Who Really Invented the Automobile?

Book by Beasley, David

AUTOMOBILE HISTORY, ECONOMIC HISTORY, 19TH CENTURY, RAILWAYS, BANKING, TECHNOLOGY The automobile was perfected in 1829 and ran well on English roads. Who prevented its development? Was it the railway entrepreneurs? Was it the landed interests? Was it the free-traders? The same interests prevented its development in Europe and in America. Beasley takes you from the beginning through these various factions into the railway and banking conflicts to the 1890s when the automobile is allowed to develop in France. Why was it developed as the petroleum car and why was the steam car discouraged? Beasley gives the answer and along the way demonstrates a unique economic theory of invention. A reviewer, Charles W. Bishop, wrote: "As a long-time student of that activity, I cannot but be impressed with the thoroughness of Beasley's research, and envious of some of the contacts he made in the course of his work, listed in his excellent bibliography.... Only automobile enthusiasts whose interests begin after World War II will not find this an engrossing book. It is excellent." "Where the book departs from the theoretical literature is in the explanation of how an inferior technology comes to win.... It seems clear that "noneconomic" forces were very important in the early history of the automobile."--Journal of Economic Literature