Transportation

With prices for the older Mercedes-Benz models, such as the ‘Pagoda’ and W107 SLs heading ever higher, many enthusiasts are now starting to look at the R129 series SL. Produced from 1989-2001, it combined timeless elegance, luxury and effortless performance, with V12 engines available for the first time. The R129 was the last SL with a detachable hardtop and – for many Mercedes fans – the last to be built to the marque’s legendary standards of construction.
With that sophistication came new levels of equipment and unprecedented complexity. For would-be buyers today, there are more points than ever to watch out for. The cars’ weight also puts strain on components such as the brakes and suspension. Choosing a good R129 demands care.
This buyer's guide will help you do just that. Learn about the differences between models, and what to look for when buying. What are the true running costs, and what issues – with the mechanicals, body or interior – should you be wary of? Find the answers to these questions and information about the clubs and specialists who can help look after your R129 today.

The 190 (W 201) was a landmark car for Mercedes-Benz: the predecessor to today’s C-Class models, it was the company’s first compact saloon (sedan) and combined advanced engineering with a new direction in body styling, later followed by the W124 and R129 series. Engines available included robust petrol and diesel ‘fours’, as well as a silky ‘straight-six’. The sporting 190 E 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 models, initially developed with Cosworth, took Mercedes to new levels of performance. Altogether, nearly 1.9 million cars were produced, and today the 190 is an increasingly sought-after modern classic.
This guide will help you learn about the differences between models, and what to look for when buying. What are the true running costs, and what issues – with the mechanicals, body or interior – should you be wary of? Is a restoration worth considering?
This handy guide will take you step-by-step through the process of finding and evaluating a good 190 and making a successful purchase. Essential data and information about clubs and specialists will help you look after and enjoy your 190.

Rootes’ Sunbeam Alpine sportscar was the flagship of its car range. Here, all the various models and production changes are described and illustrated in detail, along with what it’s like to own, drive and live with an Alpine – one of the best engineered, stylish and practical cars of its time, and still satisfying to drive today.
If you’re thinking of buying an Alpine, this book will help you decide which model you really want, and learn exactly what to look for when you go to view a car. By using a thorough points-based assessment, you can decide with your head – not your heart – so you can make the right decision, and pay the right price.
Benefit from the author’s forty years’ of Alpine ownership experience and engineering expertise, all in one book!

With nearly 2.7 million cars produced, Mercedes’ W123 series was hugely successful. As well as the practical saloon (sedan), Mercedes offered a stylish coupé and a roomy estate (wagon), which was built in-house for the first time. Often considered the marque’s best-engineered cars of all time, they are increasingly sought after as modern classics, yet many are still suitable to drive every day. From the taxi ranks of Germany to the dusty roads of North Africa, many of these cars have led a hard life, and examples in good condition are becoming ever more difficult to find.
This guide will help you learn about the differences between models, and what to look for when buying. What are the true running costs, and what issues – with the mechanicals, body or interior – should you be wary of? Is a restoration worth considering?
This handy guide will take you step-by-step through the process of finding and evaluating a good W123 and making a successful purchase. Essential data and information about clubs and specialists will help you look after and enjoy your W123 today.

Blending innovation, style, and sheer driving joy, the Toyota MR2 rewrote the rules for affordable sports cars.

From its debut as the SV-3 concept at the 1983 Tokyo Motor Show to its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic mid-engined models, the MR2 remains a touchstone for car enthusiasts globally. This book chronicles the full journey of the MR2 – including the Coupé, Roadster, and Spyder variants – in captivating detail.

With nearly 400 illustrations, many in full colour, Toyota MR2 Coupe and Spyders dives deep into the car’s development, performance, and cultural impact. Technical specifications and production data are covered extensively, offering an invaluable reference for collectors and restorers alike. Rare imagery and original promotional material add visual richness, placing the MR2 in its historical and cultural context. Brian Long also explores Toyota’s broader manufacturing and design history, showing how the MR2 emerged as a bold departure and a true innovator.

Take a nostalgic drive through automotive history – and rediscover a sports car icon.

Why has “car society” proven so durable, even in the face of mounting environmental and economic crises? In this follow-up to his magisterial Atlantic Automobilism, Gijs Mom traces the global spread of the automobile in the postwar era and investigates why adopting more sustainable forms of mobility has proven so difficult. Drawing on archival research as well as wide-ranging forays into popular culture, Mom reveals here the roots of the exuberance, excess, and danger that define modern automotive culture.

The airline industry is fundamental to the workings of the global economy. Yet, ironically for an industry of such sheer scale and economic muscle, profit margins are razor thin and many airlines struggle to break even. The precarious economics of the sector were fully revealed when Covid-19 grounded flights across the world prompting many national carriers to seek government bailouts, while smaller airlines collapsed.


The third edition of this standard introduction to the economics of the airline industry has been fully updated and expanded to include new material on decarbonising aviation, aircraft leasing, the application of AI technology, changes to the international regulatory architecture, blocked mergers and the challenges facing Boeing, the cargo market, the growth of ancillary revenues, as well as further analysis of the impact of the pandemic on passenger numbers and the concept of delayed demand.


The book remains a comprehensive introduction to the economics of airlines, how carriers compete, how they develop their business, and how demand and cost structure, coupled with the complex regulatory regime, produces the industry we see today.

"Débutant en 1846 avec une flotte d'un seul navire, c'est grâce à la volonté et la ténacité de personnages remarquables tels que Jacques-Félix Sincennes, Louis-Adélard Sénécal et Louis-Joseph Forget, pour n'en nommer que quelques uns, que la Compagnie de Navigation du Richelieu a fait face aux défis du transport de produits de l'agriculture et de passagers vers des marchés plus vastes.

Suite à de nombreuses fusions avec des compagnies déjà en place, elle est devenue en 1913 la mère de la Société Canada Steamship Lines qui est encore un chef de file dans les eaux canadiennes et qui joue également un rôle important et toujours en croissance à l'échelle internationale en Europe, en Asie et en Amérique latine.

Avec cette oeuvre, Pierre Camu poursuit sa contribution à l'histoire de l'expansion économique du pays, en particulier dans le domaine des transports par eau. La rigueur et la profondeur de ses recherches pour ce volume sont remarquables; le ton est juste et le contexte social et économique recréé nous permet d'y pénétrer comme si on s'y retrouvait au moment présent.

Cet ouvrage captivera le lecteur du début à la fin. J'ai rencontré Pierre Camu lors de mon entrée dans l'industrie maritime, il y a quarante ans, et tout au long de sa carrière j'ai pu constater son dynamisme et son amour pour cette industrie et son histoire.

Je recommande la lecture de ce livre à tous ceux et celles qui s'intéressent à l'histoire des pionniers de notre pays."

- Le très honorable Paul Martin

Fifty years ago, Royal Mail Ship Nascopie ended a life full of adventure on an unmarked reef in Hudson's Strait. Launched by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1911, her main mission was to supply the Company's far-flung posts in Canada's North. Alone and without any of today's navigation and communications equipment, she battled ice and icebergs, fog, storms, and uncharted waters to delivery everything the posts needed to survive and trade.

