Geek Out On The Ultimate Custom Car Builder’s Bible

This book is a car nut’s dream come true.

German publisher Gestalten has just done custom car fiends a huge favor with their newest luxury title, The Drive: Custom Cars and their Builders (available for pre-order on Amazon). “Better than the original and a long way from factories and assembly lines,” the coffee table – or should we say back seat – book celebrates all that is “handcrafted, radical, and subversive” in the world of custom autos around the world.

From early hot rods, lowriders and widebodies to “outlaw” Porsches and tuned-up supercars, the book presents a “voluptuous variety” of everything created for leisurely cruising or peak performance. It features gods of the custom scene like Ken Block and Magnus Walker, innovators like Emory Motorsports and ICON 4X4, legends like the late George Barris and tons of others.  

The Drive showcases the range and diversity of the growing custom movement, which now rivals that of motorbikes, extending from North America to Europe, Asia and Australia. The trend may have started with American cars but now encompasses every country, decade, and style. It’s all a matter of preference and every builder has an interesting tale to tell.

There’s a lot to love in the 250 photo-packed pages, but buyer beware – you may rush out and take a wrench to your poor factory ride after just a few chapters…