Fins: Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit

The New York Times bestselling author of Bitter Brew chronicles the birth and rise to greatness of the American auto industry through the remarkable life of Harley Earl, an eccentric six-foot-five, stuttering visionary who dropped out of college and went on to invent the profession of automobile styling, thereby revolutionized the way cars were made, marketed, and even imagined.

Harleys Earl’s story qualifies as a bona fide American family saga. It began in the Michigan pine forest in the years after the Civil War, traveled across the Great Plains on the wooden wheels of a covered wagon, and eventually settled in a dirt road village named Hollywood, California, where young Harley took the skills he learned working in his father’s carriage shop and applied them to designing sleek, racy-looking automobile bodies for the fast crowd in the burgeoning silent movie business.

As the 1920s roared with the sound of mass manufacturing, Harley returned to Michigan, where, at GM’s invitation, he introduced art into the rigid mechanics of auto-making. Over the next thirty years, he functioned as a kind of combination Steve Jobs and Tom Ford of his time, redefining the form and function of the country’s premier product. His impact was profound. When he retired as GM’s VP of Styling in 1958, Detroit reigned as the manufacturing capitol of the world and General Motors ranked as the most successful company in the history of business.

Knoedelseder tells the story in ways both large and small, weaving the history of the company with the history of Detroit and the Earl family as Fins examines the effect of the automobile on America’s economy, culture, and national psyche.

The New York Times bestselling author of Bitter Brew turns to the American auto industry, chronicling its birth and rise to greatness through the remarkable life of Harley Earl, the eccentric visionary who revolutionized the way cars were made, marketed, and even imagined.

Harley Earl’s story qualifies as a bona fide American family saga. It began in the Michigan pine forests in the years after the Civil War, traveled across the Great Plains on the wooden wheels of a covered wagon, and eventually settled in a dirt road village in California called Hollywood, where young Harley took the skills he learned working in his father’s carriage shop and applied them to designing sleek, racy-looking automobile bodies for the fast crowd of the burgeoning silent movie business.

As the 1920s roared with the sound of mass manufacturing, Harley returned to Michigan, where, at General Motors’ invitation, he introduced art into the rigid mechanics of automaking. Over the next thirty years, Harley operated as a kind of combination Steve Jobs and Tom Ford of his time, redefining the form and function of the country’s premier product. His impact was profound. When he retired as GM’s vice president of styling in 1958, Detroit reigned as the manufacturing capital of the world, and General Motors ranked as the most successful company in the history of business.    

William Knoedelseder tells the story in ways both large and small, weaving the history of the automaker with the histories of Detroit and of the Earl family, and examining the effects of the automobile on America’s economy, culture, and national psyche. As he did in Bitter Brew, Knoedelseder uncovers personal tragedies, corporate battles, and moments of sheer genius, providing rich portraits of this difficult and surprisingly canny genius and of the company—and country—he helped to shape.

“Fins pulls readers into the futuristic fantasies, intramural fights and forward thinking of the legendary GM executive who revolutionized America’s love affair with the automobile.” - David Cay Johnston

Fins is a fascinating story, well told. Can’t beat that.

“A rollicking tale about the years when Detroit design dazzled the globe and defined an entire era.” - Detroit News

“A terrific biography...Fins’ should prove a valuable history to have on hand as we enter the age of the autonomous vehicle.” - Wall Street Journal

“Fins is a lively study, as big and broad as one of GM’s Buick Roadmasters but as sleek and speedy as one of its Chevrolet Corvettes. It’s essential reading for anyone interested in America’s auto obsession.” - Los Angeles Times

Fins is far more than a biography of Harley Earl — it’s a fascinating, colorful romp through the glory years of the American automotive industry - The Newswheel