Coachbuilders - USA: Illustrated History Books & Guides

Raymond Henri Dietrich: Automotive Architect of the Classic Era & Beyond

This biography of Raymond H. Dietrich, known as "the automotive architect of the classic era, " presents a clear social history from the early 20th century through his eight-decade life. It places Dietrich's work within the cultural and industrial context of his time.

With more than 600 photographs of classic cars designed by Dietrich in the 1920s and 1930s, the book offers a strong visual record of his career. Collectors and restorers will value the chapter "Cavalcade of Dietrich Design Work, " which features 78 archival-style photographs that document his skill and technical ideas.

Drawing on access to Dietrich's personal files, taped interviews, and detailed photo notes prepared by Pulitzer nominee Necah Stewart Furman, Ph.D., in cooperation with automotive author Richard Burns Carson, the book gives a well-founded portrait of his life and work. A final section, "Back to the Future, " shows carefully restored classics photographed by Hugues Vanhoolandt. This biography is intended for general readers, car collectors, and automotive historians.

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The Ambulance - A History

Over several centuries the ambulance has evolved from horse-drawn wagons designed to remove wounded soldiers from the battlefield into high-speed emergency rooms on wheels, staffed by skilled professionals.
This thorough history follows the ambulance through every phase, focusing not just on the vehicles but on their role within the developing medical systems they served, as well as the political, social and economic influences that have shaped their advancement.

Topics include the critical role of police ambulances in the development of the first emergency medical services, the history of the ambulance intern, breakthroughs in ambulance design and function from the horse-drawn days to the present, notable women in ambulance development, and a fresh look at the first organized paramedic services. More than 275 photographs and other illustrations accompany the text.

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Weller Brothers of Memphis Photo Archive

Weller Brothers was one of a half dozen ambulance and hearse conversion businesses based in the Memphis, Tennessee locale during the decade following World War II. Although the smallest of these businesses, it was arguably the most interesting.
Weller Brothers built three basic types of professional cars - straight ambulances, hearses and ''combination'' coaches. Accounting for the majority of Weller's production, the dual-purpose Combination could be used as either an ambulance or hearse as needed. With fold-down ambulance attendant seats and the insertion of a casket roller rack, the combination coach could be quickly reconfigured for funeral service.

What made Weller unique among America's professional car builders was the wide variety of base vehicles on which the company mounted its handcrafted bodies. While its much larger competitors built their hearses and ambulances on special long wheelbase commercial chassis supplied by Cadillac and Packard, Weller did conversions on any car provided by the purchaser.

Pictured inside the book are conversions based on products of the ''big three'', from Chevrolets, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, to Fords and Mercurys as well as Plymouth, Dodge, De Soto and Chrysler.
By the 1970s, the Weller Brothers' saga had come full-circle - from a small body shop, to a successful, well-known regional professional car converter and back to its core auto body shop business. You will find the complete story here accompanied by a remarkable collection of black and white photographs highlighting Weller Brothers production.

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Classic American Ambulances and Funeral Vehicles 1900-1980 Photo Archives

Covering the early and classic time period of ambulances and funeral vehicles, two out-of-print yet in-demand Iconografix books have now been combined into one book and restored for your enjoyment.
"Classic American Ambulances 1900-1979 Photo Archive"is a photographic history of the evolution and sudden demise of the passenger car-based emergency ambulance while "Classic American Funeral Vehicles 1900-1980 Photo Archive" shows hearses, flower cars, and funeral service cars.
Anyone involved in the funeral or ambulance industry will enjoy seeing these classic luxury cars, as will any car enthusiast, restorer, modeler, and historian.

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Stretch Limousines 1928-2001 Photo Archive

Beginning with the 1928 Big Band buses, actually the first stretch limos, this book shows the development of the stretch limo through its various configurations up to the present day.
Following the Big Band buses came the airporter shuttle limos from the 1930s to 1960s. In 1963, the luxury commercial stretches were introduced. Finally, the party/bar/VIP stretches came on the scene.

This book features both commercial and one-off stretches and even includes the 2001 Presidential limo built for President George W. Bush.

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Classic American Limousines 1955-2000 Photo Archive

Now you can take a vivid look at the development of the limousines from the 1950s to today. Includes Cadillac, Lincoln and Chrysler limousines, as well as Secret Service and Presidential limos. This book will appeal to professional car buffs, automobile lovers and anyone fascinated by this luxurious mode of transportation and the people who used it.

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