The Observers Book of Automobiles
LA Manwaring
Sold by Crappy Old Books, Barry, United Kingdom
AbeBooks Seller since 6 February 2025
Used - Hardcover
Condition: Used - Good
Ships from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketSold by Crappy Old Books, Barry, United Kingdom
AbeBooks Seller since 6 February 2025
Condition: Used - Good
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketBehold: The Observer?s Book of Automobiles (1968) by L. A. Manwaring ? a pocket-sized time machine from the era when cars had chrome moustaches, names like Cortina and Zephyr , and the natural habitat of the British motorist was a lay-by with a thermos and quiet despair. This is not a book for people who merely like cars. This is a book for people who feel a faint, inexplicable thrill at the phrase ?engine capacity? , who believe a proper automobile should have a real grille you could lean your personality on , and who consider spotting a Morris Oxford in the wild to be basically the same as seeing a rare bird. It?s the Observer?s formula at its finest: concise, authoritative, and oddly soothing ? as if the entire, complicated world can be neatly catalogued into tidy little facts and silhouettes you can identify before your tea goes cold. Inside you?ll find a glorious parade of mid-century motoring ambition: sensible saloons, dashing sports cars, foreign curiosities, and those delightfully optimistic designs that assumed the future would be powered by confidence, petrol, and a total absence of health-and-safety paperwork. Each entry is like a tiny obituary for a model range: its measurements, its mechanical virtues, its quiet quirks ? all delivered with the calm certainty of a time when an ?Observer? could simply observe and not be forced to update a spreadsheet. And because it?s 1968, the subtext is always: ?Yes, you can own a car. No, it won?t start in winter. Yes, it will rust. But you will look magnificent while being late.? Condition-wise: this copy is Good , and in Crappy Old Books terms that means it?s properly usable, properly readable, and properly ready to be shoved in a glovebox like it was born to be. The dust jacket is worn (as per your scan) ? which is honestly the most authentic thing it could do. A pristine dust jacket on a car book feels suspicious, like someone bought it purely for interior design purposes and never once argued about carburettors. A worn jacket says this book has seen things . The book itself is sound , which is what you want: a sturdy little manual of motoring memory, built to outlast the vehicles it documents. Perfect for: Anyone who can?t pass an Austin without saying ?they don?t make ?em like that anymore? (even if they absolutely did) The nostalgic tinkerer who loves a car that comes with ?character? (and, inevitably, leaks) People who collect Observer?s Books the way others collect rare stamps, except this one smells faintly of petrol dreams In short: a charming, practical, slightly smug pocket encyclopedia of the road ? back when the road was narrower, the indicators were optional, and every journey contained at least one unscheduled stop to ?have a look at it.? From Crappy Old Books , proudly supplying the past in portable form ? dust jacket a bit battle-worn, book solid, and the automobiles within forever gleaming in the amber of 1968.
Seller Inventory # 5734
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Crappy Old Books, Barry, Berkshire, United Kingdom, +44 7745466608, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
| Order quantity | 14 to 45 business days | 5 to 10 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 20.05 | £ 26.85 |
Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.