The Car - A History Of The Automobile

Few inventions have transformed the world quite like the motor car. It has liberated millions, clogged cities, inspired engineers, enriched oil companies, emptied wallets and, perhaps most impressively, convinced generations of otherwise sensible adults that spending a small fortune on something that loses value the moment it leaves the showroom is a perfectly rational life choice. The Car: A History of the Automobile embraces this extraordinary story with enthusiasm, charting more than a century of innovation, ambition and the occasional gloriously misguided idea.

Jonathan Glancey, one of Britain’s most respected architecture and design writers, takes readers on a fascinating journey from the pioneering machines that startled horses at the end of the nineteenth century to the sophisticated engineering marvels of the modern era. Along the way you’ll encounter inventors, visionaries, industrialists and racing legends, each convinced they had built the definitive automobile—right up until somebody else came along with something faster, sleeker or fitted with an extra cup holder.

Beautifully illustrated throughout, the book explores not only the technical evolution of the motor car but also its cultural significance. Cars have become symbols of freedom, status, rebellion and aspiration. They’ve starred in films, won wars, inspired songs, broken speed records and provided countless families with unforgettable holidays that somehow always began at 5 a.m. and included at least one heated discussion over whether anyone remembered to pack the sandwiches.

The volume covers legendary marques and iconic models from around the world, celebrating engineering brilliance alongside automotive artistry. From humble runabouts that faithfully carried generations to work and back, to impossibly exotic supercars capable of reaching speeds better suited to low-flying aircraft, Glancey captures the astonishing diversity of machines that have shaped modern life.

Carlton Books has produced this as a handsome, generously illustrated hardback, packed with striking photography and engaging commentary. It works equally well as a reference book, a coffee-table conversation piece or simply an excuse to spend an afternoon admiring beautiful machinery while quietly convincing yourself that garage space is the only thing standing between you and automotive greatness.

This copy is in Good condition. It has clearly been read and enjoyed, with the sort of gentle signs of use that one might reasonably expect from a substantial illustrated volume, but it remains clean, sound and entirely presentable. In other words, it has acquired a little character without becoming a restoration project—a distinction every classic car owner understands all too well.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, where the company name continues to promise dog-eared paperbacks rescued from damp sheds while persistently delivering handsome volumes like this instead. Whether you’re a lifelong petrolhead, a student of industrial design or simply fascinated by humanity’s relentless determination to travel ever faster while insisting the journey is "all about the scenery", The Car: A History of the Automobile is a wonderfully entertaining celebration of one of civilisation’s greatest—and occasionally most exasperating—inventions.

Keep browsing: See more Transport books Other books by Jonathan Glancey