Few ships played such a prolonged role in developing Canada's North and maintaining her presence there. Nascopie was a strong ship sailed by strong men. She played a historic role for Canada and this is her story.

The Frances Smith was not only the first steamboat to be built in Owen Sound, but also the largest vessel on Georgian Bay at that time. By far the most luxurious vessel to sail the Upper Great Lakes from a Canadian port, she was known as a "palace steamer." In the mid-to-late-19th century, the Frances Smith set the standard for speed, spacious accommodation and quality service on Georgian Bay and Lake Superior.

The story of the Frances Smith, full of adventure and courageous actions, and even including disreputable behaviour, is a genuine story of life on the Great Lakes in the latter part of the 1800s. Meticulously researched and documented by Scott L. Cameron, this book is an exploration of a special part of our past that will be of great interest to history buffs in general, and maritime historians in particular.

The editors have compiled an incredible volume, packed with memories and photographs that recall the locomotives, branch lines, summer Saturday peak traffic, GWR narrow gauge, and more to create a vivid picture of a unique time and place.

This masterful, richly illustrated account of the planning and building of the most important and influential early American railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio, is an essential contribution not only to railyway history but also to the broader history of the development of the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century.

There was no precedent for the building of the B&O. The construction of the 380-mile line from Baltimore to the Ohio River over a period of 25 years is an epic story of astute planning and innovative engineering that overcame many formidable obstacles, notably the arduous traversing of 200 miles of mountain wilderness. Its successful inauguration provided a spur to internal improvements throughout the United States. Railroads, and certainly the B&O, epitomized progress, not only in the development and extension of the Western frontier but in the revelation that personal travel and the delivery of freight could be dramatically faster, better, and cheaper.

The railroad deeply affected the development of Baltimore's port, industry, and urban geography, as well as its financial, educational, and cultural institutions. George Peabody, Enoch Pratt, William Walters, and Johns Hopkins—the city's most prominent philanthropists—were involved with the B&O, some intimately; the Johns Hopkins University was founded on B&O Railroad stock. The B&O also contributed by aiding in the growth of the state's iron and coal industries.

The B&O came to be called "the Railroad University of the United States." Its civil engineers formed the core of the railroad engineering profession in America. The company's annual reports during the building of the line were, according to the American Railroad Journal in 1835, "a textbook and their road and workshops have been as a lecture room to thousands."

Throughout, the author highlights the many types of men who were involved in that history: promoters, financiers, politicians, lawyers, newspaper editors, fixers and bagmen, civil engineers, inventors and mechanics, foremen, contractors, and feuding Irish laborers, who together built the first long-distance, general-purpose railroad in the United States.

The book is illustrated with 80 photographs and drawings and 5 maps.

This 50-year saga of the "Weary Erie" goes far beyond describing in brilliant detail the turbulent last decades of a colorful, spunky, and innovative railroad. As the author vividly shows, the Erie possessed an uncommonly interesting history. For a brief time, it was the longest rail artery in the United States, hailed as "the most stupendous engineering feat ever attempted in America." It pioneered many innovations even after its opening in 1851, notably with the use of the telegraph for traffic control.

The present volume also tells us much about what happened to American railroading, especially in the East, during this period: technological change, government over-regulation, corporate mergers, union "featherbedding," uneven executive leadership, and changing patterns of travel and business. Step by step, the author reveals how the problems faced by the Erie became so numerous and complex that financial collapse and liquidation were inevitable results.

Throughout, the author draws on the abundant records of the Erie and Erie Lackawanna and on dozens of interviews with employees, bankers, lawyers, and industry official who cooperated in telling the story of the Erie's last years "the way it was." The book is illustrated with 45 photographs and drawings and 4 maps.

One of the most colorful yet neglected eras in American transportation history is re-created in this definitive history of the electric interurbans. Built with the idea of attracting short-distance passenger traffic and light freight, the interurbans were largely constructed in the early 1900s. The rise of the automobile and motor transport caused the industry to decline after World War I, and the depression virtually annihilated the industry by the middle 1930s.

Part I describes interurban construction, technology, passenger and freight traffic, financial history, and final decline and abandonment. Part II presents individual histories (with route maps) of the more than 300 companies of the interurban industry.

Reviews

"A first-rate work of such detail and discernment that it might well serve as a model for all corporate biographies. . . . A wonderfully capable job of distillation."

—Trains

"Few economic, social, and business historians can afford to miss this definitive study."

—Mississippi Valley Historical Review

"All seekers after nostalgia will be interested in this encyclopedic volume on the days when the clang, clang of the trolley was the most exciting travel sound the suburbs knew."

—Harper's Magazine

"A fascinating and instructive chapter in the history of American transportation."

—Journal of Economic History

"The hint that behind the grand facade of scholarship lies an expanse of boyish enthusiasm is strengthened by a lovingly amassed and beautifully reproduced collection of 37 photographs."

—The Nation

This is the first comprehensive account of the capsizing in 1915 of the steamer Eastland, an accident that killed more than 800 men, women, and children—the worst disaster of any kind in the history of Chicago and the worst in the history of the Great Lakes.

Reviews

"Hilton has written a comprehensive and exhaustive study of the worst disaster in Chicago's history. . . . Alterations and the addition of more lifeboats and rafts after the Titanic sank made the Eastland so unstable that it rolled over in the Chicago River. . . . The vessel's entire career is examined, and . . . the disaster itself is meticulously described and analyzed. Hilton also critically evaluates the subsequent civil and criminal court proceedings, raising a number of issues relating to marine safety regulations and the compensation of the victims' families."

—Choice

"Irony and tragedy combine in this account of America's worst marine disaster. . . . Hilton constructs a careful account of the events leading up to the calamity. The disaster itself is recounted minute by minute. . . . The numerous illustrations and period photographs, as well as numerous appendixes, make this a definitive account."

—Library Journal

"This is the book on the Eastland."

—Inland Seas

"It contains vivid accounts of drownings and rescues, heroism and cowardice."

—Chicago Tribune

Brown celebrates the survival of our railway heritage in stations that have been saved or remain in use.

Despite the "green" benefits of rail travel, Canada has lost much of its railway heritage. Across the country stations have been bulldozed and rails ripped up. Once the heart of communities large and small, stations and tracks have left little more than a gaping hole in Canada’s landscapes. This book revisits the times when railways were the country’s economic lifelines, and the station the social centre. Here was where we worked, played, listened to political speeches, or simply said goodbye to loved ones.



The landscapes that grew around the station are also explored and include such forgotten features as station hotels, restaurants, gardens, and the once-common railway YMCA. Railway companies often hired the world’s leading architects to design grand station buildings that ranged in style from chateauesque to art deco. Even small-town stations and wayside shelters displayed an artistic flare and elegance. Although most have vanished, the book celebrates the survival of that heritage in stations that have been saved or remain in use. The book will appeal to anyone who has links with our rail era, or who simply appreciates the value of Canada’s built heritage.

