Cars are frequently an expression of their owners personalities and the wealth of examples included here along with their owners stories are testament to the importance many of us attach to safeguarding this personal space while making it our public face. My Cool Classic Car features 40 vehicles from around the world including the small but perfectly formed Fiat 500, the Bavarian Goggomobil, Willys WW2 Jeep, the Plymouth Belvedere with its extraordinary trademark wings, the popular and trustworthy Morris Minor, and the Mini, the design success of the 60s.
With the motor industry in turmoil and environmental concerns more pressing than ever, this book highlights the latest cars that promise to challenge our dependency on fossil fuels. Teslas S offers an alternative to the traditional luxury sports sedan, Chevrolets Volt could leap-frog Toyota and Hondas trailblazing hybrids, Smart goes zero-emission, while electric cars from Renault and Nissan are bringing up the rear.The books scope is global, examining Indian company Tatas affordable Nano, supercars developed in Morocco, home-grown peoples cars in Iran, Saabs reinvention at the hands of Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg, Hummers new Chinese future, and the demise of legendary brands like Pontiac. Can Jaguar roar back under new ownership? Will Rolls-Royce overtake Bentley with its new entry-level model? How is Europe reacting to newly-introduced Infiniti and Cadillac models? What is Fiat planning at Chrysler?Written to satisfy autophiles without confusing learner drivers, this unparalleled guide to todays most stylish, innovative and intriguing automobiles also looks at the companies pushing the frontiers of design, value, and technology. Featuring a chapter on every manufacturer of note and their most desirable models, with hundreds of original photographs and illustrations, as well as interviews with designers and entrepreneurs at the forefront of change, and special features exploring street culture, it demystifies the rapidly evolving world of motoring for discerning drivers.Whether youre looking for an off-road workhorse or a limousine, an electric urban runabout or an exotic supercar, if its on the road and worth a spin its in this book.
An illustrated encyclopedia with more than 600 photographs. From the American Austin to the Zimmer, this A-Z directory includes all of the most well-known makes and models dating from the 19th century to the modern day - perfect for the automobile enthusiast!
With understatement, high-class individuality, and conservative reliability, the Aston Martin takes its place among the ranks of the most exclusive sports cars. Only an illustrated book of the highest quality can do justice to the charm and elegance of this exclusive British car, making this volume an absolute must-have for every Aston Martin fan. Aston Martin is a feast for the eyes in the truest sense of the word. Lavishly illustrated with more than 500 colour photographs, which were shot especially for this book, it covers the entire history of this automobile - a history full of passion. With 280 pages and an abundance of information, the exciting text consolidates the total picture.
Details: The love of fast cars has moved into top gear. From its beginnings as a rebellious underground pasttime, it has become a huge cult, spawning its own exciting subcultures in music, art and fashion. Speedseekers is the ultimate book on the world of Hot Rods and Custom Culture. Alexandra Lier spent a decade at the epicentre of the scene revving engines and burning rubber with the worlds foremost mechanics, racers and adrenaline junkies. With hundreds of full colour photographs and graphics throughout, this book more exciting than a nitro-burning supercharged Hemi is the ultimate cult guide to the greatest human obsession of all going fast! Ideal for: Anyone interested in the fastest and craziest cars around. This hardback has 272 pages and measures 22.5cm x 28.5cm x 3cm
This book is the perfect guide for car lovers. The best-loved dream cars and fast cars are presented in large, stunning photographs, showing the streamlined bodies and the well known details such as fins and hub caps. The comprehensive text provides the cars' history, including prices, body material, and how the cars were built. The easily seen statistics provide all the information that a car afficionado could wish for, including the acceleration time from 0-60mph, the engine size, the dates the cars were manufactured, and the type of suspension. From the AC Cobra 427 to the TVR Griffith - no matter which car is the special one - they're all here.
Details: In this book Steven Parissien examines the impact, development and significance of the automobile over its turbulent and colourful 130-year history. He tells the story of the auto, and of its creators, from its earliest appearance in the 1880s - as little more than a powered quadricycle - via the early pioneer carmakers, the advances of the interwar era, the 'Golden Age' of the 1950s and the iconic years of the 1960s to the decades of doubt and uncertainty following the oil crisis of 1973, which culminated in the global mergers of the 1990s and the bailouts of the early twenty-first century. This is not just a story of horsepower and performance. The Life of the Automobile is a tale of people: of intuitive carmakers such as Benz, Agnelli, Royce and Citroen; of exceptionally gifted designers such as Issigonis, Lefebvre, Michelotti and Bangle; and of visionary industrialists such as Ford, Tata and Porsche. Above all, The Life of the Automobile demonstrates how the epic story of the car mirrors the history of the modern era, from the brave hopes and soaring ambitions of the early twentieth century to the cynicism and ecological concerns of a century later. Ideal for: Anyone interested in cars or motorsport. A well written, presented and nicely produced book. This hardback book has 437 pages and measures: 24.1 x 16 x 4cm
Details: An extraordinary record of the last 40 years of road racing, bringing together iconic images of the races, bikes and riders by the worlds number one roadracing photographer, Stephen Davison. In over 150 pictures, and drawing on the remarkable photographic archive of Clifford McLean, Stephen Davison charts the last 40 years of the sport of roadracing from the early races, the characters who have made the sport so popular, to the excitement of todays races where the bikes reach over 200 mph and fans travel across the globe to support the riders. Between the Hedges is Davisons stunning collection of the best images of roadracing, accompanied by his unique insights into the riders and the sport. A truly comprehensive record or the sport then and now. Ideal for: A superb book for road racing fanatics. This hardback book has 144 pages and measures: 25.7 x 25.7 x 1.3cm.
