Roadside Relics: America's Abandoned Automobiles, by Will Shiers

It might be a bit difficult to believe that a book filled with photos of rusty old automobiles could be uplifting, enlightening and inspiring, but this book is all those things and more. In his beautiful hardcover opus Roadside Relics, Will Shiers has filled 200 pages with a treasure trove of rarely documented and surprisingly fascinating roadside Americana. Shiers spent ten years wandering around the United States taking photos of abandoned vehicles. What makes his evocative photography even more entrancing is that he also tracked down the identities and unique histories of the wrecks whenever he could.

The newest car profiled in Roadside Relics is a 1974 Satellite Sebring that Shiers discovered in Tara Springs, Arizona. The oldest is a remarkably good-looking 1924 Dodge DB Coupe he found in south Texas. In between, Shiers has identified and captured an astonishing collection of vintage automotive treasures. With evocative photography and well-researched but light-hearted narrative, he weaves a tapestry that includes not only the history of the vehicles he found but also the story of his own odyssey of discovery. I was amazed to find that I recognized about a dozen of the wrecks from my own road trip explorations, something that suggests that readers across the country may well discover familiar icons on Shiers' pages.

One of the relics I particularly enjoyed reading about is the Ford station wagon Shiers photographed in the late 1990s in southern Kansas. Packed full of old bones, it's a real roadside mystery. Other standouts include a still-proud old Essex parked on the outskirts of a small town in Utah, a 1927 Hupmobile in Minnesota, and a gloriously decayed Diamond T truck Shiers found near Pratt, Kansas in 1996. In addition to illustrating and describing his discoveries, Shiers shares tips and suggestions for finding the wrecks. In the process of reading the book, it's impossible not to develop a keener appreciation for junk and salvage yards. One such place I would now like to visit is French Lake Auto Parts in Annandale, Minnesota. Arguably the nation's best salvage yard, it boasts more than 13,000 vehicles neatly arranged on 100 acres.

As I write this, my mental list of friends with whom I want to share this book is growing. Anyone with an interest in photography, classic cars, road trips, and American cultural history will be instantly riveted by the images and stories on these pages. I won't deny that I was surprised to find a photo collection of abandoned automobiles so enchanting. I would never have guessed that a book called Roadside Relics would be a "feel good" book, but that's exactly what it is. It's a book to be picked up and savored over and over again. Not only has it given me new appreciation for the forgotten skeletons of ancient cars, it has ignited my wanderlust. You really can't ask for more in a road trip book.

Mark Sedenquist
12/31/06