"Wheels of Change" Wins Major Car Book Award

Wheels of Change by Kevin Nelson, co-published by CHS and Heyday Books, has won a prestigious car book award: The Valentine Memorial Award for 2010, presented by the Society of Automotive Historians.   The award has been presented annually since 1999 to honor the late James Valentine, a founder of the chapter, who had a great interest in the relationship between the automobile industry and the state of California .

It is not possible to think of California without the influence of cars, nor can anyone imagine how the modern automobile would have developed without California. In Wheels of Change, author and historian Kevin Nelson brings to life the adventures and personalities that have shaped the story of California’s car culture, from engineering wizards to rebels without a cause to "gearheads" and dry lake racers. Nelson’s lively account covers the early days of horseless carriages all the way up through the 1950s and early ’60s, during the glory years of hot rods, customs, drag racing, and imported sports cars. He reveals the movie industry’s influence on cars, including the raucous off-screen racing exploits of Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, James Dean, and Steve McQueen.

About the Author

Kevin Nelson is the author of eighteen books. His Operation Bullpen: The Inside Story of the Biggest Forgery Scam in American History is currently under development to be a motion picture. Another highly praised book of his, The Golden Game: The Story of California Baseball, co-published by California Historical Society and Heyday Books, was named one of the top ten books of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle. Nelson devoted three years to researching and writing Wheels of Change, driving thousands of miles around California on road trips to car shows, car museums, car clubs, racetracks, the El Mirage dry lakes area, and other significant spots in the state’s automotive history. Nelson currently lives in the Bay Area with his wife and children.