Collecting diecast toy cars has become an increasingly popular hobby over the last 25 years. Many of the classic diecast cars of the 1950s and 1960s are now valuable collectors' items, and surviving examples in mint and boxed condition regularly fetch significant sums at specialist auctions.This book provides a comprehensive survey of the companies that made these toys in the 1950s and 1960s, not only in Britain but in other European countries, the USA, Japan and beyond. Major names such as Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys, Spot-On and Matchbox (Great Britain), Solido (France), Marklin and Gama (Germany ), Tekno (Denmark) and Tootsietoy (USA) are examined, but a unique feature of the book is the wealth of information provided on many smaller and more obscure brands. These include Crescent, Budgie, Chad Valley and Lone Star (UK), CIJ and JRD (France), Dalia (Spain), Buby (Argentina), Gamda (Israel) and many others about which information is hard to come by. A special chapter is devoted to early Japanese diecast models by Cherryca Phenix, Model Pet and Diapet, which are among the rarest and most sought-after of all diecasts. Fascinating insights into company histories are provided, together with 300 photographs of rare examples of the toys themselves, in mint condition with their original boxes. A further unique feature is the inclusion of a large selection of colourful and evocative illustrations from catalogues and period trade advertisements. For the newcomer to the collecting hobby, this book will provide an ideal guide to the history of the manufacturers active in this field, while experienced collectors will make many new discoveries. At the end of the book, readers will find a handy glossary listing the names of many of the companies that manufactured diecast toy cars in the 1950s and 1960s.

Patrick Dyer's eighth book in the 'at work' series takes the reader on a journey with ERF, England's last independent truck manufacturer, between the years 1975 and 1993 with the B, C, CP and E-series trucks that the Sandbach based company produced in the face of overwhelming competition from foreign manufacturers.Apart from the renowned economy, reliability and longevity of the products, the B, C, CP and E-series truck ranges were all linked by the remarkable SP cab, which combined a steel cage with bolt on SMC panels. The system was so revolutionary that ERF patented it. The low cost of design and manufacture allowed it to update and improve its cabs with each series.ERF B, C, CP & E-series at Work draws on over 200 fine photographs from the manufacturer and trucking enthusiasts, which combine with the informative text to tell the remarkable story of these ERF products through some of the most turbulent years of the company's existence.

ON THE ROAD: GROWING UP IN EIGHT JOURNEYS - MY EARLY YEARS is a new form of autobiography, in which TOP GEAR presenter Richard Hammond tells the story of his early life through a series of significant driving episodes. He's a child in the back seat of Dad's car on the way to the seaside in Weston-Super-Mare. He's on his first bike, a red one, in Solihull, then on his first motorcycle, a Honda MTX50. He's at the wheel of his first car (and in the back with his first girlfriend). He is driving a furniture delivery van as part of his first job in and around Ripon. Now he is showing off with a friend, risking everything. ON THE ROAD is an emotional road map in which each chapter has its own registration number, and its own distinctive interior. Most importantly, each chapter sets off and arrives. ON THE ROAD surges on to its destination, reversing or moving quickly through the gears, reliving the central episodes and conflicts of Richard's life. Every chapter is a stage in a longer journey. Although there are precious few road-rage monologues against four-wheel drivers and men in vests in white vans, Richard Hammond's readers will quickly recognise the funny self-deprecating and balanced ease that has made him one of Britain's best-loved writers and television presenters.

The full story of the Half-Ton Land Rover 'Lightweight', packed with many previously unpublished facts and photographs. Covers all variants used in the UK and abroad. Invaluable to all would-be buyers, owners, restorers and modellers. Mark Cook was amongst the first to join the Ex-Military Land Rover Association and served in various positions, including Chairman and newsletter editor. Mark restored the only surviving Northern Ireland Armoured Lightweight, which is displayed at shows all around the UK.

Early in the twentieth century, the increasing number of motor vehicles led to each county being allocated distinctive letters to use in licencing. In Cornwall's case these were AF and every vehicle, whether propelled by steam or by the internal combustion engine, had to carry these letters in its registration. In this book, Ernie Warmington has drawn on his wide-ranging collection of Cornish postcards and other memorabilia to show road transport in the county through time. Starting with the horse-drawn wagons which carried gold bullion between Falmouth and London in the late nineteenth century, the author moves on to the early motor vehicles owned by bankers, clergymen, mine-owners and other local gentry and ends with the modern transport we all use today. With detailed captions providing historical and social context, this is an intriguing compilation of images sure to delight anyone with an interest in Cornwall and its heritage.

Britain's biggest county, Yorkshire, was particularly affected by the period of deregulation. Many independents have fallen by the wayside over the years but others have come to take their places. The blue buses of Samuel Ledgard of Leeds, the red ones of Connor & Graham in Hull and the delightful colours of Felix Motors of Hatfield may now be only memories, yet there are still plenty of other small businesses providing bus services within the boundaries of Yorkshire. These vary from Powells providing buses in industrial South Yorkshire to Reliance Motor Services running out from York to the rural north. John Law was born and bred in Yorkshire and has been photographing the bus scene there since the 1960s, often focusing on the independent firms that have flourished throughout the county over the years. In this book he has chosen the best of his collection, featuring a variety of photographs to illustrate the independent bus sector in the great county of Yorkshire.

Blazefield commenced operations in 1991, having bought the final shares in the former AJS Holdings group. From the beginning it was clear that Blazefield had a strong approach to passengers and the growth of the business. With over 300 vehicles, most of the operations were in Yorkshire with a base in London for its Sovereign unit along with a smaller operation based in and around Cambridge. Route branding and a simple livery was a combination that worked well for increasing passengers and vehicle renewal. The Volvo chassis range and Wrightbus bodywork were the standard for the group. Growth came in the shape of the former Stagecoach operations in East Lancashire. In late 2006 Transdev were successful in acquiring Blazefield. Transdev continued to form a strong brand. Today expansion in local identities along with colourful brands see Transdev taking the lead in modern-day bus operation.

The North of England has long been an area of immense interest to bus enthusiasts. In Urban Buses in Northern England , Peter Tucker presents a fine selection of photographs representing the area's urban bus scene between the 1990s and the present day. Urban Buses in Northern England covers the North East, North West and Yorkshire regions of England, including operators such as Arriva, First, Northern, Stagecoach and Yorkshire Rider, plus much-loved independents such as Black Prince and OK Travel. Urban Buses in Northern England will be of immense interest to bus enthusiasts and those with an interest in the changing face of northern England since the 1990s.

At 10.41am on a Tuesday morning in September, Mark Mason boards the number 1A bus at Land's End in Cornwall. Forty-six buses and eleven days later he disembarks at John O'Groats in Scotland. Move Along Please is his account of that gruelling 1100-mile odyssey; a paint-by-bus-numbers portrait of Britain. Along the way he visits everywhere from the village where the internet enters Britain to the urban sprawl of Birmingham (inspiration for the Two Towers in Lord of the Rings). He samples staples of the British diet from curry to the deep-fried Mars Bar, and uncovers countless fascinating facts about his native land - did you know, for example, that Crewe Alexandra football club is named after the wife of Edward VII, that Loch Ness could hold the water from all the lakes in England and Wales, or that there is a village which rejoices in the name Tongue End? Set against the backdrop of 2000 years of history and with a full supporting cast drawn from that most unusual of species, the Great British Public, this is the unmissable story of a man rediscovering his nation in all its idiosyncratic glory.