Million Cars for Billion People

Author: Gautam Sen
Publisher: One Point Six Technology Pvt Ltd
ISBN: 938402774X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
Can one car transform a nation? The Ford Model T did do so a century ago when it replaced the horse, brought about a revolution in agriculture, became a stimulus to urbanization that eventually changed the landscape of America. Though the Maruti 800, the Tata Indica, the Hyundai Santro and the Maruti Alto, became engines of growth for India, these cars neither drove away the cow nor changed the way Indians travelled. Tata’s Nano was expected to change all that and become the ultimate people’s car, capturing the imagination of the middle class across nations and cultures. In spite of its petite dimensions, the Nano was meant to stand tall. Yet it did not. What caused it to fail and fall from grace despite being lauded as the ‘right product at the right time’ and ‘the most significant new car since the Ford Model T was introduced 100 years ago’? But is it really all over or is there still hope for India’s ‘little wonder’? What will the people’s cars of tomorrow be like? A Million Cars for a Billion People delves into the questions, concerns and doubts, as well as the many misconceptions and myths, that have gathered momentum over the years about India’s automotive history and the industry’s mission to create a true ‘people’s car’. The very first cars that came to India; the early beginnings of the industry; the nascent history of the automobile across nations like Germany, France, US, the UK, Italy, Japan and South Korea, is narrated with authority and charm, from the viewpoint of the quest for the ultimate people’s car.

The Macro World of Micro Cars

Author: Kate Trant
Publisher: Black Dog Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 184

Book Description
"Once a common sight in our towns and cities, microcars were ingenious solutions to the post war demand for economical and accessible motoring. Nowadays they are making a celebrated comeback with all of the big car manufacturers featuring at least one flagship small car, from DaimlerChrysler's Smart and BMW's Mini to Nissan's Micra. But what are the factors, now and then, that turned the microcar into a viable alternative to the 'normal' car? How have the aspirations and ideas behind the microcar changed over the decades? The cars themselves have undoubtedly undergone a radical transformation." "Whereas the current trend in small cars is led by environmental concerns, the first phase of the microcar phenomenon was determined by economic necessity: many manufacturers of planes, trains, and white goods had to re-invent themselves as producers of automobiles. The result was a proliferation of small, cheap and extraordinary looking three- and four-wheeled vehicles." "This book looks at the social and cultural conditions behind the rise, the fall and the ultimate resurrection of the small car, and features some of the most fascinating and best-loved examples. With the debate over transport, sustainability, congestion, fuel consumption, taxation and the environment high on the agenda, there has never been a better time than now to examine the role of the microcar."--BOOK JACKET.

Microcars at large!

Author: Adam Quellin
Publisher: David and Charles
ISBN: 184584887X
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 169

Book Description
This book charts the history and development of the small economy cars which emerged after the Second World War. Finances and raw materials were in short supply and these microcars, or 'bubble cars' as they became affectionately known, provided transport for thousands of impoverished motorists during that lean period in the middle of the twentieth century. These tint economy cars now have a significant place in motoring history. This book follows the microcar’s progress right up to the present day, with original color photographs.

Scenes from an Automotive Wonderland

Author: Gregory A. Cagle
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476671788
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 246

Book Description
Gregory Cagle was a 10-year-old car fanatic when his family moved from New Jersey to Germany in 1956. For the next five years he photographed unusual, rare and sometimes bizarre automobiles throughout Europe. This book features 105 specimens of auto exotica, captured with Cagle's Iloca Rapid-B 35mm camera--not showpieces in museums but daily drivers in their natural habitats. In the background can be glimpsed, here and there, the mood of postwar Europe. The story behind each photo is told, with dates and locations, information and history about the cars and some of their owners, along with Cagle's personal anecdotes.

German Memory Contests

Author: Anne Fuchs
Publisher: Camden House
ISBN: 1571133240
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
Since unification in 1990, Germany has seen a boom in the confrontation with memory, evident in a sharp increase in novels, films, autobiographies, and other forms of public discourse that engage with the long-term effects of National Socialism across generations. Taking issue with the concept of "Vergangenheitsbewältigung," or coming to terms with the Nazi past, which after 1945 guided nearly all debate on the topic, the contributors to this volume view contemporary German culture through the more dynamic concept of "memory contests," which sees all forms of memory, public or private, as ongoing processes of negotiating identity in the present. Touching on gender, generations, memory and postmemory, trauma theory, ethnicity, historiography, and family narrative, the contributions offer a comprehensive picture of current German memory debates, in so doing shedding light on the struggle to construct a German identity mindful of but not wholly defined by the horrors of National Socialism and the Holocaust. Contributors: Peter Fritzsche, Anne Fuchs, Elizabeth Boa, Stefan Willer, Chloe E. M. Paver, Matthias Fiedler, J. J. Long, Dagmar C. G. Lorenz, Cathy S. Gelbin, Jennifer E. Michaels, Mary Cosgrove, Andrew Plowman, Roger Woods. Anne Fuchs is Professor of modern German literature and Georg Grote is Lecturer in German history, both at University College Dublin. Mary Cosgrove is Lecturer in German at the University of Edinburgh.

