Following World War 2, private car manufacturers were in ruins and austerity reigned. Invention follows necessity and an era of ingenuity and rebirth blossomed. With car ownership still an unreachable dream for many, the notion of buying your own sports car seemed way out of reach. Yet a new industry quickly sprang up, building sports cars that enthusiasts craved. This was a time when a chassis and glassfibre body could be bought for the price of a cheap second-hand banger. Home builders could now create their own 'specials', either from scratch or using kits of parts - a major new innovation. This fascinating and meticulously researched book tells the story of the post-war British specialist car industry and the birth of the kit car movement. As well as familiar names like Lotus, TVR and Ginetta, this book features pioneers like Buckler, RGS and Rochdale, plus long-forgotten makes such as Ashley, Martin and Microplas. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of all is the dozens of obscure makes and cars which have never been seen in a book before.

In 1913 an ambitious young businessman named William Morris converted a derelict military college on the outskirts of Oxford into an assembly hall for motor vehicles. He thus opened the first chapter in one of the most extraordinary success stories of the British motor industry, becoming Lord Nuffield and a multi-millionaire in the process. From Morris Motors and Pressed Steel, via the British Motor Corporation and British Leyland to its role as part of BMW and their successful manufacture of the new Mini, car manufacture at Cowley has been a significant player. Though the old factory chimneys have given way to more modern developments, Oxford today would be a very different place without its influence. Most of the photographic material in this book is taken from the comprehensive archive collections of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, located at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon. Now in this revised and fully updated edition, new illustrations and text seek to show further how important Morris was to Cowley.

The BMW M5 has acquired an aura of dominance over all its intended rivals; it is still the benchmark in every way and always will be despite the efforts of Mercedes-Benz and Audi, its two main rivals. It was the first of its kind and today are much sought after. BMW was not sure of the reaction to a quality high performance sedan, but they need not have worried, as it was the beginning of a huge success story and since then each new BMW M5 has been a much anticipated 'event'. Other manufacturers have followed but it is still the car by which others are judged.

Following on from the merger between AMG and DaimlerChrysler in 1999, things really began to happen for AMG Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. The special touch of the AMG engineers was being seen on every model in the entire vast Mercedes-Banz model range, from the prosaic C-Class through to the S-Class and the SLK sports cars, as well as the ML and G-Class off-roader wagons. Not to be left out was the exotic Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren with its supercharged 5.5 litre quad-cam V8 engine that was fettled by the AMG people. Included are road and comparison tests, model releases, technical and performance data, plus advice on buying a Mercedes-Benz AMG. Models covered include the C30, 32 & 55, CLK430, 55, TDM & GTR, CL55 & 65, CLS55, E55, G55, ML55, S55 & 65, SL55 & 65, SLK32 & 55 Plus SLR McLaren.

The promotional history of Rolls-Royce motor cars from the company's beginnings in 1904 to the outbreak of World War II has been exhaustively researched and documented in these pages. When Charles Rolls met Henry Royce in May 1904 and drove the Royce car, he recognised his future partner for the engineering genius he was - but that was not enough to develop a successful business. Rolls-Royce needed to establish their reputation in a crowded field. Claude Johnson, the firm's managing director, was the man responsible for crafting every aspect of the promotion of the cars and the company until his death in 1926 and he set a lasting standard for Rolls-Royce publicity. The story of the constant battle for recognition on both sides of the Atlantic and the different approaches used in each market is related, highlighting the outstanding variety and quality of Rolls-Royce's illustrated advertising, and how the company used it to attract the most demanding customers. The many strands of promotion that Rolls-Royce used are pulled together, from publicity for success in races and trials, through advertising in important magazines and influential newspapers, to beautifully produced pamphlets and catalogues. It shows the unique Rolls-Royce style: publicising independent press reports and unsolicited testimonials on the quality of the cars, and detailed explanations of the engineering standards and the expertise that created that quality. It also goes behind the scenes, reporting on rare minutes from the Advertising Committee during the 1930s that reveal the decisions that led to some of the finest examples of the company's promotional work. This book promises enthusiasts a feast for the eyes and hours of entertaining reading.

