Since the early 1920s the name Bluebird has been synonymous with world speed record breaking on land and water. Driven first by Sir Malcolm Campbell, then his son Donald, and latterly by Donald's nephew Donald Wales in electric powered vehicles, they have consistently pushed records ever higher.This book is the story of the design and construction of the fastest of the Bluebirds, the Campbell-Norris 7 (CN7). This car, now resident in the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu in England, is the most sophisticated design ever produced for a wheel-driven record breaker. Using methods and materials developed for the aircraft industry, the CN7, given suitable running conditions, was capable in 1960 of a speed exceeding that produced by the present wheel-driven record holder 19 years later.The author was first employed by the designers Norris Brothers Ltd as a design draughtsman on the Bluebird K7 hydroplane. After completing his National Service in the RAF, he rejoined the company to work with the two chief designers developing the specification for CN7, and he later became project co-ordinator for its construction.

In the postwar years, Henry Ford delivered the 'Right Size Ford, ' the practical ride many American families wanted. As things got fancier in the fifties, Ford jazzed up matters with the Fairlane, a legendary Dearborn nameplate. Covering the evolution of Henry's family chariot into the muscle car, with all those hallowed V8s of yore, this book reveals the commercial and performance zenith of late '60s America, as buyers optioned Torino and Gran Torino to their hearts' content. It's said that Ford stands for 'First On Race Day: ' read how Henry showed his domestic rivals how it was done on the racetrack, and in the showroom - can you say Thunderbolt 427?! With the Fairlane, Henry invented the midsize car; with the Ranchero, the car-based pickup ...and this book, above all, is an account of Ford being ahead of the game.

The Story of Mini is a pocket-sized and beautifully illustrated celebration of the iconic car. For more than 60 years, the Mini has been one of the most beloved and instantly recognisable cars on the road. From its humble beginnings with the British Motor Corporation in 1959, to the modern BMW-backed models of today, The Story of Mini tells the story of the car and the unique culture that has built up around it. Exploring the evolution of Mini design from the original two-door model - the most popular British car of all time - through to the diverse range of Minis available today, this book is an exceptionally designed tribute to the marque, and the people who helped create it. Touching on the Mini's impact on pop culture, as well as the racing heritage cultivated by the legendary John Cooper, and filled with stunning imagery and insightful commentary, The Story of Mini charts the history of this beloved brand in a small but perfectly formed package.

This book on the Porsche 911 (997) is the fifth of six planned in The Essential Companion series, and the fourth with Veloce Publishing. It carries on the tradition established with Adrian Streather's first Porsche 911 book on the 964 series, and contains everything a 997 owner needs to know, plus a lot more. The 997 series was the first to be fitted with Japanese-manufactured transmissions; this then-new technology, and the transmission details, is explained in depth. All other new technology advancements installed into the first generation 997 are also described, along with details of all the advantages and improvements the 997 has over previous 911 series. Every 2004 to 2012 model year version is described, along with the 3.6- and 3.8-litre engines, and the associated engine management software combinations for the many different national variants. In other words, no matter where on the planet a 997 owner resides, their version of the car is covered in this book.

With a history that spans more than 50 years, the Ford Mustang has become a living legend. Appealing to many for its varied options, muscular looks and stellar performance; the retro-styling of the fifth generation Mustang harks back to the heydays of the 1960s and early 1970s, when the Mustang became an instant hit with the American public upon its launch and proceeded to become a worldwide motoring icon. Arguably the best Ford Mustang produced to-date, the 2005-2014 Mustang (known as 'S197' by enthusiasts) is considered by many to already be a modern classic. From the fuel efficient V6, to powerful GT, and rocket-ship like Shelby GT500 models, there's a 2005-2014 Mustang to suit every motoring enthusiast. Providing an overview of the various models, their specifications, available options and associated running costs, the Essential Buyers Guide provides a great reference when looking to buy that Ford Mustang which has caught your eye. Packed with illustrative photographs and an extensive valuation check-list, this book can help give you greater confidence when determining if your planned purchase is a sound investment or not.

