Motorama: GM's Legendary Show & Concept Cars

As creator and compiler of “The Cadillac Database” on behalf of the Museum and Research Center of the Cadillac & LaSalle Club, Inc., I am forever on the lookout for books and publications that deal directly or indirectly with America’s premier automobile: the Cadillac. I had David’s earlier book, “GM’s Motorama” from the time it was published, in 2006, so I did not hesitate to order immediately his latest work on the same theme entitled “Motorama – GM’s Legendary Show and Concept Cars”.While a number of images therein appear in both books, the latest one includes many that David had not addressed previously, like the Cadillac “ Cyclone” of 1959. David’s is an entirely new look at most – if not ALL – the “show” and “concept” cars that made GM’s five divisions (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac) the focal point for millions of potential car buyers through the America’s “Golden Years”.Having lived in Europe for most of my life I always was fascinated with American cars, the Cadillac being my favorite. I could only dream of these cars until my first trip to America in June, 1978; there I had the good fortune to be received in his office by the late Chuck Jordan, then GM’s Chief of Design. It was there I had my first peek inside GMs most secret archives and saw many of the dream cars that later showed up in David’s two books.I warmly recommend both, but especially “Motorama – GM’s Legendary Show and Concept Cars” which is a must if not for all Cadillac aficionados at least for anyone interested in show cars and concept vehicles.Over 200 pages of text and rare images© 2015 by David W, Temple (ISBN 978-1-61325-159-1, item No. CT533)

Review written by Joe BortzMotorama: GM's Legendary Show & Concept Cars (Cartech)by David Temple (Jan 15, 2015)As founder of the Bortz Auto Collection, that owns about 90% of the Motorama cars that are in private hands, I thought that I knew just about everything that there was to know about the GM Motoramas.After having an opportunity to review David Temple’s book, “Motorama: GM’s Legendary Show & Concept Cars (Cartech), I realized how much there was yet to learn about the fantastic GM Motoramas and the dream cars/concept cars that made the shows so spectacular! The technical organization of this book, the amazing abundance of photos that were never seen or used recently truly amazed me. The Sherlock Holmes approach research bordering on scientific deductions were very insightful and I found myself reviewing the book of the Motorama cars over and over again.As a serious car collector for the last 53 years I endeavor to add to the Bortz Auto Collection library all significant books that are written about Dream Cars/Concept Cars. Needless to say that there have been many fine books written on the subject but without a doubt this book written by David Temple is the best book ever written about Motorama cars and may be my all time favorite book written on a particular genre of automobiles.THIS IS A MUST HAVE – MUST READ BOOK for anybody that wants to be knowledgeable on American concept cars/dream cars and GM cars in particular, but just in case you don’t have time to read all the informative text the pictures on their own will pretty much blow you away!Hats off to David Temple and I guess everybody’s question will be, “what great book will he do next”?

I discovered this 2015 title quite by accident while looking for something else at my local bookstore.This wonderful history of the Motorama features stunning images and detailed text and although it will take time to digest all of it, I would recommend it to everyone.Temple seems to have added concept cars not a part of Motoramas at all and the images of these too are appreciated. One always enjoys viewing the latest Corvette designed under the direction of Tom Peters and Helen Emsley with Ed Welburn at the helm.However, the jump from concept cars from 1961 to show cars of 2003 is drastic. Am I missing part of the book? Where are the concept cars from the other 42 years?Again, this is a wonderful read.

Great book! Excellent pics of Concept cars throughout the years and especially those of the 40's and 50's.If your a gear head and remember some of these cars and want to see some...many are still in different locations. Some are located in the GM Heritage Center and are available to see if your in a Car Club or Retired GM employee but also may be able to see them on loan at different events/Car museums.Its great to be able to have one book cover so many of these unique model concepts and have pictures of them and a story line of where they went or how someone was able to buy one.I highly recommend this as a trip down memory lane and reference book!

Lavishly illustrated and carefully researched, David Temple's new "Motorama" book is a "must read" for fans of American industrial history and, in particular, the auto industry in its 1950's hey-day. David Temple has set a new standard for publications about the great General Motors Motoramas and the remarkable dream cars that filled the displays. I was particularly pleased to see a large quantity of photographs that I've never seen before in earlier books or articles, and the narrative about each of the featured cars conveys considerable detail and historical background. I look forward to returning to this book again and again to appreciate the spectacle of the GM Motorama, and am thankful that this great resource is available to me.

What an amazing book full of amazing cars! Details the designers and trends of the era. It has all the usual well known concept cars plus some I had never seen before. One can only wonder why some of them were never put into production. Maybe they thought America wasn't ready for them or that the public were too conservative. What a pity they didn't trust the public a little more and took a risk. Some of these cars are so beautiful, it will make your jaw drop. To someone who was brought up to think American car designers were just brash and uncultured, this made me think again.

This is a lavishly illustrated, nicely produced book, all the more valuable because more than half the photographs are original 1950's shots in colour. Unfortunately many of the pictures are small and I have had to make constant use of a magnifying glass. Moreover in many cases we do not see 'both ends' of the car. For example the XP300 is hardly shown at all, whilst its companion, the Le Sabre, is given blanket coverage. There are only glimpses of the Buick Wildcat 1 - I had to use Google to 'fill in the gaps'. These things matter a lot, after all the whole point of Motorama was to visually 'wow' the audience.The authors interest is entirely on the special show cars and these certainly should have 'centre stage' in the book. However the Motoramas theirselves should receive fair coverage, and they do not. These shows were designed to entice the public into buying current models and these were all exhibited, often in special colours and with unique interiors - but we are shown little of this. Even the three famous special convertibles of 1953 -Eldorado, Fiesta and Skylark- are restricted to a two page spread and one picture each.On the other hand the author undertakes forensic investigation into the fate of the special show cars. For example twenty pages are devoted to the Corvette, largely in an attempt to discover how many were built and what happened to them. 60 years have passed, so the historical trail can be a very long one - as in the case of the Cadillac Le Mans, of which two managed to survive and two did not. It is certainly sobering to read about cars acquired for 50 dollars that are now worth millions, and about the idiot millionaire who had one of those Cadillacs hideously customised for his ex wife (ex wife twice over, in fact).To really enjoy this book these are the things that must interest you. Personally I would have liked to have seen the layout of the shows and a fair coverage of the more ordinary cars displayed at them - but many will appreciate this book just as it is, and certainly the heroic research efforts of the author deserves great admiration. Really two books would more properly cover this subject, one a lavish photographic album, the other principally a descriptive text - it is very difficult to combine these two requirements adequately in one reasonably priced book.

A lot to like here, especially with the clever detective work of what happened to these cars- sometimes kept by GM, sometimes rescued from scrap but often not.Would have liked a more systematic book and better illustrations but still well worth having. On my favourite Pontiac dream car it was amazing to see how low it was and that it was never a runner- never had an engine or transmission...Maybe the same author could do us a more lavish and systematic coffee table book. Until then this will do fine.

Somewhat disappointing: lots of the photos are only 9cm rather than full page width 20cm, some rather pedantic discussion about numbers of dream cars built, whether they were repainted and if they survived. Another irritation is the use of the same text on the page and as a photo caption. However there are some beautiful detailed photos of "dream cars" of the 1950s and some interesting stories of the people involved and the detective work in tracing survivors and restoring them.

Marvellous book exactly what I wanted.

Great writing and photos of a lost era. I wish I was born ten years earlier, so i could have experienced the fifties as an adult.