If not, you may find it to be worth cruising over to the Society of Automotive Historians’s website (go here). This international nonprofit organization has just rolled out a new design that looks great and is easier to navigate.
As a researcher I particularly appreciate the “Links to Resources” page. The new layout allows me to find the specific type of information I am looking for more quickly. The listings are admirably comprehensive — and even cover topics that car buffs tend to steer clear of, such as auto safety and climate change. I can only drum up a minor quibble: The section on “Book Reviews” only lists one website that exclusively runs reviews when there are others — including Indie Auto — that publish substantive reviews as part of a broader package of content.
Also see ‘Wheel spinning happens when car buffs and scholarly historians don’t collaborate’
A goodly portion of the society’s website is behind a paywall. It’s worth taking out a membership if you have more than a passing interest in automotive history. The annual cost for a regular membership in the U.S. is $50 but a digital-only is $20. Go here to sign up.
Among the benefits of a membership are two publications: the SAH Journal and the Automotive History Review. They possess a rather old-school formality but are a refreshing alternative to the breezy clickbait of so much that passes for auto history these days. The Review is arguably the closest thing the auto history field has to a quasi-scholarly journal.
Now how about updating the society’s social media?
Now that the website is updated, I hope the society turns its attention to social media. Its Facebook page has been spotty in content and a discussion forum via the Antique Automobile Club of America has generated few participants. Perhaps the society could pump prime involvement if its leadership would regularly post content (such as snippets from the latest Journal and Review) and publicize it through the Facebook page and an e-newsletter sent to members.
I offer these suggestions while recognizing that even in the best of circumstances, volunteer-driven organizations can be challenging to coordinate across project areas. As a leader of a nonprofit once told me, “We strive for the art of the possible.”
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