Three Million Miles in a Volvo and Other Curious Car Stories
- 240 pages
- 9 hours of reading
50 surprising lives of significant figures, obsessives, movers and shakers of the car world and motoring history






50 surprising lives of significant figures, obsessives, movers and shakers of the car world and motoring history
Overlooked & Underrated? Not Any Longer... presenting sixty forgotten, neglected or misunderstood classics
Sixty diverse cars, sixty fascinating stories, sixty contrasting specifications, just one uniting they’re all forgotten, neglected or misunderstood classics. The casualties and sideshows of motoring history from around the world finally get the recognition they deserve. Revisit a motoring decade when fuel economy was top priority, the rotary engine rose and fell, and car-buyers wanted a hatchback and the latest styling and safety features. Those that made the grade found global popularity – now meet the cars left behind. Italy’s clever plan to update the Mini; the French GT coupé with an extra seat; America’s electric runabout that paved the way for Tesla; Britain’s stylish, homespun sports cars; the Japanese limo meant to do 25mph; the ‘safety car’ turned into a Polish workhorse… each one enjoys a detailed review giving the context and thinking around them. The terrific archive images also highlight thirty 1970s design specials and one-offs – even more amazing cars pointing to a future that never quite came true.
Beginning with the birth of the internal combustion engine, The Story of the Car explores how this once rare and luxurious status symbol has become an essential part of everyday life. It shows you the ways in which the automobile has influenced breakthroughs in new technology and design, while becoming the focal point of an exhilarating genera of sport. Taking you on a journey along Route 66, inside the engine of a luxury car, and into the lives of the most successful pioneers of automobile history, the book also explores the possibilities of the "green" motoring, the electric engine, and the uses of AI on the roads of the future. Combining rarely seen images, insightful biographies. and fascinating features, The Story of the Car illustrates how after more than a century of development, the car still conveys a sense of freedom, excitement, and desire
Celebrating the cars that took starring roles cars at the movies
Everyone's favourite cars of the 1990s in this lavishly illustrated little book
Gripping archive images of the 4x4 pioneer presented in a fresh and stylish design
The history of Jaguar, a rousing British success story!
The exciting story of the enormously successful Range Rover, the ultimate must-have SUV
Mini celebrates 60 amazing years of this iconic car, from its revolutionary introduction to the popularity of its new-generation models.The first two-door Mini, introduced in 1959 and built until 2000, revolutionized automotive design with its innovative front-wheel-drive layout that made the car appear bigger on the inside than the outside. In 1999, the Mini was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century , behind the Ford Model T.Designed for British Motor Corporation (BMC) by Sir Alec Issigonis and manufactured in England, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Chile, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Yugoslavia, the Mini was as successful in competition as it was on the street , winning the Monte Carlo Rally four times from 1964 through 1967.Originally built by BMC, the Mini’s later parent company, Rover, was acquired by BMW in 1994. In 2000, BMW sold most of the Rover Group but retained the Mini brand. The last and 5,387,862nd original Mini rolled off the production line in October 2000. In July 2001, BMW launched production of the new-generation of Mini which was soon joined by Countryman, Clubman, convertible, Cooper Works, and numerous special editions.Nearly 20 years later, the new Minis remain as popular as the original from 1959.