The Motoring Century : Story of the Royal Automobile Club

From the advent of the horseless carriage to the age of the stretch limousine, the Royal Automobile Club has been known as "the Parliament of motoring".

This volume provides a centenary history of the club.

It is a record of the work of the institution, tracing the journey of the car through 100 years of Britain's national life.

In 1890, the average distance a Briton travelled was 13 miles a year, whereas in 1990, it was 13 miles a day, nearly all that distance courtesy of the car.

It has improved access to culture, leisure and health.

It has encouraged the emancipation of women and augmented the freedom of men.

It has reshaped cities, extended suburbs and opened up the countryside.

However, the motor car has always been a cause of contention.

From Edwardian "motorphobia" via inter-war strictures on "carbarians", to the "automotive nightmare" of the 1990s, the car has been fiercely condemned as well as ardently championed.

Piers Brendon is the author of "Eminent Edwardians" and "Winston Churchill: A Brief Life".