Fifty Cars that Changed the World

Design Museum Fifty

by Design Museum

Everything around us is designed and the word "design" has become part of our everyday experience. But how much do we know about it? Fifty Cars That Changed the World imparts that knowledge listing the top 50 cars that have made a substantial impact in the world of design today. From the1908 Ford Model T to the 1998 smart car, each entry offers a short appraisal to explore what has made their iconic status to give them a special place in design history.

Genres: History, Cars, Nonfiction, Technology

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Design Museum is a museum founded in 1989, located by the River Thames near Tower Bridge in central London, England. The museum covers product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design. In 2007 the museum was listed by The Times newspaper as number two in their top five museums of the year.

Deyan Sudjic is the current Director of the museum. He succeeded Alice Rawsthorn in 2006. Unlike most large London museums, the entrance is not free, as it is not subsidised by the UK Arts Council. For this reason it operates as a registered charity, and all funds generated by ticket sales aid the museum in putting new exhibitions together. The museum attracts 200,000 visitors annually.


Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Howard Dickins · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a quick read, but fulfills the brief well. We could all argue about whether the 50 cars mentioned are the right ones, and I'm sure I'd include a few different ones. But I learnt some new things, so all-in-all it's good. The cars are mostly European, with a smattering of American and Japanese cars; but that probably does reflect the style of the Italian design houses, German engineering and pioneering/oddball French cars.

[Anna L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how influential the highlighted cars were or were not, I am not familiar enough with the topic, but it was an interesting overview. Worth a look.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I live in Detroit and it's auto show time. I'm not a car guy but, when I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I think it's appropriate auto show reading. The sad thing was that, out of fifty cars, I had only heard of a handful.