General Motors Styling 1927-1958 by Tracy Powell

General Motors Styling 1927-1958 walks through the "Harley Earl era" of automotive styling, with research and interviews that go beyond Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac, and into the extravagant dream cars and Motoramas of the '50s. Giant personalities include those who would later leave GM to make names for themselves elsewhere: Frank Hershey, Virgil Exner, Gordon Buehrig and others. Source: Publisher

Telling historical photography also complements the story of the personalities and their milestone cars, including: the 1927 LaSalle where it all began; the 1938 Buick Y-Job that sparked a line of dream cars; Bill Mitchell's first major contribution, the 1938 Cadillac 60 Special; the 1953 Corvette; and other dream cars including the 1951 Buick Le Sabre, the 1955 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, and Firebirds I, II and III. An in-depth chapter on the birth of the Tech Center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2006, covers its conception and construction, much of it gleaned from the talented Earl and his stylists. The story of Harley Earl has been told before. So has the history of GM and most of its cars. But this book takes readers inside the studios as if stepping back in time and in the thick of the highly competitive and electrifyingly creative hub of American car design at its zenith.