Explore Ontario’s rich railway heritage — from stations and hotels to train rides, bridges, water towers, and roundhouses.

Rails Across Ontario will take the reader back to a time when the railway ruled the economy and the landscape.

Read about historic stations, railway museums, heritage train rides, and historic bridges. Follow old rail lines along Ontario’s most popular rail trails. Find out where steam engines still puff across farm fields and where historic train coaches lead deep into the wilds of Ontario’s scenic north country. Discover long forgotten but once vital railway structures, such as roundhouses, coal docks, and water towers. Learn about regular VIA Rail routes that follow some of the province’s oldest rail lines and pass some of its most historic stations, including one that has operated continuously since 1857.

Follow the evolution of the rail legacy of the Canadian Prairies from the arrival of the first engine on a barge to today’s realities.

Rails Across the Prairies traces the evolution of Canada’s rail network, including the appearance of the first steam engine on the back of a barge. The book looks at the arrival of European settlers before the railway and examines how they coped by using ferry services on the Assiniboine and North Saskatchewan Rivers. The work then follows the building of the railways, the rivalries of their owners, and the unusual irrigation works of Canadian Pacific Railway. The towns were nearly all the creation of the railways from their layout to their often unusual names.

Eventually, the rail lines declined, though many are experiencing a limited revival. Learn what the heritage lover can still see of the Prairies’ railway legacy, including existing rail operations and the stories the railways brought with them. Many landmarks lie vacant, including ghost towns and elevators, while many others survive as museums or interpretative sites.

Rescue From Grampa Woo is an exciting tale of fear and heroism on Lake Superior. It tells of the rescue of two American men from a propellerless cruise ship as it drifts out to sea in hurricane-force winds. Three ships, two Canadian, one American, fight to save it. How successful were they? What kind of people would take these risks for others? What is it about Lake Superior that inspires such awe?

Rescue From Grampa Woo is a mariner's story, a sea story, a gripping account of adventure, risk and dedication. It culminated in the awarding of three Governor General's Medals of Bravery.

"I know when not to push the lake."
- Captain Gerry Dawson

Explore Ontario’s forgotten rail lines and experience the legacy and lore of this the vital railway era of Ontario’s history. At its peak between 1880 and the 1920s, Ontario was criss-crossed by more than 20,000 kilometres of rail trackage. Today, only a fraction remains. Yet trains once hauled everything from strawberries to grain, cans of milk and even eels. Villagers depended on trains to visit friends, attend weddings, to shop, and to go to school. They gathered on station platforms to await their mail or greet a long-lost relative. Holidayers packed their trunks and headed north for an extended summer day at their favorite resorts. Today, these are but a distant memory as most of Ontario’s once essential transportation links lie abandoned and largely forgotten.

But perhaps not entirely – many rights of way have become rail trails, and now witness hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and snowmobilers. Others sadly, lie overgrown and barely visible. Yet regardless of how one follows these early routes, one will find preserved stations, historic bridges, and railway era buildings, all of which recall this bygone era.

For more than two hundred years, thousands of giant sailing ships traversed the Great Lakes carrying cargo and passengers. The memory of the romance and elegance of these beautiful ships has almost been forgotten in the search for greater efficiency and speed in our modern world.

C.H.J. Snider (1879-1971) chronicled this era in his 1,303 "Schooner Days" columns for Toronto's The Evening Telegram between 1931 and 1954. A great marine researcher and artist, Snider himself worked aboard schooners in his youth and studied first-hand the development of the Great Lakes region. Coupled with Snider's writings are those of Robert B. Townsend, who, besides introducing Snider's stories, adds some of his own.

In the 450 years since Jacques Cartier's arrival, Prince Edward Island's history has been tied to the sea and to ships. From the first explorers through immigrants, traders, sailors, and fishermen, thousands of seafaring people and their ships have come and gone – many lost to the relentless sea. Julie Watson has dug through the archives and unearthed harrowing accounts, from the expulsion of the Acadians to the amazing 1836 adventure of Tommy Tuplin, age six, who was washed overboard in a storm then washed back into the ship's rigging.

This book includes fascinating stories of buried treasure, legends of ghost ships, and tales of storms that have become part of the island's history and folklore. Add to these stories of seal hunts, waterspouts, U-boats, and ice boats, and you start to share in what it means to be an islander – and what the unforgiving sea can yield.

Steamboats carrying passengers from Hamilton to Montreal via the rapids of the St. Lawrence were a popular sight in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In 1855, the Kingston, an iron steamboat built for John Hamilton, appeared in the Great Lakes. When the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) toured British North America in 1860, the Kingston became his floating palace for much of his time between Quebec and Toronto. While many steamboats claimed to be floating palaces, the Kingston truly was one.

In 1855, the Kingston, an iron steamboat built for John Hamilton (1802-82), appeared in the Great Lakes. When the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) came to British North America for the first royal tour in 1860, the Kingston became his floating palace for much of his time between Quebec and Toronto. Many steamboats claimed to be floating palaces. The Kingston was.

The Kingston was wrecked many times and survived spectacular fires in 1872 and 1873. Late in her career, she was converted into a salvage vessel and renamed the Cornwall. In 1930 she was finally taken out and sunk near one of Kingston’s ship graveyards. There she remained until diver Rick Neilson discovered her in 1989. Today, the once palatial Kingston is a popular dive site and tourist attraction.

The Empress of Ireland's last voyage ended on May 29, 1914, when she was rammed by a Norwegian coal-carrier in a fog patch on the St. Lawrence River near Rimouski. For David Creighton, her voyage still continues.

In Losing the Empress, Creighton delves into the lives of his grandparents - Salvation Army officers who were lost on the Empress - and the lives of their five orphaned children who would soon be plunged into World War I. His discoveries reveal amazing details about the Empress, which sank in fourteen minutes with a greater loss of life than the Titanic disaster.

Shipwreck nostalgia, last voyage dinners, Salvationists, the British Empire and the world wars fought to preserve it; everything comes into focus when the author joins Titanic discoverer Robert Ballard on a film shoot at the sunken liner's site. Losing the Empress lyrically traces a personal journey into the past and into the future.

The Alligator was an amphibious machine designed and patented in Canada in the late 1880s. This warping tug was capable of towing al og boomk across a lake and then portaging itself to the next body of water. Steam-powered and rugged, it was one of the pioneers in the mechanization of the forest industry and for more than thirty years was ubiquitous in northern Ontario until eclipsed by its worthy successor the Russel tug.

