Jacksonville has long been a mecca for car enthusiasts and collectors,
due in part to the city's unique automotive history. Bystanders gazed in
wonder as John Einig drove Florida's very first steam-powered horseless
carriage through the streets in 1889. Fred Gilbert opened the first
automobile dealership in 1903, just before the city's first automobile
parade, and people were soon clamoring to buy cars of their own. Claude
Nolan, whose local dealership has been in business for well over a
century, gained fame for racing his Cadillac against an airplane at the
Jacksonville Fairgrounds. NASCAR held races at the Jacksonville Speedway
in the '50s and '60s. Author Dorothy K. Fletcher explores the rich
history and memories of car culture in the River City.