Buildings and Infrastructure for the Motor Car

Arriving in the later 1890s, by the end of the First World War motor vehicles had ousted horses as the main means of transporting goods. In the inter-war years many middle class families acquired cars, and by the 1960s car ownership was commonplace. Two-car families were almost the norm by the end of the century.

This guide provides a brief introduction to the buildings of what some have called the Motor Age: car factories, petrol stations and car showrooms, domestic garages, car parks, motorway service stations, motels, and the roadhouses and cafes where motorists could find refreshment. Also outlined are the ever-evolving types of road which facilitated this transport revolution.