"Of all the crafts and trades involved in constructing the first motor cars, the coachbuilder was far and away the oldest .engineers might divert their spirits of invention to the car, but when it came to cladding the chassis with a body, it was on the skills and tradition of the coachbuilder that they depended". From the Foreword by Brian Sewell The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile is the definitive reference work on the automobile, and an essential book for all car enthusiasts. This new volume explores the art of coachbuilding, paying tribute to the skills and traditions of the coachbuilder. It follows the art of coachbuilding from its roots in the late 19th century, through to the 1950s, by which time the coachbuilding tradition was in decline. However, some great names remained, and they too are included in this definitive work. This is an essential guide which celebrates the coachbuilders, who brought the car into the forefront of modern design.