Book Irony: GM's Glory Days and the Big Three Bailout

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers.

We get books all the time at U.S. News from publishers hopeful for a plug. In a rich irony, just as Detroit's Big Three were seeing their chances for a bailout shot down in Washington this week, The Art and Colour of General Motors arrived. A beautiful coffee-table book, it shows just why GM and the other two are in such big trouble: Their glory days appear to be over. Or, to quote a prominent senator we talked to about Detroit's plight, "Most people are frustrated that they can't go out and buy an American car that they are happy with."

For $100, you can see classic shots of the Corvette, the GTO, Camaro, Caddy, and Bel Air. And then there is this claim in the foreword by Bob Lutz, vice chair of global product development: "Although I don't think we should live in the past when GM's best days are squarely in front of us, the images captured here, some for the first time, present a fantastic look at where we've been; some even hint at where we're going."