"This long-overdue book on the Alligator Warping Tug, designed and built by West & Peachey of Simcoe, Ontario, is a welcome addition to the libraries of those intrigued by Canada's story and particularly lumbering history." -- R. John Corby, curator emeritus, Canada Science and Technology Museum

By enabling access to the upper reaches of the Ottawa River and its many tributaries, the Alligator tug extended the social and economic stability provided by the timber industry and supported the populating of this vast region. Alligators of the North is a wonderful touchstone for all who share this heritage." — Mary Campbell, mayor of McNab-Braeside Township, Renfrew County

The year was 1910 and signs of progress were in the air. That June, a new steam ferry for the Toronto Island Company was launched and christened the Trillium. Only briefly mentioned in the local dailies at the time, the double-end, side-padded island ferry cruised the waters of Toronto Bay for nearly fifty years. After forty-six years of service, the Trillium retired in 1956, only to be saved from the scrap yard in 1973. The Trillium made its second debut in 1976 as a fully operational steam ferry and is still in service today.

As the Trillium reaches the century mark, Mike Filey revisits the history of this fascinating Canadian ship. With a new preface and updated photographs, including some in colour. Filey traces Trillium's remarkable rise, fall, and rebirth in a book that honours one of Toronto's most interesting treasures.

The steamer Wexford, with her flared bow, tall masts, and her open, canvas-sided hurricane deck, charmed spectators as she carried cargo across the Great Lakes. The romance and adventure of her British and French history in the South American trade followed her. Under newly appointed 24-year-old captain Bruce Cameron, her fateful final voyage was punctuated with opportunities to be saved from destruction , but his persistence in trying to make port at Goderich led to tragedy - a victim of the storm of 1913. Over a period of 87 years, she eluded many efforts to locate her remains, but was finally discovered in 2000 by a sailor using a fish-finding device. Since then, she has been visited by thousands, but sadly plundered. Our story traces her history from her British origins in 1883, through the transition to become a "Laker," the eventful storm, the search, and her ultimate discovery in southern Lake Huron, and the controversy over how she should be protected.

An authoritative guide to the history, landscape and lore along the scenic English train line between Settle and Carlisle, by an established travel writer and railway aficionado.

Widely known as England's most picturesque line, the enduring Settle-Carlisle Railway crosses the north Pennines between Yorkshire and Cumbria, traversing stunning scenery from the Dales through the lonely and lofty fells to the limestone pavements of Westmorland, and on into the lush, green Eden Valley.

Why don't trains run on time? Why are fares so expensive? Why are there so many strikes?

Few would disagree that Britain's railways are broken, and have been for a long time.

This insightful new book calls for a radical rethink of how we view the railways, and explains the problems we face and how to fix them. Haines-Doran argues that the railways should be seen as a social good and an indispensable feature of the national economy. With passengers and railway workers holding governments to account, we could then move past the incessant debates on whether our railways are an unavoidably loss-making business failure. An alternative vision is both possible and affordable, enabling the railways to play an instrumental role in decreasing social inequalities, strengthening the economy and supporting a transition to a sustainable future.
This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

This is a complete facsimile of the 1904 edition originally published by the Interborough Rapid Transit Company to commemorate the opening of New York’s first subway line. From the perspective of both urban history and the history of transportation, this book is an important primary source.

Building the city’s first subway in the early years of the twentieth century required delicate collaboration between public and private interests and called for the expenditure of considerable sums of both public and private money. The book introduces us to Abram S. Hewitt, a late nineteenth-century mayor of New York City. It was Hewitt who realized that, while private capital alone had been perfectly adequate for building elevated rapid transit lines in New York as early as the 1870s, the more costly construction of underground rapid transit lines was far beyond the ability of private corporations to finance. Hewitt set in motion a chain of events that sanctioned the use of public funds for subway construction, with the completed facility then to be leased to a private company for day-to-day operation.

The private firm that emerged, both to build and to operate the first subway in New York, was called the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, a name that would later be rendered more crisply as the IRT. The City of New York and the Interborough Rapid transit Company inaugurated service over the city’s first subway line on Thursday afternoon, October 27, 1904. Mayor George B. McClellan, son of the Civil War general, took the controls of the first ceremonial train at City Hall Station in downtown Manhattan and headed north. In one way or another, the subway has been going ever since.

The book also presents important tabular and statistical information, as well as clear and concise narrative descriptions of technical details.

Everyone wonders what goes on down a manhole. This book explores the mysteries beneath New York City's streets, telling the story of hidden pipes and cables and how they are kept in order. It might be called a Sidewalk Superintendent's Guide, but it is much more than that. It is a vivid account of a city in action.

The author received the generous cooperation of the engineering personnel of the public utilities and the municipal departments of the city. The text is enhanced by numerous photographs, maps, and diagrams.

Harry Granick's Underneath New York was the first book to describe the anatomy of a modern city.

A Race with Infamy: The Lance Macklin Story delves into the extraordinary life and career of Lance Macklin, a charismatic racing driver whose name became inextricably linked with one of motorsport’s darkest days—the 1955 Le Mans disaster. This meticulously researched biography explores Macklin’s rise from the glamorous circuits of the post-war racing scene to his pivotal role in the tragic chain of events that forever altered the world of motorsport.

Drawing on archival records, personal letters, and exclusive interviews, this book paints a vivid portrait of a man driven by speed, ambition, and a love for the sport, yet haunted by the shadows of infamy. Beyond the crash that claimed 83 lives, A Race with Infamy examines Macklin’s achievements, challenges, and his post-racing life, offering a nuanced perspective on a figure often overshadowed by history.

For fans of motorsport history and human stories alike,  Race with Infamy is a compelling exploration of racing’s golden era and the lasting legacy of one man caught at the intersection of triumph and tragedy.

Just as Kawasaki was about to green-light the world’s first mass-produced across-the-frame four-cylinder motorcycle, Honda pulled the rug out from under the project by unveiling the CB750-4 at the Tokyo Show in 1968, and lighting the fuse for what was to become motorcycling’s most explosive decade.In never before published interviews with the men responsible for the bike, code-named ‘New York Steak,’ Dave Sheehan relates the story behind the Z1’s development; the secret US testing programme in which a team, including Imola-race winner Paul Smart, rode pre-production bikes disguised as Hondas coast-to-coast across America.
The Kawasaki Z1 Story examines the myth, truth and legend surrounding the Z1’s first race win – of which even Kawasaki knew nothing. Here, too, is the full story of the epic three days at Florida’s legendary Daytona Speedway when a trio of Z1s broke more than 50 speed endurance records.

Packed with good advice on choosing the right Ducati bevel twin, with a comprehensive inspection guide and in-depth analysis of strengths and weaknesses, this book covers desirable upgrades, modifications to avoid, valuation and predicting which models will become collectable (if they aren’t already). Illustrated throughout with photos of key areas to check and foibles to be aware of, and featuring details ranging from the Ducati community, to whether a Ducati bevel twin will suit you and your lifestyle, this is the complete guide to choosing, assessing, and buying the Ducati bevel twin of your dreams.
Written by Ian Falloon, an expert who enjoyed a close association with the factory and the engineers during the period these bikes were manufactured, providing him with an invaluable insight into their development. He has been involved with Ducati motorcycles, and bevel twins in particular, for nearly 40 years and, in addition to writing several books covering these models, he is an avid restorer with over 20 bevel twin restorations to his credit.

