Everything you need to know to run a profitable and satisfyingcar detailing business from your home

An entertaining collection of true stories that feature just a few of the products manufactured by the Austin Motor Company from 1906 until the outbreak of the Second World War, including the people who helped to make them, those who drove them, and even those who flew them. Although the history of the Austin Seven and Taxicabs have been covered before in much greater detail elsewhere, you will find within these pages the stories of many other Austin creations: the Austin 12/6 which could be won by smoking Kensitas cigarettes; the Austin 20 which competed in the 1914 Austrian Alpine Trial; the remarkable racing car named `Pobble' which went on to serve as an ambulance during the First World War, and the Australian couple who, in 1926, decided to drive their Austin Twelve right around Australia. The Music Hall artist, George Clarke, who performed on stage with his Austin Seven, and the `Austin Unity Song,' a recording of which was presented to guests at the Company's Annual dinner, are just two more fascinating stories which go to make up this Austin Anthology.

Brembo, a leader in the development and production of high performance braking systems is turning 60. Over the decades, the principal mission of the Italian company has been to brake to best effect the greats on two and four wheels as well as daily users of private cars and motorcycles. The history, evolution and on-going success of this prestigious Italian company are the themes of this official book, which opens with a preface by the Brembo chairman, Alberto Bombassei. The book reviews the diverse facets of the "Brembo universe": from its commitments in the automotive, motorcycling and motorsport fields to its attention to all aspects of design, always one of Brembo's strong suits, from the progressive internationalization of the company through to the particularly topical aspects of sustainable production. The contributions of the six principal authors - Vincenzo Borgomeo, Massimo Clarke, Gaetano Cocco, Patrizia Giangualano, Lorenzo Ramaciotti and Umberto Zapelloni - are complemented by a similar number of testimonies from figures from within the company and those who worked there at length. The Brembo "phenomenon" is also presented through a wealth of fascinating photographs, mostly drawn from the company archives, which document the unique story of a manufacturing company born in Italy and now a true icon of Italian excellence throughout the world.

Few marques inspire such enthusiasm as Alfa Romeo, and among its most celebrated jewels are undoubtedly its coupes and spiders, the sportiest members of an already sporty Alfa family. This book tells the full story of Alfa's two-door cars in the post-war era. It starts with the achingly handsome 6C 2500 and coachbuilt 1900s, followed by the glorious Giulietta Sprint, Spider and SZ. Then comes the host of Giulia models, from Bertone's Sprint GT and Pininfarina's Duetto to the racing GTA and TZ. Add in some rare V8s - 33 Stradale and Montreal - plus the Alfetta GT and the monstrous SZ/RZ, and Alfa's rich heritage is indisputable. It's all clearly detailed by a true authority on Italian cars, Chris Rees, editor of Auto Italia.

Now in paperback! Researched and written in Japan with the full co-operation of the factory, here in definitive detail is the story of the Honda S2000 - a series of open two-seaters that built on the success of the NSX, helping the company justify its on-track exploits with a proper line of sporting machinery. Successful immediately, the S2000 models defended Honda's honour on the tracks, but it was in the showrooms where the S2000 excelled. After a major face-lift, it was eventually killed off in 2009, but is as popular today as it ever was as a modern classic for enthusiasts.

This colourful introduction to the first decades of the motor car covers its earliest iterations, when the automobile represented the very peak of technological innovation. It is packed with fascinating facts about the experimental origins of the motor industry, when these 'horseless carriages' were largely constructed in back-street workshops, many simply resembling the frame and bodywork of a horse-drawn carriage but fitted with a petrol engine. Experimentation was rife, however, and there was much debate as to whether petrol, steam or electricity should lead the way, with endurance runs, hill climbs and organised races pitting them one against the other. Early motorists had to employ novel measures to overcome challenges such as the rudimentary engineering of early cars, the difficulty of fuel supply, the poorly maintained roads, and hostility from other road users.

This handy guide will help you find, evaluate and purchase a Triumph TR4/4A or TR5/250. With detailed information from running costs to the pitfalls of problem areas, this book will help you make to make an informed decision. Featuring a comprehensive inspection process, advice on cost considerations, and information on the Triumph sports car community, this book will help you get the car of your dreams at the best possible price.

When launched at the Geneva motor show in 1971, the Lamborghini Countach was like a vision of the future, with its incredibly radical styling by Bertone's Marcello Gandini. Through various evolutionary stages, the Countach remained in production from 1973 to 1990 and during that time 1,997 examples were manufactured, making it exceedingly rare as well as highly desirable. Subsequently the magnificent Countach has risen to almost mythical status among collectors and enthusiasts. Now, as the model approaches its 50th anniversary, two passionate and deeply knowledgeable Countach co-owners have written an authoritative new book - the first English-language study of the car for 30 years - to celebrate this fabled Italian supercar in all its glory.

