The Car: The rise and fall of the machine that made the modern world

by Bryan Appleyard

A spirited, insightful exploration of our favorite machine and it's cultural impact on society over the past one hundred and fifty years.

More than any other technology, cars have transformed American popular culture. Cars have created vast wealth as well as novel dreams of freedom and mobility. They have transformed our sense of distance and made the world infinitely more available to our eyes and our imaginations. They have inspired cinema, music and literature; they have, by their need for roads, bridges, filling stations, huge factories and global supply chains, re-engineered the world. Almost everything we now need, want, imagine or aspire to assumes the existence of cars in all their limitless power and their complex systems of meanings.

This book celebrates the immense drama and beauty of the car, of the genius embodied in the Ford Model T, of the glory of the brilliant-red Mercedes Benz S-Class made by workers for Nelson Mandela on his release from prison, of Kanye West's 'chopped' Maybach, of the salvation of the Volkswagen Beetle by Major Ivan Hirst, of Elvis Presley's 100 Cadillacs, of the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost and the BMC Mini and even of that harbinger of the end—the Tesla Model S and its creator Elon Musk.

As the age of the car as we know it comes to an end, Bryan Appleyard's brilliantly insightful book tells the story of the rise and fall of the incredible machine that made the modern world what it is today.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Technology, Business, Audiobook, Science, Cars

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2022

Reviews

[Yenta Knows · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn’t the book I expected. I was expecting information on how the car has impacted nearly every aspect of modern life, from land use to leisure time.

The author appears to be someone who likes cars and who likes to drive. He told me about cars: how and when they were invented (no one person can claim credit), how they are made and sold. I picked up some interesting facts: Ford, led by the vicious anti-Semite, Henry Ford, was interested in making ONE car as cheaply and efficiently as possible. GM, led by that non-entity, Alfred Sloan, was interested in selling cars. Toyota, led by Toyota, was interested in making high quality cars.

Toyota makes better cars because they shut down the assembly line when there’s a problem and don’t restart until the cause is discovered and corrected. Detroit, obsessed with speed and production…well, it doesn’t.

I’ve never owned an American-made car.

I didn’t realize how closely Hitler was associated with the Volkswagen. The photo of him examining a scale model made my skin crawl. Would this have made a difference to me when I (age 23) bought my first car, a nine-year old Volkswagen owned by a friend of my dad’s? I’d like to think so, but suspect the cool factor would have trumped history.

The Volkswagen cool factor is something that the author, a Brit, doesn’t quite get. The Volkswagen was THE CAR of the free spirited baby boom generation, for whom it represented reliable transportation that you could maintain yourself.

There are other aspects of American car culture the author misses, but you get the drift.

[Evangelista jose miguel]

i like cars

[Bharat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written book that chronicles the inventors who led to the creation of cars and automobiles in Europe, and the Americas and ends with the next premise of cars, electric vehicles. A book full of fascinating stories, people and trivia related to the Car.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Appleyard has given a very good for understanding some of the early times when people were learning about that thing called "car." The book can give some of events and and times when US people were trying to understand a big think in the way people could go from one long place to another.

Writer Bryan Appleyard gives a story about what the 'automole' came to the US and other countries. In an early piece of the book goes through what was happening in Europe and the US in the second half of the 1800's.

The story split in two pieces: "Part One - Makers" and then Part Two "Breakers." Both pieces are good in learning what the Ford people get the "car" going forward. But there are other "cars" that we have heard of (and still know it) and the cars that are no only a thing to look at.
Even Hitler gets into the book to know howhis cars looked like and what they could.

The book would make a list of people (men AND women) when they remeber the old cars. For me, it was to learn the kinds that my dad bought and didn't in his times.

