The Life of the Automobile
By Steven Parissien
It’s probably safe to say that the automobile is near and dear to all of us, so for any book to presume to address “the complete history of the motor car,” as this one does, might be considered a stretch. Author Parissien, however, commences his daunting task by walking us through that history, beginning before the first car—indeed, before even the first mechanized transportation device—and carrying on through the evolution and development of the machine we came to call the car.
Tracing the car’s development from its Teutonic origins through its refinement by the French, he recounts the exploits of the early pioneering inventors and tracks the car’s actual physical transformation from early tri- and quadricycles to the fundamental configuration that endures today. All the familiar names of early automotive history—Lenoir, Benz, Daimler, Maybach, Otto, Peugeot, Panhard et Levassor, Renault, Ford, Durant and more—are illuminated by Parissien’s text, as the names we know as marques and brands are identified and explained.
Also discussed is the industry’s early gravitation to the gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine as its power source, even though alternatives have in recent years regained some traction as their own technologies have evolved. In the end, this is a fascinating book that can only serve to expand our appreciation for our passion, pride and joy.
$27.95 @ www.thomasdunnebooks.com
