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A Man & His Car: Iconic Cars and Stories from the Men Who Love Them
A Robb Report Best Coffee Table Book to Gift in 2020 A Sports Car News and InsideHook Best Coffee Table Book for Car LoversCelebrate That Special Bond Between Men and Cars, and the Stories That Connect Them Discover actor and director Ed Burns talking about his 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, a model he’d been dreaming about since his days pumping gas. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, whose favorite cars are trucks—he loves the wow factor of an International CV Series 6.6. Or Jay Leno on his 1955 Buick Roadmaster, big enough for him to sleep in while trying to make it as a comic. Filled with stunning photographs of the whole cars and of the exquisite details that make car lovers’ hearts beat just a little faster, as well as more than 80 personal stories, it’s a joy for every reader who knows that a car is never just a car.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 13, 2020
28 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 3, 2022
When you go to and participate in a lot of classic car shows, as I do, you may end up getting a book like this as a gift, which I thankfully did haha. The number one comment you hear at cars shows is the wistful ‘I wish I still had my ;’ The complement, at least in a car guy’s head is - one day I’ll buy my dream car. If I win the lottery.
Photographer-Author Hranek has put together a few dozen of these dreams in the way of photos and a paragraph or two about the ‘car guys’ that have made their way in life and acquired their dream car, or perhaps the one that they sold long ago. The collection tilts towards European exotics, but there are some cars that were certainly average in their day. A few museums are also profiled.
One of those books that’s so nicely made you feel like you have to review it every so often, can’t just leave it on the shelf.
Photographer-Author Hranek has put together a few dozen of these dreams in the way of photos and a paragraph or two about the ‘car guys’ that have made their way in life and acquired their dream car, or perhaps the one that they sold long ago. The collection tilts towards European exotics, but there are some cars that were certainly average in their day. A few museums are also profiled.
One of those books that’s so nicely made you feel like you have to review it every so often, can’t just leave it on the shelf.
December 8, 2020
EVERY PAGE IS A NEW ADVENTURE! FIVE CLASSIC STARS.
The subtitle says it all: Iconic Cars and Stories from the Men Who Love Them. Matt Hranek took the stunning photographs, but the story of each featured car was written by its actual owner. As such, this book has more than forty authors, each with an in-depth knowledge of his iconic car.
I'm a bit out of my comfort zone here, since I am neither a man nor a car enthusiast. Frankly, most cars look alike to me, and I get bored at car shows. But I bought copies of this book for my husband and my brother--the car enthusiasts in my family--and I decided to glance through my husband's copy. Wow! My "glance" turned into a page by page, thoroughly enjoyable and informative reading experience. I didn't get bogged down in technical jargon that "only a guy could understand," because the authors steered clear of that for the most part. Instead, each author focused on describing his personal relationship with cars (usually starting at a young age), how he acquired the featured car, and its unique qualities and characteristics.
The cars in this book are truly iconic, ranging from American made (Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, etc.), to foreign made (Porsche, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, MG, etc.), to makes I've never heard of (Lada, Salmson, Lancia). Some are old (including a 1908 Ford Model S Roadster--my favorite), and some are newer (the Tesla Model S Prototype--gorgeous!). Each car is unique in its own right and special to its owner, whether it's been restored to pristine condition or left with its well-worn "patina." (Though I have to wonder why Ben Clymer's "prized possession"--a 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato--"looks like a big piece of junk." That's too much "patina" for my taste!).
Some reviewers disliked the solid black background in each photograph. Personally, I appreciated the way that technique brings every detail of the car into stark relief, with no distracting images in the background. I found no photographic flaws whatsoever.
Like the cars it features, this coffee table book is a high-quality production, with fine attention to every detail. It even comes in a hard, protective sleeve--an unusual added touch. All of the authors are men (of course), and most are quite wealthy, which enables them to collect expensive cars. (I'm not envious, though. I'm more than happy with my beautiful 1996 Cadillac Seville SLS.) I highly recommend this book to all car enthusiasts, and even to non-enthusiasts like me. Enjoy!
The subtitle says it all: Iconic Cars and Stories from the Men Who Love Them. Matt Hranek took the stunning photographs, but the story of each featured car was written by its actual owner. As such, this book has more than forty authors, each with an in-depth knowledge of his iconic car.
I'm a bit out of my comfort zone here, since I am neither a man nor a car enthusiast. Frankly, most cars look alike to me, and I get bored at car shows. But I bought copies of this book for my husband and my brother--the car enthusiasts in my family--and I decided to glance through my husband's copy. Wow! My "glance" turned into a page by page, thoroughly enjoyable and informative reading experience. I didn't get bogged down in technical jargon that "only a guy could understand," because the authors steered clear of that for the most part. Instead, each author focused on describing his personal relationship with cars (usually starting at a young age), how he acquired the featured car, and its unique qualities and characteristics.
The cars in this book are truly iconic, ranging from American made (Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, etc.), to foreign made (Porsche, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo, MG, etc.), to makes I've never heard of (Lada, Salmson, Lancia). Some are old (including a 1908 Ford Model S Roadster--my favorite), and some are newer (the Tesla Model S Prototype--gorgeous!). Each car is unique in its own right and special to its owner, whether it's been restored to pristine condition or left with its well-worn "patina." (Though I have to wonder why Ben Clymer's "prized possession"--a 1960 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Zagato--"looks like a big piece of junk." That's too much "patina" for my taste!).
