Oh man that is a wide open request!!! There are so many resources from magazines (Street Rodder, Hot Rod, etc), many books available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders as well as movies (some pretty good, others, just plain dumb) that Dave S noted above. There are thousands of photos here, at Hotrodders.com and the HAMB.

As far as the history of American motoring - 'Henry's Lady', which is about the Ford Model A is a good one, here's a link about the first transcontinental highway: http://lincolnhighway.jameslin.name/. Anything by Ken Purdy http://www.amazon.com/kings-road-Ken.../dp/B0007GTYHC

I guess a broad brush approach isn't really what you need for a Master's thesis so instead of that, why not hang in here and ask us some specific questions as you start collecting you notes