[Alex Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and immensely readable offering, Bryan Appleyard's history of the car provides great insight into the characters behind the life and death of the internal combustion engine.
Highlights include his nuanced treatment of Henry Ford and his juxtaposition with Alfred Sloan - the engineer contrasted with the salesman. I hadn't realised Sloan pioneered both auto financing and the upgrade cycle.
A sole criticism is that he sounds the death knell of the ICE too early, perhaps as a result of a more developed market-oriented view. It seems to me to be unlikely that the requisite charging infrastructure will be built out in sufficient time in Africa / India to really compete with the ease and lightness of petrol-based cars.

[john lambert · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I liked the book for the vast amount of info and details about the early age of cars. I mean really early age, well before the model T. But after page 206, the details were too much.

The author (British) loves cars. He doesn't really like any specific American car but he loves American cars in general for their flamboyance and the way they've influenced the world in all ways.

However, he's also a little disgusted how cars have shaped our world, saying that pretty much everything we've made is to get the car from A to B. And when you think about it, it rings true.

Overall, it's well written but you have to be a real car guy to enjoy it, which I'm not.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wide ranging, philosophical analysis of the car and the impact it has had on our society. From the personalities to the ground breaking models to the deaths to the joys, Appleyard covers all of it. He concludes the book noting that we’re nearing the end of car as we know it. Electric, self-driving machines are the wave of the future. Of all of the issues people have with electric cars, Appleyard mentions one that most people don’t typically deal with: what happens to all of the people working in the gasoline-based car industry?

[Craig Beyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book mostly about the car industry and the economic, moral, and ethical impacts of the invention, development, and future of the car and associated industries. Oh, there is a little bit of discussion about a few specific cars. The book is well researched and the author presents considerable detail about all of the elements about cars, the industry, roads and highways, and the people involved in inventing and manufacturing cars. The only thing missing are photographs of the people and the cards referenced in the book, especially the unusual cars. Highly recommended.

[Ben Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three star feels harsh -- I finished it, much better than I'd do to "real" 3-star books.

There's a lot to say about cars: how they look, the technology behind them, a-ha moments through history, General Motors and Ford and Detroit, and (what most interested me) how they changed the world landscape.

For a not-particularly-thick book meant for total newbies (myself included), it does a good job pointing at each. At the end, I had more questions than I had at the beginning, but I suppose that's not bad.

[Sandraspencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, "The Car" is a triumph in automotive literature. It manages to strike the perfect balance between informative and entertaining, providing readers with a comprehensive and enjoyable exploration of the machine that made the modern world. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and enriching read. And i also want to suggest https://mtmisverification.com/ to get car details.

[Mark Baier · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Road

At its heart this is a history of the automobile in not just America but including Europe too. And while there is plenty about Henry Ford and others who built cars and changed the world, there is also a long look at the social and economic impacts of the car, as well as musings about the changes societies will face as internal combustion engine cars go the way of the dodo. All in all well worth reading.

[Paul Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

iBeing a car fanatic and spotting this on the shelf I expected lots from this. But I was slightly bemused. It covers in some details the early live of the automobile but drops off more and more as the life the car proceeds. In the end I was left bemused and handsome difficulty in understanding what the author was actually trying to tell us.

[Patrick Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely absorbing history of the Internal Combustion Engine powered car, kept me interested for all 279 pages. Covered the invention and societal impact as well as offering some philosophical thought about the future with electric cars and possibly autonomous vehicles. anyone who quotes LJK Setright is probably going to be alright by me.

[Stuart Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting overview of the development of automobiles with careful discussions of who can legitimately be the "first" of the many milestones as this mode of transportation developed over the years. Probably best suited for car enthusiasts.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some chapters are all over the place, but I liked it still, especially the chapter on deaths in cars and then this on page 215: "Kennedy's death helped turn America into a security state, enervatingly obsessed with conspiracy theories."

[Leah Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, the automobile is the greatest form of man made art. I love old cars and new cars, fast cars and some slow cars. Therefore, I enjoyed this book. Thank you Bryan Appleyard for the fun and insightful history and information on one of my favorite things.

[Steven Minniear · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting but what a mess of contradictory sentiments. But that is one of the charms of this book. For anyone who ever wondered about cars and their influence on us and on our history, take the time to read this. And then consider your own experiences with automobiles.

