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The Definitive Visual History
Car: The Definitive Visual History
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.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2011
20 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
D.K. Publishing
9,125 books2,066 followersDorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.
Source: Wikipedia.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 6, 2025
Car: The Definitive Visual History of the Automobile is a visually stunning and information-packed book that takes readers on a journey through the history of cars, from the earliest experiments to the latest innovations. The book is published by DK and edited by Giles Chapman, with contributions from many automotive experts. The layout is classic DK: lots of high quality photos, clear timelines, and bite-sized facts.
What I Loved
🚦 Visual Appeal: The book is filled with beautiful, high-resolution images of cars from every era. Each page is a treat for car lovers, with close-ups of engines, dashboards, and iconic models.
🛞 Organization: The content is arranged chronologically, making it easy to follow the evolution of the automobile. Each decade or era gets its own section, with highlights of key models and technological breakthroughs.
🧑🔧 Accessibility: The language is simple and clear, so even readers who aren’t car experts can enjoy and understand the content. Technical terms are explained in a glossary at the end.
🛣️ Breadth: The book covers not just famous brands like Ford, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Toyota, but also lesser-known marques and quirky models. It includes everything from luxury limousines to bubble cars and SUVs.
🛑 Fun Facts: There are lots of interesting tidbits, like the story behind the Volkswagen Beetle, the rise of muscle cars, and the impact of the oil crisis on car design.
What Could Be Better
🛠️ Depth vs. Breadth: Because the book tries to cover so much, some topics feel a bit rushed. If you’re looking for in-depth analysis of a particular car or brand, you might find the coverage too brief.
- The book concludes by highlighting how the car industry is at a crossroads, with environmental concerns and new technologies (like hybrids and electric vehicles) shaping the future. It suggests that while the golden age of the internal combustion engine may be ending, the spirit of innovation continues.
- The final chapters showcase concept cars and predictions about the future, including the rise of hybrid and electric cars (like the Toyota Prius and Tesla Roadster), the use of lightweight materials, and the integration of digital technology. The book hints that the next big revolution could be autonomous driving, but leaves the story open-ended, emphasizing that the history of the car is still being written.
- There is a subtle message that, despite all the changes, the core appeal of cars - freedom, style, and fun remains unchanged.
What I Loved
🚦 Visual Appeal: The book is filled with beautiful, high-resolution images of cars from every era. Each page is a treat for car lovers, with close-ups of engines, dashboards, and iconic models.
🛞 Organization: The content is arranged chronologically, making it easy to follow the evolution of the automobile. Each decade or era gets its own section, with highlights of key models and technological breakthroughs.
🧑🔧 Accessibility: The language is simple and clear, so even readers who aren’t car experts can enjoy and understand the content. Technical terms are explained in a glossary at the end.
🛣️ Breadth: The book covers not just famous brands like Ford, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Toyota, but also lesser-known marques and quirky models. It includes everything from luxury limousines to bubble cars and SUVs.
🛑 Fun Facts: There are lots of interesting tidbits, like the story behind the Volkswagen Beetle, the rise of muscle cars, and the impact of the oil crisis on car design.
What Could Be Better
🛠️ Depth vs. Breadth: Because the book tries to cover so much, some topics feel a bit rushed. If you’re looking for in-depth analysis of a particular car or brand, you might find the coverage too brief.
- The book concludes by highlighting how the car industry is at a crossroads, with environmental concerns and new technologies (like hybrids and electric vehicles) shaping the future. It suggests that while the golden age of the internal combustion engine may be ending, the spirit of innovation continues.
- The final chapters showcase concept cars and predictions about the future, including the rise of hybrid and electric cars (like the Toyota Prius and Tesla Roadster), the use of lightweight materials, and the integration of digital technology. The book hints that the next big revolution could be autonomous driving, but leaves the story open-ended, emphasizing that the history of the car is still being written.
- There is a subtle message that, despite all the changes, the core appeal of cars - freedom, style, and fun remains unchanged.
