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ORPHAN BABIES
HOME
Buy them.
ORPHAN BABIES
ORDER FORM
Read them.
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 1
1887-1927
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 2
1927-1943
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 3
1943-1969
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Updated January 22, 2012
HOME
Buy them.
ORPHAN BABIES
ORDER FORM
Read them.
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 1
1887-1927
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 2
1927-1943
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 3
1943-1969
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Updated January 22, 2012
Announcing Volume 2
of the old-car trilogy
of the old-car trilogy
All content on this website and in the book (c) Copyrighted 2012 by Robert D. Cunningham. No portion may be reproduced without
permission. All content is contributed by amateurs for general enjoyment; no guarantee of accuracy is guaranteed or implied.
Website
designed
by
designed
by
ORPHAN BABIES
America's Forgotten Economy Cars
is a new three-volume, softcover historical reference novel.
It tells the tales of American cars and trucks that might have made us independent of foreign oil many years ago.
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 1, 1887-1927
and
VOLUME 2, 1927-1943
are ready to
ORDER TODAY!
America's Forgotten Economy Cars
is a new three-volume, softcover historical reference novel.
It tells the tales of American cars and trucks that might have made us independent of foreign oil many years ago.
ORPHAN BABIES
VOLUME 1, 1887-1927
and
VOLUME 2, 1927-1943
are ready to
ORDER TODAY!
Here's what readers are saying about
ORPHAN BABIES
Volumes 1 and 2
Volumes 1 and 2
Volume 1 comments:
4 out of 4 stars: Must read. Jammed with photos...a library full of info in a single book. This bright, huge work starts at the beginning. Ads and diagrams galore festoon its crowded pages. Get a copy.
--Hemmings Classic Car, March 2009
By all indications, it appears that you have a real winner here. I particularly like your 'novel' approach to the presentation...I doubt that amount of research and journalistic task can even be imagined by the reader except to say, "WOW!"...this tremendous effort belongs in everyone's library." --Joe D.
"I THOROUGHLY enjoyed your book. The writing is fantastic, as are the photos. Your research has paid off!! This will be a reference that I will call upon as I (now) do with the Complete Encyclopedia of Motor Cars by Georganio." --Jolly M.
"I just finished your book and all I can say is that it is FANTASTIC. It was very entertaining and informative. It was great how you intertwined the cars' history with the story and it was a very enjoyable read. The pictures were fantastic and I can't wait for Volumes 2 and 3 to be printed." --David K.
Comments about Volume 2:
"I'm having a problem with Volume 2. I can't put it down. You've again produced a splendid book with a ton of new (to me) pictures and information. As usual, the book is of high quality in every aspect."
--Alden J.
"I just finished reading your second volume and liked it even more than the first." --Bob V.
"I really enjoy your books. They have been very informative and full of surprises. Please continue to put smiles on people's faces with your works." --Kevin G.
4 out of 4 stars: Must read. Jammed with photos...a library full of info in a single book. This bright, huge work starts at the beginning. Ads and diagrams galore festoon its crowded pages. Get a copy.
--Hemmings Classic Car, March 2009
By all indications, it appears that you have a real winner here. I particularly like your 'novel' approach to the presentation...I doubt that amount of research and journalistic task can even be imagined by the reader except to say, "WOW!"...this tremendous effort belongs in everyone's library." --Joe D.
"I THOROUGHLY enjoyed your book. The writing is fantastic, as are the photos. Your research has paid off!! This will be a reference that I will call upon as I (now) do with the Complete Encyclopedia of Motor Cars by Georganio." --Jolly M.
"I just finished your book and all I can say is that it is FANTASTIC. It was very entertaining and informative. It was great how you intertwined the cars' history with the story and it was a very enjoyable read. The pictures were fantastic and I can't wait for Volumes 2 and 3 to be printed." --David K.
Comments about Volume 2:
"I'm having a problem with Volume 2. I can't put it down. You've again produced a splendid book with a ton of new (to me) pictures and information. As usual, the book is of high quality in every aspect."
--Alden J.
"I just finished reading your second volume and liked it even more than the first." --Bob V.
"I really enjoy your books. They have been very informative and full of surprises. Please continue to put smiles on people's faces with your works." --Kevin G.
The 1948 Playboy was America's first retractable hardtop
convertible. Read about the Playboy and hundreds of other
long-forgotten orphan babies in Robert D. Cunningham's
remarkable ORPHAN BABIES series. The Playboy will be featured
in Volume 3, 1943-1969.
HISTORIANS have documented nearly every detail of
America's automotive successes and excesses. But,
according to author Robert D. Cunningham, they have
overlooked the lowly economy car. His exciting new book
series is the first solely dedicated to the pioneer economy
cars built in the United States before 1969.
"I wanted to publish a truckload of facts, figures and stories about America's smallest cars," he says. "And I wanted people to read it from cover to cover. But I knew nobody would read an encyclopedia."
Cunningham's novel solution was to weave together 1,300 pages of facts and photos via the vivid recollections of "Crazy Zeke," a reclusive car collector. ORPHAN BABIES, America's Forgotten Economy Car is a true story--mostly. Although Zeke is a fictional character, his conversations were adapted from vintage periodicals, sales brochures, and the personal memoirs of America's lesser-known automotive pioneers, scalawags, hobbyists and mentors.
The work was so large, Cunningham divided it into three volumes. Volumes 1 and 2 are now available and the third book will be released in 2012.
ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 1, 1887-1927
Soft cover. 8.25"x10.75". 410 pages. Nearly 800 vintage photos & ads.
3 lb. shipping wt.
In the beginning, the most popular cars were steam- or battery-powered. By 1908, gasoline buggies were kings of the road. Zeke explains how the Ford Model T came to dominate the low-price field. Five years later, Powel Crosley, Jr. and other entrepreneurs boldly challenged Henry Ford with more than 200 brands of cyclecars. For a while, our streets were crawling with Crickets and Dudly Bugs, Imps and Vixens. Read more about ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 1, 1887-1927.
ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 2, 1927-1943
Soft cover. 8.25"x10.75". 510 pages. Nearly 900 vintage photos & ads.
4 lb. shipping wt.
In the second book, news wires buzzed with reports of $200 Darts delivered in free garages; three-wheeled Martins that turned on a dime; and amazing motorized tear drops. But Herbert Austin, "the Henry Ford of Great Britain," dashed the hopes of the would-be auto barons when he launched the first successful "baby car" in America, the American Austin dashed the hopes of Crosley and many other would-be auto barons. As the world prepared for World War II, Powel Crosley introduced a new light car based on his cyclecar principles. And the American Bantam Car Company developed the first "jeep" for the U.S. Army.
Read more about ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 2, 1927-1943.
ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 3, 1943-1969
is now in development for publication in 2012. To read an excerpt of what's to come, go to
Read more about ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 3, 1943-1969.
Remember, Orphan Babies is not available in stores and is shipped directly from the publisher. We ship within the continental U.S.
"I wanted to publish a truckload of facts, figures and stories about America's smallest cars," he says. "And I wanted people to read it from cover to cover. But I knew nobody would read an encyclopedia."
Cunningham's novel solution was to weave together 1,300 pages of facts and photos via the vivid recollections of "Crazy Zeke," a reclusive car collector. ORPHAN BABIES, America's Forgotten Economy Car is a true story--mostly. Although Zeke is a fictional character, his conversations were adapted from vintage periodicals, sales brochures, and the personal memoirs of America's lesser-known automotive pioneers, scalawags, hobbyists and mentors.
The work was so large, Cunningham divided it into three volumes. Volumes 1 and 2 are now available and the third book will be released in 2012.
ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 1, 1887-1927
Soft cover. 8.25"x10.75". 410 pages. Nearly 800 vintage photos & ads.
3 lb. shipping wt.
In the beginning, the most popular cars were steam- or battery-powered. By 1908, gasoline buggies were kings of the road. Zeke explains how the Ford Model T came to dominate the low-price field. Five years later, Powel Crosley, Jr. and other entrepreneurs boldly challenged Henry Ford with more than 200 brands of cyclecars. For a while, our streets were crawling with Crickets and Dudly Bugs, Imps and Vixens. Read more about ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 1, 1887-1927.
ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 2, 1927-1943
Soft cover. 8.25"x10.75". 510 pages. Nearly 900 vintage photos & ads.
4 lb. shipping wt.
In the second book, news wires buzzed with reports of $200 Darts delivered in free garages; three-wheeled Martins that turned on a dime; and amazing motorized tear drops. But Herbert Austin, "the Henry Ford of Great Britain," dashed the hopes of the would-be auto barons when he launched the first successful "baby car" in America, the American Austin dashed the hopes of Crosley and many other would-be auto barons. As the world prepared for World War II, Powel Crosley introduced a new light car based on his cyclecar principles. And the American Bantam Car Company developed the first "jeep" for the U.S. Army.
Read more about ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 2, 1927-1943.
ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 3, 1943-1969
is now in development for publication in 2012. To read an excerpt of what's to come, go to
Read more about ORPHAN BABIES, Volume 3, 1943-1969.
Remember, Orphan Babies is not available in stores and is shipped directly from the publisher. We ship within the continental U.S.