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.

Anyone who assumes that a car is simply a means to get from point A to point B, or who even thinks that they know what a car is, should read this book. Profoundly shaped by culture, the car gives rise to a wide range of emotions, from guilt about the environment in the UK to aboriginal concerns with car 'corpses', to struggles to keep the creatures 'alive' with everything but the proper spare parts in West Africa. Cars and their landscapes prove central to human life from its most intimate to the widest sense of global crisis, and are capable of inspiring epic passions.
From road rage in Western Europe to the struggles of cab driving in Africa to the emergence of Black identity in the US, this book examines the essential humanity of the car, which includes the jealousies, gender differences, fears and moralities that cars give rise to. Firmly grounded in detailed ethnographic and historical scholarship, this is the first book to provide an informed sense of cars as one of the most familiar and significant forms of material culture.

For the first time, one of the major names in Italian car design tells his story from the beginning; from when he made his first sketches on paper, unbeknown to his parents and not only of cars, to reaching a point at which his name became synonymous with some of the best known and most important cars on the international front. In his 23-year career at Pininfarina, Leonardo Fioravanti, who was first a designer and architect, then managing director and director general of 'Studi & Ricerche' department, created some of the most beautiful Ferraris of all time; they ranged from the 1965 250 LM sports coupe Speciale to the immortal 1968 Daytona through to the 1975 308 GTB and GTS and the 1984 288 GTO, as well as the P5 and P6 of 1968. While continuing his Ferrari essay during his Pininfarina career, Fioravanti also guided the creation of numerous other projects, among them the Dino road car, the 1980 Pinin four-door prototype and went on to the 1984 Testarossa and the 1987 F40. He worked for the Fiat Group from 1988 until 1991, during which time he took on the roles of deputy director general of Ferrari, later became responsible for advanced design CRF and then head of the Fiat Styling Centre. In 1987, he founded Fioravanti srl, an architectural studio, and in 1991 he extended his services to industry, in particular the design of means of transport. Images of an epoch, designs from his own personal archive never previously seen and, above all, a passionate first person account. Those are the key elements of this outstanding book which, through the creations of Leonardo Fioravanti, covers over 50 years of the history of automobile style and culture.

Automotive Detailing in Detail takes the combined experience and expertise of three leading detailing commentators to provide a thorough and expansive overview of automotive detailing techniques. From the pre-wash, wash and preparation stages, through machine polishing to paint protection and maintenance, every detailing stage is covered: surface types, contaminants and products are analysed, before the actual processes are laid bare. In the age of the internet and social media, a plethora of detailing knowledge is available online, yet it is strangely difficult to discover completely, or harness usefully. This book redresses the balance.

Man, racing driver, entrepreneur: three terms that well describe Gianpiero Moretti, creator of Momo half a century ago, an Italian company renowned for its excellence in the production of steering wheels, racing suits and car components from 1964 to today. The historic marque decided to celebrate this important anniversary with a book that covers the salient stages of its development and consolidation, as well as Moretti's long and prestigious motor racing career. From the company's association with Ferrari, dating back to the '60s when the Prancing Horse adopted Momo steering wheels for Formula 1, to the prolific IMSA experience, first with the Porsche 935 and then the Ferrari 333 SP, to its current involvement in the official Momo team. Then there was the far-reaching production of steering wheels and rims for production cars and the lively, colorful advertising campaigns that branded half a century of communications. These are just some of the chapters that comprise this engaging book, produced in close collaboration with the company.

