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The Automotive Alchemist

We’re lucky in this country to have one of the most talented car customisers in Europe (the world?) in the form of Andy Saunders. This recently launched book celebrates his unique talents and is a roller-coaster ride through the highs and lows of this charismatic man’s life, from the early years of learning the basic skills of cutting and shaping metal then painting and airbrushing, to his mature creations, restorations and the inherent genius of his designs.

Andy welcomes us into his workshop and his head: not afraid to express his emotions, as he deconstructs and then rebuilds each vehicle, he lays bare his motivations, inspirations, influences and passions. Intertwined in the narrative is the work involved in the creation of 60 cars, described here with many detailed photographs.

Forty-two of Andy’s creations now reside in museums and private collections across the globe but the most unusual fate is that of Flat Out, the Guinness Book of Records acclaimed Lowest Car in the World, which is now a coffee table in the foyer of a huge Californian corporation.

The book is not a technical ‘how to create wild custom cars’ manual. Rather it is a celebration of Andy’s joy of creation and his design genius, though tempered by personal traumas and losses. He has, on many occasions, been referred to as the British George Barris, the American ‘King of Kustomizers’. Unlike many biographies, this book engages the reader with its honesty and humour. ISBN: 978-1-956309-02-7. 464 pages, hardback. It costs $135 from www.daltonwatson. com or for more information email: info@daltonwatson.com