Immigrant Alexander Winton himself is representative of many American trends.
The first known car advertisement in the United States appeared at the end of July 1898 in Scientific American Magazine. Winton Motor Carriage was urging potential buyers to “Dispense with a Horse,” for a $1000, an early indicator of a trend that soon engulfed the nation. By 1906 57 car companies spent more than half a million dollars in what were considered 12 national magazines.
Cars and trucks are a major part of the nearly $95 billion spent annually on advertising today. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Quarterly Services Survey/Advertising and Related Services. Passenger car rental and leasing advertising alone was $32 billion during 2012.
Alexander Winton himself is representative of many American trends. Winton, a Scotsman, came to Cleveland, Ohio, and formed the Winton Bicycle Company. His first single-cylinder car was built in 1896. In 1897, Winton formed the Winton Motor Carriage Company. In 1898, production started and 22 cars were sold.
Winton was the first to create what was considered an orderly production schedule. In 1925, Winton Motor Company turned from making automobiles to producing diesel engines and motors and became the Winton Engine Company.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