Raking through the dirt of the old speedway tracks - Belle Vue, Droylesden, and Audenshaw - to the purpose built arena of the North Manchester Motor Club, the latest volume in this comprehensive series evokes the "Golden Era" of Manchester speedway. With stats, photos, and an informed narrative, these are good memories for racing fans.
This book is another in a series that's charting the history of speedway in Britain. This volume looks at Wales, and is heavily illustrated throughout with photographs from the local newspaper libraries, combined with a narrative history of the sport in Wales from its birth in 1928 to its resurrection in 2002.
An illustrated encyclopedia with over 600 stunning photographs. The Ultimate Guide to Muscle Cars covers the history of muscle cars from the forerunners of the early 20th century to today's iconic models, including close-up colour pictures looking at the engine, interiors, badges and special features of the cars. A fascinating and lively insight into a popular motoring phenomenon, perfect for all motoring fans!
Details: The ultimate classic car set. Includes a little book of Ferrari telling the complete story of one of the worlds most iconic cars. Containing hundreds of photographs. Set also includes a 116 minute DVD on the history of the ferrari. Ideal For: Makes the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in cars and motorsport.
Details: The modern Nissan GT-R, produced since 1989, is an unparalleled piece of automotive technology that revolutionised sports car dynamics. This book explores the unique attributes of the Nissan GT-R, reviewing its invention and evolution from the 1950s to the present day. Racing genealogy of the GT-R is revealed, and the installation and development history of all the modern car's main features is examined, including an in-depth description of the revolutionary suspension and dynamics control systems. The book is based on a comparative analysis of GT-R models, and readers will discover many detailed technical specifications of GT-R models. The motorsport history of the GT-R reveals its competitive nature, exposing its strengths and weaknesses - its performance in the 24 hour Nurburgring race is particularly enlightening when comparing the car to other GTs. Featuring race results from ever year of the GT-R's participation in motorsport events, and with over 400 photos, diagrams and schema, this book is essential reading for sports car fans. Ideal for: Lovers of cars and those with an interest in Nissan's GT-R. Whether you are a technical boff and want to understand the workings of an engineering masterpiece, or just an enthusiast that wants to learn about the history behind the GT-R, this book has it all. This hardback book has 25.8 x 25.7 x 2.3cm
This pack includes eight posters recalling the history of motorsport. Share the excitement of the first race held at Indianapolis (1909), the first race on a fast circuit in France (Reims, 1938), and the 300th World Championship Grand Prix (Kylami, 1978). In full colour, these fantastic designs convey the speed and drama of motor racing. They are ready to frame and hang in your home. Eight prints enclosed are: The Swiss Grand Prix, 1934 Reims, 1938 Wheel to Wheel: the Indianopolis Motor Speedway, 1909 The South African Grand Prix, 1978 24 Heures du Mans, 1961 TT Races, Isle of Man, 1961 The 10th International Kesselberg Race, 1935 The Monaco Grand Prix, 1936
The V6-powered Biturbo was launched by Maserati in 1981 as a stylish, luxury sports car, and after a rocky start it developed into a series of ever-quicker and more accomplished models like the Spyder, Shamal and Ghibli - cherished by those who love owning and driving these pieces of Italian motoring history. The Biturbo, so-called because of its twin turbochargers, was in time joined by other Maseratis using the same engines and other common components, including the Spyder, Shamal and Ghibli II. This book by motoring historian John Price Williams tells the story of all these cars, and also the Quattroporte saloon. Full production details are included, along with numerous photographs of the cars, from the launch of the first Biturbo to the end of production of the last of the Biturbo family in 1997.
Details: 500 of the greatest, most important cars ever made, collected together in one definitive compendium of cool. In this unique bible of motoring coolness, Top Gear's Matt Master recounts the stories behind history's greatest cars, from pre-war vintage motors to the supercars of the future, pairing stunning Top Gear photography and rarely seen archive photographs with expert commentary. He'll break down the technology behind these incredible machines and place each car in the context of its time, with anecdotes and analysis that explain just what's so cool about each one. From the quintessential British luxury of the Bentley Brooklands to the Italian sex appeal of the Bizzarini Strada, the old Hollywood glamour of the Chrysler Airflow to the futuristic lines of the Aston Martin Bulldog via Steve McQueen's Ford Mustang and James Dean's doomed Porsche Spyder, this will be social history as much as car worship. Ideal for: The only book like it on the market, this is the evolution of cool, Top Gear-style; the definitive guide to the undisputed coolest cars on the planet. The perfect gift for car lovers everywhere. This hardback book has 312 pages and measures: 28.5 x 25.5 x 2.5cm.
Showcasing the world's most desirable cars, including the Bugatti Veyron and LaFerrari, this book is a must have for fast car enthusiasts all over! Packed with facts, stats and technical specs for each car, find out all you need to know about these show-stopping machines. Also included are 5 pieces of striking memorabilia, with fascinating photographs and collectable postcards.