This book takes the reader behind the scenes at Maranello Concessionaires Ltd, Britain's famous Surrey-based importer of Ferraris founded by Colonel Ronnie Hoare. When Neill Bruce first photographed a Ferrari road car, a Dino 246 GT, in 1971, his work so impressed the powers-that-be at Maranello Concessionaires that they commissioned him to do all their promotional photography thereafter. Whether shooting production cars, factory scenes or motor show stands, he has been in Ferrari's orbit ever since. In this illustrated memoir of his 50 years with Ferraris, he presents some of his best pictures - the great majority in colour - and tells engaging stories about how they came about, including some of the mishaps along the way. All Ferrari enthusiasts will be captivated by this delightful book.

Buying a car is an expensive business and mistakes can prove costly financially and in time, effort and stress. Wouldn't it be great if you could take an expert with you? With the aid of this book's step-by-step guidance from a marque specialist, you can! You'll discover all you need to know about the car you want to buy. The unique points system will help you to place the cars value in relation to condition while extensive photographs illustrate the problems to look out for. This is an important investment - don't buy a Volkswagen Bus without this book's help.

This highly practical and useful book covers brilliant techniques that take the guesswork out of performance modification. Using just some low-cost tools, you can easily measure the flow restriction of your car's intake and exhaust. It's like having a huge flow-bench always available. By making some simple on-road measurements, you can plot the shape of the engine's power and torque curves - no dyno needed. This allows you to not only see if performance modifications to the engine are improving power, but also see where in the rev range those changes are occurring. Assess the worth of cams, a larger turbo, changed boost control or altered engine management mapping. But the book doesn't stop there - it also shows you how to measure your car's aerodynamics, seeing if at speed your car is developing lift or downforce. Want to make a rear wing work well? Test the angle at which downforce is greatest. You can also test the aerodynamic airflow through oil coolers, intercoolers and radiators. Interested in improving your suspension? By using a low-cost app and a smartphone, you can accurately measure suspension behaviour. If you want a practical, hands-on book that will immediately save you money, show where modifications are most needed, and can be used to assess performance outcomes, this is the book for you.

A comprehensive guide to original factory specification and equipment of VW Split-screen and Bay-window transporters. 265 photographs of 25 vehicles from Germany, the UK and the USA illustrate not only the people carriers but the many variations panel van, pick-up truck, double-cab pick-up and highroof panel van. This is a re-issue of one of the most popular titles from the celebrated Original series, accepted by classic car owners, buyers and enthusiasts as the definitive source of advice on correct original and authentic specifications and equipment, drawn from factory records, parts lists and catalogues, as well as the accumulated knowledge of the most respected restorers.

Gas Models: MF135 Special, MF135 Deluxe, MF150, MF165Diesel Models: MF135 Deluxe, MF150, MF165

This book examines the evolution of the popular Chevrolet Impala from the late 1950s stylish `specialty' vehicle to become Chevrolet's best-selling, iconic model in North America. This volume focuses on specifications, rarer performance models, industry facts and figures and optional equipment, through detailed text, brochure and advertising images, and is copiously illustrated with many previously unpublished photographs. The important role played by the Impala for Chevrolet (and GM as a whole) is also examined, from its status as a top-of-the-line `specialty' model, through the broad range of body styles, to a mainstream, volume-production car. As the 1950s ended, the Chevrolet Impala evolved into a status symbol, and added more and more style, comfort and optional equipment to its ever-increasing model range. From its similar styling and tri-colour pastel paint finishes, the original Chevrolet Impala was the flashy, stylish sibling in the line-up, only to eventually return to a more conservative, high-volume, mainstream car. As well as the historical aspects of the car, a final chapter explores present-day custom Impalas and Resto Rods - from custom bodywork modifications to spectacular works of art.

Haynes offers the best coverage for cars, trucks, vans, SUVs and motorcycles on the market today. Each manual contains easy to follow step-by-step instructions linked to hundreds of photographs and illustrations. Included in every manual: troubleshooting section to help identify specific problems; tips that give valuable short cuts to make the job easier and eliminate the need for special tools; notes, cautions and warnings for the home mechanic; color spark plug diagnosis and an easy to use index.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class specialist Joerg Sand has written the ultimate book on this all-wheel-drive legend, from its design and development to its extraordinary and diverse career up to the present day. Very few automobiles remain as faithful in their character and appearance as the hardcore, all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz G-Class luxury SUV. Even when it comes to the most recent series, the W 463 A, with its technically profound changes, the designers at Mercedes have barely changed the classic look. And for good reason. From its first year, 1979, the G-Class has always been one of the very few off-road legends. Tourists, firefighters, foresters, race drivers, and boat owners all appreciate the unique qualities of this indestructible force, the "G Wagon," from Graz, Austria.

