Driving Force : Automobiles and the New American City, 1900-1930

Los Angeles's car culture has shaped the nation's preferences in transportation, architecture, leisure, and even dining. The story of the automobile and that of Los Angeles have been entwined for more than a century.

Driving Force: How Los Angeles Put People in Cars and Cars on the Road explores how the explosive growth of Los Angeles's passion for automobiles was ignited by an unlikely, visionary mix of entrepreneurs and risk-takers. It owed its inception to the bicycle shop owners who began repairing and selling cars, carriage retailers, and automobile aficionados who ventured into unknown territory to sell a product regarded by nearly all banks and most businesses as a fad at best. These early adopters learned how to broaden the market for automobiles and convince the public that the car was no longer a luxury but a necessity.