This work investigates the economic and social factors that facilitated the rapid motorization of American cities during the early twentieth century. David J. St. Clair, an economic historian, utilizes archival data and historical analysis to examine the transition from public transit systems to private automobile reliance. The text argues that this shift was not merely a result of consumer preference but was heavily influenced by policy decisions, infrastructure investment, and the strategic actions of automotive manufacturers.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the economic history of American urban transportation. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous reliance on historical economic data to support the author's arguments.