This volume investigates the historical evolution and technical significance of coachbuilding within the global automotive industry. Nick Georgano, a recognized authority in automotive history, compiles extensive documentation on the transition from horse-drawn carriage craftsmanship to the specialized fabrication of custom automobile bodies. The text provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how coachbuilders influenced vehicle aesthetics, luxury standards, and manufacturing techniques throughout the twentieth century.

Experts and automotive historians frequently cite this work as a foundational reference for the study of custom vehicle design. Readers often note the academic density of the prose and the exhaustive nature of the biographical entries regarding individual coachbuilders.