting every time, creating positive cash flow and keeping the hobby fun for years to come.

"How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars" offers an easy-to-follow, heavily illustrated step-by-step method to find, evaluate, negotiate, close, fund, and take delivery of a collector car safely over the internet without leaving your living room. It also includes how to avoid costly purchase mistakes, such as overpaying, fakes, or buying someone else's headache. Better yet, it delves into details about how to always sell out of advantage, minimizing the overall amount you invest as you build your collection over time. Lastly, it provides all the tools you need for buying and selling when you have that person-to-person driveway transaction.

Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on dealership retail markup, auction fees, and failed purchases when you can obtain your dream car, keep more money in your pocket, and spend more quality time enjoying your cars? "How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars: takes you from being a novice to a seasoned buyer/seller while you enjoy the adventure of car collecting.

Critique: Informatively and effectively illustrated throughout, "How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars" is thoroughly 'user friendly' in organization and presentation -- making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library Automotive instructional reference collections. Simply stated, "How to Buy and Sell Collector Cars" is essential reading in order to obtain the very best deal possible when buying or selling a car.

Editorial Note: Patrick Krook began his obsession in all things automotive as a toddler, handing wrenches to his father to fix the family truckster, a 1973 Ford Custom 500 Ranch Wagon. That experience spurred a career traveling the world and building some of the most storied and exclusive private car collections. He has also helped transform personal collections into public museums, most notably the Wellborn Muscle Car Museum. Patrick also has been a freelance journalist, photographer, and market analyst since 2007 for publications such as Mopar Collector's Guide and the Motor Trend family of magazine titles. In 2003, he began his first online auto brokerage and still runs REV! Muscle Cars (revmusclecars.com) today in partnership with his wife, Laurie. Together they have located, bought, and sold hundreds of investment-quality vintage automobiles for private collectors.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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