The Story of Alexander Winton; Automotive Pioneer and Industrialist
Golias Publishing, Inc.
7271 Lonesome Pine Tr.
Medina, OH 44256
Phone: (330) 483-4110 • Fax: (330) 483-4515
E-mail: wintoncars@yahoo.com
Keith Marvin, Old Cars Magazine
This is the story of Alexander Winton and the Winton automobile, probably one of the finest cars ever built in the United States, with some 24,190 leaving the Cleveland, Ohio factory between 1898 and 1924. Written by Thomas F. Saal and Bernard J. Golias and subtitled The Story of Alexander Winton; Automotive Pioneer and Industrialist, I think a more apt title to the book might be Famous But Far From Forgotten, for, even as any student of American Automobile history will recognize his name, the Winton itself lives on as part of General Motors diesel engine production.
As for books, I tell 'em as I see 'em, and I cannot overstate the excellence, accuracy, or importance on this one. Besides the usual introduction, acknowledgements, prologue, and dedication, the body of it comprises of 18 chapters, starting with Winton bicycles, its successful exploits on the early race track, tours, Winton's connections with Henry Ford and Barney Oldfield, and a carefully annotated year-by-year report on its production ranging from models to prices. There is, in my view, an exactly appropriate balance in everything pertaining to the car, its owners, and those who built and sold it. As for its contribution to automotive history, I have seldom seen a more carefully compiled history. Detailed, yes, but written in a style that makes it hard to put down.
For the chapters themselves, good as they are - and they are good - there is much, much more for the most particular historian in the appendicies, which number nine, and which I list because their importance cannot be underestimated. These include the articles of incorporation, patents, Winton motor building permits, year-by year automobile production, a list of the first 51 buyers between April 1, 1898, and June 8, 1899 (representing 15 states and the Canadian Provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario), year-by-year specifications, race results, Winton machine shop machinery, and the firm's addresses. Inside both covers are pull-out sections on the family tree of Alexander Winton and a diagram of the Winton Motor Carriage Company in 1902.
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Introduction | Acknowledgments | Dedication | Prologue | Contents | Chapter Two Chapter Three | Book Covers | Year-by-Year Specs | Reviews |