Motoring history books

Motoring history reference books

A fine selection of handy British motoring history reference books

All the books are A5 size paperbacks and are excellently illustrated, highly informative and and easy to read

Available individually or check-out the special multi-purchase discount offer (see below)

A Celebration of Britain's Golden Motoring Age

WB3

64 pages

A fascinating journey through British motoring history from the beginning of the 20th Century to the golden years of the e-type Jaguar, Mini and Ford Cortina and Capri. The book contains more than 120 revealing archive photographs depicting a wide range of British motoring scenes and achievements from motor racing successes to car production to new car launches. Many of Britain’s greatest ever cars are featured in sharp, clear images, along with detailed informative captions.

A Potted History of British Concept Cars

WB2

72 pages

This highly informative book takes a condensed journey through British motoring innovation from the end of the 1920s to the distant future. It includes more than 100 of the most unusual cars ever built in Britain, from the Aston Martin Bulldog, Ford Comuta and Vauxhall SVR, to a host of truly extraordinary one-off cars such as the Austin Zanda, Minissima, Ikenga, Jaguar Pirana, Rover Art Car and a host of others which were either made for purely research purposes or to test out new design shapes, features, fuel sources or controls and are unlike anything else produced before.

Aston Martin

WB10

64 pages

Aston Martin is more than a century old, with the company formed on the eve of the First World War. Since then it has experienced the highs of racing triumph – most famously in the 1959 Le Mans 24-hour race – and the lows of bankruptcy, yet throughout it all has been in the first rank of British marques. Published in association with the Aston Martin Heritage Trust and written by enthusiast Richard Loveys, Aston Martin is a fully illustrated history of the company that has created some of the the world's best loved and most widely respected cars, including James Bond's iconic DB5. It covers the cars themselves, the personalities and talents who have shaped Aston Martin, from owners to engineers, and the drivers who have shared with the company in racing glory.

Austerity Motoring 1939 - 1950

WB5

32 pages

The 1940s was the bleakest period in the brief history of the motor car. It was a time of war, deprivation and austerity when, for almost a decade, car development stood still. War-time motorists faced petrol and tyre rationing while the hazards of the black-out made driving in the dark a harrowing experience and even a 20 mph speed limit could not stop the road death tally soaring. This book explores this intriguing subject about a crucial development in the history of motoring, including its recovery towards the end of the period, as new models such as the iconic Morris Minor burst onto the scene.

Austin Healey

WB14

64 pages

Born in 1952, the Austin-Healey 100 soon took the UK and US markets by storm. A beautiful, brutish car, it was what many sporting motorists had been waiting for, and at a relatively affordable price. Following the 100 was the 3000 – a car as successful on the rally stage as it was loved on the open road, and the Sprite – which recreated the market for the cheap 'everyman's' sports car. Graham Robson, an authority on the British motor industry, presents a concise history of Austin-Healey, and the marque's success on road and track. Illustrated throughout, it is an ideal introduction for all lovers of this quintessentially British sports car.

British Luxury Cars of the 1950s and 60s

WB6

64 pages

In the 1950s and 1960s, luxury car buyers, from government ministers to captains of industry, almost invariably bought British. These were stately, dignified and grand vehicles, with many featuring leather interiors and wood trim. Unfortunately, that market has now largely disappeared and, with it, so have the car-makers themselves. This book covers cars in the over-3-litre class from the biggest names in British luxury motoring including Alvis, Daimler and Lagonda, as well as high-end models from Austin, Rover and Jaguar. It examines the features and characteristics of these classic cars, as well as explaining why they fell from prominence in the 1970s. Replete with beautiful photography throughout, the book is a loving portrait of the British luxury car, a dearly missed saloon defeated by foreign imports.

British sports cars of the 1950s and 60s

WB7

64 pages

E-type Jaguar; Triumph Spitfire; MGA; Austin-Healey - nobody built sports cars like British manufacturers in the 1950s and '60s. There was something very special about the combination of low-slung open two-seater bodywork and spartan interior, a slick sporting gear change and a throaty exhaust note. This was wind-in-the-hair motoring and it was affordable by the average young man - at least, until he got married and had a family. MG and Triumph stood out as the market leaders, but many other companies thrived, from luxury manufacturers like Jaguar and even Daimler, to other more affordable marques. This colourfully illustrated history tells the exciting story of the British sports car of the 1950s and '60s.

Family Cars of the 1970s

WB8

64 pages

The 1970s was a critical decade for the British motor industry. A downward spiral in industrial relations led to crippling strikes. In addition, two major oil crises made thirsty older car designs virtually unsaleable, resulting in foreign manufacturers moving in with products that were affordable, reliable and available on demand. Britain's roads became more cosmopolitan than ever, and manufacturers both British and foreign contributed to an array of models that has become symbolic of the era. The Morris Marina, the Ford Cortina, the Vauxhall Chevette; the VW Golf, the Renault 12, the Peugeot 504 - all are fondly remembered to this day, to a degree that might have seemed unlikely at the time of their manufacture. This is a fully illustrated history of the cars - trimmed with chrome and upholstered in leg-scorching vinyl - that were on offer to the British family of the 1970s.

