The idea of "understanding the present through its history" is based on two insights. First, it helps to know where a technology comes from: what were its predecessors, how did they evolve as a result of the continuous efforts to solve theoretical and practical problems, who were crucial in their emergence, and which cultural differences made them develop into divergent families of artifacts? Second, and closely related to the first insight, how does a certain technology or system fit into its societal context, its culture of mobility, its engineering culture, its culture of car driving, its alternatives, its opponents? Only thus, by studying its prehistory and its socio-cultural context, can we acquire a true 'grasp' of a technology. The Evolution of Automotive Technology: A Handbook, Second Edition covers one and a quarter century of the automobile, conceived as a cultural history of its technology, aimed at engineering students and all those who wish to have a concise introduction into the basics of automotive technology and its long-term development. (ISBN:9781468605976 ISBN:9781468605969 ISBN:9781468605983 DOI:10.4271/9781468605976) 2nd Edition.

The idea of "understanding the present through its history" is based on two insights. First, it helps to know where a technology comes from: what were its predecessors, how did they evolve as a result of the continuous efforts to solve theoretical and practical problems, who were crucial in their emergence, and which cultural differences made them develop into divergent families of artifacts? Second, and closely related to the first insight, how does a certain technology or system fit into its societal context, its culture of mobility, its engineering culture, its culture of car driving, its alternatives, its opponents? Only thus, by studying its prehistory and its socio-cultural context, can we acquire a true 'grasp' of a technology. The Evolution of Automotive Technology: A Handbook, Second Edition covers one and a quarter century of the automobile, conceived as a cultural history of its technology, aimed at engineering students and all those who wish to have a concise introduction into the basics of automotive technology and its long-term development. (ISBN:9781468605976 ISBN:9781468605969 ISBN:9781468605983 DOI:10.4271/9781468605976) 2nd Edition.

This is a general interest trade book that describes the development of automotive technology and engineering from the start of the industry before 1900 to the present day. It explains how various systems and elements in the automobile work in layman's terms, without resorting to mathematics, and highlights the keymilestones in the historical development of automotive technology. All photos and illustrations are in full color. The intended audience is older teens to adults of any age who are interested in the subject and may be involved in it as a hobby. Sometimes referred to as "gearheads" or "motorheads," they form a huge market. Over the years many of the author's engineering students were in this category, and he often would meet with on-campus car clubs to explain the way things automotive worked, being careful to damp down or eliminate any complicated mathematics, as he does in this book. An Internet search found only titles that are either "hard-engineering oriented" -- such as publications from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) -- or mere compendiums of dates. Books in the latter category note the milestones but without hardly any explanation at all of how these developments actually work in a technical sense - which is the aim of this book.

This textbook will help you learn all the skills you need to pass all Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Systems courses and qualifications. As electrical and electronic systems become increasingly more complex and fundamental to the workings of modern vehicles, understanding these systems is essential for automotive technicians. For students new to the subject, this book will help to develop this knowledge, but will also assist experienced technicians in keeping up with recent technological advances. This new edition includes information on developments in pass-through technology, multiplexing, and engine control systems. In full colour and covering the latest course specifications, this is the guide that no student enrolled on an automotive maintenance and repair course should be without. Designed to make learning easier, this book contains: Photographs, flow charts, quick reference tables, overview descriptions and step-by-step instructions. Case studies to help you put the principles covered into a real-life context. Useful margin features throughout, including definitions, key facts and ‘safety first’ considerations.

The history of automobiles is not just the story of invention, manufacturing, and marketing; it is also a story of repair. Auto Mechanics opens the repair shop to historical study—for the first time—by tracing the emergence of a dirty, difficult, and important profession. Kevin L. Borg's study spans a century of automotive technology—from the horseless carriage of the late nineteenth century to the "check engine" light of the late twentieth. Drawing from a diverse body of source material, Borg explores how the mechanic’s occupation formed and evolved within the context of broad American fault lines of class, race, and gender and how vocational education entwined these tensions around the mechanic’s unique expertise. He further shows how aspects of the consumer rights and environmental movements, as well as the design of automotive electronics, reflected and challenged the social identity and expertise of the mechanic. In the history of the American auto mechanic, Borg finds the origins of a persistent anxiety that even today accompanies the prospect of taking one's car in for repair.

This book details the development of the automobile from its early beginnings to the present day. With emphasis on the European historical perspective, particularly the pioneering developments which occurred in Germany, World History of the Automobile chronicles the early vehicles by Daimler, Maybach and Benz, the "Mercedes Era," the role of motor vehicles in World Wars I and II, and the numerous technological and business revolutions of the second half of the 20th century.

A succinct yet comprehensive history, Cars and Culture highlights the technical changes that altered the appearance and performance of automobiles, along with the myriad forces that have shaped the car's development.