Chrome and Color and a Must-Read From Garry Foster
Chrome and Colour
Author: Garry Foster
Garry Foster is paying homage to car enthusiasts and the rides that made them in Chrome and Colour. It is the perfect combination of personal and technical, modern and historic, and the individual nature of the stories taps into the best parts of the classic car hobby, creativity, community, and genuine joy.
There are many strengths to Chrome and Colour, but I think one of its defining features lies in Foster’s ability to curate, bringing together connected, but individual stories, and allowing the owners of some truly incredible vehicles to tell their own tales. Foster weaves in essential context, providing enough technical information for the die-hards to really dig deep into what makes a car a car, but the social, cultural, and personal evolution of these exciting historical rides is just as essential.
There is great beauty in the combination of vehicles Foster has chosen to highlight, as well, from the remarkable Tatra, standing against a blue sea sky like a futurist beacon, to a riot of colorful custom rides, to the racing police cars that will definitely catch up on the next great chase. The cars and the owners are honored as the individuals they are, and the appreciation for the owners’ stories is felt from the very first page, but Foster taps into something even more base and essential, the threads and themes that have defined the automotive and collector car hobby for generations. He asked questions, like what happens to retired police cars and where did those concept cars go, and touches upon subcultures and trends of the hobby, like early hot rodding and the space race design influence on classic cars.
Chrome and Colour also provides valuable insight into the classic car hobby in Canada, Foster’s home base, which includes Canadian variations on classic American cars, as well as a vibrant and bustling car show culture and history. Toward the end of the book, the reader gets a peek into some of the remarkable car shows that Canada has to offer, like Deuce Days in Victoria, and touring culture on the island. Even the experience of seeing Vancouver from behind the wheel of an iconic American classic like the Chevrolet Corvette is just a little bit different, and another reason that Foster’s work stands out as a can’t-miss car book.
And, of course, the photography delivers on every page. While I wouldn’t actually recommend skipping the stories—because each is a delight to read on its own—the experience of flipping through the pages from one glossy image to the next is nothing short of joyful. Foster doesn’t hesitate in allowing the photography to tell the stories, and each photo more than delivers. The cars he has chosen to highlight are pure and simple works of art and deserving of every spread he provides them.
And, of course, you can’t go wrong with the vintage photography that highlights the journey to modern life some of these cars have taken. The personal touches, like notes of appreciation from friends and smiling build shots from years past all add a little something special to Garry Foster’s Chrome and Colour. It takes all the best parts of scrapbooking personal nostalgia and blends them with Foster’s expertise and adoration for the automobile.
In Chrome and Colour, you will find cars you love to love, cars you’ve heard of in passing, and vehicles that stand to delight from the very first glance. It is an eclectic, but seamless gallery of stories and experiences, and the finale car shows in full color are not to be missed. Foster’s own personal experience as a car enthusiast taps into something universal, and the candid joy he brings when sharing his story is one felt by many. Foster knows what it’s like to love a car, through the ups and the downs, through the first coat of custom paint and the next, through the gasser years and the Pebble Beach Concours, and that love is the thread that remains through the entire book.
The beginner enthusiast and the veteran alike will appreciate the joy, perspective, and art in Chrome and Colour. We look forward to seeing what Garry Foster has to offer us next.