Ford Mustang 40th Anniversary

It's tough to find noteworthy reading material on the Chrysler K-Cars or Kia Rio, but not so on the Ford Mustang. From classic restoration guides to nostalgic coffee-table books, more words have been written about the Mustang than just about any other car in the past 40 years. Here are two newer such books to highlight your automotive library.

Mustang: Forty Years
by Randy Leffingwell

Featuring nearly 400 pages of color photography, quotes from key Mustang movers and shakers, and historical facts, this hefty volume will please hard-core enthusiasts and part-time car dudes alike. The book celebrates the first 40 years of the Ford Mustang, from its roots in the early 1960s through forgettable shape-shifting in the 1970s and 1980s to its present-day classic yearnings and beyond. The excellent photography--big, fat close-ups of dashboards, interiors, and taillights, all rendered with tasteful lighting and backdrops--helps move along a story that's drenched in dates and details. At times, the book reads like a soap opera, with Lee Iacocca struggling against the powers-that-be to get his dream machine on the road, and Carroll Shelby, the cunning outsider, convincing us to love high-performance. Then there's the troublemaker, Ralph Nader, asking why they have to make these cars so darn fast. Other times, the book gets so lost in names, dates, and details, you might find yourself reading the same paragraph twice. Overall, the level of research is commendable and makes for a thorough read that's worth the $50 price of admission.

"MUSTANG: FORTY YEARS," by Randy Leffingwell. Hardbound, 384 pages, 101/2x12. Color photography by David Newhardt. $50 from MBI Publishing Company. At most bookstores or motorbooks.com.