The 2002 began as the brainchild of Max Hoffmann, BMW's US importer, who wanted a car to follow up the 1600-2. Hoffman suggested using the 2-liter engine from its larger saloons, which would give excellent performance even in emissions-controlled form. The BMW engineers did as Hoffmann suggested and the result took the motoring world by storm on its announcement in 1968. So popular did the 2002 become that it went on to sell more than 300,000 examples over the seven years of its production. The original 2002 was complemented by a whole range of derivatives - convertible, hatchback touring models and finally, the legendary 2002 Turbo. The 2002 models are widely and rightly recognized as classics of their period and enjoy a large and committed following. This book forms an invaluable reference work and will be welcomed by enthusiasts everywhere.

Forty years ago Alf Townsend passed The Knowledge - after 14,000 miles on a moped round central London. Since then he has covered millions of miles in his taxi. This book includes a selection of his extraordinary and hilarious tales of everyday life as a cabbie, in which we meet Mr Whippy and Violent Pete, Bread Roll Mick and the Motorway Mouse, Claude the Bastard and the mysterious Mr X. Alf also examines the history of cab-driving in the capital - including the variety of taxis that have been used - and even tries to shed some light on the most ancient and obscure Hackney Carriage laws that are still on the statute book. (Do you know why a taxi is so tall? So a passenger can get on board wearing a top hat: it's true...) Concluding with a look at the seamy side of night work, the rise and rise of the mini-cab, and what the future may hold for the London cabbie, Alf Townsend's book will be entertaining reading for all Londoners, and anyone else who has travelled in the back of a black cab.

Riley is one of the most famous British car manufacturers and this book covers the entire history of the company, from its early beginnings as a bicycle manufacturer to ownership by the British Motor Corporation (BMC). The author describes each of the Riley models during its long development, from the pre-1926 models, through the Riley 9 light sporting car, the straight-six models and the Specials to the BMC Rileys. Discover the various engineering firsts that were achieved by Riley, including engine innovations such as mechanically operated cylinder valves, and which helped Riley to become not only an established car manufacturer but also successful in rallies and on the racing circuit. Having made its mark in the history of British car manufacturing, Riley suffered from badge engineering under BMC, losing its identity in Austin and Morris designs and also against MG and Wolseley. Despite this, it continues to be a treasured marque, now owned by BMW. Accompanied by superb colour photographs of all the Riley models, this book tells you all you need to know about this great British motoring name.

Iran has a monarchial history spanning over 2,500 years. Almost all of Iran’s Kings have had vast unchecked powers as they built, and lost, some of the largest empires in history. These vast powers led to Iran’s Kings being referred to as “Shahan Shah” meaning literally the “King of Kings”. With the advent of the automobile, Iran’s Shahan Shah’s used their broad powers to procure some of the world’s most renown and unique automobiles for their royal garages starting with the first car to be imported to Iran, a Gardner-Serpollet 10hp to unique exotica such as the famed Maserati 5000GT “Scia de Persia” specially-ordered and owned by Iran’s last King, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. In his broad spanning work, Iranian automotive historian Borzou Sepasi traces the history of the royal garage of each Iranian Shah, starting with Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar in 1900, who despite importing the first car, forbade drivers from going faster than carriages, all the way up to the 1979 revolution and, in a unique postscript, traces the fate of many of the cars covered in the book following the end of monarchial rule in Iran. The book also intertwines many of the historical events in Iran with the cars of the period, highlighting the special role these vehicles played. Dalton Watson is proud to present this little-known, but extremely unique, niche in automotive history to its readers.

An essential reference for any V8 engine rebuild. Covers engine but not bolt-on equipment.

A tribute to the dazzling KTM X-BOW - the world's first production sports car with a full carbon composite monocoque. To fully understand and enjoy this car it should be appreciated on many different levels: a racing car for the road, and a road car that can excel on the track; its unique composition and aerodynamic qualities; its design and aesthetics. The X-BOW was brought to life by the virtually unlimited resources of an industrial giant steeped in motorsport, which demanded that it be technologically cutting-edge. The car was honed to perfection by arguably the finest racing car engineers in the world, for whom `best in class' was a minimum requirement. It is an objet d'art that can race in anger, or can transport in style. It startles, it fascinates, it wins. As Mr Toad (of The Wind in the Willows fame) would undoubtedly have said, it is "A most unusual car!" - we are lucky that this most unusual car, the KTM X-BOW, exists in our lifetime. This book details the design and development, the build process, racing history, and what it's like to live with and maintain a X-BOW, written by joint owners and enthusiasts, with the full cooperation of the car's designers and developers.

