Century of Motoring

The lot of the motorist changed greatly over a hundred years.In the early twentieth century, only the most wealthy could afford a motor car and there were very few rules and regulations. Now most British people own a car and are protected by air bags and crumple zones, but also hemmed in by parking regulations, traffic jams and speed restrictions. In this richly illustrated history of a hundred years of motoring, expert Jon Pressnell explores the main developments, such as the introduction and refinement of the driving test; the improvement of roads and the impact of the motorway; and how affordable cars have helped democratise driving.The evolution of the car itself is also explored, from the coachbuilt custom-made cars of the 1910s, through to the more attainable mass-produced models of the inter-war years, and finally to the 2010s' complex and sometimes hybrid-powered vehicles.