The Archeological Automobile - Understanding and Living with Historical Automobiles (Miles C. Collier)

Today’s teeming presence of 1.32 billion automobiles in the world means no-one escapes their influence. Over the last 100 years, cars have shaped our lives. But now, new fuels, new modes of travel, new technologies are disrupting the traditional role of the much-loved car and all industrial artifacts; what were once distinct machines are now evolving into multifunctional digital devices. Miles C. Collier’s remarkable analysis asks how should we understand and preserve the collective cultural memory that is embodied in the automobile? Filled with engaging stories and practical examples, The Archaeological Automobile is not just a book for automobile owners and the historical car industry, but for collectors and users of industrial artifacts, whether boats, planes, clocks, or even pinball machines and pipe-organs.

Miles C. Collier brings an archaeological point of view to the pithy matter of deciding how we understand and treat our automobiles, and how we pass this knowledge to future generations. The Archaeological Automobile combines scholarship, pertinent anecdote, style, and experience to provide a stimulating account of why we should all be archaeologists now.