Ever since the Ford Model T became a vehicle for the masses, the automobile has served as a symbol of masculinity. The freedom of the open road, the muscle car's horsepower, the technical know-how for tinkering: all of these experiences have largely been understood from the perspective of the male driver. Women, in contrast, were relegated to the passenger seat and have been the target of stereotypes that portray them as uninterested in automobiles and, more perniciously, as poor drivers. In Women at the Wheel, Katherine J. Parkin illuminates the social implications of these stereotypes and shows how they have little basis in historical reality. With chapters on early driver's education and licensing programs, and on buying, driving, and caring for cars, she describes a rich cast of characters, from Mary Landon, the first woman ever to drive in 1899, to Dorothy Levitt, author of the first automotive handbook for women in 1909, to Margie Seals, who opened her garage, "My Favorite Mechanic . . . Is a Woman," in 1992. Although women drove and had responsibility for their family's car maintenance, twentieth-century popular culture was replete with humorous comments and judgmental critiques that effectively denied women pride in their driving abilities and car-related expertise. Parkin contends that, despite women's long history with cars, these stereotypes persist.

Cars are the scourge of civilization, responsible for everything from suburban sprawl and urban decay to environmental devastation and rampant climate change--not to mention our slavish dependence on foreign oil from dubious sources abroad. Add the astonishing price in human lives that we pay for our automobility--some thirty million people were killed in car accidents during the twentieth century--plus the countless number of hours we waste in gridlock traffic commuting to work, running errands, picking up our kids, and searching for parking, and one can't help but ask: Haven't we had enough already? After a century behind the wheel, could we be reaching the end of the automotive age? From the Model T to the SUV, "Autophobia" reveals that our vexed relationship with the automobile is nothing new--in fact, debates over whether cars are forces of good or evil in our world have raged for over a century now, ever since the automobile was invented. According to Brian Ladd, this love and hate relationship we share with our cars is the defining quality of the automotive age. And "everyone" has an opinion about them, from the industry shills, oil barons, and radical libertarians who offer cars blithe paeans and deny their ill effects, to the technophobes, treehuggers, and killjoys who curse cars, ignoring the very real freedoms and benefits they provide us. Focusing in particular on our world's cities, and spanning settings as varied as belle epoque Paris, Nazi Germany, postwar London, Los Angeles, New York, and the smoggy Shanghai of today, Ladd explores this love and hate relationship throughout, acknowledging adherents and detractors of the automobile alike. Eisenhower, Hitler, Jan and Dean, J. G. Ballard, Ralph Nader, OPEC, and, of course, cars, all come into play in this wide-ranging but remarkably wry and pithy book. A dazzling display of erudition, "Autophobia" is cultural commentary at its most compelling, history at its most searching--and a surprising page-turner.

Introduced in 1980, the Silver Spirit and Bentley Mulsanne are the most successful post-war Rolls-Royces, and their longevity means ownership of these fine cars is as practical as it is pleasurable. This complete history examines the cars' design and development, along with a full technical appraisal and helpful ownership information.

The Ford Maverick was a horse of a different color - four different colors, in fact. It was America's first modern subcompact; as 'The Simple Machine' it combined rugged Ford durability with looks that belied its bargain basement starter sticker. Secondly, the Maverick was an attainable junior supercar. When ponies got pricey, the Maverick Grabber stepped in to fight inflation. And if the Mustang had the Cougar as an upscale cousin, the Grabber could have the Comet GT as its partner in crime. Indeed, it was in the third area of small car luxury, that Maverick LDO (Luxury Decor Option), and Mercury Comet with Custom Option, were truly innovative. Ford was the first domestic to break the previously accepted tenet that luxury went with size. Still, all plush and no sport makes Henry a dull lad. In Super Stock and Pro Stock, the Ford Maverick was raced by Dyno Don Nicholson, Fast Eddie Schartman and Gapp & Roush to victory! Overall, the Ford Maverick was a winner on the track, and in the showroom. Thanks a couple of million Henry! Marc Cranswick's homage to the small US Fords of the 1970s is essential reading for all Maverick and Comet enthusiasts.

Porsche and motorsport always belonged together - so you would think. But in fact, private owners were the first to be successful with their 356s on the racing tracks. The Porsche 550 Spyder from the 1950s was the first racing car manufactured at the plant - and achieved great successes right from the beginning! Motorsport not only gave Porsche the opportunity to test progressive technology that could be transferred to roadsters, it also was the ideal marketing tool with an enormous influence. Looking back at models like the Porsche 917, 904 and 956, successful serial winners and racing legends emerged from that. Just as legendary are Rene Staud's Porsche photos. As one of the best and most famous automobile photographers in the world, he staged the top-class sports cars in a way so far unmatched. Beyond the racing track's noise and dirt, the Porsche models unfold their unique magic and show the tough developmental work behind them as well as the timelessness of functional design. Text in English and German.