Synopses & Reviews
Whether you drool over their horsepower or decry their emissions, the car is an important and ubiquitous part of nearly all of our lives. And the history of their design and the innovations of their technologies can tell us a lot about how our values and attitudes have changed. In this book, Gregory Votolato shows us how and why the automobile has becomeand#151;since its rise in the late nineteenth centuryand#151;at once an object of unparalleled popular desire and a hugely problematic emblem of the modern world.
and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;
Votolato explores the ways that our love-hate relationship with the car has been intimately connected with car design. He tells the story of the rise of the private passenger car and all the psychological, social, and economic functions it has come to serve beyond mere transportation. Introducing readers to the automotive design process, he traces the lifecycle of the car from the drawing board to the scrapyard, offering insights from key figures in the industry, as well as a careful evaluation of the carand#8217;s enormous environmental impact. At the same time, he looks at the many cultures tied into the automobile, from drag racing and customizing to the luxury coachcraft of the classic era. Along the way, he takes us for a ride in some of the most famous cars ever to have had their tires inflated, from the Model T to the Tesla. The result is a top-down, thrilling burn through the history of one of our most belovedand#151;and lamentedand#151;inventions. and#160;
Review
andldquo;Votolatoandrsquo;s Car is a well-researched, comprehensive, and global examination of our vexed infatuation with the auto that deftly combines the history and future of automobilism. It is a must-read for car idolators and detractors alike.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Tracing the history of the automobile, from the first prototypes to the super cars of today, Car covers the technological developments and manufacture of cars, the cultural backdrop against which the various models arose, and the enduring impact the car has had on society as an object of curiosity, symbol of luxury, and item of necessity.
The most lavishly illustrated treatment of the subject on the market, featuring the most noteworthy cars of each decade in beautifully photographed catalogs, Car is truly an international view of the automobile through time, with histories of the men and machines that created brands which are now household names.
Synopsis
From the first motor cars and classic cars to today's supercars and Formula 1, this is the ultimate book about the history of the car.
Packed with stunning photography, and featuring more than 2,000 cars, Car shows you how cars have evolved around the world over the the last 130 years, and their impact on society as objects of curiosity, symbols of status and luxury, and items of necessity.
Extensive catalogues showcase the most important marques and models, organized in categories such as sports cars, convertibles, and city compacts. The book also features virtual photographic tours of some of the most iconic cars from each era such as the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost, Ford Model T, Lamborghini Countach, and Ferrari F40, while cross-sections of key engines explore the driving force behind them. Lavishly illustrated feature spreads detail the stories of the men, machines, and magic that helped create the car world's most famous marques and made brands such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin, and Cadillac household names.
If you love cars, then you'll love Car. It is simply a must-have title for all car enthusiasts.
Synopsis
Whether you're a vintage car spotter or an armchair petrolhead, strap yourself in for an unforgettable ride through motoring history.
This sumptuously designed visual guide is packed with everything you could ever want to know about cars through the ages, from the earliest "horseless carriage" to the modern supercar and Formula 1.
Inside the pages of this visually stunning car encyclopedia, you'll discover an iconic celebration of automotive design and motoring history.
- Trace the history of the car decade-by-decade in stunning visual detail
- In-depth profiles highlight the most important cars of each period along with their specifications and special features
- Includes beautifully photographed "virtual tours" that showcase particularly celebrated cars such as the Ferrari F40 and the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost
- Tells the story of the people and companies that created sports cars like Porsche and Lamborghini
Take a trip through decades of automotive history
See the fastest, biggest, most luxurious, most innovative, and downright sexiest motorized vehicles come to life in the most spectacular way Packed with stunning photography and featuring more than 2000 cars, Car shows you how the finest cars from every corner of the globe have evolved over the last 130 years.
Lavishly illustrated feature spreads reveal the stories behind the car world's most famous marques and models, the geniuses who designed them, and the companies and factories who built them. It's the ultimate gift for men or anyone interested in cars, motoring, and motor racing.
This new edition has been updated to include hybrid and electric cars, as well as the cars of today and tomorrow.
Want to learn more about machines?
There's more to discover in this epic series from DK Books Take an action-packed flight through the history of air travel in Aircraft. Stay on the right track and step off at the most important and incredible rail routes from all over the world in Train.
Synopsis
DK's latest Car traces the history and role of the automobile, cataloging the diverse spectrum of cars from the first prototypes to the supercars of today. The book will not only cover the technological developments and manufacture of cars, but also the cultural backdrop against which the various models arose, and the enduring impact which the car has had on society as an object of curiosity, symbol of luxury, and item of necessity.
Synopsis
Love cars? Or hate cars? Our attitude to the cars is a social schizophrenia that affects an ever-expanding population as car ownership spreads globally. Yet the problems associated with car use become increasingly clear and present. Our love-hate relationship with the car has always been intimately connected with car design, and in this book Gregory Votolato examines this complex and persistent bond. If today many of us feel that our attachment to cars is a vice, how then does this manifest itself in the design of the cars we buy and use? And if cars per se are bad, why promote and#8220;environmentally friendlyand#8221; hybrid cars?
Over the past century the internal combustion engine, the lightweight steam engine and the electric motor proved their value to industry and commerce powering tractors, pickup trucks and delivery vans, while supporting civic order and public service in police vehicles and ambulances. Yet it was the private passenger car that became the most glamorous product of the industrial age, serving psychological, social, and economic functions well beyond its utility as a means of transportation.
In Car, Votolato traces the lifecycle of the automobile from the drawing board to the scrapyard, it evaluates the environmental impact of the worldand#8217;s current one billion cars and rising. Its explorations offer fascinating insights into the ways our attachments to cars may develop in light of environmental pressures, emerging technologies, and changing lifestyles.
About the Author
Gregory Votolato is a lecturer at the Victoria and Albert Museum and tutor in critical and historical studies in the vehicle design program at the Royal College of Art, both in London. He is the author of Transport Design and Ship, both also published by Reaktion Books.
Table of Contents
First automobiles up to 1920. Pioneer vehicles ; First cars for customers ; Great marques : the Mercedes story ; Early production-line cars ; Ford Model T ; Ford Model T straight-four ; Driving through Paris, 1908 ; Birth of the competition car ; Great marques : the Cadillac story ; Luxury and power ; Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost -- The 1920s. Competition cars ; Bugatti type 35B ; Cadillac Cadillac V16 ; Luxury and prestige ; Lancia Lambda, 1922 ; Hollywood coup