Trucks: Illustrated History Books & Guides

The Truck Book: The Definitive Visual History

Trucks developed from late 19th-century steam wagons and the early use of internal combustion engines in the 1870s. Over time, they were adapted for many tasks, including panel vans, pick-ups, heavy goods vehicles, and construction machines such as log carriers and cement mixers. Trucks have also played key roles in war, emergency services as ambulances and fire engines, and in entertainment, for example as monster trucks.

Pages of the book "The Truck Book: The Definitive Visual History"

This richly illustrated book explores the history of trucks and road transport, from the first motorized wagons to today's driverless freight vehicles. It explains major technical advances and shows how the role of trucks in society has changed.

The book includes chapters on important models from different periods, such as the Ford TT, Bedford TM Turbo 92, and Toyota Hilux, as well as insights into trucking culture and well-known brands like UPS and Eddie Stobart. Gallery sections present vehicles from around the world, from microvans to American heavy trucks and earthmovers.
Combining historic images with clear explanations, the book offers a comprehensive visual account of more than 120 years of trucking history.

Product details

Building and Painting Model Trucks

This richly illustrated book offers a complete guide to building model truck kits, across all of the popular scales. Concentrating on civilian vehicles, renowned modeller George Dent describes the fundamental processes involved in kit-building, including preparation and assembly of components, detailing and modification work including custom fittings, plus an in-depth look at painting and weathering techniques.

Featuring a range of popular, readily available kits in all of the popular scales: 1: 72, 1: 48, 1: 35, 1: 32 and 1: 24, and suitable for modellers of all abilities, each project is clearly explained in an illustrated, step-by-step format with over 680 colour photographs.

Product details

Electric Trucks - A History of Delivery Vehicles, Semis, Forklifts and Others

Welcomed at end of the 19th century as the solution to the severe problem of horse manure in city streets, electric trucks soon became the norm for short-haul commercial deliveries. Though reliable, they were gradually replaced by gasoline-powered trucks for long-haul deliveries-although a fleet of electric milk trucks survived in Great Britain into the 1960s. Industrial electric vehicles never disappeared from factories and ports.

During the past decade, with the availability of the lithium-ion battery, the electric truck is back on the road for all payloads and all distances. The fourth in a series covering the history and future of electric transport, this book chronicles the work of the innovative engineers who perfected e-trucks large and small.

Product details

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trucks - A guide to classic and contemporary trucks around the world, including 700 photographs

This book opens with a clear history of the truck, describing its origins, development, and the early pioneers of truck design and engineering. It presents a wide range of vehicles through more than 700 photographs, from standard load carriers such as box vans and furniture vans to specialized vehicles including fire engines, military trucks, and mobile cranes.

It also serves as an updated A-Z photographic directory of more than 280 manufacturers. Alongside the best-known builders, many lesser-known brands are included. Trucks from Europe, North America, and many other regions are covered, with attention to differences in design and production. Each vehicle is placed in its historical context, explaining its purpose, its success in the market, or the reasons production ended.

Product details

Camions décorés - Les plus beaux d'Europe (Autofocus)

With their shiny chrome, careful paintwork, and unique decorations, these European trucks create a striking impression. Across sixteen reports, the book showcases trucks from nine countries, each decorated individually, whether with a fictional character or a tribute to its owner.
Decorated trucks are more than a trend; they have become a cultural phenomenon and moving works of art.

For nearly twenty years, Xavier Stéfaniak has traveled Europe and the United States photographing the most remarkable trucks in the tuning scene. Photographer for several European magazines, he presents his fourth book on this subject.

Product details

Schwertransporte - Starke Trucks, große Lasten

Motorization has fundamentally shaped transport over the last 100 years. Without trucks, today's prosperity would hardly be possible. This volume features old and young timers, including vehicles from long-gone brands as well as current models.

Organized by manufacturer, it includes German brands such as MAN and Mercedes, European brands like Scania, Volvo, and Renault, and US trucks from Freightliner, Kenworth, and Mack. The focus is on top models and powerful heavy-duty tractors. With around 500 illustrations, this large-format book showcases the most impressive trucks worldwide.

Pages of the book "Schwertransporte - Starke Trucks, große Lasten"

Product details

Feuerwehr - Die besten Einsatzfahrzeuge aus aller Welt

Fire engines have always held a special fascination for young and old. The bigger and more impressive the vehicles, the more impressed the viewer is.

Whether it's a cab-over truck or a forward-control truck, a turntable ladder, a TLF, a RW, a crane truck, an airport fire brigade or a forest fire-fighting vehicle - this action-packed volume contains over 500 images, informative texts and interesting facts about existing and defunct brands and models from Germany, France, Great Britain, the USA and many other countries.

Sometimes beautiful, sometimes bizarre, sometimes in new condition, sometimes in everyday use - but always lively, colorful and extraordinary.

