Readers learn the grand and turbulent history of the motor car, from its earliest appearance in the 1880s—as little more than a powered quadricycle—and the innovations of the early pioneer carmakers. The author examines the advances of the interwar era, the Golden Age of the 1950s, and the iconic years of the 1960s to the decades of doubt and uncertainty following the oil crisis of 1973, the global mergers of the 1990s, the bailouts of the early twenty-first century, and the emergence of the electric car.This is not just a story of horsepower and performance but a tale of extraordinary people: of intuitive carmakers such as Karl Benz, Sir Henry Royce, Giovanni Agnelli (Fiat), André Citroën, and Louis Renault; of exceptionally gifted designers such as the eccentric, Ohio-born Chris Bangle (BMW); and of visionary industrialists such as Henry Ford, Ferdinand Porsche (the Volkswagen Beetle), and Gene Bordinat (the Ford Mustang), among numerous other game changers.Above all, this comprehensive history demonstrates how the epic story of the car mirrors the history of the modern era, from the brave hopes and soaring ambitions of the early twentieth century to the cynicism and ecological concerns of a century later. Bringing to life the flamboyant entrepreneurs, shrewd businessmen, and gifted engineers that worked behind the scenes to bring us horsepower and performance, The Life of the Automobile is a globe-spanning account of the auto industry that is sure to rev the engines of entrepreneurs and gearheads alike.

    He has, as they say, been around a bit. And as a result, he's got one or two things to tell us about how it all works; and being Jeremy Clarkson he's not about to voice them quietly, humbly and without great dollops of humour.In The World According to Clarkson, he reveals why it is that:Too much science is bad for our health'70s rock music is nothing to be ashamed ofHunting foxes while drunk and wearing night-sights is neither big nor cleverWe must work harder to get rid of cricketHe likes the Germans (well, sometimes)With a strong dose of common sense that is rarely, if ever, found inside the M25, Clarkson hilariously attacks the pompous, the ridiculous, the absurd and the downright idiotic, whilst also celebrating the eccentric, the clever and the sheer bloody brilliant.Less a manifesto for living and more a road map to modern life, The World According to Clarkson is the funniest book you'll read this year. Don't leave home without it.

    Inside you'll find:Expert knowledge on any air-cooled Volkswagen built through 1978, including Bugs, Karmann Ghias, vans, and campersEasy-to-understand, fun-to-read information for novice and veteran mechanics alike, with anecdotal descriptions and clear language to help take the mystery out of diagnostic, maintenance, and repair proceduresTrusted advice from the late John Muir, whose in-depth knowledge and sense of humor have guided Volkswagen enthusiasts for nearly 50 yearsHand-lettered with intricate hand-drawn illustrations throughout Updated information on problem-solving, with new photos and an updated resource listPacked with trusted insight, troubleshooting tips, and clear directions, How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive is the ultimate VW manual.

    But as she and her daughter, Penelope, eagerly pursue their genealogical interests, they are also being pursued - by Callum MacGregor, an English police inspector who thinks he is cornering two art thieves, and by a pair of mysterious characters with more sinister motives. Who are the real thieves? Is anyone who she seems? Set among the ancient ruins, bustling city streets, and wild beauty of 1920s Scotland, Who Goes There? is full of intrigue and surprises. Best-selling author Susan Evans McCloud delivers again in a thriller that will keep readers entranced until the final page.

    From the random braindropping (When you sneeze, all the numbers in your head go up by one.) to favorite oxymorons (holy war, for one), and from questions to ponder (Why are there no B batteries? for instance) to his classic monologue comparing baseball and football, this little book packs in a lot of laughs.

    Young Henry Ford II, who had taken the reins of his grandfather’s company with little business experience to speak of, knew he had to do something to shake things up. Baby boomers were taking to the road in droves, looking for speed not safety, style not comfort. Meanwhile, Enzo Ferrari, whose cars epitomized style, lorded it over the European racing scene. He crafted beautiful sports cars, "science fiction on wheels," but was also called "the Assassin" because so many drivers perished while racing them.Go Like Hell tells the remarkable story of how Henry Ford II, with the help of a young visionary named Lee Iacocca and a former racing champion turned engineer, Carroll Shelby, concocted a scheme to reinvent the Ford company. They would enter the high-stakes world of European car racing, where an adventurous few threw safety and sanity to the wind. They would design, build, and race a car that could beat Ferrari at his own game at the most prestigious and brutal race in the world, something no American car had ever done.Go Like Hell transports readers to a risk-filled, glorious time in this brilliant portrait of a rivalry between two industrialists, the cars they built, and the "pilots" who would drive them to victory, or doom.

    But to his rural North Carolina town, they're not history; they're junk. When Tommy acquires a rusted out wreck of an old Chevy and promises to return it to a shiny, chromed work of American art, he sees one last chance to salvage his respect, keep himself out of jail, and save his business. But for this folk hero who is often on the wrong side of the law, the odds of success are long, especially when the FBI, local authorities, and the bank are closing in.Written for motor heads and automotive novices alike, Auto biography interweaves this improbable hero's journey with the story of one iconic car to chart the rise, fall, and rebirth of the American Dream. Told in words and eight pages of photos, this wise, charming, and heartbreaking true story is an indelible portrait of a man, a machine, and a nation on the road from a glorious past into an unknown future.

