As an admirer of automotive photography I'm compelled to draw your attention to a new book by "Michael Furman", whose latest title "Curves of steel" was created for a display at the Phoenix Art Museum. In his words it was "edited by Jonathan A. Stein, with wonderful essays by Richard Adatto, Diana Meredith, Beverly Rae Kimes, Ken Gross, and Phil Patton among others." Wow! What a lineup of automotive historians and superb writers. Regardless of my own half-century of car writing I'd be honored to stand in the same room with any of those folks.

The release of Curves of Steel is scheduled for April 2007, just weeks from now, and judging by the cover art and a preview of its contents by the publisher, "CoachBuiltPress", it will rank among the most beautiful examples of automobile photography ever printed. Furman's work is, in a word, superb. "Coachbuilt Press" says the publisher, "creates unique and timeless books of the highest order through the finest writing and photography, exhaustive research and latest printing techniques."

The photo shown here illustrates a 1952 So-Cal Belly Tanker. These were post-WW2 racers competing for top speeds at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The bodies were constructed from surplus USAAF belly tanks, hence the name. By modern aerodynamic standards belly tankers weren't sophisticated but they were fast enough to break records, and as Michael Furman's photo illustrates, arguably the prettiest missiles on wheels. The book will retail for $75.00, a bargain at twice the price.