Classic British Cars (hb). This item is unavailable.Classic British Cars (hb)

One of a series of titles linked to a Channel 4 television series, this is a study of branded cars, the story of which is a major part of 20th-century history - industrial, economic and social. In the years which followed World War II, people were judged by their cars, which were then relatively rare, and the brands were easily identified. Add to this the question British consciousness of social class and status, and the motor car becomes a prism through which the social stereotypes of the post-war years can be viewed. The book presents a detailed account of each vehicle, and of the people who designed and built them.

Passion for classic cars anywhere is no greater than in Britain--and rightly so. Authors Brian Johnson and Jeff Daniels lavish this book with wonderful photographs of cars, which are admired by those who were not even alive during their production. British motors have become legendary and are the very embodiment of the country's nature. Turn each page and there is one after another glistening in quality and individuality, the very motivation for all those hours of restoration. But, ah, nostalgia! An age-old story of the British pioneers whose style and concepts are copied the world over. That is our inheritance.

Do not scour this book for your own cherished motor thinking you will find hidden details of specification variations: sorry, train-spotters are banished. Instead you will find explanations as to how your vehicle might have fitted into the whole picture, answering a new market's needs with innovation or perhaps inept attempts at fighting off the new foreign rivals. --Daniel Hopwood