Kategoria BISAC: Transportation >> Automotive - History

The 1970s and 1980s were critical years for the British motor industry. A downward spiral in industrial relations led to crippling strikes; two major oil crises made thirsty older designs virtually unsaleable; and foreign manufacturers moved in with products that were affordable, reliable and available on demand.

Yet, by and large, British family motorists carried on buying British as long as they could. The average Briton was broadly content with what the domestic motor industry produced (though he might have grumbled a bit), and it certainly produced an array of cars which entered...

Afascinating look at favorite cars of the turbulent1970s

The 1970s saw some ground-breaking new metal in British showrooms the Renault 5 established the new "supermini" class, the Volkswagen Golf gave the average family car a hatchback and top quality, the Ford Capri made sporty cars available to everyone, and, despite all of this, that old favorite the Ford Cortina continued to rule the sales charts. Yetdrivers started to experience a love/hate relationship with the four-wheeled machine that, previously, symbolized nothing but speed and freedom. The economic rollercoaster sent fuel...

In Porsche 911: 50 Years, bestselling author Randy Leffingwell celebrates a half-century of one of the world's premiere sports cars, focusing on the major themes that have defined Porsche's rear-engined wonder. Randy tells the whole story--design and development, racing and competition, engineering and technology, style and culture. All the iconic 911 models are included: the original 901 prototype that set the standard; the legendary RS models that made the little Porsche a dominant force on the world's racetracks; the infamous Turbo, the car that kept the performance flame...

Published in Association with the German Historical Institute, Washington, D.C.

Hitler's autobahn was more than just the pet project of an infrastructure-friendly dictator. It was supposed to revolutionize the transportation sector in Germany, connect the metropoles with the countryside, and encourage motorization. The propaganda machinery of the Third Reich turned the autobahn into a hyped-up icon of the dictatorship. One of the claims was that the roads would reconcile nature and technology. Rather than destroying the environment, they would embellish the landscape. Many...

Written by Malcolm Bobbitt - whose companion Volkswagen titles cover the Karmann Ghia coupe and convertible, and possibly the greatest classic of all time, the VW Bus - this new edition of the Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet chronicles the history of this practical and sought-after classic. The author traces the Beetle Cabrio's ancestry and development from its pre-war origins through to 1980, by which time more than 330,000 models had been built, and up to the present day when in excess of 228,000 New Beetle cabriolets have been sold worldwide. As the car's engineering quality has...

This is the inside story of the MG Design office, from 1956 until its closure in 1980. Explaining how the various models were drawn, planned, and developed by the small team of engineers, it also shows how the input and control changed from Morris, Wolseley, Riley Group, Austin-Morris, and Austin Rover. The effects of the Triumph-Austin merger are detailed in model changes, alongside the effects of safety legislation, mainly imposed by the United States.
Trying to remain as individual as possible during this period, MG developed record breakers and a unique Competition Department....

1952 was one of the most important years in Mercedes-Benz racing history; after a 13-year absence, it returned to motor sport competition with an automobile that rewrote the history of modern sports car racing. The 300 SL's debut was the culmination of a long, difficult road back to racing for Mercedes-Benz. Return to Glory vividly depicts the 300 SL's performance in the five races in which it competed in 1952, and tells the story of how it became the most successful competition sports car of that year. Through dramatic photographs and equally stirring text, one of the greatest...

It has taken some time for Volkswagen's third-generation Transporter to gain the iconic status freely awarded to the first-generation 'Splittie' and its successor, the 'Bay'. Now, however, the T3, also variously called the T25, 'Wedge' or less flatteringly] the 'Brick', is well and truly established as part of the classic VW scene. In part, this has been down to the soaring prices and limited availability of the earlier models, but perhaps too the T3 has finally been recognized as a worthy successor to those venerable classics, and maybe even cherished as the last of the air-cooled...

Since its introduction in 1950 the Volkswagen Transporter has become legendary for its versality and adaptability to many commercial uses. Known originally as Sonderausfhrungen, abbreviated to SO, these Special Models were usually converted by specialists, companies and coachbuilders approved by VW. Using archive, promotional materials and period and contemporary photographs, this book traces the development and variety of these SO and other Special Body conversions from 1950 - 2010, across the five generations from T1 to T5.

Surely no form of contest has ever equalled the marriage of luxury and ostentation offered for many years by the great concours d'elegance. Elitist perhaps but their sheer magnificence seems just as fascinating now as it did in the first half of the 20th Century. It should be remembered that these events allowed the most celebrated artists and artisans boundless freedom of expression. Everything was put into the melting-pot to achieve one end - the realisation of a dream.

The vital step for organisers of such events was to choose a venue famous for its air of leisurely hedonism, such...

This book covers the sporting versions of Ford Europe's Escort Mk2, including the Mexico, Sport, Harrier, RS1800 and the RS2000. Model-by-model, with hundreds of pictures, it gives you all the details of correct factory specifications and equipment, including body panels, external trim and badging, paint colors, interior trim and trim colors, dashboard, instruments and switches, under-hood components, engine and transmission, lamps, and all other features right down to the tool kit, from the beginning of production to the end. All this detailed information is vital to the buyer, owner and...

Through 80 years these legendary Bentleys have remained the object of fascination and desire of all motoring enthusiasts. In 1921 the 3 litre was developed and was the favorite of young sportsmen. It won at LeMans in 1924 and 1927. In 1927 the 4 1/2 litre four-cylinder was developed and won at Lemans in 1928. The author takes you on a tour of the development, design and history, offering an in-depth examination of these splendid, charismatic Bentleys.

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.