Among the visionary late-19th century transportation pioneers, Louis S. Clarke is unfortunately little remembered. In 1896, he built Autocar No. 1, a three-wheeled, motorized tricycle. In 1897, Clarke joined others to create the Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Co. He subsequently built Autocar No. 2 in 1898—all a prelude to the creation of the Autocar Co. in 1899 and the production of its first “Autocar Motor Truck.” This book, part of the original Iconografix Photo Archive series and subsequently published by Enthusiast Books, traces Autocar’s history from 1899 to the final models produced prior to the introduction of its legendary Driver Cab in 1950. First published in 2004, the landscape-format book features 121 full-page black-and-white photographs sourced from the holdings of two prominent collectors at the time—Jim Kehr and Edward M. Minshall Jr., whose father worked for Autocar for 36 years. Coverage includes an array of conventional and cab-over-engine models in a variety of applications, including dump trucks; tankers; and logging, construction, and over-the-road tractor trailers. The informative captions, generally 100 words in length, are based on my research at the Nethercutt Automotive Research Library, the Benson Ford Research Center, and the Hagley Museum and Library.

Book Review by Robert Gabrick