This massive work presenting alphabetically every Southern California-located maker or manufacturer of vehicles from 1896 to early 2026 is the book by Leslie Mark Kendall (SAH #1599) we’ve been hinting would soon be released. Well, it’s almost here! Pages have all been printed and they are with the bindery so books—real books—should arrive at the Petersen soon and ship to purchasers.
As I mentioned in the last issue of this newsletter, having received an advance copy, here’s what you’ll find when your copy of this essential reference arrives.
Each of the 26 segments—yes! there is one for each and every letter of the alphabet—include images exemplary of what a particular manufacturer produced to illustrate the words about that maker. Thus practically every one of the thousand entries is accompanied by one or more pictures. While it may take you by surprise that there have been and are vehicle makers in just the seven Southern California counties accounting for one thousand entries in this book, it’s true—as you’ll discover.
The perspective Kendall has gained from his career-long experiences come to the fore in the first twenty pages with his assessment and description of the place that is Southern California, its people, and the history that contributed to and enabled over a thousand vehicle makers and manufacturers to ply their trade there.
The book is hardbound and printed on a heavy weight stock intended to hold up to frequent use. The publisher, the Petersen Automotive Museum, is for now anyway, the only place from which a copy may be purchased. You’ll want to add this volume to those other frequently-consulted automotive encyclopedia reference books in your library for Leslie Kendall’s tome is as necessary a reference to have as G.N. “Nick” Georgano’s The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars or his even more complete The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile and the Krause-published various Standard Catalogs and the McFarland-published volumes by J. “Kelly” Flory, Jr. (hvh)
Title: Defying Detroit
Subtitle: Automobile Manufacturing in Southern California
Author: Leslie Mark Kendall
Description: 383 pages, 10” x 11.75” hardbound, over 500 b/w & over 600 color illustrations, appendices
ISBN: 978 0 9967783 7 4
Publisher: Petersen Automotive Museum 2026 PetersenStore.org
List price: $250