Ford’s Focus Mk1 was a game-changing family hatchback, setting new standards for ride, handling and driver enjoyment. The sporty ST170 was noted for being a top-notch all-rounder, while the rapid RS broke the mould for front-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks, offering outstanding ability on road or track.
Today, the ST170 and Mk1 RS are highly-regarded driver’s machines, while gradually gaining cult status – and increasing value – among classic collectors.
But both machines suffer the potential for rust, neglect, abuse and accident damage – which makes buying one a task that’s fraught with risk. To help the would-be RS or ST driver, this quick-reference guide acts as a handy pocket-sized companion during the purchasing process. It aims to help buyers select the best car, pay the right price and avoid any pitfalls.
Written by a motoring journalist, long-term fast Ford enthusiast and Focus ST owner, this one-stop package of great advice includes at-a-glance tips, illustrated in-depth inspection guidance, specifications, real-world cost considerations and even notes on which modifications to avoid.

Here is a book packed with good advice on how to find and maintain a Desmoquattro twin Ducati. From running costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation – this book shows you exactly what to look for when examining a potential Ducati Desmoquattro purchase. Along with a detailed description of all the individual models, there is a comprehensive condition checklist and guide, plus photos of key areas to check and foibles to be aware of. Also includes info on key specifications and useful upgrades that will enable one of these classic machines to be used on a regular basis, and a guide to the market and value – everything you need to buy the Desmoquattro of your dreams.
Ian Falloon has 40 years of experience with Ducati, and has written several books covering the Desmoquattro models. He has owned several examples of this bike, and in his role as a motorcycle journalist attended the press launches for many of the models covered in this book. Ian’s close association with the factory, and personal association with many of the engineers involved, has given him an invaluable insight into these models.

The Café Racer captures the very essence of motorcycling, with its stripped-to-the-bone styling and a timeless blend of cat-quick chassis, matched to a barn-storming engine.
From its roots in the ’59 Club, home-brewed specials and the creation of the Triton by Dave Degens, the Café Racer became the must-have Rockers’ motorbike. It then became the template for a new generation of fast road riders in the 1970s, with the rise of Dunstall, Rickman, Seeley and many more bespoke bike builders.
The factories jumped on the bandwagon. Machines like the Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk I, Ducati 900SS and the MV Agusta 750S all captured the spirit of the Café Racer. Then the slick, super fast, Japanese sport bikes of the ’80s came along, and looked set to consign the Café Racer special to the history books.
But a revival had to happen. The Ace Café London re-opened, bike builders as diverse as Wakan, Fred Krugger, Nick Gale and Roland Sands all began to create lean, back-to-basics motorcycles, but with their own unique twist on Café Racer heritage. From the Buell 1125 CR to the Guzzi V7 Sport, mainstream modern bikes have also re-discovered their street racing soul.
Packed with previously unseen photos, machine profiles, interviews, and personal anecdotes from the glory days of Café Racer culture, this book takes a look at the enduring cult of the Café Racer, in all its ton-up glory.

Now in paperback! The BSA Bantam is one of the definitive postwar British bikes, perhaps THE definitive British lightweight built after World War II. It was certainly the most popular, with over 400,000 built over a 23-year production run – in the first four years, production broke all records. Yet it would die a lingering death, production fizzling out in the early 1970s as a neglected model of a manufacturer more concerned with building big, fast road-burning bikes. The Bantam might never have happened without World War II. The prewar DKW RT125 was offered to the Allies as reparations, taken up and produced in the USA, USSR, even Japan! In East Germany it was revived as the MZ, and in Britain it surfaced publicly in 1948 as the BSA Bantam, a very simple little 123cc two-stroke, with rudimentary electrics, no rear suspension and a lot of charm.
The little bike became part of Britain’s social history. Thousands of people learnt to ride on a Bantam, or had their first pillion experience on one, or rode one delivering telegrams for what was the GPO. Although many of those learners progressed to bigger, faster bikes, then gave up two wheels for family life, they won’t have forgotten the Bantam, which explains why there’s such a thriving Bantam community to this day – the club, the racing club, the spares specialists, and restorers, owners and riders all over the country. This might not be Britain’s most glamorous motorcycle, its fastest or most flamboyant, but the Bantam is probably the most loved.

BMW café racers? You bet!
There have been many books published about BMW motorcycles, but until now none has covered the evolution of the BMW sports bike to the BMW café racer. A marque not commonly associated with the café racer scene, the growing trend of custom BMW café conversions is illustrated in detail with stunning images of sporting, racing, and ‘caféd’ BMWs.
Showcasing fantastic BMW customs from all over the globe, and from the old to the new, this book presents them in all their innovative glory. Featuring owner’s stories and technical descriptions, BMW Café Racers is a book guaranteed to interest BMW fans and members of the café racer scene alike.
From Airheads to Oilheads, modified singles to parallel twins, Fours and Concept 6s – see the ‘caféd’ side of BMW.

There are lots of books about Harleys, about their history, performance, lineage and the minutae of their specification, but none of them will tell you what to look for when buying one second-hand. That’s what this book is about – it aims to be a straightforward, practical guide to buying a used Harley-Davidson. It won’t list all the correct colour combinations for each year, or analyse the bike’s design philosophy, or consider its background as a cultural icon – there are excellent books listed at the end of this one which do all of that. But hopefully it will help you avoid buying a dud. Point by point, it takes the reader through everything that needs looking at when buying a Harley, plus spares prices, which is the best model to buy for your needs, and a look at auctions, restorations and paperwork.
A unique points scoring system sums up the intended purchase and its correct price category.

The 1970s and 1980s were wonderful eras for the motorcycle: crazy two-strokes and the first multi-cylinder superbikes coming thick and fast from Japan. It was a time of fast-paced engineering advances, and a time in motorcycle history that is unlikely ever to be repeated. Yet the then-over budget motorcycles that we longed for, are now available within budget ... and just waiting to be restored.
This book will guide you, in detail, through every stage of classic motorcycle restoration. From sourcing a bike, to outlining each of the techniques, tips and tricks used by experts, this guide will save you time, money, and – best of all – show you that you don’t need expert knowledge or a fully-fitted workshop to restore your dream bike.
Packed full of photographs, and with detailed instructions, this book is the perfect companion for any classic motorcycle restorer.

How to Restore Suzuki 2-Stroke Triples is the definitive step-by-step colour illustrated guide to complete restoration, and a must-have restoration guide for both beginners and seasoned Suzuki Triple enthusiasts.
If you can still remember the signature of many 70s motorcycles – the characteristic sound and smell of a 2-cylinder 2-stroke engine – then you’ll find pleasure in the knowledge that many of these classics are still alive and well today, in sheds, garages and barns across the country. Many only make an appearance on a nice, sunny day, perhaps attending classic events or taking an early evening summer ride with friends. Buying one of these motorcycles can be expensive, yet find one in need of restoration and you may strike a bargain price.
Restoration is not as difficult as it may at first appear, and benefiting from Ricky Burns’ hands-on knowledge and experience, this step-by-step illustrated guide will give any potential restorer all the advice, tips and shortcuts needed to make an economical, easy restoration happen. This book covers dismantling and rebuilding, sourcing parts, special tools, tackling bodywork, restoring engines and mechanical parts, and much more.

