Start with the Old Car Manual Project for brochures across many American makes, then check manufacturer collections such as the Ford Heritage Vault or GM Heritage Archive. For material that is harder to find or not digitized, search research-library catalogs and finding aids. No single archive covers every make and year, and permission to view a scan does not automatically include permission to reuse it.
Where to look first for American car brochures
Broad coverage across makes
The Old Car Manual Project is a practical starting point when you are not sure which archive holds a brochure. Its North American index spans familiar and less common manufacturers, including AMC, Auburn, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Packard, Studebaker, Tucker and Willys. The project says its brochures are free to view or print and that it does not sell brochures. A broad index is useful, but it is not a complete record of every brochure ever published.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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American Car Spotter's Bible 1940-1980 | $41.43 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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American Car Spotter's Guide, 1981-1990 | $13.64 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Airslide(R) Car Sales Brochure | $50.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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1994 Chevrolet C/K Pickup Truck Sales Brochure Literature Book Specification | $14.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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1935 FORD V8 TRUCK Sales Brochure Literature Book Piece | $18.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Edsel
Ford Heritage Vault describes a collection of more than 20,000 brochures and photographs, with products spanning 1903–2026. It covers Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Edsel. Ford’s 2022 launch announcement described more than 5,000 curated photographs and brochures at launch; that was an earlier figure, not the current collection total. Ford said launch materials could be downloaded free for personal use, but check the Vault’s current terms and the rights attached to individual items before reusing them.
General Motors brands
The GM Heritage Archive covers current and historic North American GM brands. GM says its archive contains more than 250,000 historical documents, including sales brochures, and that a significant portion of its larger image and media collections is accessible through its digital asset system. Onsite visits require an appointment; fees may apply to commercial requests.
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Research libraries for harder-to-find material
Revs Institute
Revs Institute’s research library holds 639 boxes of sales literature, including brochures, pamphlets, press kits, releases and price lists. Its catalog can be searched online, with catalog information also available in PDFs. Revs says it is scanning pre-1930 sales literature, so some relevant material may be represented in the catalog without an online scan.
AACA Library & Research Center
The AACA Library & Research Center reports about 3,000,000 individual items, including brochures and sales literature as well as manuals and other automotive materials. Public onsite research is free during regular hours; copying and scanning incur charges. Staff also offer offsite research.
Hagley and Canadian Automotive Museum
Hagley Museum & Library’s Z. Taylor Vinson collection contains nearly 1,300 linear feet of automotive and transportation catalogs and ephemera. Selected materials are digitized, and a complete inventory is available online. Its exhibit explores Vinson’s collecting of sales ephemera and the history of automotive advertising.
The Canadian Automotive Museum finding aid describes about 10,800 brochures dated 1903 to the present, organized by manufacturer and publication date. The collection is available to the public upon request, so it is a potential lead even when a scan is not online.
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Rank #3
A specialized collection for Japanese makes
Import Archive focuses on historical Japanese automobilia for the U.S. market, including thousands of dealership brochures. It is useful for Japanese brands sold in America, rather than a general archive of American manufacturers.
How to find a specific brochure
- Search the make, model and year. Start with the manufacturer’s archive if one exists, and try the Old Car Manual Project for a wider cross-make search.
- Broaden the wording if there is no result. Try adjacent model years, alternate spellings, former marque names and the manufacturer’s broader catalog. A brochure may be filed by brand or publication date rather than the model name you expect.
- Search the catalog as well as the scan collection. Libraries may list an item even when it has not been digitized. Check downloadable finding aids too, especially for Revs, Hagley and museum holdings.
- Ask about access when the item is not online. Some physical holdings are available by appointment or request, and research or copying services may have separate terms or charges.
An absent online scan does not establish that a brochure was never published. It may be in a physical collection, cataloged under a different name, or not yet digitized.
Rank #4
- New Original
- C/K Pickup
- 9 x 11, 44 pages
- Full Color Brochure
- Fun to collect and very useful for restoration details.
What these collections can tell you
Automotive brochures are sales literature, so they document how a car was presented to buyers: its styling, features, model range and period advertising. Revs’ holdings also include related literature such as price lists and press materials, while Hagley’s collection puts brochures and catalogs in the wider history of automotive advertising. Do not treat a brochure as a service manual or a vehicle build record; those answer different questions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check image rights before reusing a scan
Online access is not a blanket license to republish an image. Rights depend on the item and your intended use. America’s Packard Museum says online images may be used as permitted by applicable copyright and related-rights law; other uses require permission from rights holders, and users are responsible for their use. The Canadian Automotive Museum likewise warns that copyright varies and asks users to determine an item’s status and contact rights holders for uses outside fair use. GM notes that commercial requests may incur fees. Check the relevant collection’s terms and, where needed, obtain permission before publishing a scan.
Quick Recap
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