    The short life of the DeLorean DMC-12 sports car – a vision of the future with its gullwing doors and stainless steel body – began after John DeLorean secured financial backing from the British government for his car-making venture in Northern Ireland. Four years and nearly 9,000 cars later the company went bust and DeLorean faced questions about fraud against the British taxpayer, and his big ally, Colin Chapman of Lotus, also drew scrutiny. As an insider’s account, this book contains a great deal of new information about the DeLorean scandal.

    During a fogbound evening in an airport lounge, Matchett and some fellow enthusiasts began a discussion of racecar design, a conversation which evolved into a detailed examination of the teams and technologies behind the world's most complex sport. Their thoughts are captured here, from choosing the best chassis and most advanced suspension to building the strongest gearbox, providing an unmatched insider view of the international F1 scene."'I really could see the scenes he describes evolving in my mind, as if I was there-the mark of true genius in the author!"--F1 Sport International

    James May has an opinion on most things. In addition to writing about his first love, cars, James also has a go at political correctness, the endless rules and regulations of modern life, the internal combustion engine, and personalized license plates. He discusses gastropubs, Jeremy Clarkson, and other trials of modern life. An indispensable guide to life for the modern driver, these highly entertaining observations from behind the wheel will have readers laughing out loud.

    If there is a crash, it is Watkins who gets there first. He is closely involved in improving safety at the circuits and in developing rapid response medical rescue.

    Native Englishman and current New Yorker Lee Child returns to his bestselling Jack Reacher series in Personal. Action-packed, the novel follows Reacher back and forth across the Atlantic as he works to investigate the attempted assassination of the French president by a shooter the United States would happily disclaim—only to find that a plot, orchestrated by a master planner, is afoot. Who are the suspects? Through trips between the US and France and the US and England, Reacher tries to unravel the conspiracy that prompted the assassination attempt in the first place—a conspiracy meant to return one man to power who had thought he had seen it slip away from him in his advancing age. This companion/analysis to Personal unravels every plot, symbol, theme... All in all, Lee Child’s Personal is an entertaining read with much to recommend it. If there are places in the text where the author’s attention seems to have lapsed, there are also many where the level of detail provided is excellent and excellently handled, and, as a way to spend a day, reading it is a good one. This Analysis of Personal fills the gap, making you understand more while enhancing your reading experience.

    When the Black Stig disappeared off the end of an aircraft carrier in 2003, audiences were introduced to the White Stig—faster, stranger, and harder to keep clean. Ever since, millions have wondered—who is the man in the white suit? They're about to find out. Ben Collins caught the car the bug young, kicking his dad's boss in the balls for not giving him a company Jag, and this was the attitude that eventually led him to spend seven years sharing a cabin with Jeremy Clarkson's underwear, James May's PhD thesis, and Richard Hammond's hairspray. Now he tells all about life inside the iconic white helmet: what it's like to guide a blind ex-RAF officer around the Top Gear track, pit a drug dealer's Mitsubishi Evo against a Trojan tank, set a Vauxhall Monaro against Chloe the dancing Ninja, and race double-decker Routemasters against bendy buses—not to mention all the inside stuff on how the show's amazing driving sequences are made. He also reveals how he got to be there—setting a Dunsfold lap time faster than Michael Schumacher's. It's an awesome story, told by an amazing man.

    He is ultra competitive but never forgets to have fun. An immensely likeable man.' Damon HillThe world’s foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain’s greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir.How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian’s unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he’s been involved.A true engineering genius, even in adolescence Adrian’s thoughts naturally emerged in shape and form – he began sketching his own car designs at the age of 12 and took a welding course in his school summer holidays. From his early career in IndyCar racing and on to his unparalleled success in Formula One, we learn in comprehensive, engaging and highly entertaining detail how a car actually works. Adrian has designed for the likes of Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill, David Coulthard, Mika Hakkinen, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, always with a shark-like purity of purpose: to make the car go faster. And while his career has been marked by unbelievable triumphs, there have also been deep tragedies; most notably Ayrton Senna’s death during his time at Williams in 1994.Beautifully illustrated with never-before-seen drawings, How to Build a Car encapsulates, through Adrian’s remarkable life story, precisely what makes Formula One so thrilling – its potential for the total synchronicity of man and machine, the perfect combination of style, efficiency and speed.

    Now Robert Lacey has captured in one volume the public achievements and the private tragedies, the feuds, affairs, and personalities that make up this epic tale.Ford is above all the story of a handful of powerful individuals whose ambitions have helped shape modern American society:Henry Ford I, the founder, one of history's great figures, whose legendary achievements - the Model T, the moving assembly line, the Five Dollar Day, the Peace Ship - and down-home folk wisdom are recounted in school civics courses. Here for the first time Lacey reveals the extraordinarily complex and contradictory man behind the public icon Henry Ford was at once a dedicated pacifist and a war profiteer; a champion of the rights of minorities and a virulent anti-Semite; a dedicated family man who supported a mistress and an illegitimate son; a loving father who hounded and bullied his only legitimate son intoan early grave.