DK Publishing

Caroline Bingham

Giles Chapman

Classic Car Book

Celebrating the cars that took starring roles cars at the movies

A Celebration of Cars at the Movies

Cars on Film

The Worst Cars Ever Sold

Every weekend, throughout the year, an enormous number of British people flock to Car Boot Sales. At any one event, hundreds of them are selling off unwanted possessions or inherited junk to free up space at home and raise useful extra money. But many thousands more are searching for incredible bargains and overlooked gems. This book is a comprehensive guide to both selling and buying. It gives you all the practical information you'll need to be a success at either, as well as an insight into the mindset of both vendor and customer so you can make any 'Boot' work to your advantage. For the would-be Car Boot Sale seller or buyer, every aspect is explained by an author who's been through the process countless times.

How to Make Money at Car Boot Sales

Richard Porter

As solid and dependable as the man himself, Dad's car was often almost a member of the family, whisking you to exciting days out, or just to visit relatives to the chant of "Are we there yet?" Maybe in an idle moment Dad dreamed of driving something fast, but the demands of family life meant hard tops and firm suspension--anything less than four doors would have been wildly hedonistic. Even though the family car may not have been the very essence of rock 'n' roll, Dad was proud of it. Spanning the 1950s to the 1980s, this is a celebration of the heyday of the Dad car. From beloved family workhorses like the Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Viva to the rakish excitement of the Rover 3500 and Citroen CX, 60 of the best-known and best-loved family cars of all time are organized into categories such as Sporty Dad, Frugal Dad, and Compact Dad, with an affectionate and witty article dedicated to each car. Reflecting on a time when the nearest thing to an airbag was hiding behind your brother, this is a celebration of cars that were as flawed and as loveable as Dad himself.

Top Gear: My Dad Had One of Those

For fifty years, Britain made the best toy cars in the world, expertly shrinking every kind of reallife vehicle and producing them in their countless, die-cast millions. Dinky Toys were the 1930s pioneers, then in the 1950s came the pocket-money Matchbox series, followed by Corgi Toys bristling with ingenious features and movie stardust. But who were the driving forces behind this phenomenon? And how did they keep putting the latest, most exciting cars into the palm of your hand year after year? In this illustrated and expanded edition of Britain’s Toy Car Wars, Giles Chapman reveals the extraordinary battle to dominate Britain’s toy car industry, and the dramas and disasters that finally saw the tiny wheels come off ...

The War of Wheels Between Dinky, Corgi and Matchbox

Britain’s Toy Car Wars

Very few cars inspire as much affection as the original Mini. It’s the small car everyone loves to eulogise because it oozes energetic fun, classless minimalism and evergreen style. But it’s also of massive historical importance: the 1959 Mini, designed by Alec Issigonis, set the template from which all successful compact cars have been created ever after. It was the technological wonder of its age. The original Mini was on sale for 41 years, during which its 5.3m sales made it the best-selling British car of all time – an achievement unlikely ever to be beaten. And just when it looked like the little car would shrivel and die, BMW had the vision to reinvent it as the planet’s most desirable small car range, and put it back on the serious motoring map as the MINI. Here, award-winning writer Giles Chapman tells the whole, amazing story.

The Mini Story

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.

60 Years

Mini

Gripping archive images of the 4x4 pioneer presented in a fresh and stylish design

Gripping Photos of the 4x4 Pioneer

Land Rover

A unique look at the development of the Land Rover, this is the story of the simple four-wheel drive vehicle born out of post-war austerity that became a global byword for toughness and rugged style Launched in 1948, the Land Rover owed its low-key existence to shoestring British ingenuity and—literally—odds and ends left over from World War II. Rover thought it could keep its factory ticking over as the company's post-war fortunes slowly revived. They also thought that farmers might appreciate it as a handy cross between a pick-up and a tractor. But it was soon obvious that the company had created, in the Land Rover, a world-beating product. Giles Chapman tells the story of how Land Rovers have tamed the planet's toughest terrain with their unstoppable off-road capability. It also charts how the Land Rover legend allowed the marque to gradually expand its range with the Range Rover, Discovery, Freelander, and the latest Range Rover Evoque. They're all cars as familiar in cities and suburbs as they are at home in the countryside. Land Rover has been controversial, its fortunes tied to Britain's economic ups and downs. Today it's on a roll, leading a renaissance in British design and manufacturing, yet the continued presence of the Defender helps keep the Land Rover Story absolutely genuine.

The Land Rover Story

Good old Dad and his good old Dad's car. As solid and dependable as the man himself, if a little less balding, Dad's car was almost a member of the family, whisking you to exciting days out, or just to visit boring relatives in distant parts of the country to the chant of 'are we nearly there yet?' Like the man behind the wheel, Dad's car made you feel safe and secure, because it was as reassuring and sensible as he was. Maybe in an idle moment Dad dreamt of driving something rakish and fast, just like in idle moments he dreamt that your Mum was Twiggy, but the demands of family life meant soft tops, hard suspension and anything even remotely sporty were off the cards. Even anything less than four doors would have been wildly hedonistic. But although the family car may not have been the very essence of rock 'n' roll, Dad was proud of it. Spanning the 1950s to the '80s, this is a celebration of the heyday of the Dad car. From much loved family workhorses like the Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Viva to the rakish excitement and playground kudos of the Rover 3500 and Citroen CX, all the great Dad cars are here. Reflecting a time before people carriers and lifestyle off roaders, when the nearest thing to an airbag was hiding behind your fat brother, this is a celebration of simple, honest cars that were as flawed and as loveable as your Dad himself.

Meccano was first on the scene with its die-cast Dinky Toys of 1933. Lesney's Matchbox series arrived twenty years later, at genuine pocket-money prices. And then in 1956 Mettoy's Corgi Toys appeared, packed full of astounding gimmicks. From incredibly humble beginnings - Lesney started life in a derelict north London pub - the British toy car industry grew into a lucrative world-beater, with fierce rivalry developing between the three main brands: Dinky, Matchbox and Corgi. Giles Chapman reveals the fascinating story behind the battle to dominate Britain's toy car industry, and the decline that drove it into history. This new edition benefits from expanded text, while still featuring a nostalgic selection of photographs, looking back over a vibrant and cherished chapter in British cultural memory.

Dinky Vs Corgi Vs Matchbox

Britain's Toy Car Wars

Jaguar Century is a lavishly illustrated large-format retrospective examining 100 years of Jaguar, one of the most acclaimed marques in automotive history.

100 Years of Automotive Excellence

Jaguar Century

Charting the 130-years from the arrival of horseless carriages to the advent of driverless vehicles, celebrate the automobile and the romance of the open road. Beginning with the development of the first vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine, Drive explores the early glamour of driving, motor sport, and car design, and looks at how the automobile has shaped the modern world. Revealing the advances in technology and design that have made cars faster, safer, and better to drive, and transformed them from a means of transportation into objects of status, excitement, and desire, Drive tracks trends in auto manufacturing and the public's changing tastes in cars: whether it's Golden Era sports cars such as the MG, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, and Chevrolet, muscle cars like the Mustang, hot rods, custom cars, the hippie-standard VW, or modern-day hybrid cars. Trivia and fascinating facts covering the growth of car racing, the development of traffic lights, the boom in automobile advertising, the first car washes, and the craft of artisan-made cars complete the subject, making it a must-have for car enthusiasts.

Giles Chapman

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