New in paperback, The Kawasaki Triples Bible covers the entire production of three cylinder two-strokes from 1968 to 1980, featuring a year-by-year breakdown of bike specs, including the KH250, 350 S2, KH400, H1 500 and H2 750 models.
Illustrated with hundreds of archive photographs and period adverts, plus personal memories from some of the racers and tuners who got the best from the fearsome H1R 500 and H2R machines in Europe and the USA, as well as road riders who owned the triples back in the 70s. There are technical tips and advice from experienced Kawasaki triple enthusiasts and club members worldwide, plus information from some early dealers in the Kawasaki marque. The book also contains useful advice on spares availability, tuning, future market values etc, and tries to capture the essence of what made the Kawasaki triples the most rebellious, kick-ass two-strokes of their time.
This unique book is an invaluable resource for any collector, restorer, or just a fan of these fabulous two-stroke motorcycles.

Having this book in your pocket is just like having a real marque expert by your side. Benefit from Richard Copping and Kenneth Cservanka’s years of Volkswagen Transporter ownership and experience, learn how to spot a bad example quickly, and how to assess a promising one like a professional. Get the right van at the right price!
Packed with good advice – from running costs, through paperwork, vital statistics, valuation, and the VW community, to whether a VW Transporter T4 will suit you and your lifestyle – this is THE COMPLETE GUIDE to choosing, assessing and buying the Transporter of your dreams.

Want to be an expert on Triumph’s 350 and 500 unit-construction twins? Here is everything you need to know about these classic machines.
Alongside the headline-grabbing bikes – the Bonneville and Trident – Triumph built a whole series of smaller 350/500cc machines, with all the style of their bigger brothers, but lighter in weight, easier to ride, and now cheaper to buy. The Triumph 350/500s played a key role in the company’s success through the 1960s, in North America as well as the UK. The range included everything from the original 350cc 3TA, a mild-mannered tourer, to the final Daytona Tiger 500 (a modified version of which won the Daytona 500 race in 1967), and the TR5T trail bike.
This comprehensive book covers the complete history of these bikes, with details of model variants, advice on buying and living with a Triumph 350/500, technical specifications, and a list of useful contacts.

This Essential Buyer’s Guide includes everything the potential Velocette buyer needs to know: how to assess the engine, transmission, frame, paintwork and chrome, tinwork, wheels and tyres, brakes, electrics, and provides an explanation of engine and frame numbers.
With a detailed run down of the various models, and an assessment of which offers the best investment potential, there’s also plenty of advice on buying at auctions, essential paperwork, problems caused by lack of use, and a list of of useful contacts.

This manual is aimed at owners and enthusiasts of the legendary Norton Commando, and covers all areas of restoration from the sourcing of the bike to its completion as a fully restored machine. Starting with advice on the different models, spares availability and where best to source a bike to restore, the book then covers the complete dismantling and restoration of the bike. Describing the engine, frame, gearbox, wheels, suspension and forks, brakes, ancillaries, bodywork, and electrics, the text is illustrated with hundreds of clear colour photos.
What really sets this manual apart is the style in which it is written: not as some dull and distant workshop manual but in a friendly, humorous manner by an enthusiast of many years who is able to involve and entertain the reader, as well as providing a thorough and detailed restoration guide.
This is the third motorcycle restoration guide from an author whose previous works have been a massive hit with mechanics, enthusiasts and restorers throughout the world.

From the 1950s through to the 1970s, Hughie Hancox worked at the Triumph Meriden factory in various capacities – a fitter, a member of the famous Royal Corps of Signals Motorcycle Display Team, in the experimental department (where he actually worked on the prototype Bonneville), and eventually as one of the legendary Triumph Production Testers.
This latter role provided countless unique experiences with some of the most iconic British motorcycles ever manufactured. The story of testing new motorcycles at Meriden as they came off the production lines has never before been published, and this intimate and pragmatic account comes straight from a man who was at the heart of it. With many previously unpublished pictures and service bulletins, plus helpful advice on problems that still exist with the bikes today, this is a unique book about a fascinating time and place in the British motorcycle industry.

Out of print since 2011, but now available as a paperback reprint!
If you can recall watching motorcycle scrambles and trials on your black and white TV during the 1960s, then this is the book for you. It’s a trip down memory lane as the author recalls boyhood journeys in his big brother’s ex-GPO van to watch the stars in action, some of the world’s best, including scramblers like the Sharp brothers, Badger Goss and Ivor England, trials riders Gordon Jackson, Max King and the Kendalls, and great all-rounders like Ken Heanes, Johnny Giles and the American Bud Ekins. Not only does it include the star riders, but also the main British manufacturers of the time like BSA, Triumph, James, Greeves, Metisse, Cheney and Wasp, the latter two of which are still in existence to this day. However, the book isn’t just about bikes – it’s about the people and their stories from illustrious and successful careers on two and three wheels, which makes for a thoroughly interesting and captivating read.

A detailed history of the Norton Commando: its antecedents, development, and year-by-year production changes, including the turbulent story of the company that built it, bringing the story right up to the present day.
This book also includes expert advice on owning and maintaining one of these iconic bikes, as well as information on clubs, websites and spares.
Featuring great colour photos, including original advertising material, and comprehensive appendices of facts, figures, contacts, technical specifications, engine/frame numbers, and road test performance figures, this is the definitive book of a bike that truly deserves the term ‘classic.’

There are lots of books about the Norton Commando; about its history, performance, lineage, and the minutiae of its specification. But none of them will tell you what to look for when buying one secondhand. That's what this book is about – it is a straightforward, practical guide to buying a used Commando. It doesn't list all the correct colour combinations for each year, or analyse the bike's design philosophy, or consider its background as part of a troubled industry – there are excellent books listed at the end of this one that do all of that – but it will help you avoid buying a dud. Point by point, it takes the reader through everything that needs looking at when buying a Commando, plus spares prices, which is the best model to buy for your needs, and a look at auctions, restorations and paperwork
The last of the ‘classic' Nortons, the Commando remains a collector's item, and many have been saved, restored and ridden – this book tells the reader how to be part of its ongoing story.