Some reviewers disliked the solid black background in each photograph. Personally, I appreciated the way that technique brings every detail of the car into stark relief, with no distracting images in the background. I found no photographic flaws whatsoever.
Like the cars it features, this coffee table book is a high-quality production, with fine attention to every detail. It even comes in a hard, protective sleeve--an unusual added touch. All of the authors are men (of course), and most are quite wealthy, which enables them to collect expensive cars. (I'm not envious, though. I'm more than happy with my beautiful 1996 Cadillac Seville SLS.) I highly recommend this book to all car enthusiasts, and even to non-enthusiasts like me. Enjoy!
March 4, 2024
Faust’ta, Mephisto’nun perspektifindeki en değerli şeylerden biri hızdır. Büyük işler yapmak isteyen hızlı hareket etmelidir. Hatta hız kendine özgü bir çekim alanı yaratır. Arabalarla böyle bir bağlantı kuracak kadar seviyorum. Bu kitap da arabalara tutkuyla bağlı insanlardan oluşuyor. Herkes bir arabasından ve anısından bahsediyor. İsimler çok geniş bir yelpazeden seçilmiş. Jay Leno, Snoop Dogg ve Shaquille O'Neal gibi ünlü isimler var. Tesla mühendisi ve Volvo analisti gibi teknik alanlardan isimler de var. Bunların yanı sıra yeni mesleklerle tanıştırdı kitap beni. Car design historian gibi kıskandığım mesleklere sahip isimler var. Kitapta bazı favori arabalarımla karşılaşınca çocuk gibi sevindim. Kitabı çok sevdim. Koleksiyon ve araba seven herkesin bir göz atması gerekiyor. Çok da güzel bir baskıydı tam olarak coffee table book. Umarım Türkçe’de yayımlanır.
April 3, 2024
Not as intriguing as “A Man and his Watch” in my opinion. The stories were a little less interesting, but the photos are incredible. My favorite car from the book is Ed Burns’s ‘69 blue Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. There were many notable cars from the book, but those that stood out were Kevin Costner’s Shelby Mustang which he drove in Bull Durham, Jay Leno’s Buick Roadmaster, Lincoln Presidential limousines, and a 2005 Ford GT owned by the grandson of Henry Ford II.
May 28, 2025
The book is entertaining for what it is, BUT…
I do think it’s a miss that it hardly has any cars from Asia. Acknowledging the car tradition from the continent is not the SAME as European or American brands, I still consider it a miss that the author hadn’t sought anything further than someone’s Honda Accord that they busted up with sledge hammers and baseball bats (page 42-44).
Just seems lacking in that regard, to not curate anything that would speak to that Asian tradition, even if the period wouldn’t be vintage (book contains cars from as late as 2005).
So, enjoyable “read”, but the selective curation leaves some to be desired in my opinion.
I do think it’s a miss that it hardly has any cars from Asia. Acknowledging the car tradition from the continent is not the SAME as European or American brands, I still consider it a miss that the author hadn’t sought anything further than someone’s Honda Accord that they busted up with sledge hammers and baseball bats (page 42-44).
Just seems lacking in that regard, to not curate anything that would speak to that Asian tradition, even if the period wouldn’t be vintage (book contains cars from as late as 2005).
So, enjoyable “read”, but the selective curation leaves some to be desired in my opinion.
June 5, 2021
Coleccionar autos
Creo que, junto a coleccionar arte, es una de las pasiones más costosas que debe haber. Yo no lo entiendo pero aún así aprecio mucho la conexión emocional que esto conlleva. Eso y que en el libro hay fotos hermosas.
Creo que, junto a coleccionar arte, es una de las pasiones más costosas que debe haber. Yo no lo entiendo pero aún así aprecio mucho la conexión emocional que esto conlleva. Eso y que en el libro hay fotos hermosas.
January 28, 2021
The photographs are amazing and the stories insightful. I can't recommend this book enough for car enthusiasts.
June 4, 2022
A very good book at what's it's supposed to do. I love cars, especially cars with beautiful design and a bit of history in them. This book had beautiful pictures of said automobiles, and even nicer short stories about what the car means for the person who owns them.
Think humans of new york, but for car aficionados purely. I don't think it's 5-stars because in essence it's a coffee table book, but it's a very very good one at that.
If you love cars, this is an easy good read.
Think humans of new york, but for car aficionados purely. I don't think it's 5-stars because in essence it's a coffee table book, but it's a very very good one at that.
If you love cars, this is an easy good read.
January 13, 2022
Many interesting stories on why people buy cars and love them.
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May 28, 2023great coffee table book. Loved the Elvis Presley car
July 13, 2023
Eclectic selection, which makes it all the more interesting. Lots of fellow- feeling there!
January 16, 2024
Awesome coffee table book. I’m a big fan of Hranek’s work and enjoy getting to share in his travels and experiences. I can’t wait till read A Man and his Kitchen
August 20, 2025
The pictures are high quality and I love how they have someone from every walk of life explain what the cars mean to them. It’s hobby that connects everyone.
November 9, 2025
Remarkable. Will reread several times!
June 5, 2021
Creo que, junto a coleccionar arte, es una de las pasiones más costosas que debe haber. Yo no lo entiendo pero aún así aprecio mucho la conexión emocional que esto conlleva. Eso y que en el libro hay fotos hermosas.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews