The Automobile

The Life of the Automobile is the first comprehensive world history of the car. The automobile has arguably shaped the modern era more profoundly than any other human invention, and author Steven Parissien examines the impact, development, and significance of the automobile over its turbulent and colorful 130-year history. Readers learn the grand and turbulent history of the motor car, from its earliest appearance in the 1880s—as little more than a powered quadricycle—and the innovations of the early pioneer carmakers. The author examines the advances of the interwar era, the Golden Age of the 1950s, and the iconic years of the 1960s to the decades of doubt and uncertainty following the oil crisis of 1973, the global mergers of the 1990s, the bailouts of the early twenty-first century, and the emergence of the electric car. This is not just a story of horsepower and performance but a tale of extraordinary people: of intuitive carmakers such as Karl Benz, Sir Henry Royce, Giovanni Agnelli (Fiat), André Citroën, and Louis Renault; of exceptionally gifted designers such as the eccentric, Ohio-born Chris Bangle (BMW); and of visionary industrialists such as Henry Ford, Ferdinand Porsche (the Volkswagen Beetle), and Gene Bordinat (the Ford Mustang), among numerous other game changers. Above all, this comprehensive history demonstrates how the epic story of the car mirrors the history of the modern era, from the brave hopes and soaring ambitions of the early twentieth century to the cynicism and ecological concerns of a century later. Bringing to life the flamboyant entrepreneurs, shrewd businessmen, and gifted engineers that worked behind the scenes to bring us horsepower and performance, The Life of the Automobile is a globe-spanning account of the auto industry that is sure to rev the engines of entrepreneurs and gearheads alike.

In 1914, the first cars rolled off Henry Ford's assembly line, and life changed forever. A century later--and 225 years after the first auto patent granted in the US--it's time for a complete view of the vehicle that created modern life. Jonathan Glancey, a leading authority on popular culture and design, provides a snapshot history of the automobile-not just the makes and models, but its role in politics, family life, war, advertising, architecture, film, and television.

Cited by Business Week as one of 1984's ten best books on business and economics, The Future of the Automobile is the most comprehensive assessment ever conducted of the world's largest industry.

In this sweeping cultural history, James Flink provides a fascinating account of the creation of the world's first automobile culture. He offers both a critical survey of the development of automotive technology and the automotive industry and an analysis of the social effects of "automobility" on workers and consumers.

Who Invented the Automobile? looks back at the history of the automobile—a machine that we could not imagine living without today.

This book discusses cars of the future and the new socio-economic paradigm that they represent. It examines the electromobility revolution in the traditional automotive industry and brings together multidisciplinary expertise to provide insights into the shift towards electromobility. New vehicular technologies may develop in various directions, including the smart car, and this context raises two important questions: will car manufactures maintain control over the industry? And if so, will they be able to come up with sufficiently radical innovations to steer us into the electromobility of tomorrow? One thing is certain: the transition to electromobility will be a revolution. The book’s combined approach to understanding this complex reality enables readers to better visualize the possible future directions. It offers anyone interested in electromobility an excellent review of the subject and a useful roadmap to future developments.

Originally published in 1997 and now re-issued with some updated material, this chronology lists the major events in the history of the automobile. The automobile cannot be understood without knowing about its pre-history, including technologies such as railroads, carriages and trolley cars. Material on these is included to the extent that they represented preludes to the modern car culture. The volume also includes material about the technology, design and production of cars and their manufacturers. The ancillary fields of oil production and refining and road building are also covered. Focussed mainly, but not exclusively on the USA this chronology discusses the car and its role in social, geographical and political change.

Reprint of the first edition originally released in 1917.