A Brief and Informal Review of David Lusco's "The Business of Speed"

OK, I couldn't find an image of the book cover, so I had to improvise with some other photos!

I recently had occasion to look again at David Lusco's recently published book, The Business of Speed: The Hot Rod Industry in America, 1915-1990. This work received one of the Choice best top titles for 2009, and deservedly so. I found the chapter on "Faster Flivvers, 1915-1927" really fascinating. Last year I went to the Model T gathering at Richmond, Indiana, that included a secondary event at the Winchester Speedway, where all sorts of Modified Ts were on the track. It was then that I noticed all of the Winfield Carburetors and Rajo Valve-in-head equipment, and wondered where did it come from? Well,Dave answered this and many other questions in the process. Later in the book, Dave covers the emergence of SEMA as a force in the aftermarket automobile business, and to my knowledge, is the first to study this trade organization comprehensively. In sum, this careful study, conducted under the guidance of Merritt Roe Smith at MIT, is a must read for anyone who takes automobile history seriously.

My only critique? Where are the girls, Dave? Women were key to the marketing of this equipment, and clearly had a powerful role in advertising and in the staging of various hot rod events. The photos above certainly do not lie!