The Story of the Motor Industry T HE souven:r book of
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the Jubilee of Britain's motor industry, entitled " Vital to the Life of the.Nation," was written by the well-known motoring correspondent Dudley Noble, and G. Mackenzie _Twiner, the Editor of "The Commercial Motor." It is published at one guinea net by the Jubilee Committee of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 148, Piccadilly, London, WI, in a limited edition.
Although described as a historical survey of the progress of the industry from 1896 to 1946, it is really more than that, for within the compass of 155 pages it explains how and why the motor industry, on both the private and commercial sides, justifies the title of the book, which, incidentally, is the slogan of the whole jubilee and was a brainwave on the part of Mr. Roland E. Dangerfield, managing director of Temple Press Ltd. On the commercial side, with which we are, of course, particularly concerned, the history starts much before 1896, the earliest date recorded being 1784, and it is mentioned that a run from London to Brighton and back was actually performed in 1832 by one of Hancock's steam coaches, whilst in 1803 a steam coach operated in London for at least six months. However, there was then a hiatus, the reasons for this being given. This was followed by a big development in steam traction engines, of which several thousands were in operation.
Success Story R6sumes are given of the careers of many of the oldest firms in the industry, some of which have survived and are amongst our largest producers to-day.
A short chapter is devoted to the influence of legislation, brief details being given of how our industry was repressed and penalized from the earliest days.
Another chapter deals with mechanized transport in three wars. although there was not much in the first, but it tells how the world war of 1914-18 brought the qualities and essential nature of this form of road transport to the fore and encouraged the remarkable progress made from 1919 onwards. • The commercial section concludes with a chapter on "Milestones of Progress," describing the many ways in which road transport contributes to the well-being of the Nation, and has, in fact, revolutionized modern life, both as regards personal transport and the development of trade and industry.
Containing numerous interesting illustrations on art paper, the volume is beautifully bound in brown leather, the title being gold-blocked.