Glory Days: When Horsepower and Passion Ruled Detroit (Pontiac)

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Summary: Here are the names of the chapters:
Review: (1) GETTING THE FEVER (2) LEARNING THE ROPES (3) EARLY SUCCESSES...AND FAILURES (4) TEMPORARY INSIDER (5) A PLAYER ON THE "HOT" TEAM (6) THE ROYAL TREATMENT (7) FORGING THE BONDS (8) THE TIGER LEARNS TO ROAR (9) SHIFTING GEARS (10) JUDGE...AND JUDGEMENT (11) DEALING MYSELF OUT (12) NOTHING BUT SIZZLE (13) THE CONSULTANT (14) WHY THE TIGER ROARED (AFTERWORD) PRESERVING THE LEGEND

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Summary: A Man and Car Culture
Review: A fascinating read. I could not put this book down. A well-written insider perspective on the automobile industry and American car culture. In a nutshell, Mr. Wangers is a car marketing maven. The question is, did car culture influence Mr. Wangers or did Mr. Wangers influence car culture? Did Mr. Wangers influence mass American culture? This book "asks" many questions and raises interesting points. What are the constraints in designing, marketing and engineering an automobile? What role should the govenment take? On the one hand, Mr. Wangers is lightly critical of the federal government regarding emissions and safety issues. On the other hand, he views govt. regulation as a challenge that fosters creativity and engineering prowess. Certainly, the government saved the car industry by forcing it to develop emissions and safety devices. This is a well rounded book for the Sociologist, the historian, and anybody who might enjoy a great read on the automibile industry. Nicely illustrated. There was one glaring omission: Did Wangers maintain his relationship with John DeLorean during his Cocaine distribution trial?

Rating:
Summary: A Man and Car Culture
Review: A fascinating read. I could not put this book down. A well-written insider perspective on the automobile industry and American car culture. In a nutshell, Mr. Wangers is a car marketing maven. The question is, did car culture influence Mr. Wangers or did Mr. Wangers influence car culture? Did Mr. Wangers influence mass American culture? This book "asks" many questions and raises interesting points. What are the constraints in designing, marketing and engineering an automobile? What role should the govenment take? On the one hand, Mr. Wangers is lightly critical of the federal government regarding emissions and safety issues. On the other hand, he views govt. regulation as a challenge that fosters creativity and engineering prowess. Certainly, the government saved the car industry by forcing it to develop emissions and safety devices. This is a well rounded book for the Sociologist, the historian, and anybody who might enjoy a great read on the automibile industry. Nicely illustrated. There was one glaring omission: Did Wangers maintain his relationship with John DeLorean during his Cocaine distribution trial?

Rating:
Summary: good nastalgic info and pictures
Review: I am a big pontiac fan, i own a 1966 GTO conv. with a 455, turbo 400, 4.56 gears, runs mid elevens and i drive it on the street. my wife has a 1976 formula 400 also. so i am big on performance and nastalgia also. the book was good dont get me wrong, butnot what i thought it would be! jim wangers is a pontiac and GTO legend to us poncho guys,i thought the entire book would be about pontiacs and their great performance of the sixties, instead i read a lot of negitive things about ponchos.even the pictures like the one of the swiss cheese catalina racing the ford, he said he lost that race, come on jim, your not supposed to say that, let us guys have a little glory please! and telling of losing street races. and half the book was about jim with jobs with chevy,ford and keiser. sorry jim i didnt buy this book to read about 1977 mustang cobra twos or advertising about pacer wagons! give me a break! you really dropped the ball on this one! maybe some day another old pontiac racer will come out with a book and talk about some good times and real performance of pontiacs!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: good nastalgic info and pictures
Review: I am a big pontiac fan, i own a 1966 GTO conv. with a 455, turbo 400, 4.56 gears, runs mid elevens and i drive it on the street. my wife has a 1976 formula 400 also. so i am big on performance and nastalgia also. the book was good dont get me wrong, butnot what i thought it would be! jim wangers is a pontiac and GTO legend to us poncho guys,i thought the entire book would be about pontiacs and their great performance of the sixties, instead i read a lot of negitive things about ponchos.even the pictures like the one of the swiss cheese catalina racing the ford, he said he lost that race, come on jim, your not supposed to say that, let us guys have a little glory please! and telling of losing street races. and half the book was about jim with jobs with chevy,ford and keiser. sorry jim i didnt buy this book to read about 1977 mustang cobra twos or advertising about pacer wagons! give me a break! you really dropped the ball on this one! maybe some day another old pontiac racer will come out with a book and talk about some good times and real performance of pontiacs!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Summary: Jim Wangers, the ultimate Detroit insider, makes Wide Tracks
Review: Jim Wangers' book about the birth of the Pontiac GTO and other famous Pontiac musclecars is loaded with insider information about the political infighting it takes to get a new concept to market. It was surprising to me that, even after the GTO and it's other Pontiac supercar brethren were proven runaway successes with baby boomers, bean-counting auto executives who looked at autos as just another product had to be sold and re-sold on the concept. Wangers was obviously perfect for this job, as a true "car guy" who not only understands how to move metal, but has obvious love and respect for the cars themselves, not only as cultural icons, but as metal sculptures that happen to move quite quickly. Few ran as quickly as Jim's beloved Pontiacs! While the most interesting parts of the book for me referred to his days working with Pontiacs, I was also interested in the jobs he held with various automakers and ad agencies. A fine effort by Wangers. Recommend for all "car guys" and especially us Ponchophiles.

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Summary: Interesting perspective but not the definitive on super duty
Review: Mr Wanger's book is an interesting historical perspective on the development of the muscle car era at the Pontiac division. It seems to be a very complete history of the development of the GTO with details that can only be known by a industy insider.My only critisim is that that while he alludes to the real bad boy Super Duties in several places he never really spells out what they were "bad to the bone dual quad, 12to1 compression ratio 421's" These were truly Pontiac's finest hour. He also does not do justice to the great Malcom MacKeller whos genious was reponsible for the development of a whole series of camshafts used at Pontiac includ- ing the Super Duties. Wangers remembers lots of racing in the book and the cheating that often took place;he does not recount the night that after bragging that he had the fastest" GTO on Woodward " he ran a race against a 1962 white Catalina with a real 421 Super Duty not a consumer version with three two's. The outcome of that encounter very well could be be deeply reperessed as the Catalina led him by a football field at a 110 mph. This encounter happened in 1967 and it might be called Wolf in Sheep's Clothing or The Night Encouner with Super Duty #3 vin#16373. All in all I would recommend this book to anyone in Pontiac history but its not the last word on on the subject.

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Summary: A view from the inside
Review: This book takes you back and gives you a private look at the planning and development of the car that started the whole Muscle Car Craze. From figuring out how to get this car built around GM's policies on horsepower to weight ratio, to fighting off the compitition in 1969 with the introduction of "The Judge"! How they developed the Royal Pontiac cars, and how they had to fight every step of the way with the EPA, and other government agencies! Lots of photos, and history here!