Vintage Cars: Auto Manfacturers, david burgess wise, new illustrated encyclopedia of automobiles

Question
My father is 85 years old and we have been trying to find a list of all American car manufacturers since the beginning. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Carl

Answer
Check you local bookstore for:

The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles, by David Burgess Wise, published by The Wellfleet Press.

Now, it includes all automobiles made, from all over the world, but it's the best reference I've come across with the information you're looking for