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Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Road & motor vehicles: general interest > Motor cars: general interest
The Mazda Miata is one of the most popular sports cars on the road
today. In production for more than 20 years, the Miata's popularity
has grown, and the number of aftermarket components available to
the Miata enthusiast has grown, too. This immense selection of
parts has made it difficult for many would-be modifiers to choose
the proper combination that will help them reach the goals they
have set for their two-seaters. Author and Miata expert Keith
Tanner has been modifying, repairing, building, and racing Miatas
for years, and he will guide you through how to best modify your
car to suit your needs, starting with an explanation on how
everything works and how the various parts will interact. You'll
not only learn what upgrades will help you reach your goals, but
also how to adjust or modify what you have to make your car work at
its best. From autocross to cross-country touring, the Miata can do
it all. Keith Tanner tells you how to make it happen!
Lotus introduced the Type 75 Elite in 1974. Being a full
four-seater coupe with an opening glass tailgate, it was designed
to carry a family in comfort while retaining Lotus' trademark,
excellent road holding and handling. Perhaps most importantly, it
was the first - and successful - step in Colin Chapman's plan to
move upmarket and away from Lotus' kit car image. The Elite gave
rise to two derivatives, the Eclat and the Excel. The Eclat was a
restyled coupe version, sacrificing the Elite's unique rear styling
and good rear passenger headroom for a more stylish exterior. With
its conventional coupe styling, the Eclat was more mainstream than
the Elite, and it was in the end the better seller. In turn, the
Eclat spawned the Excel, the last of the Elite-inspired family.
Matthew Vale looks at the history of these unusual Lotus models,
and gives a thorough guide to buying and owning the cars today.
The works Minis had a long and distinguished competition history
between 1959 and 1970, when British Leyland bosses closed the
Abingdon Competition Department. The car started its competition
career chasing class awards with the diminutive 850cc Mini, but
once race car designer John Cooper persuaded BMC that they should
build a hot version, the Mini Cooper was born and things moved up a
gear. With the introduction of the Mini Cooper S, the car soon
became a world beater. Winning the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in the
hands of Paddy Hopkirk was a watershed moment which the Abingdon
team repeated three times. During that 11-year period, 77 works
Minis were built, competing in more than 300 events, most of them
international rallies. The 1969 season, when the works Minis went
racing, is also covered, along with the rallycross events. The book
covers each one of those 77 cars which, in their distinctive red
and white paintwork, were a force be reckoned with wherever they
competed. Build details of every car are provided, drawn from
factory build sheets, with information also on when cars were
reshelled and identities swapped. The details of the events entered
and the drivers are the result of analysing hundreds of
contemporary race and rally reports. The result is the most
in-depth study of the works Minis ever published, made possible by
years of research by Robert Young, a lifelong Mini enthusiast.
The original muscle car, the Royal Bobcat GTO was the baby of a
burgeoning Detroit subculture, one not sanctioned by the big
automakers of the early 1960s. In a post - World War II America
hungry for chrome, flash and speed, Royal Pontiac in Royal Oak,
Michigan, modified and sold its souped-up versions of GTOs to
customers, and in the process created a demand for custom street
racers in America. Founded by Ace Wilson, the Royal name became
synonymous with speed. This book outlines the history of the Royal
Bobcat GTO, from the people - including Milt Schornack, the
mechanic who raced for Royal Pontiac and was responsible for the
custom Bobcats - to the fabled midnight test runs on northern
Detroit's famous Woodward Avenue. Fourteen chapters, illustrated
with 25 photographs of vintage GTOs, the infamous Car & Driver
road test photos against a Ferrari GTO, and more, chronicle the
history of a car that changed the focus of the Detroit auto
industry for the next decade. Former editor-in-chief of Hot Rod
Magazine Ro McGonegal contributes a foreword.
American Motors was the little company that made a big impact.
Makers of the Rambler family car, Kenosha offered an antidote to
the excess of Detroit's Big 3. But when America decided it wanted
sporty, rather than econocars, AMC got groovy with the Javelin,
AMX, Scrambler and Rebel Machine. American Motors was a proven
performer in showrooms and on the track, with success in drag and
road course racing. However, through it all came solid Rambler
value, and a different approach from Detroit. An accent on consumer
protection, along with brand label special editions. And when it
came to blue sky thinking, AMC surpassed all with their Gremlin and
Pacer small cars. Off road, Kenosha truly made Jeep 'The One &
Only,' popularizing the brand and making it the sales success it is
today. Beyond that, AMC created America's first crossover, the
Eagle. It all proved that America's smallest ... was its biggest
surprise!