June 18, 2018
This book is a very informative book about the history of cars and how they. It describes cars from each decade with detailed information, but easy enough to understand so a person that knows nothing about cars can understand it. The pictures are a nice touch so you can see cars from each era with easy understanding. However the information might repeat itself at some points of the book making it longer then it should be. Overall its not a bad book if you are interested in cars and the history behind them
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November 19, 2025Amazing insight, thanks for sharing such a wonderfully clear explanation. I truly appreciate how simply you broke things down, making the topic feel far less intimidating for beginners. The way you guide readers step by step is genuinely helpful and keeps the learning process smooth and stress free. Your practical tips add so much value and make the experience feel hands on and relatable changing oil in car becomes easier to understand when explained this well, and your content definitely encourages confidence in trying it independently.
Contact : https://2480autos.com//
Contact : https://2480autos.com//
January 25, 2024
This is a book that gives you a good understanding of the history of cars.
Until the 1950s, cars were attractive pieces of art.
Over the years, cars have become just vehicles, and practicality has become more important.
The Tesla bounces up and down like a trampoline as it drives down the bumpy roads of Hawaii.
There's only one supercharger in a far location, and it's always crowded.
In this day and age, if possible, it would be ideal to live without a car or a driver's license.
Until the 1950s, cars were attractive pieces of art.
Over the years, cars have become just vehicles, and practicality has become more important.
The Tesla bounces up and down like a trampoline as it drives down the bumpy roads of Hawaii.
There's only one supercharger in a far location, and it's always crowded.
In this day and age, if possible, it would be ideal to live without a car or a driver's license.
September 30, 2021
I'm starting to enter into the car's world, and this book was a really good introduction. The book has really good photos, and easy to undertsand information for beginners like me. It is a good book, but I think it can be more engaging.
October 24, 2019
700 - 2019
March 4, 2020
i hate cars. ugly and bad.
February 2, 2021
The Book could have included Cars manufactured in India/China too.
July 13, 2014
Automobile aesthetics has always been an interest for me, and so this book seemed tailor-made for some summer reading. Following the history of the (primarily exterior) design of the automobile from its inception, the book was divided into sections by decade, reaching up to 2010. I generally have a pretty good opinion of DK "visual history" books (having been very impressed with their childrens books), and this one was no different, though it is directed at a more adult audience.
Of note is that this book does tend to give slight emphasis to European cars at the expense of American and particularly Japanese cars, who are given less page time and even somewhat downplayed in the text. However, I actually didn't mind this, as it provided interesting information on many cars I was not so familiar with as an American. As an aside, I could be mistaken, but it seemed as if the book was written / edited by British, since it often seemed that even some of their more horrid examples of automotive in-excellence were glossed over and given plaudits (i.e. design praised and shoddy electronic quality unmentioned - lol).
In addition to the literally hundreds of profile color illustrations of automobiles, the book frequently breaks for slightly more in-depth profiles of important cars (Model T, Ferrari F40, etc.), Automotive Marques (Aston Martin, Suzuki, Peugeot, etc.), and engines. There was even a rather well-done bit on how engines work.
Of note is that this book does tend to give slight emphasis to European cars at the expense of American and particularly Japanese cars, who are given less page time and even somewhat downplayed in the text. However, I actually didn't mind this, as it provided interesting information on many cars I was not so familiar with as an American. As an aside, I could be mistaken, but it seemed as if the book was written / edited by British, since it often seemed that even some of their more horrid examples of automotive in-excellence were glossed over and given plaudits (i.e. design praised and shoddy electronic quality unmentioned - lol).
In addition to the literally hundreds of profile color illustrations of automobiles, the book frequently breaks for slightly more in-depth profiles of important cars (Model T, Ferrari F40, etc.), Automotive Marques (Aston Martin, Suzuki, Peugeot, etc.), and engines. There was even a rather well-done bit on how engines work.
July 10, 2011
This is a amazing history/encyclopedia of the world of cars. The photographs are amazing and the text is overflowing with information. A great coffee table sized book for any car enthusiast!
June 6, 2013
Has pictures of almost every generation of cars, and very specific performance details of every one!
December 30, 2013
It's a good overview of the history of cars. Nevertheless it lacks some info, it needs more accuracy in some aspects
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September 2, 2014it was realy good for me
Read
May 22, 2019I didn't read much, but the pictures are outstanding!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews