Scarce book on origins of Australian motor car industry FROM HORSE TO HORSEPOWER
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A highly regarded book covering the development of the Australian motor car industry titled "From Horse to Horsepower" by S.A. Cheney , First Edition 1965 , hardcover with dust wrapper, 296 pages , well illustrated in b&w, 8 3/4" x 5 3/4", weighs 535g unpacked. "Sydney Albert Cheney (1883-1968), car salesman, was born on 22 March 1883 at Smithfield, South Australia, fifth son of Samuel Cheney, labourer, and his wife Mary Ann, née Goodger. He left the local state school at 12, became a farm-hand and then worked in a fruit-shop in Adelaide. He joined a Baptist young men's Bible class, of which he was secretary for eight years, studied fitting, turning and drawing at the South Australian School of Mines and Industries and took lessons in accountancy and commercial law. When 20 he put an advertisement in a newspaper, offering his services free to an employer for three months. The coachbuilders, Duncan & Fraser, engaged him to sell Oldsmobile cars at £2 a week and commission; he became the State's first car-salesman. He switched to selling Argyll cars and, for publicity, sensationally drove to the top of the Mount Gambier crater; in 1905 he took part in a Melbourne-Sydney reliability trial. Aided by his skill in conjuring, card tricks and recounting yarns, he sold many cars to farmers on Yorke Peninsula. On 4 May 1907 at the Baptist
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