The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895-1975


Book Description

A comprehensive account of British cars, this book presents a large amount of information - historical as well as technical - in a way which should serve the needs of the dedicated enthusiast and the general reader. Nearly over 700 manufacturers and some 3700 individual models are covered - including technical specification for most cars. A wide selection of photographs feature all the major marques and some minor ones.




British Woodies from the 1920s to the 1950s


Book Description

Wooden-bodied shooting brakes, station wagons and estate cars, collectively known as Woodies, were the original SUVs (sports utility vehicles). While they were initially created for a specific purpose, their versatility, adaptability and load-carrying abilities meant that they quickly found favour with British buyers from all walks of life. In their heyday, they were built on virtually every make of car and light commercial chassis, and could be seen on every road in Britain. Sadly, today they are a rarity due mostly to the fact that their wooden bodies were not built to last – and most didn’t! Thousands were built by hundreds of coachbuilders, both large and small, and with the passage of time it may never be possible to record all of their details with any accuracy. The work of hundreds of small coachbuilder firms is highlighted and illustrated with 99 rare and previously unpublished photos of these wooden wonders.




Art Deco and British Car Design


Book Description

The Art Deco movement influenced design and marketing in many different industries in the 1930s, and the British motor industry was no exception. This fascinating book is divided into two parts; the first explains and illustrates the Art Deco styling elements that link these streamlined car designs, describing their development, their commonality, and their unique aeronautical names, and is liberally illustrated with contemporary images. The book then goes on to portray British streamlined production cars made between 1933 and 1936, illustrated with colour photographs of surviving cars. This is a unique account of a radical era in automotive design.




Rover Cars 1945 to 2005


Book Description

This comprehensive pictorial overview of Rover cars covers 1945-2005 models. It describes and illustrates all the great classic Rovers up to and including the SD1, British Leyland models with Rover badges, the models designed in conjunction with Honda, the later British-designed cars and, finally, the little-known City Rover.




Rootes Cars of the 1950s, 1960s & 1970s – Hillman, Humber, Singer, Sunbeam & Talbot


Book Description

The only full-colour comprehensive guide to all Hillman, Humber, Sunbeam, Singer & Talbot cars and vans, from 1950 until the end of production in the 1970s. With model-by-model descriptions and detailed technical information, this is an invaluable Rootes resource.




British Car Advertising of the 1960s


Book Description

During the 1960s, the automobile finally secured its position as an indispensable component of daily life in Britain. Car ownership more than doubled from approximately one car for every 10 people in 1960 to one car for every 4.8 people by 1970. Consumers no longer asked "Do we need a car?" but "What car shall we have?" This well-illustrated history analyzes how both domestic car manufacturers and importers advertised their products in this growing market, identifying trends and themes. Over 180 advertisement illustrations are included.




British Lorries of the 1950s


Book Description

This book is a highly visual study of British lorries built during the 1950s, and contains 120 colour and black and white images, many contemporary. The photographic content extends to publicity material as well as the preservation scene depicting historic vehicles at work. All the familiar, and less familiar, names are evident, and the comprehensive text reveals much about Britain's commercial vehicle and road haulage industries, along with those marques that were household names.




British Microcars 1947–2002


Book Description

From the 1940s to the 1960s, the microcar posed a challenge to the large companies that mass-produced cars to uniform designs. The microcar was the opposite, produced by small entrepreneurial start-ups using quirky design concepts that offered motorists cheaper and more economical vehicles. This book is a beautifully illustrated history of the British microcar, from the early days of Bond and Reliant to the proliferation of micro marques during the 1950s and their demise during the 1960s. It explores many eccentric British concepts, comparing the cars to their influential European competitors, examining the social and economic reasons for the decline and disappearance of the microcar, but also saluting the signs of a microcar renaissance in the twenty-first century, this time from mainstream manufacturers.




The Complete Catalogue of the Mini


Book Description

The original Mini was offered in hundreds of variants during its extraordinarily long, 40-year production run. First there were the standard Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor saloon, van, pick-up and estate versions. Then came a whole family of Mini-Coopers, the upmarket Wolseley and Riley models, the Moke and the Clubman. It went on from there until there were dozens of models and special editions around the globe, and individual countries applying their own modifications to the Mini. All of these are covered in The Complete Catalogue of the Mini, with photographs, descriptions, specifications, performance figures, and production dates and numbers. Whether you want to look up or identify a particular Mini or simply absorb the enormous range and variety of the Mini's incarnations, this, never attempted before, is the book.