Cars (00s, 10s and 20s): Books - History

American Cars in Europe, 1900-1940 - A Pictorial Survey

Germany is most often credited with the birth of the internal combustion engine. France gave rise to the first credible motor industry. The United States added a little Yankee ingenuity and came up with its own version of both. While the American automobile industry got off to a bumpy start, by 1908, U.S. automobile production had surpassed that of European manufacturers.
When the outbreak of World War I all but halted European production of passenger cars, American auto makers took advantage of the opportunity to establish a toehold in Europe. During the war and for two decades after, American automobiles, which were considered reliable and cheap, were a common sight on the streets of many European cities and towns.

This book contains a unique and unprecedented collection of period photographs, recording American automobiles - and their owners - in various locations throughout Europe between the years of 1900 and 1940.
Captions include the make and model of each car; information on the setting of the photograph; and remarks on interesting details, unusual accessories or distinguishing features of each car. Argo, Jewitt, Durant and Reo automobiles are represented here along with household names such as Buick, Chevrolet and Ford.

Information

Author:	Bryan Goodman
Details:	215 pages, 25.5 x 18 x 1.1 cm / 10 x 7.1 x 0.43 in, paperback
Illustrations:	340 b&w photos
Publisher:	McFarland & Co Inc (USA, 2005)
ISBN:	9780786422500

The Electric Car in America, 1890-1922 - A Social History

At the end of 1900 the auto industry was set to become a huge force in America over the following ten years or so as the car moved from being a plaything of the rich to being a mass market item, increasingly available to most segments of society. The electric vehicle seemed poised in 1900 to be a leader, or even the dominant force. It had large advantages over vehicles driven by the other two main motive powers, steam and gasoline.

Electric cars were clean, odorless, noiseless and they were mechanically simple, compared to their rivals. They rarely broke down and they were easy to operate. An electric car could be started instantly from the driver's seat; no other machine could claim that advantage.

But then it all went wrong. The hope and confidence of 1900 collapsed and just two decades later the electric car was dead; two makers continued to produce until late in the 1920s but it was all over for the electrics by the start of the 1920s. Inherent advantages paled in the face of disadvantages that were never resolved.

The machines were costly and never came down in price while gasoline cars saw dramatic price reductions over time. Most of all the storage battery was an endless source of problems. Even the genius of Thomas Edison, who worked for over a decade to try and produce a better battery, was unable to prevail.

All the electric car industry was able to mount in the guise of dealing with myriad problems was to present an increasingly frantic public relations campaign of lies and deceptive advertising; but never any solutions to the industry's problems.

Information

Author:	Kerry Segrave
Details:	130 pages, 25.5 x 18 x 1.7 cm / 10 x 7.1 x 0.67 in, paperback
Illustrations:	illustrated
Publisher:	McFarland & Co Inc (USA, 2019)
ISBN:	9781476676715

Deutsche Autos 1920-1945

With "Deutsche Autos 1920-1945", another major work by the legendary car chronicler Werner Oswald is finally being republished in a condensed form, with a modern, attractive design and new color images.

What has not changed is his inimitable style and his unrivalled expertise, with which he tells the story of the automobile industry from the beginning of the golden 1920s to the end of the Second World War.
He meticulously lists who sold, produced or assembled their cars in Germany at that time and also devotes himself to the almost forgotten smallest brands.

Information

Author:	Werner Oswald
Details:	592 pages, 26.5 x 23 cm / 10.4 x 9.1 in, hardback
Illustrations:	1204 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2019)
ISBN:	9783613041424

Deutsche Autos 1885-1920

Before the First World War, there were at times more than 170 manufacturers bringing automobiles onto the German market. Hardly anyone knows their names anymore, but Halwart Schrader takes his readers on a journey back in time to the Schnauferl era.

It is dedicated not only to the beginnings of familiar brands such as Daimler, Benz and Opel, but also to the almost forgotten ones such as Brennabor, Dürkopp, Adler & Co. There are also explanations of technical terms from the ancient car era, data tables and almost 800 photos and illustrations: the opulent documentation of a long-gone era and a wonderful addition to the series.

Information

Author:	Halwart Schrader
Details:	480 pages, 26.5 x 23 cm / 10.4 x 9.1 in, hardback
Illustrations:	800 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:	Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2020)
ISBN:	9783613043138