Project

Genealogy of the Car

An understanding of the historical development of the car is critical to a "reinvention" of the car. This research project tracks the different chronologies and typologies that make up the genealogy of the car. An investigation of the early beginnings of the car such as the transition between horse and carriage and the early automobile reveals many clues about the different forces that have shaped the car. Ships, bicycles, and airplanes have all influenced this development in terms of aesthetics, technologies, manufacturing, and new materials. Other stylistic and technological developments are also documented in images and text in the genealogy in order to compare design from different eras and cultures. The genealogy spans from the ancient horse to the chariots of Greek and Roman times to the horse and carriage of the 18th and 19th centuries to the early automobiles of Henry Ford and Gottlieb Daimler. The genealogy continues with military vehicles of the World Wars to the automobiles of the 1930s and 1940s and eventually arrives at modern cars.