Hemi Muscle Cars by Darwin Holmstrom weighs 5.9 pounds and most of that is photographs. And they are great photos (I’ve pasted about ten after the jump). This book covers the entire history of the Hemi, from the first production cars of the early 50s to the modern LX platform cars. I should point out that the book is printed in China, which could be a deal breaker for some old school Mopar guys. But if you can get past that, love the Hemi, have $50 burning a hole in your pocket and own a burly coffee table, I would definitely recommend this book.

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Check out this documentary trailer for Crash Course: The Accidental Art of Arnold Odermatt. Odermatt was a Swiss police photographer who documented crash scenes from 1939 to 1993, resulting in the haunting stills that the teaser gives you a glimpse of.  Not much info yet on the forthcoming documentary, or its release date, but we’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, there are at least two collections of Odermatt’s car-wreck photos available for purchase on Amazon.

When I was younger, my grandfather would sometimes start his stories with “I can remember when.” Well, I must be getting old because just the other day I was telling one of my friends “I can remember when we used to work on cars and didn’t have the internet as a source of information.” Back in the mid-80’s, of course, there were no message boards and no forums, and when you were troubleshooting something, all you had to work with was your shop manual and your own wits. Don’t get me wrong–I think the internet is a great source of knowledge, but I still think it pays to have a manual handy when you’re working, especially if you’re mechanically challenged like I am. If it’s 1 am and you are up to your elbows in engine and you’re stumped on something, it’s not always practical to surf the net or give your best friend a call. Two of my favourite manuals are Gregory’s Valiant CL & CM 1976-1981 Workshop Manual, and the fantastic Project Charger by Larry Lyles, based on a series of articles from Auto Restorer Magazine. Project Charger is inspirational and I have read mine so many times that I’ve almost worn it out. So what manuals have been most useful to you?

Well, it had to happen eventually: Clive Matthew Wilson has released an updated version of The Dog and Lemon Guide. With a total of 863 pages, the book offers no-holds-barred reviews of used cars available throughout the world. According to The Herald Sun, Wilson believes that we here in Australia are living under the misconception that buying a European car usually means that we are buying quality. According to Wilson, “virtually all satisfaction and reliability surveys are consistent: European brands may look cool, but they’re the pits to own.”

Does so called "prestige European motoring" automatically translate to quality? My father, who is German. has never understood Australians’ and Americans’ fascination with Mercedes and BMWs. According to him, these cars are just taxis in Germany and you will find that the build quality and safety features are just as good if not better in (Australian) domestics. What do you think?