The Car Book: The Definitive Visual History

Description

Strap yourself in for an unforgettable ride through motoring history! From the earliest "horseless carriage" to the modern supercar, this lavishly illustrated history of the automobile is packed with everything you need to know about classic cars through the ages. Filled with stunning photography, and featuring more than 2,000 models, Car shows you how cars have evolved around the world over the last 130 years, and their impact on society as objects of curiosity, status symbols, and items of necessity. Journey back into automotive history and you will find: -In-depth profiles highlighting the most important cars of each period -Virtual photographic tours of some of the most iconic cars from the Ferrari F40 to the Rolls Royce Silver Ghost -A decade-by-decade history told in stunning visual detail -Illustrated feature spreads detailing the evolution of legendary brands from Aston Martin, to Porsche and Cadillac -A timeline of the milestone developments in car manufacturing and technology See the world's most innovative machines come to life! From India's Hindustan Ambassador to Italy's Fiat 500, this book will transport you all over the world, taking a truly international view of the greatest cars through time. Immerse yourself in the stories of the people and companies at the heart of the billion-dollar motoring industry. Covering sports cars, convertibles, and today's environmentally-friendly electric models, no other car catalogue provides such a comprehensive picture of the car world. This new and improved edition includes hybrid and electric cars, as well as looking forward to the "driverless" technologies of tomorrow. So buckle-up and get ready for the journey of a lifetime! The ultimate gift for anyone interested in cars, motoring, and motor racing, this iconic celebration of automotive design is sure to inform and amaze all readers. Interested in all things transit and travel? 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, and be inspired by the world's most renowned rail routes in Train. 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 Coupés and Glorious Roadsters Duesenberg Model J Cars for the Middle Classes Great marques: The Rolls-Royce story Small Cars Great marques: The Renault story Sports Cars Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Chrysler, 1929 THE 1930s Economy Models of the Post-Depression Era Racing Cars and Single-Seaters Great marques: The Chevrolet story Luxury Cars Rytecraft Scoota-car, c.1937 Sports Cars Mass-Market Models Volkswagen flat-four Sunbeam Silver Bullet, Daytona Beach, 1930 Streamlined Cars Lincoln-Zephyr Magnificent and Exotic Body Styles Great marques: The BMW story Powerful Sports Tourers THE 1940s Large Cars US Style-Setters Jeep, 1942 Practical Everyday Transport Ford F-Series Roadsters and Sports Cars Jaguar XK straight-six Great marques: The Jaguar story Small Cars Volkswagen Beetle Great marques: The Citroën story Mid-Range Family Saloons THE 1950s Economical Cars De Soto, mid-1950s Detroit Fins and Chrome Opulence and High Performance Great marques: The Ford story Racing Cars Sports Cars Chevrolet Corvette Chevrolet small-block V8 Bubble Cars and Microcars Austin Mini Seven Fiat Nuova 500, 1957 Large Saloons Family Cars Great marques: The Chrysler story Convertible Style Citroën DS THE 1960s Family Cars Rear/Mid-Engined Racers Sports and Executive Saloons Great marques: The Aston Martin story Sedans and Sporty Coupés Lotus/Ford Cosworth DFV V8 Ultimate Luxury Limousines BMC Mini, 1968 Great marques: The Austin story Compact Coupés Powerful GT Cars Volkswagen Crash-Test Dummies, c.1968 Sports Cars Mercedes-Benz 280SL THE 1970s Supercars Jaguar E-type Small Cars 4x4 and Off-Roaders Great marques: The Alfa Romeo story Saloons Sports Cars NSU Wankel rotary Stylish Coupés NASA Lunar Roving Vehicle, 1971 Great marques: The Volkswagen story Muscle Cars Racing Cars Hatchbacks THE 1980s Boosted Performance US Compacts Toyota, 1980 Superminis Great marques: The Audi story Ultimate Sports Saloons Pace-Setting Style from Italian Designers DeLorean DMC-12 Porsche 911 flat-six Lamborghini Countach Two-Seater Excitement Ferrari F40 Multi-Purpose Vehicles Great marques: The Peugeot story Premium Luxury THE 1990s Modern Roadsters Mazda MX-5 Great marques: The Toyota story Competition Machines Renault Zoom, 1992 US Car Design Reinvigorated Family-Friendly Cars Chrysler/Dodge Viper V10 Great marques: The Porsche story Executive Saloons Hyper-Performance Cars Bentley Continental R 2000 ONWARDs Famous Marques Reinvented Crossovers and Off-Roaders Great marques: The Suzuki story City Cars Tata Nano Towards 200mph Motor Sports Contenders Great marques: The Ferrari story Compact Genius High-Performance Sports Cars Morgan Aero 8 Sports Cars Off-Road Luxury and Power Honda Insight petrol/electric hybrid Alternative Fuels and Electric Power Prestige Cars: Today and Tomorrow McLaren Speedtail Sedans and Saloons How an Engine Works How an Electric Drivetrain Works GLOSSARY INDEX ACKNOWLEDGMENTS