Want to go on a trackday, but don't know where to start? From
the most suitable type of car to buy on your budget, to how to
target modifications to make your car more fun, safer, and faster
on the track, Trackday Car Preparation is the perfect place to
start. Taking you step-by-step through the process of upgrading
your car, whilst keeping a keen eye on your wallet, this book
starts with cheap or even free mods that improve your car's speed
and reliability, and progresses up to the 'big-buck' upgrades that
can give you the ultimate track thrill. It also looks at the pros
and cons of using an ex-race car on trackdays. Fully color
illustrated, and showing modifications installed and in action,
this guide also gives advice on the different trackday companies
around and what they have to offer. Offering tips on insurance,
trackdays abroad, and circuit driving techniques, this guide covers
everything you need to know get the most from your trackday, no
matter what your budget.
Jaguar - A Pictorial History includes information covering Jaguar's
early history from 1922 and lists all model ranges and models
thereafter, right up to the 2000s. With model-by-model descriptions
and detailed technical information, this will be a great resource
for all Jaguar and automotive enthusiasts. This book contains
hundreds of photographs, obtained by the author during his years
involved in the Jaguar Drivers Club and Jaguar Enthusiasts Club as
well as those provided by the Jaguar Heritage archives. This
Pictorial History includes: - Detailed model-by-model comparisons,
including changes in model production - Extensively illustrated
with colour and black & white photographs - Body and interior
styling identification and differences, along with colour schemes -
Detailed technical information and specifications - Standard and
optional equipment details - Dashboard instrument layout drawings
and photographs - Production figures as a total or individual model
where available
Want the Morgan experience, but afraid you'll buy a lemon? Well,
having this book in your pocket is just like having a real marque
expert by your side. Benefit from Phil Benfield's years of Morgan
experience, learn how to spot a bad example quickly, and how to
assess a promising one like a professional. Get the right Morgan
Plus 8 at the right price! Packed with good advice - from running
costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation, and the
Morgan community, to whether this classic car will suit you and
your lifestyle - this is THE COMPLETE GUIDE to choosing, assessing
and buying the Morgan Plus 4 of your dreams.
This book could pay for itself in one repair, it's a perfect
addition to your glovebox.Whether it's a chip on your windscreen,
an annoying scratch on your paintwork, or a key-fob that's not
working, this book could save you money. There are so many simple
fixes that you can do without the need to take your car to the
local garage. It will save you valuable time and money, and is a
book that everyone can use - you don't need any mechanical skills
or specialist tools. It contains easy to follow instructions,
detailed colour photographs, and is written in plain English, using
readily available and cost-effective repair parts. It's suitable
for most cars less than 10 years old, and isn't specific to any
particular make or model. You can keep your car safe, legal and on
the road without the need for costly mechanics bills. You don't
need to take time off work or out of your busy schedule; you can
carry out simple fixes at a time that suits you.
Brothers William and Ben Jowett, of Bradford, Yorkshire, built
their first car in 1906 and tested it for four years before going
into car production in 1910. By the time the factory switched to
First World War munitions work, in 1916, forty-eight cars had been
built. They resumed car production in 1920, and sales went from
strength to strength. The 1930s proved to be a much more difficult
time for Jowett, as a devastating fire in 1930 destroyed the
factory and almost their entire stock of new cars. The brothers
then had to decide whether or not they should rebuild the factory
and start car manufacturing again-luckily, they did, as many
interesting models were produced during this decade. From the first
car in 1906, all cars the Jowetts produced were powered by the
famous flat-twin engine known as 'the little engine with the big
pull' that was used in all cars and light commercial vehicles. In
1935, the range was expanded to include a four-cylinder
horizontally opposed engine, and they used these two engines in
various models until the Second World War.
The story of how one car transformed the entire perception of a car
manufacturer is one of the most interesting and inspiring in
motorsport history. Before the Impreza hit the world rally stages
and started winning on them, few people had even heard of Subaru
cars. However, in partnership with Prodrive, Subaru used its
endeavours in rallying to create a brand appeal that endures to
this day. This manual tells the story of how the project began, the
trials and tribulations that had to be overcome, adn how sweet
success tasted when it finally arrived. Through the thoughts and
recollections of those integral to the projet's success, the
engaging text, supported by numerous archive images and specially
commissioned photographs of a restored car today , details the
technical development of the car and charts its rapid rise to World
Championship glory
Each 96 page, hard cover book in the series is 10 1/2" x 7 5/8" and
contains color and black and white photos, drawings, charts, and
catalog facsimiles. Each classic model is presented in its historic
and developmental aspects.
