The Mini, now an emblem of the Swinging Sixties, was in fact the product of an age of austerity and shortage, a simple design intended to make motoring more accessible and affordable for the average family. Ironically, it would become something very different: a modern, classless style icon that appealed across the boundaries of social status, age and gender and lent its name to everything from fashion to furniture. Using illustrations from the archives of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, Gillian Bardsley here tells the Mini's story, from the inspired conception of designer Alec Issigonis, through the car's shaky infancy and up to its glorious heyday when it was beloved of film stars, royalty and the public, as well as having a prominent presence in motorsport.

This book tells the fascinating, and sometimes frustrating, story of the journey from the iconic Jaguar E-type to its successor, the F-type. With nearly 300 photographs, it documents the evolution of the F-type from the Pininfarina XJ Spider through Jaguar's own XJ41/42, XX and XK180. It reviews the whole range of F-type convertible and coupe models and discusses the wild Project 7 and the latest turbo-charged four-cylinder cars. The special vehicles produced for Team Sky and Bloodhound SSC are included along with a useful chapter on buying an F-type. Finally, the book considers the F-type's future in a changing automotive world.

Between 1965 and the Nineties, the 1000 Km of Monza-Filippo Caracciolo Trophy, was one of the most classical endurance races - a sort of 24 hours of Le Mans - and for many seasons was, rightfully, a round in the world championships for sports cars and prototypes. Top drivers and cars challenged each other on that historic Italian track and banking, the car makers including Porsche, Ferrari and Ford, bringing to life many unforgettable pages in the history of motor sport. Aldo Zana, prominent motor racing historian, tells this fabulous story, year after year, included the competitions held between 1995 and 2008. Every edition is enriched with starting grids and final placings. A huge work, never attempted since now, illustrated with outstanding pictures, many of them never before published.

'Sweet, funny, heartbreaking but uplifting at the same time. I absolutely LOVED this book.'Alice Fletcher doesn't like to take chances and she certainly doesn't believe in fate. Three years after the end of her last long-term relationship, she's in no hurry to risk another heartbreak. But fate has other plans. One day, on her drive home, Alice comes across a man, dazed and lost, by the side of a wrecked car. And with no one else around, Alice goes to help. TV star Jimmy Mack is riding the crest of the career wave one minute, and the next he's staring at his crashed car. But when Alice comes to rescue him, things start to look up. What Alice and Jimmy discover next changes everything. Fate might have marked them out for each other, but somehow their destinies have got tangled. Will they get their happily-ever-after, or might their time together be shorter than either of them would hope... Join Jill Steeples for this truly 'out of this world' romance and a love story to remember. Perfect for fans of Jessica Redland, Cathy Bramley and Miranda Dickinson. Please note that this book was previously published as Desperately Seeking Heaven. What readers are saying about Jill Steeples: 'So beautiful. So soothing. Filled me with warmth for quite sometime after reading it. Amongst all other things Jill Steeples teaches readers to dream, believe, love and live life to the fullest.' 'What a fabulous book! I was so engrossed nothing was getting in the way of reading this. The ending was not what I expected - and I've never been so pleased to be wrong footed!' 'This is so much more than a 'romance' and the twists and turns had me desperate to know how it was all going to turn out.' 'So I'm sitting here with tears streaming down my cheeks as I write. I have literally just put down this amazing book. I have read some brilliant and heart warming things in my time, but this really did get to me.'

In the very beginning, the automotive industry was dominated by open-top vehicles whose body shapes were very much based on the horse-drawn carriage, there were open and closed carriages and then there was the Coupe. These were developed from the type of carriage known as the Berlin coach, which was designed as a classic vehicle for individual luxury travel and prestige. This type of carriage offered an intimate atmosphere focused exclusively on the passengers; it did not even have space for luggage, it simply exuded style, elegance and luxury in every way. This first volume of the Mercedes-Benz Coupe book addresses the journey from what was a functional sports car design to what has become the incomparable Mercedes-Benz 'Sports Coupe'; its timeless body design has remained, even today both a dream car and a dream Coupe to anyone whom aspires to follow in the footsteps of the early individualists who chose style and elegance over practicality. With over 300 photographs and illustrations, this book includes: an overview of the early days of 'Sports-Car' design; the influences of aerodynamics on design evolution; early protagonists at Daimler-Benz and how they influenced design of the Coupe shape; how the Racing Coupe influenced what became the production Sport Coupe; the experimental and one-off prototypes, and finally the continuation of the Super Sport Light concept through the 'S-Class' range.

The Story of Ferrari is a pocket-sized and exceptionally designed celebration of the legendary manufacturer. Speed, luxury, excellence and innovation have defined Ferrari as the world's most revered car manufacturer for more than 70 years. In The Story of Ferrari, every key aspect of the Prancing Horse's history is explored and showcased, from the first car built under the Ferrari name in 1947 through to the global giant and cultural force it has become today. Delving into the design and engineering philosophies instilled by Enzo Ferrari, this book highlights the most iconic models across decades of Ferrari history, including the 125 S, F40, Testarossa and Enzo. Ferrari is also the most successful name in motorsport, with 16 Formula 1 Constructors' Championship titles to its name. The stories of its victories and adversities on the track, as well as the drivers and engineers who helped make it such a success, are covered here as well. Filled with stunning imagery and insightful commentary, The Story of Ferrari charts the history of this legendary marque in a package worthy of the name.