This book contains a portfolio of articles drawn from three continents pass judgment on the mid-engined F355 & 360 Ferrari models. The progress of these V8 cars is traced through road and comparison tests, new model introductions, touring reports plus full specifications and performance data.
Models covered include:
- Berlinetta
- Spider
- Challenge
- Modena
- the racing Challenge Stradale

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.

The first Silver Cloud and S-type models were introduced in 1955 and the last one built was some 11 years later. Starting with a disadvantage in having a separate chassis and body when monocoque construction was gaining ground they lagged behind other manufacturers. Nevertheless they drove extremely well and ran without failure for many thousands of miles. The majority had standard steel coachwork which was very elegant while specialist coachbuilders were able to create their magic for those fortunate enough to afford it. This is a book of contemporary road and comparison tests, specification and technical data, road impressions, used cars on the road, buyers datafile, touring. Models include: Silver Cloud, S-Series, Continental, Limousine, Silver Cloud II, III, S2, S2LWB.

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.
This repair and service manual covers Saturn L-series cars "2000-2004" (all models) with 4-cylinder and V-6 engines (manual and automatic transaxle).

Having this book in your pocket is just like having a real marque expert by your side. Benefit from James Taylor's years of experience with the Land Rover Discovery, learn how to spot a bad example quickly, and how to assess a promising one like a professional. Get the right Discovery at the right price! Focusing on the Series 1 Discovery, this book is packed with good advice - from running costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation, and the Discovery community, to whether a Discovery will suit you and your lifestyle - this is THE COMPLETE GUIDE to choosing, assessing and buying the Land Rover Discovery of your dreams.

This book looks at all the variants including the 997 Targa and 997 Targa 4S, The 997 Turbo and Turbo S, 997 Carrera and Carrera 4S, 997 GT2 and 997 GT3 and 997 GT2 RS and 997 GT3 RS.

Carroll Shelby's creation of the Cobra automobile during 1961-1962 transformed an aging British sports car into a 1965 World Manufacturers GT Championship winner for Shelby American. Today, the Cobra is still one of the most recognized automobiles in the world. This book narrates the work required to develop the first production Ford-powered AC Ace 3.6 roadsters that today are referred to as Mark I Leaf Spring Cobras. Seasoned Cobraphiles, novice enthusiasts and especially those who had the foresight to buy the cars, will enjoy the hundreds of fascinating snippets and backstories. The author has researched each of the 125 production Mark I Cobras built and conducted several hundred interviews with the people connected with each car. This endeavor uncovered unknown histories and facts, as well as hundreds of previously unpublished photographs and documents. Despite the lion's share of accolades going directly to Carroll Shelby and the staff at Shelby American for the success of the Cobra, some portion of that credit rightfully belongs to the hardworking craftsmen employed at AC Cars in the 1960s. The Cobra could not have been created without them. Virtually everything except the Mark I Cobra's Ford engine and transmission had been hand-built by old-world craftsman in England. That partnership reflects the best of the Anglo-American spirit and produced one of the most iconic automobiles ever built.

Facel S.A., a specialist body-building company, produced the Vega as its first car. The luxury of a Rolls-Royce with reliable mechanics. It was developed in 1959 into the HK500 with a bigger 6.3-litre Chrysler engine becoming very popular in Britain. Also in 1959 the Facellia was introduced but unfortunately the Pont-a-Mousson, twin-cam unit was not so good. Early cars holed pistons. The F2 was much improved and the company announced it would replace problem engines. To restore confidence the company went to Volvo for the Facel III. Finally the Facel 6 was introduced with the Austin Healey 3000 engine but only 26 were made, the company going into liquidation at the end of 1964. This is a book of contemporary road and comparison tests, specification and technical data, used car reports, buying second hand, new model introductions, long terms tests, history. Models covered include: FVS, HK500. Excellence, Vega Sport, Facellia, GT CoupT, Facellia 1600, F2S. Facel II, Facel III CoupT.