Champion of the Lark

Author: Robert R. Ebert
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476602026
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 198

Book Description
A career engineer at Studebaker, Harold E. Churchill became president of the recently merged Studebaker-Packard Corporation in 1956, at a time when finances were shaky and an aging product line was losing ground to the Big Three. Quickly launching a program of "realism and common sense," he focused the company's energies on a few selected market segments where he saw opportunities for gain. His vision for a compact economy car led to the Lark, the hit model that Studebaker desperately needed. This thorough examination of Churchill's leadership of Studebaker-Packard draws upon Board of Directors minutes, internal documents, oral histories and media reports in constructing a detailed account of these crucial years. In addition to covering the cars and trucks produced under Churchill in detail, it closely traces Churchill's actions as president and analyzes his motivations, the pressures he faced, his leadership style and the success or failure of his tenure.

Standard Catalog of Imported Cars, 1946-1990

Author: James M. Flammang
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 706

Book Description
This book provides a wealth of detailed information that collectors, investors, and restorers of imported cars will not find in any other book. This massive volume spans the marques of imported vehicles. The list includes such familiar names as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Bentley, Citroen, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Saab, and Volkswagon. Also in these pages, you'll find details on such lesser-known yet no less intriguing marques as Abarth, DAF, Frazer Nash, Humber, Iso, Nardi, Panhard, Peerless, Sabra and Skoda. The book also highlights model changes and corporate histories and provides value information on the most popular models of imported cars.

Driven

Author: David Kiley
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0471663840
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 330

Book Description
An exclusive look at one of the world's most successful and controversial companies, and the mysterious family behind it. BMW is arguably the most admired carmaker in the world. It's financial performance is the envy of its competitors, and BMW products inspire near-fanatical loyalty. While many carmakers struggle with falling sales, profits and market share, demand for BMWs continues to grow, frequently outpacing production. Now, David Kiley-Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today and author of Getting the Bugs Out, which covered Volkswagen's demise and rebirth, goes inside the fabled German automaker to see how it does what it does so well. With unprecedented access to BMW executives, Kiley goes behind the walls of BMW's famed "Four Cylinders" headquarters in Munich at a time when the company is in its most aggressive, and some say riskiest, expansion in its history and when some of the company's new products, like the 7 Series sedan and Z4 roadster, are for the first time drawing as many barbs from critics as bouquets. Kiley covers intimate details of the boardroom drama surrounding the company's nearly disastrous acquisition and subsequent sale of the British Rover Group and its expansion into selling MINI and Rolls Royce cars. Besides being a world-class carmaker, BMW is also considered one of the smartest consumer marketing companies and Kiley explores the extraordinary value and management of the BMW brand mystique. He also takes a revealing look at the mysterious and ultra-private Quandt family of Bad Homburg Germany, which owns a controlling stake in BMW: Johanna and Susanne Quandt, two of the wealthiest women in Europe and Stefan Quandt, one of the wealthiest bachelors on the continent. David Kiley (Ann Arbor, MI) is the Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today who has covered the auto industry for 17 years. He has been featured on Nightline, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and the Today show. He is also the author of Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America (0-471-26304-4), also available from Wiley.

Standard Catalog of Imported Cars 1946-2002

Author: Mike Covello
Publisher: Krause Publications
ISBN: 9780873416054
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 914

Book Description
This is the only book that completely lists accurate technical data for all cars imported into the U.S. market from 1946-2000. With many imports approaching the antique status, this book will be a big seller across all generations of car enthusiasts. From the grandiose European carriages of the late Forties to the hot, little Asian imports of the Nineties, every car to grace American roadways from across the Atlantic and Pacific is carefully referenced in this book. &break;&break;Foreign car devotees will appreciate the attention given to capturing precise data on Appearance and Equipment, Vehicle I.D. Numbers, Specification Charts, Engine Data, Chassis, Technical Data, Options and Historical Information. &break;&break;Collectors, restorers and car buffs will love this key book from noted automotive authors, James Flammang and Mike Covello.

the little book of microcars

Author: Adam Quellin
Publisher: David and Charles
ISBN: 1845848942
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Book Description
During the middle of the twentieth century, a plethora of small economy cars – often quirky and bizarre – emerged to meet the needs of the cash-strapped motorist. This book charts the history and development of these microcars, from the lean period after the Second World War right up to the present day. Covering a wide range of vehicles, from the well-known models to the more obscure, and complemented throughout by colour photographs and period images, this a fascinating book on a little-known subject.