If you owned a car in 1960s Britain, then you'll love this blast
back in time to when driving was still fun, highway speed limits
were unheard-of (well, until 1965 anyway), and buying a new car was
a thrilling family event. It was a golden period for iconic classic
cars - the Mini Cooper, Jaguar E-type, AC Cobra and MGB - but also
a time when British manufacturers really got their act together
with stylish family models. Who can forget great little runabouts
with evocative names like Anglia, Herald, Imp, Viva, Cortina and
Hunter? Meanwhile, Rovers, Triumphs and Jags were delighting
executives as they cruised along near-empty motorways. It was too
good to last, of course, with regulations looming and fancy foreign
cars creeping on to Britain's driveways by the end of the decade.
In this richly illustrated book, Giles Chapman recalls all the key
cars of the era that you probably owned - or at least coveted - and
brings the swinging '60s back to life.
Saab 99 and 900 is a detailed account of the cars that came from
Saab, the aeroplane maker, whose first car - the 92 model - set the
standard for advanced design epitomized by the 99 and 900 cars. The
author delves deep into the cars' design and history, and into the
core Saab values that they carried into production. Topics include:
detailed design history of the 99 and 900; year-by-year
developments; technically detailed engineering overviews; detailed
specifications; advice on owning and buying and, finally, coverage
of rallying and special models.
Few cars in history have grabbed the public's fancy as much as the
ill-fated Edsel-the Titanic of automobiles, a marketing disaster
whose magnitude has made it a household word. Remarkably, there has
never before been a book that tells the whole story-how the Edsel
was planned, created, produced, and marketed. This richly
illustrated book is the result of years of research by an
award-winning automotive historian with access to the dark reaches
of the Ford Motor Company's archives. The author also interviewed
most of the original key Edsel design team stylists, who have
supplied additional archival material. The result is a unique
history of the Edsel program from the initial discussions in the
late 1940s, through the first sketches in the mid-1950s, to the
last, unlamented 1960 models. The Edsel story, however, deals with
much more than a new brand of car. It was a key component in a
deadly serious corporate undertaking at Ford Motor Company
following World War II. Ford wanted to remedy years of
mismanagement and return the company to parity with General Motors
by dramatically expanding Ford's presence in the burgeoning
medium-priced field. The Edsel was the most spectacular failure in
that effort, but was only one pawn in a complex, high-stakes chess
game that was a thoroughgoing disaster from start to finish. In the
case of the Edsel, the failure was the result of almost too many
factors to count: poorly conceived marketing, contentious internal
corporate politics, bad quality control, and, ultimately, lack of
support at the higher reaches of the corporation. The greatest
irony of all, though, is that the Edsel-as this book demonstrates
in its surprising conclusion-was actually a modest success that
deserved continued management support.
The Cadillac story is more than the story of a car company. It is,
in many ways, the story of the American automobile industry
itself-- which, as much as any industry, drove America's growth in
the twentieth century and defined who we are as a people: mobile
and prosperous. Cadillac, again and again, played a critical role
in that story, for both good and ill.
In the depths of the Great Depression, the brand redefined itself
and the luxury market. After World War II, it epitomized expansive
prosperity. Then, in the 1980s, it epitomized the industrial crisis
that had suddenly overtaken America. Today, Cadillac's struggle to
survive in a furiously competitive--and suddenly
international--automobile industry mirrors the challenges facing
American industry as a whole. Its success in meeting those
challenges will have much to say about the future of American
industry and of General Motors.
This book describes in a clear, friendly manner everything
today's driver needs to know about choosing and using a car in an
economical and eco-efficient way. It explains what matters most to
the car buyer when optimum fuel economy and lowest emissions are
priorities, and why four wheel drive and automatic transmission
present challenges to eco-friendly driving.
It was a reasonable success when in 1999 the first Audi R8 drove
directly onto the stage in Le Mans. One year later it was the
overall victory with a triumphant triple place. Up until 2016 the
race cars with four rings got 12 more victories, making competitors
tremble at the world’s hardest motor race. On occasion of the
100th anniversary of the legendary 24 hour race the
text-and-picture book Audi in Le Mans undertakes an exciting
journey into the past. Impressive pictures and loads of background
knowledge from the company’s archives tell us about a piece of
Audi history – with fresh eyes and full of suspense. All
highlights, all successes: Audi Sport‘s spectacular success story
at Le Mans Backgrounds, facts and stories on Audi models, drivers
and races Audi race car in the flashlight: numerous photos from the
company’s archives Thrilling car book with high-quality design:
ideal gift for Audi fans and race enthusiasts Starting a new race
car series is a challenge for car makers. The 24 hours of Le Mans
are especially known as a severe endurance test for man and
material. And Audi knew how to use the famous long-distance race as
a stage for new technologies, all the while living up to their
slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” (“leading by technology”):
the fast and reliable Audi models left their competitors in the
dust. Also, the first victory of a car with diesel-and-hybrid
technology went to the German car brand. In more than 300 pages,
this illustrated book depicts the impressive history of the brand
from 1999 until the WEC exit in 2016.
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