In the world of grand touring cars, Aston Martin occupies a special place. The English firm has always distinguished itself by its restraint, by the elegance of its creations, by the discretion of its style, by a reserve rarely observed in a universe that willingly abandons itself to exuberance. This book is devoted to DB models. David Brown relaunched the brand with emblematic cars, including some models that later became legendary, like the famous DB5 of James Bond. The history of Aston Martin over the past 70 years is organised around eight main designs. They are all strongly typed; directly associated with their creators, and with the nature of the successive owners of the company. Serge Bellu, a specialist in the history of the automobile, has produced a superbly illustrated book on the history of this typically British brand.

Vauxhalls held a special place in the British motoring scene of the mid-twentieth century. Solid, reliable and respectable, they were carefully designed to meet the expectations of buyers and also to meet the global ambitions of General Motors in America, the company that owned the Vauxhall marque. The book covers just over two decades of Vauxhall history, between the late 1950s and the late 1970s, that saw Vauxhall producing a succession of fondly remembered models, including some genuine classics. This new book features the styling, engineering and specification changes introduced over the lifetime of the Victor, Cresta and Viva ranges, and their offshoots. It gives full technical specifications of each model and includes a special examination of engine development in this period. Finally, there is advice about buying each of these models.

When launched, the Ford Capri was revolutionary. It was a car that set the European market alight, allowing even a buyer on a modest budget an intoxicating whiff of the exotic whilst keeping running costs ataffordable levels. That status eroded over time, and the Capri sat in the classic car doldrums for many years, its true worth unrecognized. That situation has thankfully changed, and Capri values are rising rapidly, so care has to be taken to make sure you end up with the best one possible for your money. This guide takes the potential purchaser through a short initial examination to weed out the obviously defective followed by a more comprehensive step by step look at the body and mechanical parts, where the clear, jargon-free text accompanied by over 100 photographs sheds light on even the darkest corners of the Capri's construction. A unique points marking system ensures that nothing is overlooked, and an accurate final picture of the car's condition can be viewed in relation to the asking price.

In the aftermath of the World War II, the long established Rover company of Solihull was fighting to survive. It needed a vehicle that would give it an advantage over its rivals. Taking the American Willys Jeep as inspiration, Rover designers came up with a four-wheel drive utility vehicle that would become an all-time classic. The Land Rover has undergone a number of facelifts in its sixty year life, but the vehicle made today is fundamentally very close to the 1948 original.
In 1970 the original Land Rover was joined by the Range Rover, originally conceived as a more comfortable utility vehicle but soon seized upon as the first in a new class of luxury vehicle. The Discovery was built to a similar brief to the original Range Rover, but has stayed closer to its conception, and in more recent times the range has been expanded further by the Freelander and Range Rover Sport SUVs.
This story of Land Rover, written by the foremost historian of the marque, encompasses all the models and divides them according to their use. The distinguished histories of Land Rover on expedition, in agriculture, warfare, and in many other fields are told separately, giving a new angle on this popular subject.

With the end of the Second World War, it was not long before increasing wealth, cheaper cars, and social pressures made a family car the aspiration of thousands. Ford, Hillman, Standard, Morris and Vauxhall became household names, and the streets of Britain's suburbs began to fill with modern-looking saloon cars, designed to transport mother, father and 2.4 children with ease, if not speed.
This illustrated book looks at the British cars that were available to the post-war family, and also some of the foreign makes that had an important place in the market, and which had a great influence on the British-made cars that followed.

In May 1958, one of the world's largest motor manufacturers unveiled a diminutive two-seater that would take the world by storm. Small in stature yet able to punch well above its weight, the Austin-Healey Sprite rapidly gained an enthusiastic following among keen drivers, as well as an impressive record in competition. Being neither expensive nor exotic, for many motorists the Sprite opened the door to sports car ownership and, in so doing, its commercial success was almost guaranteed. With over 250 photographs, this book includes: the genesis of the Sprite, from the Austin Seven and pre-war MG Midget, via Donald Healey's Riley- and Nash-engined models, to the Austin A30, A90 Atlantic and Healey Hundred. The development, launch and market reception is covered along with details of the evolution from Mk I to Mk IV, including the Frogeye and restyled ADO 41. Rallies, racing and record breaking details are given as well as information on modifications, special-bodied variants, replicas and finally, buying and restoring a Sprite today.

In the 1970s, as car enthusiasts in the U.S. grew bored with models manufactured under tightening pollution and safety regulations, some innovative dealers exploited a legal loophole-designed to allow U.S. soldiers and diplomats to return from abroad with their vehicles-to import exotic cars never intended for sale in America. During the 1980s, a rise in the value of the dollar made car shopping in Europe a bargain hunter's dream. A network of unauthorized "gray market" dealers emerged, bypassing factory channels. Middle-class Americans suddenly found they could afford a Mercedes or BMW. These cars had to pass through U.S. customs, equipped to handle only a few independent imports annually. As applications ballooned, the regulatory system collapsed. This is the story of a misunderstood but fascinating period in the automotive industry, when creative importers found ways to put American motorists in new Ferraris while the EPA and DOT were backed up with mounds of paperwork.