[Carol Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding the ideal car within my means with https://www.autobidmaster.com/en/sear... Autobid Master was a great experience. View Copart's fleet of trucks, cars, and more simply with this basic website. I'm very happy as your thorough automobile reviews were really appreciated when it came time to bid. Membership was simple, and they obviously serve both personal and commercial customers. Autobid Master is the instrument to utilize for consistent and successful involvement in car auctions.

[Paul Szydlowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of the automobile that kind of shook my jingoistic bias for the American side of the story. Not surprising for someone whose meals, doctor visits and everything else were funded by General Motors.

[Kanako Okiron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will never drive a car in my lifetime, but this was sort of interesting. Phase out all cars, electric or not - by 2050!!

[Gale L. Pooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Great writing and range. An enjoyable ride through car history. Thanks for reminding us that car entrepreneurs gave us freedom.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 good when talking about cars; not so strong with his opinions and supporting them

[Trent Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not a “car guy” but this was a great book about cars.

[Priyank · Rating 5 out of 5]

collection of essays ordered by time

[Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The Car” is a story of the rise and fall of the modern automobile.

It covers the early days of motor car development in Europe, the rise of Ford and General Motors in America, the ascent of Germany with the production of the Volkswagen Beetle, the introduction of luxury and sporty British cars including the Rolls Royce and Aston Martins, and the Japanese invasion in the 1970 with the famous Toyota Production System (TPS) used by Toyota and Datsun (Nissan).

It also tracks the various phases that automobiles faced from competing with horses to the rise of industrialism, the post-World War II boom, the oil crisis of the 1970s. and the start of global warming predictions beginning in 1981, the rise of diesel engines in Europe, the decline of young people wanting cars since the 1990s, the rise of electric vehicles including Tesla and the eventual entry of autonomous vehicles.

I felt that the book was a incomplete attempt to cover the history of cars. While it detailed some key highlights, there was a tremendous amount of detail missing from the book that should have been included. For example, there was no mention of the Korean, Indian, Chinese, Spanish, Czech, Swedish, and Russian manufacturers. Moreover, it did little to cover the contributions made by Ferrari and Pininfarina. How can you have a book about cars and not mention Ferrari?

Little was done to cover the alliances among the major firms, the consolidation of firms, global supply chains, motor racing and how this continues to draw audiences and promote vehicles.

And nothing was done to cover the overall economic value – beyond employment of the auto industry – and for those who support it.

For me the most interesting take-aways were some bits of trivia, including:

1. Detroit – it’s a French word for “Straits”. I should have known that!
2. Cadillac – Anotoine de la Mothe Cadillac was a French explorer who established Fort Ponchartrain de Detroit – where modern day Detroit is centred – in 1701. (Page 36.)
3. German autobahns – the German government promotes them as of the “Seven things you must do while in Germany” (Page 81.)
4. Toyota Hilux trucks – are almost indestructible (Top Gear staged many attempts to destroy one). It is also one of the most successful “Technicals” vehicle for warfare. (Page 224.)
5. The Chevy Corvair and its rear, swing-axel need to have vastly different tire pressures on the front (15-18 psi) vs. back (26-30 psi). (Page 234.)
6. Tesla – Elon Musk was an investor not the originator of this brand (Page 257.)

Overall I felt this was a very incomplete effort that covered what the author was interested in rather than a well-researched and thought out history.

[William Dury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good history of the creation of the automobile and how it became part of human culture. Henry Ford is a fascinating, many sided character who is apparently responsible for the democratization said vehicle. Our author declares the automobile now officially dead, I think, and he may well be right. It came, insinuated itself into our culture and could be on its way out.

4/17/23-you see how many used Porsche Taycans have branded-lemon titles? Geez, this switch over might take longer than we think. Guess the electronics don’t work so good. In an electric car. Oh, wait I think, I just got a cease and desist order. Don’t know if it’s from the Democratic Party or Porsche. Gotta go.