Das Auto-Testbuch - 36 Wagenprufungen
Halle an der Saale, Germany: Verlag von Wilhelm Knapp, c. 1932-34. Hardcover. Quarto; 50 unnumbered leaves plus 2 leaves of ads at rear. A Fine copy in publisher's brown cloth titled in black. As one of the earliest comparative road-test books, it is an important early technical guide to automobile evaluation, maintenance, and operation during the formative years of motoring in Germany. As it documents early automobile technology, the book is an historical source for automotive development. In the Foreword, Friedlaender explicitly states that existing automobile guides relied largely on manufacturer-supplied specifications and statistical tables, which he considered inadequate for judging the actual quality of a car. His purpose was to fill that gap by providing independent, objective evaluations based on practical testing. Each automobile was evaluated using standardized criteria: Acceleration; Hill-climbing ability; Top speed; Braking distance; Stability; Turning circle and Interior space. This systematic approach was still relatively novel in the early automobile era. The list of 36 tested cars (including Mercedes-Benz, Horch, Maybach, BMW, DKW, Adler, Wanderer and Stoewer) reads like a catalog of major Central European manufacturers. Several of these firms later disappeared, merged, or became part of Auto Union (the ancestor of Audi). The book therefore documents a lost automotive landscape. The book contains 200 illustrations and includes tabulated specifications and performance figures; such information is often cited when researchers attempt to establish original factory performance claims. Scarce. Item #23179
Price: $250.00