The Motor Car Dumpy Book

Take a cheerful, comical journey through the early days of motoring, when motor cars were noisy, speedy, and still rather mysterious. Beginning with the old gentleman who once had to walk ahead of a steam carriage waving a red flag, this lively guide introduces traction engines, chauffeurs, horns, motorists’ clothing, policemen, and watchful magistrates.

With its brisk explanations and playful tone, the book explores the many things a young listener might see on the road: cars that race, refuse to move, or fail to stop, along with motor omnibuses, delivery vans, motor bicycles, and toy vehicles. Even accidents are treated with simple, old-fashioned humor, while the final glimpse of a motor air-ship imagines a future when everyone might travel through the sky. A charming snapshot of motoring at the dawn of the twentieth century, it combines practical details, gentle warnings, and fanciful predictions.