Marc Cranswick has had a lifelong interest in cars and all things mechanical, and has written about and drawn the cars that he loves for many years; these include a variety of European, Japanese and American marques. Formal study of the postwar American car market has led to a series of books about the cars and trucks of the Big 3 and independent automakers. He writes enthusiast-directed model history books, and has involvement with many specialist car clubs. His reference book The Cars of American Motors - An Illustrated History , was featured on NBC's business channel CNBC. His other books include Ford Mustang II & Pinto (as seen on channel PBS' MotorWeek ); Ford Midsize Muscle - Fairlane, Torino & Ranchero ; BMW Classic 5 Series 1972 to 2003 ; MOPAR Muscle - Barracuda, Dart & Valiant 1960-1980 ; Mazda Rotary-Engined Cars , and Pontiac Firebird - The Auto-Biography .