The American Mercedes Being a reproduction of the celebrated Mercedes automobile, as constructed by the parent company, the Daimler Motoren-Gesellschaft of Unterturkheim, Germany by (Daimler Manufacturing Company) - 1906

Long Island City, New York: Daimler Manufacturing Company, 1906. First Edition. Hardcover. Good. Slim octavo, unpaginated [32pp.]., illustrated. Brown paper-covered boards with gilt decoration, and tipped-in illustrations. Spine ends worn, gilt faded on front board, and some internal soiling at the gutter on most leaves. Tipped-in illustrations mostly well-preserved, though a few are partly creased. A good copy only of this landmark publication of early automobilia, which advertised American "copies" of German Mercedes vehicles, and makes a sales pitch against their competition - the actual German-made imported Mercedes vehicles. Printed on high-quality paper and with stunningly detailed tipped-in illustrations of the crank shaft, sparking mechanism, and other parts, this promotional volume is a true rarity. We locate just four copies in OCLC (Henry Ford, NYHS, Brooklyn Pub Lib, British Library) at the time of listing. This slim tract was reprinted in facsimile in the 1960s, although that reprint (with its images printed directly onto the paper and not tipped-in) lacks to some extent the sophistication of this true original. Though regrettable in terms of condition, still a perfectly decent reading or reference copy of this important tract in the history of early American automobile manufacturing; also suitable for restoration by a professional conservator.