Product details

Geschichte des Seecontainers und der Intermodal-Wechselbehälter

The author, Ulrich Cramer, a trained motor vehicle and aircraft engineer, has been working on transport rationalization projects since the early 1960s. First at the vehicle and equipment manufacturer MAFI and from 1971 with his own engineering firm CONTEC. Numerous innovations can be traced back to his engineering work.
In this book, he describes from his own experience how the beginnings of container transport in the USA in the early 1950s developed into global, trimodal transport to the smallest corner of the world.

Pages of the book "Geschichte des Seecontainers und der Intermodal-Wechselbehälter"

Cramer tells the story from the perspective of a technician. He himself had applied for a patent for the idea of the "MAFI Rolltrailer" in 1966. In 1967, he and MAFI built the first steel containers for the first European container shipping consortium ACL.
When container traffic began in Europe in 1966 and the sea container was still considered a "dead elephant", he and MAFI built the "Portalift", the first "container portal vehicle" from Europe. He played a key role in the steel container quickly gaining its dominant position.

Ulrich Cramer did pioneering work with the construction of the first container factory in China in 1980, which is now the largest container manufacturer in the world, and the construction of the first two 20-foot steel containers for CIMC in 1981. He transferred his technical knowledge of container construction to numerous projects in the field of inland containers and swap bodies, as well as to the development of associated transport and handling equipment.

Product details

Lastwagen & Busse Osteuropas

This book is dedicated to the trucks and buses of Eastern Europe, with the focus on the economic area of the former Eastern Bloc with the CMEA states (Bulgaria, CSSR, GDR, Poland, Romania, Soviet Union and Hungary) as well as Yugoslavia.
Michael Dünnebier gained first-hand information through personal impressions during numerous visits to Eastern European manufacturing plants, at trade fairs and exhibitions, and through discussions with company employees.

Pages of the book "Lastwagen & Busse Osteuropas"

The focus of the study is on the history of the company and its type, especially during the planned economy period. However, the further history of the companies and the transition to the market economy up to the present day are also presented.

Product details

Nutzfahrzeuge - Die internationale Enzyklopädie

Why did all trucks previously have solid rubber tires? Why did Büssing operate its own bus line? When was the last steam truck built? Which municipal vehicle was called the "electric Berliner"?
In this encyclopedia of international commercial vehicle history you will find information, data, explanations and answers to a thousand and one questions.

Pages of the book "Nutzfahrzeuge - Die internationale Enzyklopädie"

Halwart Schrader covers all major vehicle brands in the world, not only manufacturers of trucks, tractors, buses, etc., but also producers of trailers, bodies, engines, axles and transmissions.

Product details

Supertrucks

While cars were almost exclusively reserved for a wealthy upper class in the early days of the automobile, there was a high commercial demand for trucks from the very beginning. It is therefore no wonder that numerous companies competed with one another in the construction of trucks, and their designs could differ enormously depending on the mentality and size of the country of manufacture.

Pages of the book "Supertrucks"

This volume offers a unique cross-section of the last 60 years of truck history. 224 pages describe all the leading truck brands that have left their mark on truck construction worldwide with their models and technical innovations.

Product details

Allrad- und Kettenfahrzeuge - Spezialisten im Gelände

This book presents heavy all-wheel drive vehicles with up to four axles and tracked vehicles that can move through the toughest obstacles.
The author shows and explains vehicles that you don't see every day. These include well-known brands such as MAN, Faun, Volvo, IFA, Iveco-Magirus, Mercedes-Benz, Hitachi, Hanomag, Massey Ferguson, Liebherr, Caterpillar and Komatsu.
But also lesser-known ones such as Foremost-Terra Flex, Semex-Tatra, Dynapac, Mastenbroek and Morooka.

Product details

Samochody użytkowe RWPG

This is the first Polish publication covering commercial vehicles produced in Comecon countries, the Eastern Bloc, from after World War II until 1990.

The author explains the structure of Comecon and defines commercial vehicles. He presents the manufacturers, their production focus, and selected models of vans, trucks, and buses, including their design, operation, and technical specifications.

Vehicles are grouped by country: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the German Democratic Republic, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and the Soviet Union. Each manufacturer and its vehicles are introduced with background chapters on the development of the automotive industry in that country.

Product details

Camiones muy antiguos - de guerra, carga, bomberos, autobuses y ambulacias

This book presents readers with an extensive catalog of old trucks, spanning various styles and periods, each accompanied by concise and contextualized documentary contributions.
From military trucks to cargo vehicles, fire trucks, buses, and ambulances, the work takes a journey through history, uncovering the origins of the first ambulances and fire trucks, their subsequent evolution, and the revolutionary impact on society as vehicles transitioned away from animal traction.

Positioned as a valuable tool for scholars and collectors, this volume provides in-depth information. It also invites readers to explore its pages in search of intriguing images or to be surprised by captivating anecdotes.

Text in Spanish.

Product details