Inspired by the sight of RAF Lightning fighter interceptors climbing vertically into the sky at 50,000 feet per minute and by other British engineering and design achievements, Richard Noble, determined to put Britain back in the lead during the resurgence of national confidence of the 1980s, wanted Britain to regain the world land speed record. Thrust 2, driven by Richard Noble, broke the world land speed record on 4 October 1983 in the Black Rock desert in Nevada. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon turbo-jet engine, it reached a speed of 650.88 mph (1,047,49 km/h}. It would hold the land speed record until 25 September 1987. In this fascinating book, Richard Noble tells the inside story of the development of the car that would beat the world. The story takes the reader from the drawing board, through the considerable technical difficulties, including aerodynamics, mounting an engine designed for jet fighter aircraft, and maintaining stability with suspension and wheels at speeds of over 650 miles per hour. Despite the huge challenges, including recovery from a crash, they were overcome by the confidence and determination of Richard Noble and his team. Including unseen illustrations, this is the true inside story of the world-beating Thrust 2 project.

This is the first book to focus solely on the cars derived from the classic Mini. Small GTs, sports cars, roadsters and fun cars: Mini-derivatives made the specialist motoring market roar in the sixties, but after that they didn't fade away. The seventies, eighties, and nineties saw new variants on the car that simply wouldn't die - some genius, some crazy, but always out of the ordinary and colourful. From the well known Mini Marcos and Unipower GT that even raced at Le Mans, to the very obscure, but at least as exciting, Coldwell GT or Sarcon Scarab, almost 60 cars are thoroughly researched, described and photographed. Many of the people originally involved with designing and building them were interviewed, and some cars that were thought to be long gone were found during the researching of this book. Others weren't, but nevertheless made it in as old material came to light. Of the over 500 pictures in this book, most have never been seen in print before. Just like the enthusiasm needed to build the cars described, this book has been written with a true passion.

Exploring Ford UK's design studios during the past 70 years, this book provides a unique insight into the company's history, its UK studio locations, and delves into the lives of the designers, modellers and studio engineers.As a profession, automotive design has changed hugely over the past century and continues to evolve as new processes are developed. This book charts the development of Ford projects in the UK, particularly those designed in the Dunton studio, which opened in 1967 and is still a key part of Ford's design resource in Europe. From the early days of chalk drawings and wooden models for the Consul to today's digital renderings and milled clays for the latest Transit, Ford's designers and technicians have never been short of creativity. This book tells their story, in their own words.

This is the eighth title in the now well-established "In Detail" series. Its subject, the Jaguar XK120, has become one of the immortals of sports car history and remains one of the most beautiful cars ever built. It took the London Motor Show by storm in 1948, and was built until 1954. This book is published in association with the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, whose headquarters and museum are on Jaguar's historic Browns Lane site in Coventry. It is written by the Trust's Archivist who has drawn from company records and archives to provide information that has never been available to enthusiasts before. This, and its focus on the XK120 alone rather than on the whole XK family, make this book uniquely informative. The black-and-white photographs have been sourced from the Trust's large collection, and are complemented by specially commissioned colour photographs of some outstanding XK120s.

Success is not founded on miracles, but is almost always the product of a clear concept - the pinnacle of an ambitious, even stridently innovative idea. However, the aura of Ferrari does indeed approach the miraculous. What lies behind this phenomenon? What is the source of fascination for a brand whose creative designs are internationally recognised and enthusiastically received? First, even today - 70 years after the company was founded - the miracle of Ferrari is still due in large part to the personality of Il Commendatore, Enzo Ferrari. Patience, passion, and being hard on himself and those around him gave the brand, under the emblem of the Cavallino Rampante, the power to become what it is today: sheer fascination on four wheels. Second, the long list of international racing victories is equally important. There is no class, no competition, that Ferrari did not set its sights on and win more or less immediately during the company's last 70 years. Finally, Ferrari is synonymous with aesthetics, elegance, and trend-setting design. The true value of a brand and its products is measured in the currency of impassioned devotion. This is the third and perhaps most vital element confirming the Ferrari miracle: The Ferrari Book - Passion for Design traces the evolution of the miracle and lets us experience passion given automotive form in a large and engrossing format. Text in English, German, French and Italian.

