American Performance V8s 1949 - 1989: The Engines, The Models, Numbers Built and Their Racing

Since the debut of the 1932 Ford Flathead V8, affordable American performance was V8-driven. GM leapfrogged Ford with its 1949 OverHead Valve (OHV) Cadillac and Oldsmobile V8s. These cast iron, 16-valve, OHV V8s would prove the template for the next 40 years of American Performance.Having an understanding of the similarities and differences of the Flathead and the thirty-odd 1949-89 American OHV V8 designs is foundational to being an informed American Performance enthusiast. This book concisely conveys these V8 similarities and differences, while avoiding becoming technically overbearing, and exhausting.Equipped with the foundational V8 design knowledge, the book expands its horizons to detail the car models these halo-tune V8s were sold in, the numbers of them produced, and their production-based motorsport histories all illustrated by more than 700 black & white photographs. For ease of understanding, the 1949-'89 period is divided into four Eras, 1949-'57: OHV V8 Dominance Established, 1958-'62: Filling Out the V8 Engine Slate, 1963-'71: The Next Generation of Detroit V8 Templates, and 1972-'89: Hangover, Malaise, Then Faint Awakenings. Suitable for readers ages 14 and up.American V8 performance had an impressive renaissance beginning in 1990, that lasted another 40 years. Stay-tuned for the follow-on companion book volume. Read more