"Part memoir, part cultural history, Motor City Boomer is a rollicking reminder of the importance of the auto in American culture. Larry Lankton's love for his boyhood Michigan home and the cars of his youth?from his family's 1956 Packard to his very own 1964 GTO?shine through on every page. Full of quirky and insightful details, this book is a must-read for anyone who cares about the automobile and the way it has shaped everything about America from restaurants to romances."?Nancy A. Nichols, author of Women Behind the Wheel: An Unexpected and Personal History of the Car "Part history, part 'auto biography,' Motor City Boomer draws on Lankton's own experiences to bring the automotive story of the 1950s and 1960s vividly to life. In so doing, it sheds important new light on what the car meant?and continues to mean?to an entire generation of Americans."?David Lucsko, professor of history, Auburn University " Motor City Boomer is a remarkable account blending automotive history, material culture, and coming-of-age in 1950s and '60s America. Detailed, factual, and?most significantly?personal, it resonated with me.
His recollection of family, friends, community, cars, and especially a 1964 GTO mirrored much of my youth. A must-read for boomer gearheads and those interested in post?World War II history."?John Heitmann, professor emeritus, University of Dayton " Motor City Boomer is a fascinating trip in which the long and winding history of the automobile in America intersects with a personal journey of self-discovery and nostalgia. Along the way, Lankton convinces us that the car is both a ubiquitous and deeply personal object, transporting us through the history of our country and ourselves."?Laura Walikainen Rouleau, teaching professor of history, Michigan Technological University "Fasten your seatbelt for a thrilling ride through American car culture at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s. Larry Lankton takes the wheel with a two-tone combination of deeply personal memoir and meticulous automotive scholarship."?Patrick M. Malone, professor emeritus of American studies and urban studies, Brown University.