One of the largest works on historic Lotus Cars this book looks in detail at the Lotus 25, Lotus 49 and Lotus 72 racing cars as well as road cars such as The Lotus Elite and Lotus Elan including those produces by Ian Walker Racing

The essential guide for anyone considering buying a DeLorean, the iconic 1980s car that was featured in the Back to the Future films. Packed with good advice on everything you need to know when purchasing a secondhand DeLorean, from running costs, paperwork, vital statistics and valuation, to information on the DeLorean community, this is the complete guide to choosing, assessing and buying the DeLorean of your dreams.

Features hundreds of questions and answers about every aspect of car maintenance and repair. Coverage includes step-by-step repair procedures for the range of conditions afflicting cars; consumer information on purchasing accessories; how to increase the longevity of vehicles by following essential maintenance practices; how to get malfunctions repaired properly and keep your mechanic honest, and much more. A detailed table of contents enables readers to easily locate whatever information they need.

Iconic cars such as the 356's and the immortal 911's, extraordinary success stories in the classic endurance races, great champions and remarkable engineers. These are the principal ingredients of Porsche. The Golden Years, a book examining the full history of the legendary Stuttgart firm, with spectacular and previously unpublished images by the photographer Franco Villani. The Porsche 356 with both closed and open bodywork was the model that in 1948 officially inaugurated the catalogue of the celebrated Stuttgart firm. In that difficult period of reconstruction the Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, artificer of the car and founder of the marque, was already an undisputed authority in the automotive field for having designed the Volkswagen Beetle, the people's car. The Porsche 356's were "legitimate offspring" of the Beetle and soon found favour with the public: they were sporting cars that were easy to use in everyday life. This is the true Porsche "DNA", confirmed with the launch of the 901, or rather the 911 that first saw the light of day in 1963, a model that soon became a planetary success story, a car capable of traversing the decades while maintaining intact its appeal. The Porsche name also evokes the innumerable victories obtained in legendary endurance races such as the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Targa Florio, in the World Rally Championship and in the great African raids such as the Paris-Dakar, as well as in Formula 1 as an engine supplier to McLaren in the early `80s.

This highly visual study covers the US and Canadian truck manufacturers that built trucks in North America in the 1950s. Following World War II, North American truck manufacturers responded to the prosperity of the 1950s with fresh designs and features. These rugged, reliable trucks were capable of transcontinental commutes of goods on a regular basis, or performing delivery and construction tasks in and around cities. This concise volume covers not only the histories of the major and lesser known truck manufactures, but also the obscure, yet historically significant manufacturers such as Available, Biederman, Brown, Corbitt, Leyland Canada and others. Comprehensive captions and supportive text combine with contemporary brochures, period literature, road test info of the day, factory photographs and over fifty colour photos of restored American trucks, to relate the importance of these historic vehicles. Detailed shots of the engines and features focus on what it was that set certain manufacturers apart in this highly competitive market. This succinct, factual book on American trucking provides a nostalgic look at a significant era in North American history.

This book provides an easy-to-follow practical guide to the maintenance, repair and modification of the different types of suspension used in cars. With over 170 illustrations, including colour photographs and diagrams, this practical book explains what suspension is and why it is needed; it reviews the different types of suspension of available; it covers the key maintenance and repairs that an owner can undertake, and finally, describes modifications in detail with step-by-step photographs.

In a seven year period, BMW's X5 'Sports Activity Vehicle' won a loyal following from high profile celebrities and sports personalities, and its agility, performance and economy have cemented its position as the luxury crossover of choice. With a variety of used examples now available, this book guides prospective purchasers through the entire process, helping to pinpoint the best available vehicle for their budget. Written by Advanced Motorist and established motoring journalist Tim Saunders, this guide also includes expert quotes from Parkers the car value experts.