Book Excerpt

... As this day’s drive unfolded, one thing we saw a lot of, besides sand and dirt, were American vehicles leftover from before the sanctions were imposed. We’d be driving along and all of a sudden a gigantic 1970s Buick would boat its way on past. Or a 60s-era Chevy pickup would rumble by. I even saw an exact replica of the 78 Impala I drove in college. Anyone in need of a well-preserved 70s car could do worse than head to Iran, where, according to Professor, the quality of American cars is actually thought of quite highly, “It’s not like you see many 30-year-old French cars on the road.”