In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, wooden-bodied shooting brakes, estate cars and station wagons were commercial vehicles built in Britain mostly for utilitarian roles. They were built in relative small numbers, often by small lesser-known commercial bodybuilding firms and required high levels of maintenance to ensure anything resembling a long life. Every chassis from Alvis, Austin and Bentley to Standard, Vauxhall and Wolseley, were built as Woodies at some stage and reached their peak of popularity in the immediate post-war years when steel was in short supply and the majority of new cars were being built for export.

The book focuses on how and why Woodies were first used in the UK and then takes an in-depth look at the how the concept evolved from being a sporting vehicle into a utility vehicle – in essence the original SUV. The book also looks at why some vehicles were built as Woodies from new, while others were re-bodied as Woodies in later life. It also looks at the companies, both large and small, which built Woodies and the reasons why demand peaked in the immediate post-war years and then faded away.

A comprehensive account of British cars, this book presents a large amount of information - historical as well as technical - in a way which should serve the needs of the dedicated enthusiast and the general reader. Nearly over 700 manufacturers and some 3700 individual models are covered - including technical specification for most cars. A wide selection of photographs feature all the major marques and some minor ones.

British commercial manufacturers played a prime role in boosting Britain's economy during the 1960s, especially as many vehicles were exported worldwide. British lorries were, therefore, considered as being the workhorses of the world, performing a wide range of duties from heavy haulage to general goods delivery. This highly visual study of British lorries of the 1960s captures in 120 illustrations this often understated but very necessary work, which was undertaken day and night, 365 days a year. The images, many contemporary colour and black and white, include some delightful publicity items in addition to covering the heritage and preservation scenes. The comprehensive text reveals much about the marques that were everyday names, along with information about Britain's road haulage and commercial vehicle industries. Malcolm Bobbitt is the author of some thirty automotive books and is a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and the Society of Automotive Historians. This book will rekindle many memories and serve as a reminder of the important role British commercial vehicles played during the 1960s.

Born in Shropshire soon after the end of the First World War, venerable motoring writer W de Forte has driven everything from his grandfather's first Daimler, to modern-day supercars … ridden everything from vertiginous Victorian penny farthings, to high velocity twenty-first century superbikes … travelled everywhere from the permafrost of the Arctic Circle to the baking sands of the Baja Peninsula … and met everyone from Tazio Nuvolari to Valentino Rossi. W de Forte enjoyed an eventful career as a top-level journalist, spanning 75 years, during which time he tested many thousands of cars and reported on countless automotive events around the world. This made him uniquely qualified to comment on all aspects of classic and vintage motoring and motorcycling. Relatively undimmed by age and ague, even in his 90s, de Forte had no plans to retire, but, in early 2011, a high-speed prang while testing a wayward Rudge Ulster at a racing circuit in Belgium brought him up with a jolt, both literally and metaphorically. After recuperating in hospital, he settled down to write his long-awaited and much requested autobiography. This unique and insightful book is the result. Packed with fascinating stories about classic cars and motorcycles, A Life Awheel – the ‘Auto’ Biography of W de Forte is an account of an extraordinary motoring life, and the story of motoring in the 20th century.

A serious in-depth study of the growth of SS Cars Limited during the world's worst economic depression and the metamorphosis of SS into Jaguar. Many hither-too unknown facts disclosed and the work is copiously illustrated throughout with contemporary photographs.