The Indian has been the iconic image for American big V-Twins down the years, due in no small measure to the motorcycles designed by Charles B Franklin – the Indian Scout and the Indian Chief.
Charles Franklin was born and raised in Ireland where he quickly became involved in motorcycle racing during the pioneer years. He rapidly established himself as Ireland’s first big star of racing and was the first to represent Ireland in international motorcycle competition. In the Isle of Man TT he consistently finished in the top eight, and in 1911 claimed second place, a remarkable achievement in itself.
But it was when he moved to Indian in the USA, where he became the Chief Design Engineer, that his genius really flowed. His designs catapulted Indian back into the forefront of motorcycle design in the 1920s and ’30s and his racing engines and motorcycles won much glory for Indian against stiff opposition. Franklin introduced remarkable improvements in sidevalve combustion chamber design that pre-dated the work of Ricardo. He championed an holistic approach that popularised new features such as the semi unit-construction ‘powerplant’, helical-gear primary drive, double-loop full-cradle frames and a host of other improvements to the early motorcycles. This book not only chronicles his life but also sheds much new light on the history of Indian motorcycles and the often turbulent times of the Indian Motorcycle Company itself.
A much needed book for all Indian fans and all who love the history of the classic American V-Twins.

A Veloce Classic Reprint.
A delightful and often humorous account of life with the Triumph motorcycle company in its heyday. Hughie Hancox started work with the Triumph Engineering Company (manufacturer of Triumph motorcycles) in 1954 and, apart from a short break for national service, stayed with the company until its closed in 1974. In his time with Triumph, Hughie worked in the Experimental, Service, Product Road Test, Toolroom, Final Production Assembly and Service Repair Shop departments before joining the staff in the Service Office. He also served as a Technical Writer/Advisor/Customer Relations "Trouble Shooter." Even his National Service was spent with the "White Helmets" motorcycle display team! Here, Hughie tells the story of his life in the famous Meriden factory and of his many adventures with Triumph motorcycles and Triumph people and, by doing so, records the fascinating inside story of one of Britain's greatest motorcycle marques.

Available again after a long absence!
This book celebrates the iconic Moto Guzzi V7 Sport and Le Mans sporting motorcycles of the 1970s and 1980s, telling the story of these classic bikes, among the first Superbikes to combine Italian style, handling and performance.
After struggling to survive during the 1960s, Lino Tonti was given the opportunity to create the V7 Sport Telaio Rosso, in 1971; this was so successful that Moto Guzzi again began to concentrate on building sporting motorcycles. When Alessandro de Tomaso acquired the company, the future for Moto Guzzi twins looked bleak – until the 850 Le Mans was released in 1975. Like the V7 Sport, the Le Mans was a class leading sporting motorcycle and continued into production throughout the 1980s. After the Le Mans II of 1978, Le Mans III of 1980, the Le Mans IV of 1984, and the Le Mans V of 1988, although no longer a cutting-edge sports bike, the final Le Mans successfully managed to combine traditional attributes with modern conveniences. Covering the period 1971-1993 and all models (V7 Sport, 750S, 750S3, 850 Le Mans, 850 Le Mans II, 850 Le Mans III, 1000 Le Mans IV, 1000 Le Mans V) and with description of model development year by year, full production data and 160 photos, this is a highly informative book and an essential Bible for enthusiasts. Author and renowned motorcycle expert, Ian Falloon, has a wealth of experience, numerous books to his name, and a small collection of sporting motorcycles – including a 1973 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. His other books include The Moto Guzzi Story, The BMW Story and the Ducati 750 Bible.

Reprinted after a long absence! This is the inspiring story of how a young school-leaver with no academic qualifications and low expectations built a successful career based on an apprenticeship with Associated Motor Cycles Ltd, and eventually became Managing Director of his company.
It describes the very personal story of the ups and downs of factory life in the 1950s and 1960s. In particular, it conveys the unique atmosphere and excitement that surrounds the manufacture of motorcycles, an atmosphere that for those who have experienced it is like no other. The excellence of the training that was provided by the company enabled the writer to achieve far more than he ever anticipated.
The journey through the factory, starting with the lowliest of duties in the machine shops and ending as personal assistant to the top motorcycle designers of their time, is described in detail. It gives a rare insight into working practices within the different departments and the characters that were employed.
Supported by a host of period photographs and rare documents, it provides a unique record of work within the British motorcycle industry in the final years of its decline into oblivion.

The Triumph 750 of 1973 to 1983 is probably the classic British motorcycle that most people will recognise, whether they are an enthusiast or not. Their desirability continues to grow, aided by their easy availability and excellent parts back up. This book is aimed at the DIY enthusiast interested in their renovation and restoration, and is fully illustrated with high quality colour images, coupled with clear and concise text.
Following the real life resurrection of a T140E, with all the work being carried out by the author, the book shows how to assess wear in all mechanical components, then assists in deciding the most cost effective method of dealing with it. The process is dealt with in detail giving the owner the confidence to carry out their own repairs to a high standard, which will be both cost effective and satisfying. Brakes, suspension, brightwork and trim are all also addressed, making this an essential purchase for all Triumph 750 owners.

No longer the simple machines they used to be, the modern motorcycle is as complex and diverse as the modern car. In an ever more competitive market, manufacturers are looking for new solutions to old problems – what’s the most efficient transmission? How can emissions and fuel consumption be cut without affecting power? And how can new models be differentiated from one another?
This book explains how the modern motorcycle works, in a straightforward style that’s jargon-free and easy to read. It assumes no prior mechanical knowledge, simply an interest in a motorcycle’s workings, and an open mind. The text is accompanied by superb cutaway illustrations from the major motorcycle manufacturers, clearly showing how individual components and systems function.
It covers the latest innovations, including traction control and pushbutton gear change, as well as long-established technologies, such as fuel injection and ABS.
How Your Motorcycle Works will not transform you into a motorcycle engineer or expert mechanic, but in explaining precisely how everything works, it will increase your understanding, and thus enjoyment, of the machine.

Now in paperback! The BSA Bantam is one of the definitive postwar British bikes, perhaps THE definitive British lightweight built after World War II. It was certainly the most popular, with over 400,000 built over a 23-year production run – in the first four years, production broke all records. Yet it would die a lingering death, production fizzling out in the early 1970s as a neglected model of a manufacturer more concerned with building big, fast road-burning bikes. The Bantam might never have happened without World War II. The prewar DKW RT125 was offered to the Allies as reparations, taken up and produced in the USA, USSR, even Japan! In East Germany it was revived as the MZ, and in Britain it surfaced publicly in 1948 as the BSA Bantam, a very simple little 123cc two-stroke, with rudimentary electrics, no rear suspension and a lot of charm.
The little bike became part of Britain’s social history. Thousands of people learnt to ride on a Bantam, or had their first pillion experience on one, or rode one delivering telegrams for what was the GPO. Although many of those learners progressed to bigger, faster bikes, then gave up two wheels for family life, they won’t have forgotten the Bantam, which explains why there’s such a thriving Bantam community to this day – the club, the racing club, the spares specialists, and restorers, owners and riders all over the country. This might not be Britain’s most glamorous motorcycle, its fastest or most flamboyant, but the Bantam is probably the most loved.

