Rockin' Garages: Collecting, Racing & Riding with Rock's Great Gearheads - Hardcover

Cotter, Tom; Gross, Ken

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0760342490 ISBN 13: 9780760342497

Publisher: Motorbooks, 2012

Synopsis

"Ken Gross is one of the premiere auto writers in the United States. This is a terrific book... a great Father's Day gift and a great read." - Jay Leno

Cars and rock ‘n roll have always gone hand in hand. Whether it’s a garage band piling into some decrepit rig to get to the next gig or a killer guitar riff blasting from a Mustang, rock ‘n roll keeps us moving when we’re behind the wheel.

It’s no surprise, then, that some of the music world’s big names are also serious car guys. Jimmie Vaughn, Billy Joel, Brian Johnson (AC/DC), J Geils, Brad Whitford (Aerosmith), and others each spend as much time behind the wheel as they can. Hot rods, customs, muscle cars, motorcycles, race cars, and sports cars—the variety of vehicles is as eclectic as rock ‘n roll itself.

Rockin’ Garages showcases top performers, their cars, and their garages. Authors Tom Cotter and Ken Gross profile each musician, revealing the story behind their moto-lust and what drives their car collecting. Each profile is complemented by Michael Alan Ross’ top-notch photography. Rockin’ Garages puts you behind the wheel with some of your favorite musicians.

About this title

About the Authors

Tom Cotter had long been involved in nearly every facet of the automotive and racing industries before writing his first book. From mechanic and auto salesman to heading the public relations department at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Cotter formed his own racing and automotive PR and marketing agency, Cotter Group. The agency represented some of the largest clients in NASCAR, IndyCar/CART, drag racing, and road racing. He has written biographies of the legendary Holman-Moody race team, Tommy Ivo and Dean Jeffries, but is best known for his series of barn find books, such as Cobra in the Barn, 50 Shades of Rust and Barn Find Road Trip. Cotter appears in the Barn Find Hunter video series, which is distributed by Hagerty. He teaches public relations at Belmont Abbey College, sits on the advisory board of McPherson College's Auto Restoration program, and is a member of the Road Racing Driver's Club (RRDC.) He lives in Davidson, North Carolina.

An automobile and motorcycle enthusiast since childhood, Ken Gross was Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California, for five years following a career in advertising and marketing. His car, travel, and motorcycle writing has appeared in Robb Report, the Rodder's Journal, Automobile magazine, and Road & Track.

Michael Alan Ross has carved out a career photographing the studied nuances, latest models, adrenaline-rushed raceways, and proud owners of the car world. His love of automotive design includes an encyclopedic knowledge of sculptural engineering details with a parallel appreciation for the evolution of componentry. Michael's photography is featured in Motorbooks' Barn Find Road Trip and Rockin' Garages, as well as in a wide range of editorial and advertising in the US and Europe. He lives in San Rafael, California.

From the Inside Flap

Terraplane Blues, Rocket 88, Little GTO, Mustang Sally, Cadillac Ranch, Little Red Corvette. For nearly as long as there have been cars, musicians have penned songs about them. And no genre loves the car like rock n roll.

Cheap gas, open roads, car radios, and rock music all came of age in the 1950s, and songwriters stepped on the gas and never looked back. Whether hauling amps to the next gig or flaunting the rewards of a chart-topping album, rockers love their cars.

But for some musicians, cars aren t just a reflection of success or fodder for the next hit song they re a full-on obsession. Rockin Garages takes you inside the collections, behind the wheel, and on the track with 20 of rock s most passionate gearheads. AC/DC s Brian Johnson and Pink Floyd s Nick Mason discuss their love of racing; guitarist Jimmie Vaughn and country star Keith Urban extoll the virtues of cruising low and slow; Doobie Brother Pat Simmons and Billy Joel showcase their extensive motorcycle collections; Sammy Hagar, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Michael Anthony reveal a need for speed reflected in garages filled with Ferraris, hot rods, and muscle cars.

If you love cars and rock and roll, you ll marvel at the eclectic range of vehicles inside, including Camaro, Mustang, Aston Martin, Lincoln, Lamborghini, Harley-Davidson, Porsche, Bentley, Cadillac, Triumph, and even Checker cabs!

Crank up the stereo, turn the page, and get ready for a hell of a ride!

Edition details

• Publisher: Motorbooks
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0760342490
• ISBN 13: 9780760342497
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192