Virgil Exner biography

[Guest Hinckley]

VIRGIL EXNER

The official biography of Virgil Exner, designer extraordinaire

Peter Grist

160 pages, 380 illustrations

Veloce Publishing LTD

www.veloce.co.uk

www.velocebooks.com

ISBN 978-1-84584-118-8

$49.95

Wow! Masterfully Peter Grist weaves the triumphant, inspirational, and tragic in the telling of the Exner story. Illustrations, many never before published, are bright threads in this tapestry.

The poignant and heartfelt foreword by Virgil Exner Jr. sets the stage. The first act is a delightful blend of rare personal photos and samples of Exner’s evolving style from doodles and work for his high school year book to professional work for a local instrument maker to his early work in the promotion of Studebaker.

Each chapter follows this format chronicling the amazing life and many contributions of Virgil Exner. Then, as with the life of Virgil Exner, the book draws to a close far to quickly. However, a fitting final chapter chronicles Exner’s greatest legacy, the life, and accomplishments of his son Virgil Exner Jr.

As a photographic essay of Exner’s life and work, this book is nothing short of stunning. Add well researched text and you have a first rate study of one of the American automotive industries greatest innovators in the post war period.

Review reprinted courtesy of Cars & Parts magazine www.carsandparts.com and Jim Hinckley, www.route66chronicles.blogspot.com