When Honda released the CX500, the sales brochure stated ‘First into the Future,’ and described the bike as a road sports V-twin. Honda's first venture into the V-twin engine market, with water cooling and shaft drive, was certainly different from their previous twin- and four-cylinder models. Known for its good handling and fuel economy, the low maintenance Honda was comfortable, loved by tourers and couriers alike and, after overcoming early teething troubles, developed a reputation for reliability. Sportier models incorporating turbochargers were also released, for those looking for an additional adrenaline rush. After thirty years, there’s now a resurgence of interest in the CX models, both from restorers and custom builders, with aftermarket café racer kits available, too.
The techniques, tips and tricks used by an experienced restorer will save you time and money. You’ll see that you don’t need expert knowledge or a fully fitted workshop for a restoration project. Packed full with photographs and detailed instructions, this book is your perfect guide, from start to finish.

The two stroke Vespa is rightly regarded as an iconic scooter. Its initial purpose was to provide low cost transportation to the masses in the 1950s, but it evolved through the vibrant ’60s to became a symbol of the burgeoning youth culture, and on into the ’90s when it became firmly entrenched as an Italian icon. The history of this phenomenon has been well documented, as has the subculture that surrounds it, but there has been no previous attempt to provide a guide to buying one of these classic scooters. This book will help ensure that you avoid the main pitfalls and end up with your very own slice of La Dolce Vita on the driveway.
This Essential Buyer's Guide is packed with good advice from running costs, paperwork, vital statistics, valuation and the Vespa community, right through to whether your scooter will fit in with your lifestyle. This is the complete guide to choosing, assessing and buying the Vespa of your dreams.

You might think a Cobra is an unattainable dream, and you’d be right. However, a replica that looks just like one and works rather better is not only attainable – it costs about the same as a Toyota.
Iain Ayre has been reviewing, building and designing Cobra replicas for decades: there’s nobody better to have in your pocket when you stop dreaming and start checking out buying or building one for real. This book condenses all you need to know into 64 packed pages covering Cobra types; low, medium and high budgets; buying pitfalls; engine and donor recommendations; good and bad points – pretty much everything you need to know to start scaring BMWs with budget V8 thunder.
Iain Ayre writes for both Kit Car Magazine (UK) and Kit Car Builder (USA), is a keen kit car builder, and author of several other sports car books.

New paperback edition!
Presented for the first time in one book, the new-for-1971 range of BSA and Triumph motorcycles, including the 350cc DOHC twins, the innovative Ariel 3 moped, projected D18 Bantam, and the X-75 Hurricane, are all detailed in depth, along with related promotional and racing activities. Photoshoots, the lavish series of brochures and ads that emanated from them, and projected and actual colour schemes, are also presented with great accuracy.
By delving into the archives of several historical institutions, a comprehensive account of the hitherto largely ignored massive infrastructure investment that took place at BSA’s Small Heath works during much of 1970 is revealed, along with its re-organised North American setup.
Also included is an equally fresh and detailed appraisal of BSA’s financial situation, from the dawn of the 1970s, until its oblivion in 1973.
Besides the many new revelations, this book contains an impressive collection of extremely rare factory photographs, many of which have never been published before, and thought to be the only copies in existence.

Now in Paperback! Carroll Shelby, legendary driving ace, race team owner, and designer of Shelby Cobra, Daytona, and Mustang GT350 classics is revered by automotive enthusiasts, yet little has been written about the last quarter century of Carroll Shelby’s life. During that time Chris Theodore, VP at Chrysler and Ford, developed a close personal friendship with Carroll.
The Last Shelby Cobra chronicles the development of the many vehicles they worked on together (Viper, Ford GT, Shelby Cobra Concept, Shelby GR1, Shelby GT500 and others). It is an insider’s story about how Shelby came back to the Ford family, and the intrigue behind the five-year journey to get a Shelby badge on a Ford Production Vehicle. The author provides fresh insight and new stories into Shelby’s larger-than-life personality, energy, interests and the many unpublished projects Carroll was involved with, up to his passing. Finally, the book describes their unfinished project, the Super Snake II Cobra, and the serendipitous circumstances that allowed to the author to acquire ‘Daisy,’ the last Shelby Cobra. To his many fans, Carroll Shelby was truly ‘the most interesting man in the world.’

If you’re passionate about your Ducati, wish to know your motorcycle in real depth, and keep it in perfect shape with the loving care she’ll only receive from you, this is your book.
This is a comprehensive service manual for you and your Ducati, that will help you to perform all maintenance and repair operations in your own home workshop. From basic servicing to the most complex repair and adjustment operations, everything is covered.
The bikes covered in this book range from the first 1980 ‘Pantah’ to the ‘Testastretta Evoluzione’ models, so it spans 30 years of Ducati models.
Within these pages you will discover the secrets of your pride and joy, and how to make repairs or carry out maintenance in your home workshop or garage.
With the rhythm of their mechanical soul, and powerful twin heartbeat, Ducatis are motorcycles for true lovers of voluptuous Italian style and character. The author, Eduardo Cabrera, is better known in the Spanish ducatisti community as Baron Rojo (Red Baron), a lifelong Ducati owner and enthusiast, and a regular contributor to the Spanish Ducati online forum..

There are very few books about the Hinckley-built Triumphs, and none will tell you what to look for when buying one secondhand. That’s what this book is about – it is a straightforward, practical guide to buying a used modern Triumph. It doesn’t list all the correct colour combinations for each year, or analyse the bike’s design philosophy, or consider its background as part of a reborn industry, but it will help you avoid buying a dud. Point by point, it takes the reader through everything that needs looking at when buying a Hinckley Triumph, plus spares prices, which is the best model to buy for your needs, and a look at auctions, restorations and paperwork
Since production started back in 1992, the Hinckley Triumphs have been a remarkable success story. A series of triples and fours that launched an entirely new range of bikes from scratch, and in the process restarted the British bike industry. The naked Trident, touring Trophy and sports Daytonas gained respect all over the world.
The new generation fuel-injected Triumphs that followed a few years later carried on the same tradition, building on the legacy of that characterful three-cylinder engine that became Hinckley Triumph’s trademark. As a secondhand buy, these bikes offer heritage, reliability and a wide choice of styles – worth looking out for.

This is a meticulously detailed history of the Triumph Bonneville: its antecedents, how it came about, and year-by-year production changes, with detailed technical specifications and contemporary road test reports showing how the Bonneville compared with its rivals. However, the history of the bike cannot be separated from the turbulent story of the company that built it. Triumph went from huge successes in the 1960s, when the Bonneville conquered North America, to troubled times in the early 1970s, leading to the formation of the workers co-operative that heroically kept the Bonneville alive for a further nine years. All this is covered here, plus details on how Triumph spares producer Les Harris took over production into the late ‘80s.
Unlike other Bonneville books, this one also tells you how to buy one of these iconic bikes secondhand – all the pitfalls, what to look for, and what they are really like to live with. Whichever one you choose, it should be fast, agile and good looking ... on a twisty country road, there's nothing like a Bonnie, and with information on clubs, websites, spares, and the latest modifications and upgrades, this book will help you get the one you deserve.
Featuring comprehensive appendices of facts, figures, contacts, technical specifiations (including correct colours for each year), engine/frame numbers, and road test performance figures, this is the definitive book of a bike that truly deserves the term ‘practical classic.'