Most people know the cars: the Impala SS that reignited a legend. The Camaro ZL1 that roared louder than its era. The Indy 500 Pace Cars that seemed to drop from the sky like dreams on wheels. What they don’t know is the man behind them: Jon A. Moss, the quiet rebel who built greatness while coloring way outside the lines.
From digging wells on a Michigan farm to saving the Corvette from corporate execution with a covert, 93-day midnight operation, Keys to the Kingdom is a fascinating, often funny, always honest memoir of an ordinary man who found himself at the crossroads of creativity, corporate politics, and American car culture, and decided to floor it. Moss didn’t ask for credit, he asked for spark plugs, paint codes, and a few good techs. And then he did the impossible, over and over again.
Written by automotive historian and bestselling author, Sean Reavie, the book captures Jon’s life in full throttle through personal stories, rare photos, and dozens of raw, unvarnished conversations with the people who built the machines that made America fall in love with driving.
The book features a series of truly unbelievable, never-before-seen stories, including the secret mission to save the Corvette from extinction, conducted without GM’s knowledge; the surprising tale of how a diesel-powered Chevette got 60 MPG, and why America wasn’t ready for it; the Indy 500 Pace Cars built on tight timelines with tighter lips; and high-octane antics, like receiving street race challenges in the mail and stomping 440 Six-Packs in his 427 Corvette. Readers will also learn about collaborations with car-culture legends like Zora Arkus-Duntov, Bob Lutz, Tim Allen, and Dale Earnhardt, and Moss’ continued legacy through his leadership in GM’s Mobility Program, building cars for people with disabilities.
This is the story of performance under pressure—of an industry forced to trade big blocks for fuel economy and a man who kept its heartbeat alive by bending rules and asking forgiveness later. If you love cars, American ingenuity, or the stories of people who dare to rewrite the rules, Keys to the Kingdom is a must-read.
