112 pages

A highly informative book which combines great illustrations and revealing text of 50 of the most iconic and beautifully designed cars ever produced. It includes such all-time classics as the e-type Jaguar, original Mini, Land Rover Series 1, Range Rover and Lotus Elite, with some of the finest overseas cars such as the Ford Model T, Volkswagen Beetle, Buick Le Sabre, Ferrari 125S and many others. The text is nicely presented and expertly written and the book is easy to read straight-off or is ideal to dip into on a regular basis to learn more about the best elements of automotive design.

64 pages

64 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 nearly 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.

64 pages

As the production of new cars in Britain increased significantly during the 1950s and 60s, so the advertising agencies worked harder and harder to sell the cars to the motoring public. This beautifully illustrated book assesses the merits of many of the most memorable magazine advertisements of the period and the way they were presented to try and get maximum impact. More than 50 classic British car advertisements from the 1950s and 60s are featured, including all the popular makes of the day, such as MG, Triumph, Jaguar, Austin Healey, the assorted Rootes companies cars and many others and are reproduced here in crystal clear clarity. The accompanying text provides a great insight into advertising techniques and practices during the period.

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.

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.

56 pages

Britain's most popular sporting marque, MG, is one of only a handful of British motoring names to have survived 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.

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 handmade bespoke automobiles for the fortunate few at the very beginning of the 20th Century, to the arrival of mass production in later years, which ensured 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.

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.