Jaguar

WB12

64 pages

In 1935, William Lyons' new company, SS Cars Limited, launched a range of cars, the Jaguar. Later adopted by the company, the name became known for luxury saloons and sports cars noted for their style, performance and good value. This nicely presented snapshot of the company's rich history details the early work of Lyons and his partner, William Walmsley; from the original Swallow sidecars and car bodies, including the Austin Seven Swallow and the Standard Swallow, to the immense progress Lyons made when he continued alone to establish one of the world's best known motoring brands with cars which continue to impress in the 21st Century.

Land Rover

WB13

64 pages

This book by highly esteemed Land Rover historian James Taylor expertly chronicles the way the long-established Rover company created the new off-road Land Rover model in the aftermath of WW2 as a way to survive during times of severe austerity. The book then provides an illustrated potted history of how the basic model was progressively upgraded with numerous facelifts, while other models also joined the fleet, such as the Discovery, Range Rover and Freelander. This is this story of Land Rover, written by the foremost historian of the make, encompassing all the models and dividing them according to their use. Also included is the role the Land Rover has played over many years in the fields of expedition, agriculture and warfare, and how it has become one of the most recognisable vehicles across the globe.

MG

WB11

56 pages

Britain's most popular sporting marque, MG, is one of only a handful of British motoring names which managed to survive into the twenty-first century. From the quintessential open two-seater MG Midget, through the booming post-war years and the emergence of MG as a provider of sports cars for the world, Jonathan Wood provides an in-depth analysis of the rise and fall of a motoring legend. Examining the various models in detail, the author covers the financial and corporate traumas which afflicted the company, its brief resurgence in 1995 with the release of the MGF and the final sad chapter which saw a British icon sold off to foreign investors. This is an informative and at times touching glimpse into the history of one of the world's most recognisable sports cars.

Rolls-Royce

WB15

64 pages

Rolls-Royce is one of Britain's legendary car brands, representing the pinnacle of engineering quality and luxury like no other manufacturer. Since 1904, when Charles Stewart Rolls and Frederick Henry Royce began their collaboration, the Rolls-Royce name has earned respect and admiration the world over. This book tells the story of Britain's premier luxury car-maker, from the early experimental models through the 40/50 Silver Ghost, the Twenty, the Phantoms, the Wraiths and their post-1945 successors, with evocative names such as Silver Shadow and Silver Seraph. It celebrates more than 115 years of car manufacture under the Rolls-Royce brand, revealing how careful management and simple dedication have ensured that the Rolls-Royce name remains a byword for the best of the best.

The British Motor Industry

WB1

64 pages

A highly useful reference source by Jonathan Wood, one of Britain's most respected motoring historians, who presents in a very clear way the ups and downs of the British motor industry throughout the 20th Century. He chronicles everything from the production of hand-made bespoke automobiles for the fortunate few at the very beginning of the 20th Century, to the arrival of mass production in later years, ensuring cars for the many. He looks at the factories and the people who worked in them, and examines the role played by the component manufacturers that serviced the industry. In conclusion, this ideal introduction offers explanations as to why motor manufacturing followed the British motorcycle, bicycle and cotton industries into oblivion, due to a combination of poor management, lack or foresight and economic pressures.

Veteran Motor Cars

WB4

64 pages

An informative and expertly written introduction to the first decades of the motor car when the automobile represented the very peak of technological innovation. The book is packed with fascinating facts about the experimental origins of the motor industry, when these 'horseless carriages' were largely constructed in back-street workshops, with many simply resembling the frame and bodywork of a horse-drawn carriage, but fitted with a petrol engine. Experimentation was rife, however, and there was much debate as to whether petrol, steam or electricity should lead the way, with endurance runs, hill climbs and organised races pitting them one against the other. Early motorists had to employ novel measures to overcome challenges such as the rudimentary engineering of early cars, the difficulty of fuel supply, the poorly maintained roads, and hostility from other road users.

Vintage Motor Cars

WB9

32 pages

Many fascinating car makes and models were manufactured between 1919 and 1930, from crude cyclecars and light cars like the Austin Seven to Rolls-Royce luxury limousines and sports cars such as the Frazer Nash. In this book Bill Boddy covers the changing road conditions, the developing design and construction techniques of these vintage cars, and the races and other competition events that their drivers used them for, including the high-speed events at the famed Brooklands track.

4 books for the price of 3 (Special price)

WB22

Special Offer: Buy any three titles from the list above and get any other one free (Save £7.99)