The Atlas of Car Design: The World's Most Iconic Cars (Rally Red Edition)

by Jason Barlow, Guy Bird (Contribution by), Brett Berk (Introduction)

Overview

As seen in Vanity Fair, Car and Driver, Architectural Digest, British GQ, and The Times

A HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE SELECTION: Car & Driver, Wall Street Journal, Autocar, Cool Hunting, Autoblog

'A high-octane feast for petrol heads and lovers of design. – The Times

A ground-breaking survey of more than 650 of the most exceptional cars ever designed, organized geographically

The Atlas of Car Design is a global survey of the world’s greatest car designs, featuring more than 650 of the most revered (and occasionally reviled) models, from more than 190 manufacturers and more than 30 countries.

Organized geographically then chronologically by decade, the book covers more than a century of exceptional and noteworthy car design – from Japanese cult classics, French Art-Deco masterpieces, German iconic models, Italian icons, and British performance machines, to American styling sensations, and pop culture and family favorites.

This fresh take on an eternally popular subject, charts car design’s evolution across centuries and continents. Packed with images, combining period photography, studio shots, and original car advertising, the book’s oversized format generously displays the cars in all their remarkable detail.

With captivating texts that tell stories of engineering feats, economic twists and turns, high-society lifestyles, and the desires of the masses, this book is a must-have for car and design fans of every kind. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781838667726
Publisher:	Phaidon Press
Publication date:	10/04/2023
Pages:	568
Sales rank:	281,850
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 13.75(h) x 1.62(d)

About the Author

Jason Barlow is a motoring, design, and culture journalist, a broadcaster, and a long-standing columnist for British GQ. He’s also editor-at-large for BBC Top Gear magazine. Barlow has written for The Times, Guardian, and Independent newspapers, and was nominated for a British Press Award for his weekly car column in the Daily Telegraph. He has also presented numerous television programmes during his 30-year career.

Guy Bird is a London-based writer and editor specializing in cars and car design, as well as aviation, architecture, street art, sneakers, and music.

Brett Berk is a freelance writer and automotive journalist, whose work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Car and Driver, New York Times, Road & Track, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, among many others.

Editorial Reviews

‘A high-octane feast for petrol heads and lovers of design.’ – The Times

‘Pure delight.’ – Bloomberg

'Gorgeous ... breezy and informative.' – The Wall Street Journal

‘The ultimate tome for unadulterated car porn.’ – GQ

‘This rich history traces more than a century of stylish autos, from the mass-produced 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash to the Ford Bronco, to the Tesla Model X.’ – Vanity Fair

‘The Atlas of Car Design goes beyond the usual suspects.’ – Car and Driver

'As beautiful as a sleekly designed vehicle, this stylish survey compiles 650 of the globe’s most iconic automobiles, from the Corvette to the Tesla Model X. Gear heads will go crazy for the splashy vintage ads and rich archival imagery.’ – The New York Post

'An excellent gift for those who have a passion for automotive design and a desire to explore the visual history of iconic cars.' – Autoblog

‘Here cars are presented and celebrated as works of art ... in the land where car culture is always thrust into high gear, leafing through these pages may be the next best thing to actually buying a new machine.' – C Magazine

‘As much an authoritative reference book as it is design inspiration.’ – Cool Hunting

‘Whether you're a car connoisseur or simply appreciate the beauty of design, The Atlas of Car Design will leave you captivated and inspired.’ – Cool Material

‘A coffee table must-have for car and design fans alike.’ – Hagerty Drivers Club Magazine

‘Fascinating … an important addition to any car collector’s library.’ – Linkage

‘Even the most informed reader will discover cars they never knew existed.’ – Robb Report 

‘Simply put, this is the best and most complete single book on car design.’ – Sharp Magazine

‘This book will keep you reading for hours.’ – Sports Car Market Magazine

‘T ravel through time to discover the captivating beauty of our modern era’s most practical works of art.’ – L’Officiel USA

‘[An] epic monograph.’ – Wallpaper*

‘A feat for the automotive world… Through design, technology, interface, mobility and integration, this book provides a comprehensive and immersive experience for lovers of all things automotive.’ – Reggie Watts, comedian, musician and actor

‘The Atlas of Car Design is a true retrospective in the grandest sense. You don’t need to be an automotive scholar to understand this book but you just might be by the end of it!’ – Matt Farah, Editor at Large, Road & Track Magazine and Host of The Smoking Tire Podcast 

‘The Atlas of Car Design is a fantastic book – I truly love it, and I continually find myself flipping through it when I should be doing more productive things. The book does a great job of capturing the quirks and features of car design through the years and across the globe!’ – Doug DeMuro, YouTube Car Reviewer and Founder of Cars & Bids

‘This book will open your eyes to the car crazy world as it shows the automobile to be more than just a mode of transportation, it's a vehicle of rolling art & individual expression.’ – Magnus Walker, Car Enthusiast with A Beard

‘A high-octane feast for petrol heads and lovers of design.’ – The Times

‘Pure delight.’ – Bloomberg

'Gorgeous ... breezy and informative.' – The Wall Street Journal

‘The ultimate tome for unadulterated car porn.’ – GQ

‘This rich history traces more than a century of stylish autos, from the mass-produced 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash to the Ford Bronco, to the Tesla Model X.’ – Vanity Fair

‘The Atlas of Car Design goes beyond the usual suspects.’ – Car and Driver

'As beautiful as a sleekly designed vehicle, this stylish survey compiles 650 of the globe’s most iconic automobiles, from the Corvette to the Tesla Model X. Gear heads will go crazy for the splashy vintage ads and rich archival imagery.’ – The New York Post

'An excellent gift for those who have a passion for automotive design and a desire to explore the visual history of iconic cars.' – Autoblog

‘Here cars are presented and celebrated as works of art ... in the land where car culture is always thrust into high gear, leafing through these pages may be the next best thing to actually buying a new machine.' – C Magazine

‘As much an authoritative reference book as it is design inspiration.’ – Cool Hunting

‘Whether you're a car connoisseur or simply appreciate the beauty of design, The Atlas of Car Design will leave you captivated and inspired.’ – Cool Material

‘A coffee table must-have for car and design fans alike.’ – Hagerty Drivers Club Magazine

‘Fascinating … an important addition to any car collector’s library.’ – Linkage

‘Even the most informed reader will discover cars they never knew existed.’ – Robb Report 

‘Simply put, this is the best and most complete single book on car design.’ – Sharp Magazine

‘This book will keep you reading for hours.’ – Sports Car Market Magazine

‘T ravel through time to discover the captivating beauty of our modern era’s most practical works of art.’ – L’Officiel USA

‘[An] epic monograph.’ – Wallpaper*

‘A feat for the automotive world… Through design, technology, interface, mobility and integration, this book provides a comprehensive and immersive experience for lovers of all things automotive.’ – Reggie Watts, comedian, musician and actor

‘The Atlas of Car Design is a true retrospective in the grandest sense. You don’t need to be an automotive scholar to understand this book but you just might be by the end of it!’ – Matt Farah, Editor at Large, Road & Track Magazine and Host of The Smoking Tire Podcast 

‘The Atlas of Car Design is a fantastic book – I truly love it, and I continually find myself flipping through it when I should be doing more productive things. The book does a great job of capturing the quirks and features of car design through the years and across the globe!’ – Doug DeMuro, YouTube Car Reviewer and Founder of Cars & Bids

‘This book will open your eyes to the car crazy world as it shows the automobile to be more than just a mode of transportation, it's a vehicle of rolling art & individual expression.’ – Magnus Walker, Car Enthusiast with A Beard

From the Publisher