THE STORY OF THE AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE

Useful, factually, for reference on the history and development of the automobile in America, but utterly lacking in any spark of zest for the subject, which is unfortunate. As editor of the offical journal of the National Automobile Dealers' Association, the author has at his fingers' tips all of the material out of which some thing more than a staid, pedantic account of the American automobile could be built. But what he has given us is a conscientious analysis of the role played by the early steam cars, the step by step development of the gasoline engine, the types of mechanized carriages- all of which preceded the Duryea vs Haynes' claims to be ""first"". The Chicago Fair highlighted the coming of motorized vehicles, but it took World War I and the Ford-Durant- Chrysler trio to put automobiles within public reach. Very little is done with the drama of the changes effected in way of life. There's something of the jokes and wise cracking; something too of automobile shows, advertising and promotion methods, racing, songs, and the importance of the style angle. But the book is pretty dull reading.